Poi Sang Long Gallery - Now Available For Viewing and Print Purchase

A gallery of 63 photographs from this year's Poi Sang Long Festival in Maehongson, Thailand is now available for viewing as well as print purchase on my personal photography website.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/People/Shan/Poi-Sang-Long-2013/29120515_HKxD7G

The Band

Shan Musician - A Leaf Blower

As some people get to be around my age, they talk about "getting the band back together".

No, this blog is not about a group of middle aged or older men hoping to possibly recapture the enthusiasm, glory, and vitality of a long past time.  This blog is not about the Windjammers or Mustangs from my high school years or my fraternity band the "Wazoos".  This blog is not even about "The Band" that was so instrumental in the music scene of 1968-1975 or is it even about "We're An American Band" a song made famous in 1973 by Grand Funk Railroad.

This blog is about today.  It is not about glory.  It is about a band, a simple and humble band ... a Shan band.

On Thursday, the second day of the Poi Sang Long Festival, we returned to Wat Hua Wiang at a more reasonable hour to witness the start of the procession through the center of the city.  We arrived about an hour before the scheduled start of the procession so there was plenty of time as well as opportunities to photograph the people.

Towards the front of the second wave of the participants in the procession, we found a decorated flat bed truck ... and a familiar face.  Seated at the head of the flat bed, was the very same leaf blower musician that we had seen four years ago.  Time had been kind to this man.  He looked exactly the same.

A Violin Type Instrument With Attached Sound Horn and Microphone 

The band that he plays in had changed somewhat.  There was now a keyboard and banjo joining the traditional drum, guitar like stringed instrument, and a violin type instrument.  All the musicians were dressed in traditional Shan clothing.

Another Stringed Instrument in the Band

The stringed instruments were very interesting.   The violin type instruments had a metal sound box that transitioned into a sound horn - a sort of mechanical amplifier.  A small microphone was attached inside of the sound horn to allow electrical amplification of the sound.

The banjo also had a electrical hook up to allow for electrical amplification of its sound.

Electrical amplification was necessary because the band provides the traditional Shan music during the course of the procession.  Periodically along the procession route, a large troupe of Shan women, dressed in traditional Shan costume, perform traditional dances to the band's music.  In between the dance stops, the band performs traditional music to entertain the crowds along the streets.

Drummer Tunes Drum With His Hammer

My taste in music is very eclectic although it excludes jazz, hip hop and rap.  The Shan music is very ethnic in it sounds.  It resembles, at least to my ears, Chinese music which is understandable because the Shan people originally migrated from China to Burma (Myanmar) before immigrating to Northern Thailand.  Leaf blowing also is a part of some Chinese ethnic music.  The Hmong as well as the Shan peoples still utilize leaves in their ethnic music.  The sound from blowing on leaves is squawking sound however the skilled musician can make the sound over a wide frequency and actually carry a tune with them.  The melding of the instruments created a "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" moment.

I enjoyed listening to the Shan music.  Like other ethnic music, the Shan music captures and defines the unique aspects of a people's culture.  It serves as a link to a shared common experience and past while serving as a bridge to the future.  Ethnic music is also a celebration of the diversity of mankind.  It is a celebration that I hope continues forever.  I do not want to live in a homogenized world, a world of common government, common laws, common thought, common lifestyles and worst of all common culture.  At my age I do not have to worry about living in a homogenized world but I have concerns for the world that my grandchildren and their children or grandchildren could find themselves in.

People like the members of the Shan band are on the front lines maintaining and sharing their unique cultures. We are all enriched by their efforts.

"Allen's World" is a large world with many fascinating people and many diverse unique cultures to experience and to strive to understand.  It is an interesting place that is open to all, not just me and my wife, to explore, to cherish, and to appreciate.  The most important step in what can be a wonderful journey for any one is that first step outside of their comfort zone.  I hope to see more fellow travelers on some these back roads - roads outside of their comfort zones.

Poi Sang Long Festival - Wednesday 03 April 2013

A Young Shan Boy Being Transformed Into A Sang Long

Wednesday 03 April was the official start of the 2013 Poi Sang Long Festival in Maehongson.  we had arrived the day before not only to witness the shaving of the young boys heads in the late afternoon. Another reason that we had arrived in Maehongson the day before the official start of the festival was to be able to get a good night's sleep albeit a short night for the early morning activities of the next morning.

From our previous attendance of Poi Sang Long in 2009 and in talking with some of the families during the head shaving ceremony that the boys along with their families would return to the Wat at 5:00 A.M. to prepare for the morning procession through the town.  Preparing for the first day of the festival procession involves applying make-up to the boys face, dressing them in splendid silk garments, gold jewelry, and fancy floral crowns. At the conclusion of the process, ordinary Shan boys have been transformed into "jeweled princes" (Sang Long) reminiscent of Buddha's son, the first Monk, Prince Rahula.

Young Shan (Thai Yai) boys becoming ordained as Novice Monk is a life milestone for them as well as for their family.  Just as with a wedding, this celebration is a grand opportunity and to a certain extent, an obligation for the family to exhibit their success or at least their perceived prosperity. Boys are typically ordained when they are between 9 and 14 years old.  The rite is often deferred until the family has saved or borrowed sufficient money to do it "properly"  The ornate silk clothing that the boys wear is expensive and often fabric is imported from nearby Southeast Asian countries to ensure an expected level of opulence.

Besides the expenses associated with transforming a son into a "jeweled prince", there are costs for the food and drinks for guests to the family home.  There are also the costs of offerings that are made to the Monks.  Family members wearing their finest new traditional Shan clothing also participate in the processions of the festival.  It all makes for a splendid and unique display of Shan culture.

Having been informed that the boys would commence to have their make-up applied and donning their costumes at 5:00 A.M., I decided that we would get to the Wat at 4:00 A.M. to ensure that we would not miss out on anything.  We woke up at 3:30 A.M. to prepare and get to the Wat at my desired time.  Duang is very supportive of my obsessions and never complains about some of our early morning departures in pursuit of photographs. Wednesday was no exception.  Overcoming some difficulties of finding Wat Hua Wiang in the early morning darkness, we arrived at the Sala at 4:15 A.M. By 4:30 the Sala was filled with the 26 boys, their families, television crews, photographers, and about 10 foreign tourists.

Lipstick Is Adjusted Using Finger Tips

One of my main objectives of this trip was to photograph and hopefully capture some of the magic involved in transforming typical young boys into special Sang Long (jeweled princes).  Four years ago I had photographed the process but this year I had a more capable camera that allows me to shoot at a higher ISOs with less noise.  I also had equipment this year to take my flash off the camera and to reduce the harshness of the light created by the speed-lite   Perhaps more importantly I have developed some new techniques to further define my style in these situations.  In the four years since our last visit, Duang also has a new digital camera and has worked on her techniques too.

Unlike four years ago, men were more involved in the application of make-up.  Although many mothers, sisters, and aunts applied the make-up, several fathers and I assumed brothers more than held their own in their proficiency.  Once the lipstick, eyeliner, eye shadow, glitter, and foundation were applied, the family assisted the boys to put on their special clothing.  Once again men were deeply involved in this process.

An Older Brother Dresses His Younger Brother

Father Dressing His Son

Aside from the make-up and elaborate clothing, the transformation into a Sang Long involves adorning the young boys with gold, jewelry  and imitations of those precious items.  After all, every Prince needs to have their bling-bling. Mothers, sisters, and aunts loan their valuables to the boy for him to wear during the festival.

A Father Prepares to Place A Necklace Around His Son's Neck

Family Jewelry Placed on Sang Long

The preparation of the Sang Long is completed with the placing of a very intricate and colorful floral crown.

Dressed and Ready

After all the boys had been prepared, they lined up in two rows once again facing the senior Monk and a large statue of Buddha.  A ritual of chanting both by the Senior Monk and the boys was performed.

Sang Long Participating In Early Morning Ritual

Chanting Along With the Other Jeweled Princes

At the conclusion of the ritual in the Sala, the boys were then hoisted upon the shoulders of their father, older brothers, uncles, or in some cases hired men to be carried outside to wait for the start of the morning procession.  For the remainder of the festival the boys would no longer walk or stand.  They would be carried about.

Outside of the Sala, bands of cymbals and drums beat out a repetitious staccato beat.  Some of the men carrying boys broke out into spontaneous dance.  Women dressed in colorful fine clothing milled about waiting for the start of the morning's procession through the downtown area.

Let the Procession Proceed!

As the procession set off, Duang and I returned to our truck for there were other objectives to try to accomplish on this trip.  The day was still very young and we had places to go and hopeful many people to meet along the way.

Poi Sang Long Festival - Tuesday 02 April 2013

We arrived in Maehongson from Pai around 11:00 A.M.  After checking into our hotel we drove into town to have lunch at the Sunflower Cafe across Nong Jong Kham from Wat Jong Kham and Wat Jong Klang.  Four years ago when we attended the 2009 Poi Sang Long Festival , the festivities were either at or originated at these two Wats.

This year, unlike four years ago, there were no sounds of banging drums or clashing cymbals emanating from the Wat complex. After our lunch we walked over to the Wats to determine when the head shaving ritual would take place.

The Wat complex seemed deserted when we arrived.  I found one man, a workman, sleeping underneath one of the elevated buildings.  There were no people wandering around. anxiously waiting for the start of the ritual.  There were no decorations or floats that would be paraded through town.  In fact the Wat appeared to have fallen on harder times.  Fallen leaves littered the grounds.  A pavilion that displayed intricate religious carvings had been removed.  Many portions of the stucco walls were in need of painting.  Both Duang and I had the distinct impression that the senior Monk or Abbott from four years ago was no longer present at the complex and it had been taken over by a less caring or effective administration.

We walked behind the Wat and crossed the street to a school where I noticed that there were some people. From them Duang found out that festival was being held at Wat Hua Wiang this year.  Apparently the actual  location for the festival changes each year.  Wat Hua Wiang is located in the center of Maehongson -there is a pedestrian gate to the Wat from Th Khunlum Prapat (Highway 1095) however vehicle access is through the market (a narrow two lane street narrowed to 1-1/2 lanes by overreaching, overextended, and encroaching market stalls.  The remaining 1-1/2 lanes of the street are shared by one way vehicular traffic, four way or more motorbikes, parked trucks loading and offloading goods, and, soi dogs,  pedestrians, some wandering about oblivious to the danger surrounding them.

Wat Hua Wiang Bot

We eventually managed to get inside of the Wat complex and determined that the head shaving ritual would commence at 4:00 P.M.  Unlike the Wats at Nong Jong Kham, there was a great deal of activity at Wat Hua Wiang.  Inside an open sided building, several women were cooking food over two wood fires while several other women and young girls were busy preparing vegetables to go into the large pots that were set over the wood fires.  Outside a delivery truck of crushed ice was being off loaded into two large insulated covered plastic bins.

Several canopies had been set up with several tables and many chairs placed beneath them to shield guests from the glaring and intense sun as well as heat.  We set up ourselves at one of the tables to set up my photography gear and a restful spot for Duang to rest.  Eventually we were joined by a Frenchman and two Italian young women.  Unlike four years ago, there were not many foreign tourists attending the Poi Sang Long Festival.  I saw four other foreign tourists during the festival.  The first night at our hotel, there was a total of 16 guests.  Even in discussions with our friends in the refugee camp on the border, we were told that tourism is down significantly in the past four years. This really a shame for the local residents who count on tourism for their livelihoods   Apparently the combination of weak world economy, floods last year in Thailand, and political unrest in Thailand four years ago have contributed to the decline in tourism. Hopefully many more tourists will return to a fascinating area and visit the wonderful people of the Maehongson region.

Decorated Sala for Poi Sang Long Festival

Around 3:00 P.M. the musicians arrived and immediately commenced to play the pounding staccato beat that I have come to associate with this unique Shan cultural festival.

Dancing to the Music

I went into the Sala to prepare for the arrival of the young boys who would be taking their first step towards becoming Novice Monks.

Inside the Sala - Offerings For the Next Morning's Procession

The  26 young Shan boys who would be having their heads shaved that afternoon are following Buddha's son, Prince Rahula's path in becoming a Monk at an early age. In Prince Rahula's time long hair was symbolic of royalty.  Removal of hair then as well as today in the Buddhist culture symbolizes the renunciation of worldly possessions and goods.

One of Two Rows of Young Boys Bow One of Three Times Inside the Sala

Around 4:00 P.M., the 26 young boys and their families assembled inside of the Sala.  As part of the ritual, the boys bowed before a statue of Buddha three times - paying and showing respect to Buddha, the Teachings of Buddha, and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community).

After the boys had completed paying their respects, the senior Monk of the Wat inspected them and took a roll call to account for everyone who was supposed to participate in the upcoming ritual.

The senior Monk Taking Roll Call

As part of the ritual, a part that I found very touching, the two rows of boys turned and bowed to their families. Here in Thailand respect for elders and respect for your family are extremely powerful elements of society.  The government does not provide many social services.  The needs of people are provided directly by their family and neighbors.

At the conclusion of the preliminary preparations inside the Sala, everyone went outside where 26 plastic chairs had been lined up.  The boys sat in the chairs with their family positioned behind them.  As the musicians pounded on their drums and clanged the cymbals, families commenced to cut the young boy's hair with ordinary scissors. The boys were taking a very important step in their religious and their temporal life.  The stress on some of the boys was very apparent.  The boys were now the center of attention and the representatives of their family in this cultural and religious ritual.  Although they were between nine and fourteen years old, it was obvious that they were conscious of bringing honor to their family and people.

The boys sat with a lotus leaf covered pressed metal ceremonial bowl in their lap.  As their hair was cut, family members placed the hair onto the lotus leaf.  At the conclusion of the ritual, the lotus leaf was folded up into a small packet.  The hair filled packet was then taken to the family home and buried at the base of a tree.

Once the boy's hair had been cut closer to the head, the family brought out safety razors and commenced to shave the boy's head. This year we noticed several boys who were nicked in the process and had blood commingling in the rivulets of water that flowed down his face and head.  As the boy's head became smoother and smoother many of them became more uncomfortable.  The cut hair and shavings dropping on to the boy's body irritated the boys.  I also suspect that all the attention that they were receiving also irritated them but in a different way.

A Monk Shaves A Boy's Head

An important part of the ritual is to have a Monk shave each boy's head.  It was at this point that the stress of the event showed on some of the boys  Some were physically uncomfortable.  Some were squirming in their seats.  At least two were visibly upset to the point that they were crying.

Once the heads had been completely shaved, water was poured over the boy to wash away the many hairs that had fallen onto each boy's body and clothing.  The head was dried with cloths and a salve made of the ubiquitous Myanmar beauty application, Thanaka (Thanakha) paste. Thanaka, which is made from certain tree barks, provides cooling effect to the skin, sun burn protection, and is anti-fungal; just what you need for a newly shaved head.

After the ceremony ended there were family photos after which the families returned home most likely for an early bedtime for they had to be back at the Wat the next morning at 4:30 A.M.

Coming Soon - 2013 Poi Sang Long

There are many festivals here in Southeast Asia.  The festivals occur year round so there always seems to be something interesting going on some where.

Four years ago we drove over to Maehongson (Mae Hong Son) to attend a local festival. "Poi Sang Long".

I wanted to return some year to witness the festival once again.  This year seemed like a good time to go back.

Poi Sang Long is a Shan religious festival where young boys are ordained as Novice Monks.  I had previously written blog entries about our previous visit to the festival.

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/poi-sang-long-ritual-day-one.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/poi-sang-long-ritual-day-2.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/maehongson-02-april-2009.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/maenongson-03-april-poi-sang-long.html

The festival is held in Late March or Early April each year.  There are actually several festivals in the area with local Wats scheduling their celebration to suit their needs.  There are also Poi Sang Long Festivals held in Chiang Mai.

If you check the Internet you will not get specific dates for the festivals.

I had kept a Thai pamphlet regarding the Poi Sang Long Festival held at the neighboring Wats - Wat Jong Klang, and Wat Jong Kham.  I noticed that there were three phone numbers at the end of the pamphlet.  I asked Duang about them and she told me that they were phone numbers for the Monks.  Today she called the first number for me and the number was no longer in service.  However the second number was an active number for the head Monk.  From him, Duang determined that the festival for the two Wats will commence on April 2 around 14:00 with the cutting of the young boy's hair and shaving their heads.  This is not usually listed as the start of the festival but for me it is an integral part of the experience.  The three day festival will run until April 5th.

I had already done some research and discovered that it would cost $800 USD to fly round trip to Maehongson and once there we would have to rent a vehicle.  With that in mind, I had decided weeks ago that we would drive.  I had driven there on our last trip and for much less than $800 I can do it again.

This afternoon I made our reservations for our hotel in Pai and in Maehongson.  Pai is a good stopping point on our way to Maehongson and we have a cottage were we stayed on our last trip - Belle Villa Hotel $46 with breakfast.  We will be staying in Maehongson at the hotel that I have stayed at on all four of my previous four trips to the area - Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son Resort - $43 a night with breakfast.  Both are excellent facilities and definitely easy on the credit card.

The next few remaining days will be busy ensuring the truck and my photography gear is ready for the trip.

Maenongson 03 April - Poi Sang Long

Thursday 03 April 2009, was the fourth and final day of Poi Sang Long Festival in Maehongson. It was also known as "Kham Sang Day". Although it was the final day in Maehongson, Poi Sang Long festivities were starting on Thursaday at Mork Jam Pae Temple in Muang district, and Wat Pa Kham temple in Pai district. People told us that at one place there would be 100 Sang Long (jeweled Princes). This was good information for future reference for our plans were to witness the final Maehongson procession in the morning and then to spend the remainder of the day at the Baan Huay Sua Tao refugee camp.

The procession on the last day of Poi Sang Long in Maehongson was restricted to circumambulation of Jong Kum Lake three times in front of the Wats. Once again a good number, 3, played a distinctive part in the ceremony. I am sure that the number 3 is representative of Buddha, the teachings of Buddha, and the Buddhist religious community.

Prior to the start of the morning procession, many families posed for photographs with their Sang Long. Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents, and siblings assembled around their jeweled Prince to be photographed by another family member or friend. Their sense of pride was very evident much like graduation photos in America.

Today was a little different in that some of the porters carrying the Sang Long around were very energetic. Some of them showed off their strength and agility by dancing around with the boy atop their shoulder. A couple men got into an impromptu competition to see who could bend their jeweled Prince lowest and most parallel to the ground. Yes - the acrimonious banging, clanging, and drumming music continued. There was quite a festive air to the morning event. After the procession, the boys entered the Wat and were ordained. We did not stick around for that and left that as a reason for having to return next year for Poi Sang Long.


After the procession we headed out to Baan Huay Sua Tao. As with the previous refugee camps there were few tourists visiting. As I was pulling over to park the truck along side of the road in the Shan village outside of the refugee camp, I spotted a very interesting sight. Three elephants were walking through the village. Rather than their handlers riding atop each elephant, there was a single mahout riding a bicycle besides the elephants. Occasionally he shouted out a command and all three elephants instantly obeyed. I jumped out of the truck and hustled ahead of the upcoming elephants to get some photos.

As we entered the refugee camp it was very reassuring. The wooden bridge over the stream that runs through the village had been upgraded. The village looked very much like it did two years ago only it had been maintained during the period to prevent deterioration. Soon we were recognizing familiar faces. We stopped by Khun La Mae and Khun Ma Plae's house and learned that they were not home but would return in a while. We headed to the higher portion of the camp and came upon Khun Mudan.

Khun Mudan was the young Paduang mother that I first photographed in October 2006 breast feeding her infant son. She now has a 5 month old daughter named "Peelada". Peelada was a very charming baby. She was very active and curious about all things. Hands, fingers, legs, arms, feet and toes were every where exploring her world. To all of her body movements she had a wide range of sounds. Khun Mudan recognized us and in no time at all Duang had confiscated little "Peelada". We both had a quickly passed 30 minutes playing with Peelada and to a lesser extent her brother. He is a grown up 3-1/2 year old now so he is very independent. This is it for Khun Mudan. She has had two babies by C-section and will have no more children. She lives with her mother-in-law and husband so she has help with the children. It seemed ironic that Duang's 12 week old grandson is named "Peelawat". I am certain between Peelada and Peelawat there is in deed a great deal of "pee".

As Duang continued her conversation with Khun Mudan in Thai, I headed off and took photos of a Paduang women washing and brushing her teeth. I also found an older Paduang woman straining tea into a thermos bottle. These were people that looked very different from all the other people that I have seen in my life all over the world. But they were doing what all other people do every morning every where. Personal hygiene or preparing meals is not much different around the world.





We decided to check in on Khun La Mae and Khun Ma Plae once again. It was not much of a surprise. They were expecting us and warmly greeted us. The camp grapevine had notified them of our presence in camp.

Khun La Mae is no longer the village headman. He was replaced by another man about a year ago. No matter the case, I told him that I still considered him to be a friend even though he was not "big man" any more. I had seen enough of the camp and observed the inhabitants sufficiently to tell in confidently that the state of the camp as well as its people was a testament to his and the new headman's leadership. The camp and its people were in much better state than the other two camps that we had visited. Khun La Mae informed me that the camp was going to butcher a pig that afternoon and that there would be a festival the next day. As tempting as the offer was to stay with them in the camp and to extend our trip by an extra day, we declined. It was getting tiring and we needed to get back home as scheduled. We promised to return later in the afternoon and returned to the hotel for lunch.

After lunch and relaxing for a short period of time in our air conditioned room, we drove back out to the refugee camp. I did not know if I would have to pay admission to reenter the village. It turned out to not be an issue. I showed my receipt from the morning and was waved through.

When we got to Khun La Mae and Ma Plae's home, they were busy with some friends. The men were drinking Lao Kao - the infamous moonshine of the region. I was given a glass with two shots in it and downed it. I then made sure that everyone knew that I would not be drinking because I was driving. They respected my position and from then on only kept offering me and filling my glass with rice wine. There were three plastic garbage cans of the fermenting brew awaiting the festival to start the next day. The rice wine was exactly like the brew that we drank at the Khmu New Years Festival in Laos during our December trip except that it did not have vinyl tubing to suck on. Khun Ma Plae served the wine in a glass direct from the fermentation vat - complete with rice grains, chaff, hulls and assorted other debris. I quickly developed a techinque where I strained the drink with my teeth and then discretely picked and spit debris out of my mouth onto the dirt floor. Even so it was hours before the last of the debris was finally expelled from my mouth. All in all it was some pretty good stuff.

Writing of good stuff - Khun Ma Plae was also preparing food. She prepared the food and the men grilled it on an open wood fire. It was just as well that she prepared the food because some of the men did not appear to be in any condition to be handling knives. Although I refrained from drinking moonshine, there was no reason for them to refrain or even moderate their consumption. We ate with the people - the first time that I have eaten grilled pig intestines. Actually the first time that I have knowingly eaten pig intestines cooked in any manner or raw. It was not that bad tasting - sort of like eating a hot dog with very thick casing and nothing inside.


While we were eating and drinking, two Kayaw men walked by with a pig slung underneathe a bamboo pole that they carried between them on their shoulders. This was the "guest of honor" for tomorrow's festival. I ended up going to the back part of the village to photograph the children playing a game on the school play field. It was an interesting game. It appeared to be a fusion of cricket, dodge ball, bowling, and baseball. Lacking a ball to play with, the children had created a ball out of a plastic sandwhich bag and some small rocks and forest debris. A stack of empty metal "Birdy" drink cans was erected at one end of the field. A girl threw the "ball" at the pyramid and missed. The boys taunted her. A boy picked up the "ball" threw it and knocked down several cans. The girl ran and picked up the ball as he ran to a "base". He got off the base and taunted the other players to throw at him. While this was going on some of the other players were hustling to reerect the pyramid out of the cans. This action appeared to be correlated to the time that the boy spent off or on the base. It was confusing to watch but the children were enjoying themselves - except for when they were arguing over some fine points of the game - which was often

After observing the children playing and realizing that I would never understand their game, I headed over to where the pig was being butchered. The animal had already been dispatched when I arrived. The men with assistance from the women were busy shaving the hair off of the pig. The men used long knives to scrape the hair and bristles off of the pig. The women were busy in the houses boiling the water required to scald the hair and bristles. Children of all ages gathered around and watched with great interests. No doubt these children can answer the question of "Do you know where your meal came from?". I am certain that they can even tell you how it came to their plate. I photographed the process and left shortly after the insicision had been made and the men were pulling out the pig's entrails. I left just in time. Not that I was squeamish - surprisingly not but Duang had set out looking for me and was wondering where I had disappeared to. I guess she had her fill of intestines.

During our little get together, we were joined by a Kiwi (New Zealander) who now lives in Australia. Wayne had spent the night in the camp and was going to stick around for the festival the next day. He was an "alright and decent chap" as they say. He offered to burn some CDs of Ma Plae's music on his computer so that she had more copies to sell at the family's booth in the camp. Wayne is one of those people who are travelers and not tourists. He spends time to learn and experience the lives of the people that he encounters on his journeys. More importantly, he takes the time and makes the effort to help out in any way that he can. In our conversation about taking photographs, he mentioned about the things that you could do on the Internet. I told him that I had a blog as well as a photography site. He asked who I was, so I gave him my name and the name of this blog site. He exclaimed "I know you, I read some of your blogs and I have seen your photos!" It was a very pleasant surprise to meet someone who follows these efforts. I know that to date since February of this year this blog site has been visited 408 times from 43 different countries. The top two countries are USA (29 states) with 123 visits and Thailand in the lead with 139 visits. The associated photography site http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/ has had 307 visits from 41 countries. For the photography site, the leading country is the USA (33 states) with 132 visits followed by Thailand with 66 visits. It was a pleasant surprise to meet and talk to a human associated with some of those numbers.