FIELDNOTE_0426_NALUWAN_MOLLY

Today it was time for me to hold a workshop with everyone.

I explained why I chose to do something creative with shells. The first time I was in Naluwan I saw the beautiful shells lying in rows along the street, I also saw huge shells hanging along a wall. I have always been very fond of shells and it seemed that I had that in common with many people from Naluwan. Creating something with shells also reminds me of my mother. She is just as crazy about shells as I am and always picks up nice shells from the beach with the hope that we will make something nice with it. She did the same when she visited me in Taiwan. We have never done anything with the shells and that's why I decided to finally take the matter in hand and make several wind chimes from the shells found in Naluwan.

I showed suggestions on how to easily attach shells without holes on the thread. Many of the elders already knew how to do this and it was clear that they were used to creating handmade things with their hands. Others chose to make holes in the shells using scissors. All in all, people seemed to enjoy the activity; the results are similar in appearance because of the simple materials and few possibilities for variation that I provided. However, no two were the same. Everyone put their own touch on their wind chimes. Some collaborated and others made a personal one.

Throughout the workshop, I walked around and tried to be available for questions and tips. I took pictures with my camera and all the elders proudly showed off their wind chimes when they were finished. it was great to see their happy faces, they seemed to enjoy the craft and seemed to be satisfied with their results.

As Professor Ku suggested, it would have been nice if some of the older people could have shared what the sea means to them. Unfortunately we didn't have much time, people finished at different times and we had to clean up in order to have a final discussion about the rest of the semester.

However, it has been clear from previous visits that the sea is a big part of Naluwan. The most important thing is probably that the sea and fishing provide many of the residents of Naulwan with work, not only today but for many generations. There may therefore be a sense of pride in the sea and taking advantage of the heritage they have inherited from their ancestors. There is also no doubt that the sea is always present in Naluwan as all shells were picked no more than 10 meters from the hallway of their home.