Mama Di, a matriarch of the Hmong tribe, never formally learned English. Selling homemade wares in the streets of Hanoi, she picked up English repeating overheard phrases to appeal to the tourists who would frequent the market. Language itself became a commodity, enabling her to share her culture with those unfamiliar to it. Even now on the outskirts of Sapa, she opens her home up to curious travellers, sharing spoken histories to pass on her traditions.