October 27, 2009

Bhutanese Atlantans repurpose "the vine that ate the South"

Atlanta Bhutanese Refugee Support Group volunteers and friends have been promoting our new Bhutanese neighbors in a collective enterprise that helps them to feed their families. Here’s the recipe.
  • Step 1. Harvest local scourge, kudzu, growing around their apartment complexes.
  • Step 2. Using ancient artisan techniques, weave the vines into one-of-a-kind baskets, wreaths, and custom-ordered products.
  • Step 3. Sell the products at the Morningside Farmers' Market and other markets, fairs, houses of worship, community events, and shops.
Watch the video (4:31 minutes).

More information

 See photos here and here of kudzu basket weaving demos and sales at the Morningside Farmers' Market. For basket orders and inquiries, send an email. For background on Bhutanese refugees in Atlanta, visit Bhutan > Atlanta.

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Cross-posted at Bhutan > Atlanta.
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October 05, 2009

Happy Dashain, Bhutanese Atlantans!

Tika affixed to our foreheads, we are enjoying the festival performances
This year, we the Bhutanese in Atlanta, will do a common program and worship celebrating Dashain that we hope will strengthen our unity we had.
— Pabitra Rizal, a Bhutanese community organizer

On the heels of the recent Hindu Teej festival that I attended as a guest of Atlanta's new Bhutanese neighbors, Dashain gallops in, a celebration of good triumphing over evil (the short version). To learn about the Bhutanese refugee community, visit Bhutan > Atlanta.

Watch the video (4:50 minutes).



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