Oh wow Anna, you wrote something wonderful and important in this great blog of yours.  I love wearing traditional clothes all the time.  I buy clothes from Tibetan stores, Indian, Chinese, etc.  Even though those are not my primary culture I love wearing their traditional clothes and I wear them with pride and respect.  I am a child of the world and the universe. 
I just bought a sewing machine so I can create my own traditional style clothing or whatever I can think of.  I love fabrics from different culture and would like to create my own creations, thoughts, ideas and designs.  Hopefully I can learn to sew quickly so I can show my creations. 
Thank you for this thoughts you have laid out in this blog.
We must celebrate our traditions and never be ashame of them. 
love and blessings,
Samme

Your welcome and thank you.  And by the way you look fabulous and beautiful in your elegant chuba. 
traditional with modernistic,
Samme

I so agree. Anytime I can get my hands on somebody's traditional garb I will wear it! I don't have enough occasions to wear them in my opinion! I have to create reasons to throw on a kikoy from Kenya; I make it part of 'business wear' Sherrilene-style. Nobody questions, interestingly.

I think one would be surprised how much the young people would love to integrate with the old, enduring ways. They often await introduction, permission of a sort…

Thanks for this blog Anna. I love it!

Sherri

we need traditions to ground us and at the same time to move fearlessly ahead - it is a tricky balance especially when we are younger and eager to be free of the dead past. but this photo beautifully shows how tradition can clothe and enhance the new and progressive

Do you were traditional South African dresses?

I've worn traditional Middle Eastern galabiyas, Indian salwar khamises and Tibetan chupas but I don't even know what the traditional dress of my town/region is. That's sad.

Yes, I understand that there is a huge amount of different “traditional” “South African” clothes. What I was wondering, have you worn clothes traditional to your background? You are saddened by the fact that tradional clothes aren't worn any more (or are rarely worn any more) but as a matter of fact, we don't wear our traditional clothes either. As I said, I don't even know which dress is traditional in my region. If you go to Tibet, you'll see everybody wearing chupas, in India, women wear saris, etc. but in the countries of the north (or other westernized countries such as South Africa), people will wear other peoples' traditional dresses rather than their own culture's and thus a lot of tradtional dresses “die out” (as you mentioned in your blog). That is a pity.

I was just reading what Jenny said and I actually felt a sadness within it. Although I don't play the victim game that much, I get angry that a systematic effort has been made to wipe out all our images of early tradition in the colonised places like here in the Caribbean. I can't tell you what our 'traditional' dress was because everything African was washed out during slavery!

The clothing which I see have been 'adopted' for certain national events are old servant and military garb which have not sat with me well. I am far more drawn to the elegant garments which I see women of the native African continent wear, inclusive of head dress. How exciting to me! And the Indian saris are some of the most beautiful and well presented garments anywhere. I embrace them in honour… perhaps in recognition that I don't know what my original people even wore…

I know I don't like what they wear too much now tho lol

Just my thoughts. Sherri

Yes it is the pride of association I think, moreso than the direct connection by blood or whatever. I enjoy diversity, indeed there is sure to be a good percentage of British in my bloodlines as well, but again, I don't feel that excitement to relate. It is a judgment, I confess. Not sufficient for me to bash British people now or anything; this is pointless and totally ineffective. But the longstanding pride of place of the old countries is something that I love a sense of association with… I have long dreamed of having an outfit from China or Japan… So you can see it isn't strictly the nationality. It is the values that associate with them I think…

Hi Anna,
I can well relate to where you're coming from. I never felt very “German” either. Even as a kid I usually hung with the immigrant kids rather than with my German mates and maybe that's one of the reasons I was never taken for German. Even up until today people here in Germany ask me where I was from because they think I don't “look German”. Often they don't even believe me when I say “I'm German”. They'll go on “But yeah, where are your parents from?” - “Where are you originally from”. Got that from my daddy, he apparently looks ver “un-German”, too (whatever “looking German” in the melting pot world of today means!).
And since I didn't “look German” while at the same time having been exposed to different cultures, languages and religions due to my parents' “internationalism” and interests, I never felt very German either.
And yes, like you, I cook internationally, I dress internationall, my home is decorated with artefacts from the various countries I've visited and I feel very good about it while I still consider my roots to be in the German Rhineland (and I feel strongly about it, too). I think my parents' way has definitely broadened my horizon. What a pity though that they never introduced me to the traditional dress of my home region (to get back to the initial topic). :)))

Anna you are definitely saying something there! I think I started out in this incarnation diverse; I am certain I never properly identified with a sect or group given my experience.

Although I grew up in a typical lower middle class West Indian household and went to an all 'black' primary school, immediately when I went to secondary school where there was now more diversity, I easily associated with the white students, the students there on exchange, coming from abroad - North Korea, Norway, Scotland - one of my GREATEST  friends and buddies - … and yes, there was substantial segregation although it was not overt or spoken of. [This situation remains somewhat in effect I might add…] I, frankly, identified with everyone.

But the people that want to operate as human before grouping will naturally do so! This has been my ever-present learning. If I along with others could do this from 11 years old and pretty much keep it up, it tells me that it isn't that curious after all. ALL of my best friends are actively mixing with different 'sects' and greatly admire their differences and love it!

Again, it's not so sexy as other subjects so it will hardly make the news, but it is not that far from our reality as we probably think. We are either spiritually still children in our innocence or really really really old souls. Or perhaps a bit of both? lol

Clothing seems … surface covering now, doesn't it? lol You simply never know where the conversations will take us. But I learn a tremendous amount from this medium I must confess.

Anna you might find MamaSue's blog on the New Age thoughts interesting.

Thanks I enjoyed this. Thank you so much Anna.

My sincere regards to Gien!

Sherri

Jenny I just read your comments; I think we were posting at the same time. I am constantly asked 'Where are you from?' 'Were you born here?' 'You look international!' whatever that is lol

Like you, I feel identity a little with my birthplace, but it definitely doesn't dominate me either. I take pride in certain aspects of my upbringing in this place but I feel some sadness about other bits as well. It is why I attempt to identify to my human best self first and foremost and then anything else afterwards…

Peace and love. Sherri

your site has a lovely gentle energy to it-thank you. 

traditions are a wonderful way to explore parts of self- to experiment with.  Your wedding photos express a sublime sense of tradition being carried into the present- and of transformed in the moment.  lovely blog  -z

Anna, to some extent my detachment from surroundings has actually helped me to make what difference that I could. I don't even expose my Vision and Mission to anyone except me and God; it is quite rare. I've had to set a different kind of standards altogether. So, what can I say? Spirit works lol

Peace and love to you!

Blessings. Sherri

I understand; I usually try to take the time to cover all the nuances but I had to move quickly earlier [that is a lesson too! Don't rush things lol]

Yes, it was my dissatisfaction with what was considered culturally acceptable in organisational life that was the propulsion for me to start my company the Human Quality Headquarters, based on my god-given vision of how harmonious workplace relationships could be, which was very much based on the individual's actions in his own space founded on awareness of his power.

There are no role models even till now for me to work with. It is all divinely inspired, but thankfully, it is consistent and has not taken me off course the slightest bit. I so honour this inspiration that I refuse to tarnish it with my otherwise human insecurities etc. Work is sacred in that space.

It, in itself, is quite a journey! But a greatly satisfying one because it represents the best self that I can conceive at any one point in time.

Hope this explains a bit better. Thank you so much! Sherri

Thank you. I will take a look! It looks like me ;)

Lots of love. S

HummingBird Anna; how lovely that I finally found this discussion [came thru your link on the world heritage society]; and what a gentle breezze blows through these sharings. Right now, I just wanted to acknowledge that.