“To cut off old braids” means “To cut off old ties”
Both means to get rid of old cherished, even cheesy things, make a radical change, and to grow in personality.
A few final thoughts on Cambodia
A few final thoughts on a country that is different from other parts of South East Asia, Cambodia.
We had almost 2 months to rediscover Cambodia. It has been wonderful, but also frightening. Something is happening, but slowly. Maybe too slow. A lot of resignation can be felt. And yet also a lot of confidence.
To cut off old braids
The phrase in the German language “to cut off old braids” is often used when expressing that change is urgently needed in society.
Braids have been worn by men as headdresses since the 16th century. In the 18th century, the braid was even the official hairstyle of soldiers. The fashion, introduced by Frederick William I of Prussia, was eventually abolished by his successor Frederick II.
The disappearance of the braid also represents a transition to a new age, in which politics, manners and customs are changing. And sometimes you just have to help things along a bit. You do that by simply cutting off the braids.
The phrase was probably first used by students during the wars of liberation between 1813 and 1815.
But “cutting off old braids”, this can be a risky endeavor. But without risk, there is no development.
The human fur remains
For a long time I would have loved to write about our last remnants of fur on the body. About the hair that cost most of us an incredible amount of money. At the hairdresser’s.
No part of the body can be manipulated and modeled for self-staging as much as the hair.
The fur serves in the animal kingdom to make assignments. For example, a zebra recognizes its mother by her stripes. Zebra stripes are like a fingerprint, unique.
In contrast to the animals, we have learned to tame our fur mass and manipulate with it.
The advantage, it’s always all reversible because they just grow back.
It’s crazy what we can do with the little fur on our heads. And I don’t exclude myself.
Hairstyles fashion in cambodia
But actually I didn’t want to write about the psychology of hair, but about Cambodia and why they should also “cut off old braids”.
It is striking that 99,99999% of the women wear long hair. This is a heritage of the Khmer Rouge time. Because at that time all women should have the same haircut and that was a kind of bob. Their job was to help harvest rice in the fields and learn to be a better comrade. Girls had to keep their hair short. No hair was allowed to touch their shoulders. Long hair interfered with their work, so they might be less effective and not be able to help the government to the best of their ability.
Not the hairstyle makes intelligence
Freedom
So freedom also has something to do with the length of the hair. And even now, when they would be allowed to wear it long or short, they subliminally feel that short hair does not mean freedom. From a time that is now long gone.
It’s crazy, but to show our fur the way we want it, means having a kind of freedom.
Will the image have changed in maybe 10 years? Will there be young women with short hair and with long hair in Cambodia? I think so.
Sightseeing Battambang
We went on a little tour with our friend Soon and we asked him to show us a few things that he thinks are worth seeing. We have known Soon since our first visit to Cambodia, in Battambang. He is a great story teller and his tours are fantastic. We’ve been to a lady who makes sweet sticky rice in bamboo tubes, an ice factory, a fish factory, Wat Ek Phnom temple and a family who makes rice paper.
It is the program for tourists. The program what excites us tourists. The handicraft work. It is the same program what we saw more than 7 years ago.
I can guess why he is doing this. It excites us tourists. The small craftsmen whose art is so transfigured romantic. But I wish he would show us what new projects are happening in his city. What is happening? Where are the young people going? What are their dreams and goals?
Will young people be able to get rid of the old braid?
Craftsmanship, yes, is beautiful, but this glorified image on it helps the people who are just surviving on it but can’t really live on it.
Something has to change
At the family making rice paper, I am fascinated by the maybe 10 year old daughter who spreads out the thin rice paper sheets with as much dedication and skill as her parents. It’s Monday, 11 AM. for her, school doesn’t seem to be an option.
Soon, however, is and always will be my number one guide to Battambang. Because after our long conversations, I know he would have little strength for a change. For cutting off the old braids. He has resigned himself to politics, his country, Covid and his family’s history under the Khmer Rouge. His only task now is to make sure his children get a better education and maybe cut off the old braids.
If you are ever looking for a loving guide to Battambang who will gladly answer all your questions, take his time and leave you with a special feeling, please contact me. I will gladly give you his contact details.
The language of hair
Every hairstyle sends psychological signals and reveals something about the wearer. For young people, headdresses are a field of experimentation in the search for their own identity. And while a person wants to communicate something with his hair, its observers draw far-reaching conclusions about his personality.
And for your next visit to a hairdresser, maybe try something new?
For us, on this journey, we have to keep putting ourselves in the hands of a hairdresser we do not know and believe that it will be fine. If not, there is another one coming in another city 🙂
More about how some things change in this country you can read within my article about Art in Battambang.