Fresh off the Meitei festival of Yaoshang, in Imphal, I headed further northeast to my friend Phejin’s village of Shiyong in Nagaland, to partake in another festival, the Konyak festival of Aoling. Being so close, a relative term in India given that it took a day and a half to reach Shiyong from Imphal, I couldn’t resist the invitation to drink copious amounts of rice beer, and gorge on a feast of meat, all a midst the rhythmic beat of the village’s log drums. In addition to myself two other friends of Phejin were joining in the festivities, Ted, a well traveled individual from just about everywhere (he holds three passports, one of which being an American, lived on three continents and his travel destinations have included North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraqi Kurdistan), and Nicole, a friend of Ted’s from Massachusetts. This foursome was further increased when a number of Phejin’s Konyak friends from Mon and several volunteers working with Doctors without Borders in Mon for a “festive” Aoling celebration in Shiyong. Suffice to say a good time was had by all.
Leave a Reply