Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Names:

The Hmong have only a certain amount of names to choose from. There are 18-19 clan names and a small number of traditional first names for boys and girls. Because of this, there could commonly be more than one Lue Xiong in the same village. Therefore, many times, they are given nicknames or are called "So and so’s father's son/daughter" to differentiate them.

Once a woman is married, she assumes her husband’s name and is considered part of the husband’s clan, and is then publicly called "Wife of –" (The same word means "aunt"). Her husband is usually the only one who calls her by her original first name.

Sources:
Wikipedia: Hmong Customs.
http://www.cal.org/co/hmong/hlaos.html

Blackie – Lue’s father
He’s considered uncaring about the rest of the family and its customs and has "a black heart".

Jumping Tiger – Xang, Lue’s cousin
He is a highly competitive martial artist.

Sparky – Teng, Lue’s cousin
He’s an electrician by trade.

Cuisine:

The weird food you hear people eating in Third World countries is common in the markets. Fried grasshoppers, moths, boiled goat heads, roasted fetal pig is not unusual. The Hmong and Lao both consider glutinous rice to be a staple of a meal, such as bread with Westerners, and are usually eaten at all meals of the day. Breakfast and lunch are often the same type of meal, with dinner after sundown.

The most popular beverages are beer and coffee. Beer is drunk at all hours. Coffee is usually served in glasses at room temperature, with a layer of sweetened condensed milk at the bottom.

Desserts are mostly packaged and very sweet.

Wikipedia: Hmong/Laos cuisine
http://www.tamnaklao.net/mains.php

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