Songkran Has Started

Songkran, Thai New Years, is officially April 13 to April 16.

But this is Thailand and things are not always what they appear to be or are supposed to be. So it is with Songkran. Songkran here in Isaan started on Friday 9 April.

Friday was a busy day for us. It started with me getting a haircut - relatively easy task of moving my chair from the computer desk to outside underneath our carport for Duang to cut my hair. After showers, we drove out to the village where Peelawat, our 14 month old grandson, lives. Duang and I were going out to a small village where her "sister" lives. A celebration complete with a Mahlam Lao Show was being held to "take care" of Buddha. Buddha in this sense of the word meant the Monks. "Take care" meant to give the Monks offerings. For me, the details and nuances really didn't matter. There was going to be a show and an opportunity to document another aspect of village life in Isaan.

Duang has one biological sister - an older sister. We were going to visit a younger "sister". Like I have written before and will undoubtedly write again things are not always what they appear to be. I had met this "sister" at our wedding but I had the impression that Duang and she were very good friends - like sisters. It is only recently that I understood that their relationship is closer than being very good friends. When the woman was born, her mother was unable and unwilling to care for her baby. Duang's mother was still nursing so she took in and fed the baby. In Isaan, this type of arrangement is not all that uncommon. Lao Loum people have a very strong sense of community and the ravages of poverty often dictates alternative life styles especially for the welfare of babies.

After picking up Peelawat and Duang's daughter we drove out to Nong Boydan(?) Village to have lunch with Duang's "sister". Lunch was very good and there was plenty of food. There was a surprise. For some reason Peelawat decided to take care of me. His mother gave him a small piece of hot dog, he took a bite and then offered it to me by putting it up to my mouth for me to take a bite. This behaviour continued all day long. Peelawat ensured that his grandfather had food and drink. He was given a small bottle of yogurt milk to drink through a small straw. After each sip, he gave to me to take my sip. We also shared a bottle of soy milk together. I was given a plate of mango as part of lunch. Peelawat enjoys sitting in my lap so he had access to the mango. He took the fork from the plate, stabbed a piece of mango and put the fork up to my mouth. He ended up feeding me the entire plate of mango. Later when it was time to go to the festival, Duang put powder on his face, arms, legs and neck. People in Isaan use powder to keep cooler and ward off prickly heat. You will always see babies and children with white powder spread all over their bodies. During Songkran the practice is expanded to many more adults, cars, trucks, and motorbikes. Besides splashing water on people to cool them during Songkran, people douse others with scented powder. After Peelawat was all powdered up to go out to the festival, he took the container of powder and put some powder on his hand. Gently he rubbed his hand on my cheek and neck to get me ready to go out into the sun. We all laughed and joked about Peelawat's caring for me and only me that day. There is a very strong tradition of caring for and respecting elders here in Isaan but at 14 months old, Peelawat's behavior was unexpected. His behavior was also wonderful entertainment.

We went to the local Wat were a festival was being held to raise money for the Wat. There were booths selling food and refreshments. People had set their sahts on the ground in the scattered areas of shade throughout the Wat grounds. In one of the buildings where people had hung talisman to be blessed, women with very small children and babies sat inside to avoid the glaring sun as well as some of the 100F (38C) heat. We sat there for awhile before checking out the mouse game of chance that I wrote about yesterday.



The Mahlam Lao Show was going on and we recognized the khene player and lead female performer from some of the shows that Duang's brother puts on. This appears to be the season for shows. The performers live pretty much in the same neighborhood in central Udonthani and act as independent contractors to the leaders of shows. The same is true for the dancers.


Duang and Peelawat went off to seek some shade as I wandered around photographing the festival. The people were all very friendly and thoroughly enjoying themselves. A couple of the Kathoeys (Ladyboys) were eager to have their picture taken which I obliged their requests. They were getting a little bit annoying, as drunks can often be, until Duang showed up with a glass of Coke for me. Having marked her territory, so to speak, the Ladyboys were no longer a problem for the remainder of the afternoon. After awhile I looked down and saw Peelawat at my side. He looked up into my eyes and raised both his arms - his signal to pick him up. According to Duang it was his third attempt to be with me in front of the stage. I was busy the previous two occasions and had not noticed him. I traded the camera for Peelawat and we watched the singing and dancing up close. He loved the show and excitement. He provided some entertainment of his own by showing off some of his dance moves. He also did a great job of handing money to the performers as tokens of appreciation for their work.

A big part of the Mahlam Lao Show ritual is for members of the audience to walk up to the edge of the stage. The performer will go to the edge of the elevated stage, squat down, give the Thai gesture of respect (wai), and accept the audience members offering of money, flowers, garlands, and sometimes paper chains similar to what we used to make in elementary school for Christmas decorations. Some members of the audience will offer glasses of beer or whiskey. Later as the show continues and more and more beer along with whiskey are consumed, the audience will go up to the stage to just hold the hand of the performer and increasingly as time goes on - the dancers. The performers graciously accept the offerings with out missing a beat - high drama, and great entertainment.


Even in this rural location there were plenty of Ladyboys in attendance at the festival. There are supposedly many ways to determine whether or not a person is a real woman or a Ladyboy. Many of these ways are familiar - look for an Adam's apple, size of the hands, size of the feet and so on. In Thailand there is also another way - the size of the breasts. If the breasts are large and full, you can be fairly certain that it is a Ladyboy. I believe that there is also another method - observe the dance moves. The more energetic and enthusiastic the dancing the greater probability the person is a Ladyboy. Ladyboys in Isaan are tolerated quite well and their presence at Mahlam Lao shows adds to the entertainment value of the event. Despite the oppressive heat on Friday, the Ladyboys and others put on impressive dance displays.

Duang became concerned about Peelawat and my safety at the front of the stage so she came forward to have us return with her to the shade of a tree away from the "mosh pit". The high concentration of dancers directly in front of the stage is where the fist fights frequently or more accurately ALWAYS break out. There were no fights Friday while we were there but after we left, there were several fistfights. We have only been to two Mahlam Lao shows were there has not been at least one fight.

Peelawat and I spent the remainder of our time at the show sitting in the relative shade eating shaved ice. After I had drank a glass of Coke, Peelawat grabbed ice out of the glass and ate it. He would then grab a handful for me and place it in my mouth much to every one's amusement. Around 3 P.M. we left for Tahsang Village.

It was on our drive to and from Tahsang Village that the start of Songkran became apparent. At several locations small groups of young children had set up along side of the narrow country road. The children were all wet from their efforts to splash water passing vehicles. They were having a great time smiling, laughing, and dancing around either filling a barrel with a small hose or flinging water from small plastic buckets. Such joy needs to be shared in my opinion. As I approached the groups I would feign panic about the possibility of our truck getting wet. This only encouraged the children's efforts to throw their water. For some groups, I would stop the truck about 50 feet from the children. This confused them and often they would throw their water at a vehicle passing in the opposite direction. As we passed the children standing with their empty buckets I honked the horn several times and waved. Duang would just laugh and tell me that I was crazy just like the children. I repeated this stunt and stopped 50 feet from a group of children. They were completely confused until finally a little girl about 4 years old sweetly motioned to me to pass by and indicated that they would not throw water. I could not help but smile. She had spoiled my fun but given me a very nice memory for the start of Songkran 2553 (2010).

You Can Bet On That ...

Gambling is illegal here in Thailand.

But as former US President, Bill Clinton, is quoted "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is", here in Thailand it depends on what the meaning of the word 'gambling' is. Just as it is most likely in the United States and else where in the world, it also depends on where and how the word is applied. Just as it makes a difference if the word is applied to conduct in the White House or in your house, there is a difference here in Thailand as to where and how the word 'gambling' is applied.

There are no casinos here in Thailand. There are casinos across the border in Laos, officially known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It seems rather ironic that a one party political system would refer to themselves as "Democratic" or a "Republic" but I guess to some extent we are all culpable for the names we selected or prefer to use to describe or to identify ourselves. It is almost as if selecting the proper word absolves us of all behaviors, omissions, and transgressions. It is also ironic that a Communist state would be home for gambling casinos though my understanding is that Lao citizens can not gamble at the casinos.

There are also casinos in Malaysia. Malaysia is a secular Muslim state so guards at the bottom of the mountain going up to the casino check the identity of the people traveling the road to ensure that no Muslims are going to go up and gamble. I have been to the casino in Malaysia - sort of. I can not describe what it is like to gamble there. My understand that you are not given free drinks while you gamble. The casino also said that I could not gamble without wearing a tie. They rented ties for people who arrive without one of their own for $7.00 USD. That was the last straw for me ... I rationalize the loss at the tables as the cost of a night's entertainment largely offset by the free alcohol and free shows. To charge rent for a tie in order to "take" my money and not getting me drunk or at least feeling better about losing was too much for me to accept. We ate dinner at the casino and spent the night in a naturally cool room in the Genting Highlands high above the hot and humid remaining regions of the rest of Malaysia. The highlight of the stay was to open the window and door of our room and watch the clouds pass through.

Back to Thailand and more specifically here in Isaan - gambling is illegal. "Games of Chance" conducted on Buddhist temple grounds are acceptable. We have attended numerous festivals at Wats over the past three years. The festivals were to celebrate religious holidays and sometimes were to raise funds to support the Wat. At every celebration there were "Games of Chance" where people paid money to have the opportunity to win a prize. The games of chance are very similar to games that you would encounter at county or state fairs back in the USA. People pay a small amount of money to throw thee darts at inflated balloons - three punctured balloons with three dart throws earns a "prize". People pay money to shoot air rifles at moving targets - so many hits out of so many shots earns a "prize". People pay money to pluck a small plastic floating duck out of a big pool of water with the number written on the bottom of the floating duck corresponding to a "prize" on the rack. For people who are not into the athleticism required for shooting, throwing, or netting, you can pay your money, select a short piece of plastic drinking straw. Inside the straw is a piece of rolled up paper with a number on it. The number corresponds to a prize on display.

I have seen backyard card games amongst neighbors. I have seen dice games outside of funeral rituals. I have seen money changing hands at gunpowder rocket launching competitions. I have seen rocket launches delayed until the "financial arrangements" were acceptable. Like I read in a tourist pamphlet from Laos where they proudly proclaimed themselves as " a democracy with one political party", I can report that gambling is illegal in Thailand. The dichotomy of the Laotian and Thai statements add to the rich fabric of life here in Southeast Asia. It is the nuances and juxtaposition of what is supposed to be and what is reality here that makes life interesting as well as entertaining.

I have seen many "games of chance" (remember gambling is illegal) and yesterday at the Wat in the middle of no where - here in Isaan, I saw a new "game of chance". This game involved a circular arena constructed out of recycled cardboard boxes and bamboo. There were 24 pieces of bamboo penetrating the base of the cardboard ring with a number written above each penetration. In the center of the approximately 12 foot diameter arena, there was an inverted translucent plastic Tupperware type container. A string was attached to the container and ran through a loop to a table outside of the ring where prizes were on display.

At the start of each game, a man went around the arena and sold a piece of paper with one of the numbers from 1 to 24 written on it. The price for each ticket was 5 baht - roughly $0.15 USD. He had no problem quickly selling the 24 tickets for each game. People of all ages were 3 to 4 deep around the cardboard walls of the arena eager to participate. Once the tickets were all sold, there was a announcement and some hype as another man pulled on the string to lift the inverted container revealing a mouse. Now unrestrained the mouse, ran around the arena looking for a way out. Eventually to the accompaniment of yells, shouts, and incantations in Isaan (a Lao dialect) plus some spirited slapping of hands against the cardboard walls, the mouse would run into one of the bamboo penetrations. The number above the selected penetration determined the "winner" of that game. The prize was a small plastic bucket filled with small household products such as soap, candles, talcum powder, small boxes of juice or soy milk. I later found out that the prize cost about 60 Baht so a profit of 60 baht (roughly $2.00 USD) was realized from each running of the game. All profits were going to be donated to the Wat.

The mice were not professionals or pure bred mice. They were typical field mice that are found in the rice and sugar cane fields here in Isaan. I am certain that they can also be found in many of the village homes. Most of the mice used in the game had long tails so that when they entered one of the bamboo tubes a portion of their tail remained outside to be used to extract the mouse from the tube. However one mouse did not have a very long tail. Just as in the Americans With Disabilities Act, this mouse was not excluded from participating in the game. Reasonable accommodation was provided which allowed this mouse to participate. A short piece of blue plastic string was tied to the mouse's hind leg which was used to extract the mouse from its selected tube.

After the running of each game, the mouse was placed into a covered 5 gallon plastic bucket and a new "fresh" mouse was placed under the inverted container in the middle of the arena.

I have heard stories and seen some movie scenes on some the odd things that people would bet on. This was the first time that I had seen mice involved in a game of chance.



You can bet on that ... even in Thailand but it is not gambling! It is a game of chance for a good cause.

Laos - Day #4 Xieng Kok to Luang Namtha

Outside of Xieng Kok, we stopped at a Vat ("Wat" in Thailand. The young Monks were busy preparing the Vat (Temple) for the start of the three day festival commencing the next morning. They were putting a new coat of gold paint on the chedi. Upon climbing the long concrete stairway from the dirt road up to the Vat level, we came upon several Monks. The oldest Monk appeared to be 20 years old and the youngest Monks were approximately 9 years old.

Four Monks were standing upon bamboo scaffolding that surrounded one of the two chedis. Each of the Monks had a paint brush and a small plastic pail of of gold paint. As they busily painted the concrete surface of the chedi, the young Monks were busy chatting to each other as well as keeping an eye on the 3 falangs (foreigners) who had appeared in their sanctuary. Another Monk, about 8 years old, was painting a small statue at the corner of the chedi foundation.

Several other Monks were involved in mixing some more of the gold acrylic paint. They were pouring the vicious paint into a small plastic bucket and adding water to it to create a more spreadable mixture. Three young boys, who were not Monks but I suspect were related to some of the Monks, intently observed the mixing operation. Just as we observed in the Khmu village with the blacksmiths, there were plenty of people watching and giving morale support to the few that were actually working. The tradition of observing work is acquired and embraced at a young age.

When we first arrived at the Vat, the Monks were a little shy with us and definitely camera shy. Across the dirt road from the Vat, the Lao People's Army is building an outpost on top of a small hill. Loud music was blaring from within the "complex". In this communist state the music was not state martial music, or music extolling the virtues of the workers, or even music praising the universal brotherhood of the proletariat. They were broadcasting mahlam lao and mahlam sing songs - some of the exact tunes that are currently popular in Isaan and are played at every concert show. When my favorite song started playing, I showed the Monks some of my Isaan dance moves - much to their delight and amusement! After my "performance" the Monks were neither camera shy or leery of us - not even weary of us either.

Jorgon and I spent a great deal of time photographing the Monks painting the chedi. Helga and Duang, no doubt accustomed to our obsessions, did not seem to mind and patiently waited. At one end of this level of the Vat's grounds local women were erecting bamboo poles to form the framework to hang tarps to create booths for the upcoming festival. The booths most likely would sell local food specialties or just as likely some type of game of chance. Unlike Thailand, games of chance or rather "gambling" is legal. In fact upon crossing the border out of Thailand going into Laos, Thailand has posters advising people that if they lose their money gambling in Laos, the Thai government is unable to help them. Favorite games for all ages are throwing darts at balloons or tossing bamboo rings around the necks of empty beer bottles.

Back on Highway 17B, the dirt road back to Muang Sing, we stopped in an Akha village. We had spotted some women sitting outside in front of their home alongside of the road caring for children and babies. It was a scene composed of three generations - baby, mother, and grandmother with the women wearing traditional Akha clothing but also topless. As we approached, the grandmother came to us and was obviously demanding money to be photographed. My experience in Thailand, Vietnam, and on our previous trip to Laos, is that this behavior was typical of the Akha people. The opportunity for what could be some excellent photographs was too tempting to dismiss her demands. I thought that she wanted 5,000 Kip for "modeling fee" and I thought that it was a fair price. I paid her the 5,000 kip and there was immediate confusion - through our driver we found out that she actually wanted 50,000 Kip. I told her jokingly and very animatedly in Thai, which she understood, that for 50,000 Kip I would want to take photos of "nome falang yai, nome falang one - may ow nome Akha lek" (Big foreign breasts, fat foreign breasts not small Akha breasts). She started laughing and Duang as well as the driver were laughing like crazy. When it was translated for Jorgon and Helga, they laughed too. Duang told me that when we got back to the hotel I could take pictures of her breasts and pointed out they were bigger than the Akha grandmother's. We all laughed for a good long time as we continued down the road. This encounter was a topic of conversation for the remainder of our journey back to Luang Namtha as well as to this day. I suspect that the women were accustomed to being paid for being photographed but had never been rejected like that before.

Further down the road we came upon an extended family building a new home on the side of the road. The home was being built on the side of the road but their materials, equipment, and children blocked one-half of the narrow road. We spoke to the people, mainly the young husband who was Lanten. His wife is Akha and the house is being built in her village. As we found out later during our trip to Laos, new homes are typically "relocated" existing houses rather than "New" as in built from scratch houses. The houses are heavy timber framed structures using notched as well as mortise and tendon joints. The heavy investment in labor and I suspect the inability to easily or cheaply obtain similar heavy timber today necessitates recycling the houses. The man informed us, through Duang, that he does not say his wife's name and she does not say his name because if they were to, the person would die. Animist beliefs play a very large part of daily life in the minority peoples of Laos as well as in Isaan. He offered each of us a shot of the volatile locally made rice whiskey to show his hospitality and to wish us good luck on our trip. We gave him a few thousand Kip, but not 50,000 to express our gratitude. We happily continued down the bumpy road laughing about the Akha grandmother once again due to the hospitality of the Hmong husband.

We stopped at a Hmong village and I got out to photograph two little boys on a hill overlooking the road. The sun, as so often it seemed on this trip, was in the wrong location for effective photographs. While I ws in front of the van taking photographs, Duang started yelling at me from within the van. I walked back to see what the commotion was all about. I got to the open sliding van door to find Duang, Jorgon, Helga, and the driver, Mr Kompack all laughing like crazy. Duang pointed out to the top of the hill to the left of the boys I had been photographing and explained what was happening. On top of the hill was a little boy around three years old completely naked, dancing like crazy and shaking his backside at us. Duang said that this little boy had clothes on when we arrived but as I started to photograph the other boys, he took off his clothes and put on his "show". I have no idea why he did it but we all got a good laugh at this entertainment or act of defiance - such are the surprises along the back roads of Laos.

At one home alongside the road we saw a mother and 7 children all younger than 5 years old. The mother and 4 of the children were standing in what was essentially a large drainage ditch alongside the road. The mother was wearing her sarong pulled up to her arm pits and was wringing part of it dry with her hands. The four toddlers were completely naked and were enjoying their combination bath and playtime. This ended up being a familiar sight in Laos - people washing clothes, washing children, and washing themselves in whatever body or source of water was convenient.

We stopped at the Lanten village of Ban Pakha. The village was a bee hive of activity. People were preparing for the Lanten New Years Celebration on 31 January. Women were preparing home made sausage for the party. Outside of one of the homes, a woman was cooking meat in a very large wok. The wok was basically sitting on the ground - atop a mound of clay. The inside the clay mound had been dug out to form a fire pit. A fire of bamboo and some hardwoods had created a healthy amount of coals for cooking. Inside the home, past the women and children milling outside the door, another woman was stuffing pig's intestines with chopped up meat and other things. Banana leaves were spread upon the well compacted dirt floor to provide a large work place. While I was busy photographing the scene, Duang was engaged in conversation with the women and ended holding a very young baby. I was not allowed to hold the baby, but I did provide some entertainment to the women as well as children - they were fascinated with my hairy arms and once they overcame their initial reservations amused themselves patting, stroking, rubbing and pulling on my arm hair. I felt it was a very fair exchange for being able to photograph the village people.

The people invited us to return on the 31st to attend their New Year Celebration. I told them through Duang that we would seriously consider coming back.

Further along the dirt road we saw some people bathing in the river. The adults turned away from me when they saw me. I got quite a different reaction from the children. Although I had stayed a comfortable distance away from their bathing area, the children quickly descended upon me either by running or riding their bicycles. It was wonderful. They were curious and inquisitive. I had a great time photographing them and showing them their pictures on the camera's LCD monitor. It made the children even more excited and willing to be photographed. Up on the road, Duang, Jorgon and Helga were getting a kick out of the sight of me and the children interacting. I also saw two women walking along in the river upturning stones and rocks in their search for food. They were not as willing to be photographed but I managed to take a couple shots.

We arrived back at the guest house after dark and weary from a long and enjoyable day. As we climbed up the wood stairs into the reception area I heard a voice say "Well you made it back alright." I was surprised to see it was our friend Kees. Kees and I had met through the Internet. His wife had discovered my blog and photography site. She shared it with him. We corresponded by email and then Facebook. Kees and Dorothy visited our home late last year. It was from and through Kees that I became aware of the Luang Namtha area. He has taken many wonderful photographs in the area and participated in the development of tourism in the area. He had gotten a last minute email to photograph a wedding as part of ongoing tourism development for a government agency. Unfortunately, Dorothy was not able to accompany him on this trip. We ended up having a wonderful set dinner with him at the Boat Landing Restaurant. It was a treat to be able to visit with him so unexpectedly and to introduce him to Jorgon and Helga.

It was a very fitting conclusion to a very satisfying and full day.

Wat Rong Khun - A Man's Devotion and Obsession

Two years ago during our tour of the Chiang Rai area, we visited a place called Wat Rong Khun outside of Chiang Rai. In addition to enjoying the physical beauty of the Wat which is under construction, we also got to meet and speak with the the creator, Khun Chalermchai Khositpipat.

Khun Chalermchai Khositpipat is a famous Thai artist. I am not well versed in art or art history, but his painting style reminds me a great deal of Salvador Dali. However, Khun Chalermchai deals almost exclusively with Buddhist themed works. I use the term "almost exclusively" because I know that he has done at least one painting of the King of Thailand.

Khun Khositpipat style, in my opinion, utilizes very bright colors, intricate composition, and sharp details. There is a certain degree of surrealism in his work but not to the extent of Dali.

Chalermchai was born in the village of Rong Khun in 1955. He attended college in Thailand and graduated with a degree in Thai painting. In 1977 he won the National Arts Contest. From 1980 to 1996 he traveled the world painting and exhibiting his works. In 1997, he ceased painting for patrons or art markets and returned to his home village of Rong Khun.

He returned to his village to commence his mission to contribute to his country, his religion, and the people of the world. His contribution was to be a Buddhist work of art that would be considered as one of the world's greatest works of art. The greatness of the work would reflect upon the greatness of Thailand. These are pretty much his own words. Like many artists, either great or marginal, he is somewhat eccentric which is part of his charm.

His inspirations for the building of the Wat complex were nationalism, religion, and royalty. The artist is very proud of his nation and views his art as a contribution to the Thai heritage. Buddhist religion is a passion for Khun Chalermchai. His current lifestyle and attitudes are much opposed to those of his earlier years. Like many reformed people, be they recovering alcoholics, born again Christians, or other types of "saved" individuals, he has a desire or perhaps a need to bear witness to his redemption. Creating this work of art is undoubtedly a great testament to his redemption and salvation.

In 1998 he started construction of Wat Rong Khun. He no longer sells his works and has used his personal fortune to finance the creation of his offering to Buddha and the Thai nation. He is often seen at the construction site motivating and inspiring the workers. The day that we visited the Wat we inadvertently became involved with him.

We saw a man dressed in blue farmer's jacket and a dark pith helmet walking around very animatedly with a couple of Europeans. After awhile they came to where we were standing. Being curious, I listened in and determined that he was the artist behind the place and was being interviewed by a German magazine. They were interviewing him in English and had asked him a question that he did not understand and they could not rephrase so that he could better understand. I interjected and gave him some English words and phrases to better understand "passion, passionate". He ended up graciously posing for some photos by us.

I listened to his interview and was fascinated by his vision and goal. He indicated that he was tired of living. He did not mean that he wanted to die now but that he was tired of the Buddhist concept of reincarnation where by he was continually being born, dying, and being reborn until he reaches the point of enlightenment when it will stop. As part of he progress towards achieving enlightenment, he was earning merit in this life by building this exquisite Buddhist Temple.

Typical of Thai Buddhist temples, the concept motivating the design and construction of Wat Rong Khun is to depict Heaven on Earth. What is striking about Wat Rong Khun is its brilliant white color and reflective surfaces. The white color symbolizes the purity of Buddha while the reflective glass mirrors represent Buddha's wisdom spreading truths and shining all around the world as well as the six types of rays that emanate from Buddha's body.

To enter the Ubosot, consecrated assembly hall, you must cross a bridge. This is also symbolic. The bridge symbolizes the crossing of a circle of life upward to heaven, then upward to world of Rupa Brahma, and further upwards to two more higher levels until finally entering the hall - Nirvana.

There are large monster statues that represent the 16 types of passion (passion is not a good thing in Buddhism).

There will be 9 buildings each with their own distinctive architectural style when the complex is completed. Although each building will be different they will all have Buddhist meanings. Included in his grand plan is to build the most beautiful toilet in the world. Khun Khositpipat estimates that it will take 90 years to complete the project. Although he will be gone before the project's completion, he is leaving plans and instructions to ensure it is finished according to his vision. Part of his involvement in supervising the daily construction is to train local artisians, architects, and designers. These people and the ones who follow them will continue his work to completion.

Our visit to Wat Rong Khun was very interesting as well as entertaining. It is always good to have the opportunity to meet and speak with people with such interesting personalities.

07 December 2008 - Vientiane - Day 2

Vientiane - Day 2, Tuesday 02 December 08

We got up at 07:30 to another great and glorious day - cool, bright sun, blue sky and no clouds.

Right after breakfast we headed out on our walking tour of the city. From yesterday's efforts we had become rather well orientated. We hiked down to the Th Lang Xang and turned towards the Mekong River. At the end of the road is the Presidential Palace and across from it is Vat Si Saket.

Wat Si Saket was originally built in 1818. As we entered the Vat/Museum compound, we encountered a young Monk about 22 years old and his friend of a similar age studying. Running around between the Monk, her mother, and a street vendor was a 3 year old girl. I took pictures of the little girl who was not the least bit shy. The Monk spoke to me in English. He was studying English and wanted to ask me about some vocabulary. I ended up spending about an hour with him and his friend.

The young men were both from Luang Prabang, our next destination starting the next morning. The young man had been a Monk for 5 years. Like Vietnam and Thailand, people have to pay to go to elementary and high school. He was poor so he became a Monk - not to see the world as in the US Navy but to get a free education. Wats in Thailand and Vats in Laos are also educational as well as religious centers. He plans to remain a Monk for two more years and then study law. If I have a criticism for the places that I have visited in SE Asia, it would be that the countries do not provide free education to all students. Twelve years of free public education is a privilege and right that we in the United States are so fortunate to have. It is an opportunity that is not fully appreciated until you travel and realize that it is not universally available to all peoples of the world.

The Monk's friend spoke English well and was studying Japanese. The Monk had taught himself English from a book and did very well. As I have many times before while living and traveling in SE Asia I contemplated the loss and costs to people of not having a free education available to them. But it is a tribute to the human spirit that some people are capable and able to overcome the obstacle and to develop some of their potential.

The Monk stated, as I have heard others to say, that learning English was easy to learn. I remarked how difficult it was to learn Thai or Lao - there are 5 very different meanings for some words depending on how you say them. On a very good day, for which there are not many, I can 3 of the different ways of how you say some of the words. The remaining 2 ways - I doubt that I will ever be able to differentiate the sounds.

The Monk's friend replied that Japanese was easy. I quipped that of course it was easy - all words are short and not lengthy as in Thai. I then gave him my best impersonation of John Belushi's samurai hotel clerk or deli counter man from old episodes of Saturday Night Live. Perhaps my impersonation was more of General Tojo or some other evil Japanese military officer from all the WWII propaganda films that I watched as a young boy! No matter - they understood my joke and we had a good laugh. Duang was busy talking with the little girl and the street vendors so time went by quickly for both of us.

After our time with the Monk and the little girl, we toured the Vat. A unique feature of this Vat is the more than 2,000 siver and ceramic Buddha statues placed in little alcoves in the walls behind the larger 300 seated and standing Buddhas in front of them. It was not possible to determine which ones were silver - I doubt that they had been polished since they were made. I guess that just like other aspects of religions, you have to have faith that it is true - they are made of silver.

We crossed the street from Vat Si Saket to Haw Pha Kaew. Haw Pha Kaew is a royal temple built to house the famous Emerald Buddha. Emerald Buddha? Isn't there an Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand? Are there two? - Yes there is an Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. No, there is only one Emerald Buddha. As Paul Harvey, the famous radio commentator would say "And now, the rest of the story ..."

Haw Pha Kaew was built in 1565 by the Lan Xang King, King Setthathirat, when he moved the capital of his kingdom from Luan Prabang in the central highlands to Vientiane. He brought with him the Emerald Buddha. He installed the Emerald Buddha in Haw Pha Kaew as his personal place of worship.

In 1779 there was a fight between the Lao and the Thais. The Thais stole the Emerald Buddha and brought it to Bangkok where it remains today. It is a very revered statue in Thailand with the King of Thailand changing the statue's vestments at the change of each season in an elaborate ceremony.

On the terrace of the Haw Pha Kaew are several beautiful bronze Buddha statues. On all but one of the statues, the jewels that had been placed in the eyes are missing - taken by the Thais.

We entered into the temple which was crowded with people. I headed to the back and looked at the various religious relics on display. Duang went to the front and paid her respects, literally and figuratively, and prayed.

Signs in the Haw Pha Kaew state that the Emerald Buddha and the jewels had been stolen by "falang" (foreigners). In contemporary Thai and Lao society, falang is a term that was originally referred to the French but is now used to describe all Caucasians. It has some negative intonations but in my opinion no worse than calling Afro-Americans "Blacks". It doesn't bother me to be called a "falang" - I have been called much worse in my life.

However on this day, I gleefully informed Duang that when Laos was referring to "Falang" stealing their treasures, they did not mean Europeans. The Lao were talking about the "Thais" this time. We enjoyed the joke. As we exited, I told the staff that Duang was Thai, opened her pocketbook and showed them that she had not taken anything today. They laughed and we laughed.

It is very comfortable here in Laos. Duang is like amongst her family. The people love to joke and laugh. The Laos are very outgoing and curious. I am surprised at how many of them can speak some English.

From the Vat we turned the corner to the Mekong River. The Mekong River is one of the great and longest rivers in the world. It runs from China through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. We walked along the levee bordering the river flood plain. Remnants of the sand bags remained from this year's spring flooding. Despite the threats from seasonal floods, some people have set up encampments on the flood plain. Directly in front of the Presidential Palace we saw a camp. A group of men playing pentanque - a game balled with metal balls - a sort of French style bocce ball. Several children were playing near the men. We walked down the sandy embankment to photograph and observe the goings on.

The people were obviously very poor but were enjoying themselves. The children, like children all over the world, did not allow socio or economic status to interfere with their fun. Two older girls, about 10 and 12, were playing checkers, or at least appeared to be checkers, with bottle caps as game pieces upon a hand painted piece of scrap wood. They were also looking after a very lively 10 month old baby. There were three other young children chasing each other and enjoying the day. We spent about an hour enjoying and relaxing there. The people were friendly and offered us seats to watch the game. I picked favorite player and cheered him on - they found it to be amusing. Near where the men were playing, their wives were at home preparing meals over small wood fires in front of their small elevated wooden huts. The next time that I read of Mekong flooding in Vientiane with the loss of life I will wonder if it was any of these poor souls.

We continued our walk north along the Mekong to the PVO Restaurant for lunch. PVO specializes in Vietnamese food in addition to renting motorbikes, and bicycles. I think that it woulld be humorous to apply for a loan in the USA to open up a restaurant that has a business plan to serve food, rent motorbikes, and rent bicycles. Despite the broad spectrum of services at PVO, the food was excellent - especially the spring rolls and Bo Bun.

After lunch we wlked to Vat Mixay. The Vat is under reconstruction. The entrance was obstructed by bamboo scaffolding and a large pile of sand. Two workmen were installing concrete filigrees to the roof line. I motioned to them that I would like to go in. They didn't seem to mind or perhaps they just didn't care. What a great sight! A new white marble floor had been installed. All the painted murals were bright, sharp, and extremely colorful. There were not any statues installed yet. Needless to say I had the place all to myself until Duang responded to my call and joined me.

Outside of the Vat, there were many precast concrete filigrees lying out in the sun to dry. Small diameter rebar was exposed out of the top of the ornate concrete moldings to allow them to be welded to horizontal rods in the roof of the Vat. The concrete moldings would later be painted and embellished with gold paint. It was very interesting to see how these ornate Vats are actually constructed. There is a great deal of work and monotonous labor involved in creating such beautiful structures.

Inside the Vat compound I saw a Monk working on a table. He was sculpting clay into a design to create a mold to precast sections of molding for the Vat. I went over to observe and photograph him. After about 5 minutes of work, he stopped and talked to Duang and I for about 1/2 an hour. He hopes to have the Vat finished in 2 more years. he and others have been working on it for 5 years already.

From Vat Mixay we made our way back to the hotel for a 2 hour break. On the way back to the hotel we stopped by the Black Stupa to see our little friend from the day before. Her parents immediately recognized us and showed us that she was sleeping. The little girl was sleeping on the bed in the corner of the barber shop. We made sure that they would let her know that we dropped by to see her.

We headed back out from the hotel at 4 PM to catch the water fountain show at the Victory Monument which starts at 5:00 PM. Duang stopped at a fruit stand to buy some mandarin oranges for our bus trip to Luang Prabang the next morning. The fruit vendor had her two children with her and I ended up taking their pictures. The little boy about 7 years old took a liking to us. As we were crossing the boulevard to enter the monument grounds, I noticed that the little boy had rushed up to join us, at the same time I saw out of the corner of my eye that a motorbike was coming towards us at a fairly fast rate. I yelled and grabbed Duang to stop her from crossing the street into the motorbike's path. She heard, understood, and stopped immediately. The little boy continued on into the path of the motorbike. Our hearts stopped at what we were going to next witness. Fortunately and luckily as Duang so often says "No pompain (complain). Buddha take care". Somehow and someway perhaps through divine intervention, the motorbike only clipped the back of the little boy's leg - not even breaking the skin. After checking him to determine if he was injured, I gave him a lecture about being careful and looking were he runs. Duang gave him a scolding in Lao. The boy didn't seem to mind our scolding and remained at our side for the next 90 minutes.

We came upon the photographers that we met the day before. They recognized us and came to talk to us. We told them about the boy's accident. They were very concerned and checked his leg to. I got the impression that the fruit sellers and photographers are all regulars and know each other. The boy's mother heard and saw the commotion and came over. She scolded the boy and tried to get the boy to come back to the fruit stand. He was having no part of that. He wanted to stay with us. His mother returned across the street to the stand, or rather cart, alone.

There were a couple new photographers so we had to go over how much I paid for the camera etc all over again. The people were interested in where I was from and it turned out that they had friends and relatives living in Fresno, Sacramento and Redding. After independence (Communist victory) in 1975, many Lao immigrated (fled) to the USA. They had supported the USA in its secret war in Laos.

The photographers take pictures of people in front of the monument and print them to sell. I decided to joke with them so I pulled out and wore my large floppy wide brimmed hat which is similar to the type that they wear, I hung my camera over my neck and struck up a stance like they do. I was trying to drum up customers to photograph. They immediately caught on to my joke and pointed out that I was not like them - I did not have the small battery operated printer hanging off my neck to be exactly like them. We laughed and laughed.

Soon two very beautiful young women came to the water fountain. They were dressed in full Hmong dress. A precursor of things to happen. A photographer and an apparently wealthy man was with them. They posed and modeled for the photographer. It appeared that the group were professionals and were on some type of publicity shoot. It was very interesting to see the models react to the people. The people came over to where they were and took their own photographs. The models even posed with ordinary people for photos. They even modeled for some of the private citizens. I am fairly certain that this would not happen in the USA - models interacting with ordinary people for no fee, and professional photographer allowing others to shoot his models - no way!