Mekong River Tributaries

My favorite books for 2011

2012-01-01T20:17:00.000+07:00

Altogether I read 63 books this year. My favorite books were:
1. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
2. Among Others by Jo Walton
3. IQ84 by Haruki Murakami
4. The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes
5. Old Filth by Jane Gardam
6. The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
7. How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu
8. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
9. Buddha by Karen Armstrong
10. The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary Son by Ian Brown

TBR for 2012

2011-12-30T09:39:00.003+07:00

My TBR List for 2012
Well, bringing some books forward, which I didn't get around to reading in 2011 and adding some new books, I come up with this list. This is linked 2012 TBR Reading Pile. May all 300+ of us get through our books this year!

So my books for 2012 will (hopefully) be:
1. Post-War Laos by Vatthana Pholsena
2. To What End by War Just
3. A Brief History of the Human Race by Michael Cook
4. The Worst Thing I've Done by Ursula Hegi
5. Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan
6. Invisible Nation by Quil Lawrence
7. A War of Nerves by Ben Shephard
8. Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen (slow reading but good for the soul)
9. Vision by Michio Kaku
10.The Long Song by Andrea Levy
11. Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry
12. A Grand Delusion by Robert Mann

Alternate List
1. The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
2. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
3. I am a Cat by Soseki Natsume
4. Slan by A.E. Van Vogt
5. Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder
6. Oyster by Janette Turner Hospital
7. In Xanadu by William Dalrymple
8. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
9. Fruit of the Lemon by Andrea Levy
10. The Concert by Ismail Kadare
11. Nine Lives by William Dalrymple
12. A Problem from Hell by Samatha Power

Audio / Kindle Books:
1. Bleak House by Charles Dickens - started, still working on it
2. The World without Us by Alan Weisman
3. 2666: A Novel by Roberto Bolano
4. Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
5. Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shanga, Ifa Bayez
6. Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow
7. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
8. Microcosm by Carl Zimmer
9. The Perfect Story by Sebastian Junger - read a selection for a class and wanted to read the rest.
10. Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights by Ryu Mitsuse
11. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
12. Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

Other resolutions for the year? Have more fun, work less. Finish the online courses that I sign up for. Travel more. Exercise every day and write every day.

End of Year TBR progress

2011-12-30T08:36:00.000+07:00

Here's my final list for the year. I would probably read more books if I went for the shorter and lighter books. But what's the value of that? The books I did read this year were great, and gave me a lot of food for thought. Somehow, I've read more books on my alternate and audio lists than I have on my primary list.

I'm going from Left to Right for my Primary List:
1. ~~Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks~~
2. Post-War Laos by Vatthana Pholsena
3. To What End by War Just
4. ~~Buddha by Karen Armstrong~~
5. A Brief History of the Human Race by Michael Cook
6. ~~To Live Again by Robert Silverberg~~
7. ~~The Granta Book of India~~
8. ~~Shadows on the Hudson by Isaac Bashevis Singer~~
9. Spook Country by William Gibson
10. Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan
11. ~~Hotel of the Saints by Ursula Hegi~~
I'll skip the Thai-English dictionary which is next along the line 12. Invisible Nation by Quil Lawrence My Alternative List (continued from 2010) 1. A War of Nerves by Ben Shephard
2. Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen (slow reading but good for the soul)
3. ~~What I talk about When I talk about running by Murakami~~
4. Bleak House by Charles Dickens - started, still working on it
5. The World without Us by Alan Weisman
6. 2666: A Novel by Roberto Bolano
7. A Grand Delusion by Robert Mann
8. ~~BuddhaDa by Anne Donovan~~
9. The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
10. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
11. I am a Cat by Soseki Natsume
12. Slan by A.E. Van Vogt
Audiobooks:
1. Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder
2. ~~Await your Reply by Dan Chaon~~
3. Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee - started but I just couldn't finish
5. ~~Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem~~
6. Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow
7. ~~Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco~~
8. ~~The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli~~
9. Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shanga, Ifa Bayeza
10. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
11. ~~Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey~~
12. ~~The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee~~

It's good to have this list available, to remind myself that I really wanted to dust off these books and move them from the ~~piles on my floor~~ to my hands. Thanks to the TBR challenge! Here's the link!
As for my other resolutions this year?
Try to enjoy working part time and not take on extra work (even though what I do for my consulting is only what interests me) - that hasn't worked out too well so far. Took on several consulting jobs this year, but even though I saw some interesting work for June &July, I decided not to send my CV in

Try to get back into my writing habit - wrote 7 out of a possible 31 stories for FW Story a Day Challenge. Unfortunately, I had some road trips and meetings which drained my creative mind. However, in the past two months, I've been on vacation and have been able to do quite a lot of writing. My mind feels more relaxed; however, I'm not sure if, with the demands of work, whether I'll be able to keep it up.

Exercise every day and take care of my health - I've been taking my fold-up bike when I got out to the field. That has been fun - I've been able to do more exploring, which I couldn't do if I was only limited to my feet. Some other days, when we get in late or set off early, have not been too successful. We're in rainy season now, and it seems to start raining around 4 a.m. and not stop until mid-morning and then it picks up again in the afternoon. At least when I'm in Vte, I have access to a gym. Now that it's the cold season and has stopped raining, I've been able to bicycle and plan to try bicycling to work when I'm in Vientiane.

Don't procrastinate (ha! see how long that lasts...) - I've been getting a bit better, particularly at writing up field notes on the days that things happen.

2011-12-03T18:18:00.001+07:00

Snow designs

2011-10-22T04:53:00.002+07:00

I usually say this several times/ year - wow, it's been a long time since I posted something. I also decided to try these new designs. I kinda like this mountain design right now. While I was back in the US over the past two months, I kept reflecting - I haven't seen snow for ages (The last time was on the train in Oregon in 2003), and the last time I was out in it was in 1995.

I was standing at REI in Seattle, after having bought socks (strange thing to buy since I don't wear socks very often in Lao, but the cold season is approaching) and saw people with their purchases of snow gear and cross-country skis. I suddenly got a great yearning for staying in the US and engaging in snow sports.

The feeling didn't last long - and I'm back here in Lao. In spite of the end of the rainy season (and when the air should turn cold for several months), the temperatures were sweltering yesterday.

A Plane Old Shadow

2011-04-17T22:33:00.000+07:00

Plane and shadow racing to land first.

Taken for Shadow Shot Sunday

Camera Critters: A Xieng Khouang Lizard

2011-04-17T09:40:00.000+07:00

Just happened to be walking by this house and looked up - and saw this lizard eying me, wondering if I was good to eat, or just too large to be worth the trouble.

This is my contribution to "Camera Critters", creatures from around the world.

Road

2011-04-16T17:24:00.000+07:00

Photohunter #261 is "Road."

This used to be the main road between Xieng Khouang and Paksan. Over the past few years, they have built a new highway, which is still a dirt road but a bit wider. Vehicles can go faster, leaving huge clouds of dust behind them. But this road, which meanders through small towns and through the rice fields is from a different time, and a slower mind-set.

My contribution to Photo Hunter

Lao New Year in Kham District

2011-04-16T15:44:00.000+07:00

This past week has been devoted to Lao New Year. I've been up in Xieng Khouang Province, where most of my Lao friends live. I enjoy making the rounds of relatives, parties at the offices of Lao development partners, attending very ceremonies, etc. This often involves eating a lot and drinking BeerLao.

The skies threaten rain, a bit early and a bit heavy for this time of the year. The mornings start off very foggy, followed by clear skies in the late morning/ early afternoon. In the late afternoons, the thunderclouds roll in, followed by a storm for several hours.

Thunderclouds moving in.

We climbed partway up the mountain to make offerings to Am's parents and clear the area around their monuments (which contain the ashes). We hurried back across the fields as the sky started to get darker.

We stopped at the Buddhist temple in Mun Village, where Am was born. During the war, the B52s made daily bombing raids. Am remembers running across the field to take refuge in this temple. One day, a plane dropped a 250 lb. bomb, which landed next to the temple - but did not explode. The villagers revere the Buddha image in this temple for its ability to protect people.

View from the back of the temple, past a prayer flag.

The roof and monument were replaced on the temple six years ago.

We returned to Phonsavanh, meeting the thunderstorm along the way

That's my contribution for Skywatch Friday - other pictures from around the world can be found at Skywatch Friday.

Temple guardian

2011-04-10T17:01:00.002+07:00

Chinese Dragon, originally uploaded by c_p_lew.

Two lions guard the entrance to the Chinese Temple in Pakse. It's a beautiful place and follows the Feng Shui rules, with river and mountains in their correct places. A statue of Kuan Yin, the Boddhisattva of Compassion, looks out over the Mekong.

I hope this qualifies as a critter! In any case, this is my contribution to "Camera Critters", creatures from around the world.

Shadows

2011-04-10T08:31:00.002+07:00

Carved wooden panels and their shadows

Taken for Shadow Shot Sunday, #151

Dok Khun and tree

2011-04-09T10:19:00.001+07:00

Dok Khun and tree, originally uploaded by c_p_lew.

This time of the year, the 'Golden Showers' trees are displaying the thick ropes of hanging yellow flowers. When I see the flowers, I know that it is really hot season - then I feel the heat and feel lazy.

Posted for Photohunt #260.

A few skies from Laos

2011-04-08T21:03:00.001+07:00

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been on the road, doing work for various projects. Just returned to Vientiane today after three weeks of travel. The weather has also been uninspiring sky-wise - constant rain and extremely cold temperatures for most of March, which is really unusual for the hot season.

One of the few evenings when the sun was out.

Sunset in Vientiane. The government has been renovating the whole waterfront area by the Mekong, part as flood prevention, part for beautification. Many people are drawn to the river, to walk out on the sandbars during the dry season.

Just the past few days, the weather has returned to normal, reaching 100 F during the day. The water buffaloes only venture out in the late afternoons.

That's my contribution for Skywatch Friday - other pictures from around the world can be found at Skywatch Friday.

snails for sale

2011-04-03T22:36:00.003+07:00

snails for sale, originally uploaded by c_p_lew.

A split second in time. Someone caught her attention, lighting up her face at the end of a long day.

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – http://iheartfaces.com

Last Look at Earth in 2010

2011-01-01T20:32:00.000+07:00

Last Look at Earth in 2010, originally uploaded by NASA Goddard Photo and Video.

It's hard to imagine that we all live on this planet, floating in space. The ground may feel hard under our feet but when we step back, so many miles into space, we see the reality of our existence.

I hope that in 2011, people will wake up and take care of our home. It really is all we have right now.

TBR time again and resolutions

2010-12-22T22:02:00.001+07:00

I've read about 80 books this year (and the year isn't over yet).... On the TBR list, I've read 14 out the 36 books I wanted to read this year, and I'm working on "Physics of the Impossible" which I'll finish this week. So what am I going to do for this year....

I'm going from Left to Right for my Primary List:
1. Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks
2. Post-War Laos by Vatthana Pholsena
3. To What End by War Just
4. Buddha by Karen Armstrong
5. A Brief History of the Human Race by Michael Cook
6. To Live Again by Robert Silverberg
7. The Granta Book of India
8. Shadows on the Hudson by Isaac Bashevis Singer
9. Spook Country by William Gibson
10. Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan
11. Hotel of the Saints by Ursula Hegi
I'll skip the Thai-English dictionary which is next along the line
12. Invisible Nation by Quil Lawrence

My Alternative List (continued from 2010)
1. A War of Nerves by Ben Shephard (I think this is the third year. It's really interesting. I don't know why I haven't finished it, well, other than the subject content is so heavy)
2. Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen (slow reading but good for the soul)
3. What I talk about When I talk about running by Murakami
4. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
5. The World without Us by Alan Weisman
6. 2666: A Novel by Roberto Bolano
7. A Grand Delusion by Robert Mann
8. BuddhaDa by Anne Donovan
9. The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
10. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
11. I am a Cat by Soseki Natsume
12. Slan by A.E. Van Vogt

Audiobooks:
1. Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder
2. Await your Reply by Dan Chaon
3. Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
5. Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem
6. Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow
7. Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco
8. The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
9. Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shanga, Ifa Bayeza
10. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
11. Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey
12. The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee

Let's see how it goes this year! TBR is stimulated by "The Reader Challenges" blog, which seems not to want to load right now. Addendum: Here's the link!

My other resolutions this year? Try to enjoy working part time and not take on extra work (even though what I do for my consulting is only what interests me), try to get back into my writing habit. Exercise every day and take care of my health. Don't procrastinate (ha! see how long that lasts...)

Sky Watch Friday - 5 Nov 2010

2010-11-05T07:12:00.001+07:00

The rains have finally stopped and we're now into cool season. I enjoy the weather a lot - about 10 - 15 degrees C in the mornings. It's nippy as the houses don't have heating so it's great to get out for nice morning walks.

Another benefit is the glowing later afternoon light. I don't know why the light takes on this characteristic but it's beautiful. A week ago, I was in Pakse and took the above photo of an abandoned house, with a wisp of cloud over it.

For the past eight months, Vientiane has been working on the waterfront park. It used to be a mostly untended strip of land by the river, maintained by vendors who built small temporary shacks for cooking and selling food and beer to enhance the experience of viewing the sunset over the Mekong River.

This year, Vientiane is celebrating the '450 year road,' of its existence so the park is part of the beautification of the city. Earlier this week, the eight-meter tall statue of King Anouvong was placed on its base. Like anything out of the ordinary, lots of people came to the park to watch the workers weld the King to his pedestal. Well, I was there too!

And under a threatening sky, a family of five people all on one motorcycle.

Hope you enjoyed my photos. This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

This is my world 2 Nov 2010

2010-11-03T19:22:00.000+07:00

The rainy season seems to be finished and now we're into the cool clear days of winter. I'm back in my morning run/ walk routine and passed a neighbor's house. Their business is khao lahm, a confection made from sticky rice, black beans, sweetened coconut milk and shredded coconut - steamed in bamboo tubes. When the cooking is done, the vendors strip off the outer layer of the bamboo so when you buy it, you peel back the inner layer of bamboo to eat the sticky rice, which has been colored purple by the beans and is very sweet. Yum.

This is another view of the outdoor kitchen:

A few photos to contribute to That's My World Check out other pictures from other people's worlds!

Wordless Wendesday

2010-11-03T12:36:00.000+07:00

15 October 2010

2010-10-15T22:07:00.000+07:00

The end of the rainy season puts on quite a show - dramatic clouds over the Mekong River, looking towards Nakorn Phanom, Thailand.

This little boy was looking out towards Thailand as well. I think he was looking through the wrong end of the toy field glasses. I captured him at a temple fair. The end of the rainy season is also the end of Buddhist Lent. All along the Mekong, people from villages and cities celebrate by holding boat races. Temple fairs and gathering of merchants selling everything accompanies the boat racing.

There still are periods of rain. I went out to some villages near the Lao - Vietnam border this week. There were floods in those areas last week - in fact, the other side of the border on the Vietnamese side had some of the worst flooding in years.

Buddhist Lent ends with the next full moon. People are watching the moon and counting off the days.

Hope you enjoyed my photos. This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

Sky Watch Friday - 20 August 2010

2010-08-21T13:50:00.000+07:00

I was a bit occupied with things before traveling to Vietnam. These photos are from the week before last, when we traveled to Salavan and Champasak Provinces. After a late start to the rainy season, the rice fields are filling up, people are transplanting seedlings and the rice is starting to grow. Here are a few highlights:

The brown in the foreground is not a road but the edge of the field, under water, which has not been planted yet.

Behind the Dept of Health while we were talking outside. A few moments later, the clouds started to move in on our part of the sky.

Early in the morning in Pakse. The ground is starting to warm up and the ground clouds are starting to make their morning rounds.

Hope you enjoyed my photos. This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

Monsoon skies 30 July 2010

2010-07-30T21:47:00.000+07:00

The rains are finally coming in - though too much in some places. We drove up to Xieng Khouang last Saturday and passed about 10 minor landslides along the way. None of them blocked more than half the road, though some big trees did fall down; however, the hardy local villagers had already cut up the trees and carried most of the remains away.

Yesterday, after some meetings, I suggested we drive up to one of the highest hills around Phonsavanh. Recently, a road appeared on the hill; I thought it was neat until I realized that something would be built up there. As we enjoyed the view, we looked down on the foundations for a new hotel. The top two photos are from the top of the hill.

Yesterday, I joined my staff for a special blessing ceremony for our truck, which was in a minor accident a few days ago. No one was hurt - a motorcycle hit the side of the truck and fortunately, the rider was wearing a helmet. So we went to a local temple for a ceremony - however, the special bee's wax candle, which the person measures around the head, the length of the forearm, and the collar bone to the belly button, didn't light. So K. drove back to market and I walked around the temple. The monk performing the ceremony took a moment to contemplate the view.

Near my house - the rice is starting to take root.

Hope you enjoyed my photos. This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

16 July: Some rainy season views around Vietnam

2010-07-16T16:17:00.000+07:00

I just finished two weeks of field visits in Vietnam. On our last day, we drove up to Lao Bao, the Vietnamese side of the border crossing to Laos. Both sides of the border have big markets so people, even if they're not crossing over, go for shopping, to see what kinds of deals they can find.

The town itself is pretty ugly and there wasn't much interesting in the shops. However, the scenery outside town is beautiful.

The other side of this hill is the Sepon River, the border between Laos and Vietnam. Not too far from home.

We traveled to Hue, in Central Vietnam, with a rain storm to the west of us. We didn't get wet.

The central provinces are very poor. Many of the communities upstream were wiped out during Typhoon Ketsana last year - and now they are suffering drought. During our trip, we saw many fields which were brown and rock hard, with blades of green rice plants standing up. I hope the rains got to those fields.

We reached our destination on Saturday - Hue, the site of the ancient city which was destroyed during the Vietnam War. The bridge on the Perfume River is lit up at night with lights that change colors.

Hope you enjoyed my photos. This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

9 July - Around central VN

2010-07-09T14:07:00.000+07:00

Did I really miss SWF last week? I thought I had some photos, but in my frenzy with this evaluation, I guess I spaced it out. Well, here are some photos around Vietnam this week.

I arrived in Hanoi. Usually I stay in the old quarter but the organization I'm consulting for, has moved their office to south central Hanoi. Less crowded (though you wouldn't know by this photo) but there are many small neighborhoods filled with quiet and trees.

We traveled to Dong Hoi, along the central coast. Like much of central Vietnam, it was bombed during the war. It's a very peaceful city now - off the main roads, it's hardly like being in Vietnam at all; no traffic and noise! However, construction projects still unearth unexploded ordnance.

Dong Hoi is at the intersection of the Nhat Le River and the ocean. Nhat Le means 'tears of the sun,' not sure of the legend that contributed to this name but it is beautiful. The ocean beach itself is very nice and we had snacks there one night. When we sat down, we decided it was worth the risk that it might rain. We didn't didn't expect that it would rain, but five minutes later, it really came down. We huddled under large umbrellas while we gulped beer and ate squid. Five minutes later, it stopped.

We went out to some remote areas after that, to interview villagers about the impact of the program I'm evaluating. The town itself was not very impressive - but the sky!

The town lies in a river valley surrounded by limestone cliffs. I could have stayed there for several more weeks, but we had to move on....

Hope you enjoyed my photos. This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

25 June 10: a week of skies

2010-06-25T17:10:00.000+07:00

These two weeks involve a lot of traveling. I took the night train up from Bangkok on Sunday and arrived in Vientiane on Tuesday. The photo above is the bends of the elevated train, known as the Skytrain, in Bangkok. It's a very convenient and low-cost way of beating the traffic in Bangkok.

You can just see the Skytrain rounding the traffic circle (under the Canon sign) around Victory Monument.

I arrived in Nong Khai on Monday morning and enjoyed relaxing in this quiet town on the banks of the Mekong River. I talked to someone who has lived in the town for ten years and we reminisced about the town in the past. The waterfront has been restored, with a nice walking park on top of the bank. I watched some kids skateboarding and also, this couple who were having an intense conversation with frequent attempts to call someone on their cell phone.

Later on, I went to a waterfront restaurant and saw the moon in relation to these light chains. Took a few shots but I enjoyed the outcome.

The following morning, I woke to the sound of rain. The sky was coming down, drop by drop. Some friends came by and picked me up to bring me back to Laos.

I hope that next week, I'll be able to find a wireless connection to send some photos from the skies of Vietnam.

Hope you enjoyed my photos. This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

18 June: Fog on a clear day

2010-06-18T09:50:00.000+07:00

It's been a while since I've been able to take pictures and post. My Nikon stopped working, just about the time that things started to heat up in Bangkok. I decided to wait until things quieted down, and then we had our own program evaluation so I had to wait some more. Happy to say, I've been re-united with my camera. It was a model which had been recalled because of a defective part, so the service center took care of everything and I had the camera back the following day.

But these pictures are not taken with my newly restored camera. I took these about two weeks ago in Pakse, Champasak Province. I kept the air con in the hotel room on all night and the camera had dropped down to the ambient temperature so when I took it out into the moist hot air the following day - instant fog. The sky had a few morning clouds, but everything was clear by the ground. The fog was in my camera's perception.

I took these pictures near one of the bridges on the Sedon River.

I walked around the back of the Buddhist wat, into a tiny graveyard (well, the ashes are placed in those monuments). The fog still had not lifted, so the effects were weird. The picture above is of benches, where relatives can sit and enjoy the view.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

TBR 2010 and back in Vientiane

2010-04-19T18:09:00.002+07:00

I'm looking at my list to decide what books I should bring with me when I go to the field on Weds. I have 36 books on my lists and I've read 11 of them so far. Happy to be making some progress on the pile!

Primary list:
1. Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen - reading
2. A War of Nerves by Ben Shephard - reading
3. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West - Xieng Khouang
4. What I talk about when I talk about Running by Haruki Murakami - reading
5. ~~number9dream by Daid Mitchell~~
6. Wandering through Vietnamese Culture by Huu Ngoc - Vientiane
7. ~~In an Antique Land by Amitav Ghosh~~
8. ~~Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali~~
9. The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins - Xieng Khouang
10. The Care of Strangers by Charles E. Rosenberg - Vientiane
11. ~~The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood~~
12. Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon - Audiobook, anywhere

Alternative list:
1. ~~Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus~~
2. ~~Hard Times by Charles Dickens - Audiobook~~
3. Bleak House by Charles Dickens - reading
4. ~~Herzog by Saul Bellow~~
5. ~~Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham - Audiobook~~
6. The World without Us by Alan Weisman - Audiobook
7. 2666: A Novel by Roberto Bolano - Vientiane
8. Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku - Audiobook
9. ~~Brasyl by Ian MacDonald~~
10. A Grand Delusion by Robert Mann - Vientiane
11. BuddhaDa by Anne Donovan - reading
12. ~~Mara and Dann by Doris Lessing~~

Alternative alternative list:
1. The Execution Channel b Ken MacLeod
2. Shriek: an Afterword by Jeff Vandermeer
3. Slan by A.E. Van Vogt
4. Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint
5. ~~The Redundancy of Courage by Timothy Mo~~
6. ~~The Tapestries by Kien Nguyen~~
7. On the Natural History of Destruction by W. G. Sebald
8. Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan
9. ~~White Noise by Don DeLillo~~
10. The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
11. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
12. I am a Cat by Soseki Natsume

In other news, I just returned from Nepal and I'm in my little house in Vientiane, where a big storm is now blowing up. Just stepped in the door, to be greeted by my cats - and already looking at going out to the field. Better not tell my cats.

I'm happy that the Mekong River is a little higher than when I left. The drought and lack of water for irrigation was pretty upsetting. Now, after a meeting of the Mekong River Commission with the Mekong Basin countries and China, they came to some sort of agreement that China would release more water from its upstream dams. And it has started to rain, which also helps.

My World

2010-04-13T09:30:00.000+07:00

I've been doing some work and touristing in Nepal for the past three weeks. These are a few pictures of a hike around Dhulikhel. I last visited this town on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley and hiked to Namobuddha shrine and monastery in 1989. A lot has changed - but a lot remains the same.

From Nepal Mar - April 2010

Because of the general unrest in the country, I decided to hire the services of a guide. He was great. In addition to walking on trails which didn't follow the dusty main roads, he knew a lot about development and the education system in Nepal. He is the head of the school committee for the community managed school in his village. We had a lot to talk about.

Above: Prem on the stairway leading to the Kali temple.

The beginning of the hike went straight up the stairway to the temple. Once there, we had to walk carefully as the army had set up a camp around the temple, complete with razor wire and fortifications to protect the nearby cell phone tower.

That was certainly a big change. However, the fields and the labor of the farmers preparing their fields has not changed much.

From Nepal Mar - April 2010

View of Namobuddha Monastery from afar.

From Nepal Mar - April 2010

When I was there in 1989, there was only one building at the top of the hill, where a few old monks and nuns greeted us. Now, the monastery extends around the hilltop and on to the next hill. Several hundred monks are in residence and it's possible for foreigners to stay there and meditate. Next time...

From Nepal Mar - April 2010

Above - view of prayer flags from the top of the monastery.

From Nepal Mar - April 2010

View of the Namobuddha shrine, on a shoulder of the hill below the monastery. The story itself comes from the Jataka Tales, the 500 incarnations of the Lord Buddha before his rebirth. The tale of Namobuddha is from his last rebirth before his final re-birth. The Boddhisattva was walking near this place and came upon a starving tigress and her five kittens. He was so distressed to learn of her suffering that he gave up his own body for her and allowed them to kill him and consume his flesh.

The shrine allows people to think of his sacrifice and his loving kindness to care for all sentient beings.

Sky Watch Friday - 12 March 2010

2010-03-12T20:39:00.001+07:00

It has been so hot and hazy for the past month (well, there was a 2 day reprieve when a cold front came down from China). SE Asia is having one of the worst droughts since 1992 - a poor rainy season in 2009 combined with no rain in the northern parts. The Mekong river has been very low, which is starting to affect shipping, irrigation and household water supplies. Very scary.

This is what it looks like in the morning:

And mid-day

The near side is Laos, the other side of the river is Srichieng Mai, Thailand.

The air quality is awful these days. I've been riding my bicycle to work and it really gets me coughing. I'm starting to wonder if exercise is healthy.

And in the evening.

I cheated on the last one. It was so grainy when I fooled with the exposure and contrast that I used the crosshatch setting in Photoshop.

Hopefully, it there is wireless where I'm staying, I'll be posting my next week's SWF from Kathmandu, Nepal!

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

Sky Watch Friday - 5 March 2010

2010-03-06T09:12:00.000+07:00

I haven't had a chance to post any skies over the past two months. Too much traveling in remote places, not enough time, not enough internet. This weekend is the calm between two storms. Looks like, hopefully, the next storm will come from Nepal where I hope to spend a month for work.

This is one of my favorite recent shots. We were driving from Xieng Khouang back to Vientiane with a guest so I begged some time in Phatang. We walked up into the temple by the side of the Song River and I took some pictures. This picture is of Phatang itself. It literally means "the Cliff Throne."

Friends from Xieng Khouang told me that there were many makeshift internally displaced people camps around this valley, which was about a day's drive from Vientiane at that time. There's a small airstrip at Vang Vieng, where supplies and food could be flown in.

The picture below was taken on 17 Feb, where the sky came down at touched the Earth in Nong Haet district. It was very cold but it didn't seem to stop the kids. I think they were laughing to see the figure of a foreigner materialize out of the mist.

While Laos is considered a tropical country, the mountainous North can get very cold during the winter. The elevation here in Nong Haet is about 4,000 ft.

And finally, raising a house against the background of the sky.

When villagers construct houses, they mobilize friends and neighbors to help them.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

Books for February

2010-03-04T07:15:00.000+07:00

The end of January and through most of February, my work had to take over everything. A lot of the work we planned for December had to be moved to January because of the Southeast Asian Games, which was hosted by Laos. National pride over this international role was palpable.

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
I remember living in upstate New York on the day in August, 1974 when Philippe Petit walked between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. McCann writes about the event, but also wanted to explore the lives under his feet. The book starts off with a series of seemingly unconnected stories, which comes together at the end.

I listened to an interview on a podcast, where McCann said that we also walk on tightropes, and even if it's only an inch off the ground, we can fall and damage ourselves, or soar above the ground. The section of "The Walker's" practice in Montana really soar.

I also enjoyed this book, as well as other books, which take place in New York City in the late 20th Century (such as 'Fortress of Solitude,' and 'The History of Love'). When I lived in the City in the late 70's, it was a thrilling, eccentric and uncontrolled environment, full of creative and destructive energy. "Let the Great World Spin" captures that feeling.

Way Station by Clifford D. Simak
I first read this book when I was a child and made me wonder about who else shares our universe. Enoch Wallace is the keeper of the Way Station, helping other residents of the galaxy travel through the stars. That's the job I wanted when I grew up.

Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay
Upadhyay is the first Nepali author writing in English to be published in the West. He spans two worlds in this collection of short stories, of a changing Nepal still holding on to traditional values yet affected by the rest of the world.

January Books

2010-01-31T19:53:00.035+07:00

So, it's the end of January and time to tally up my books read during the month.

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
A collection of stories set in Pakistan, this is one of the notable books of 2009. The stories all deal with various manifestations of love, in a less harsh manner than in "Maps for Lost Lovers" (about Pakistanis in London), though so many of the stories are tragic.

Brasyl by Ian MacDonald (on my TBR alternative list)
Science fiction novel set in the near future, 2006 and the 18th century. A bit confusing at first but once I settled into the world, it was an incredible book which meshes together history, culture and a mind-bending plot.

Where I'm Calling From by Raymond Carver. I also read Cathedral, another collection of stories, though half of them are also in 'Where I'm Calling From.'
Carver is one of America's greatest short story writers. His style is spare, able to evoke feelings with the minimum amount of words. He writes about ordinary people, trying to find an elusive something through externals - through alcohol, marrying someone new, abstaining from alcohol, divorcing someone, trying to stay married (though this is often by accident). My favorite story is "Cathedral", about how the unnamed character transcends jealousy when his wife invites her former employer, a blind man, into their home.

The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (on my TBR list)
I just finished this today - Atwood is such a master. In this story, she weaves together the life stories of four characters, tied together to someone who is truly evil.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
This book has an idea-driven plot, with interesting foundations: 1. All the oil in the world has run out so a greatly diminished population has to do with renewable power sources - such as mainsprings in cars, guns, etc. Much of the work previously done in the golden age of oil, is now done by human or animal labor. 2. Plagues have run through the world - developed by scientists, they have wiped out much of the crop production. Other genetically modified insects have wiped out the forests by goggling them up. There are any number of diseases that kill humans, or by killing crops have killed humans by starvation. GM companies in the US have both developed these plagues and genetically modified, sterile crops that resist them. Evil.

In order to deal with manual labor issues, genetically modified animals called 'Windups' have been developed. The plot revolves around a foreigner, a windup girl, various ministries in Thailand and refugees.

The writing is OK, repetitive in many places. Where I kinda get left off is the violence in the last third of the book. I'm a peacenik; I don't think the physical violence at the end really needed to advance the plot. However, I think the book is worth reading because of the ideas, and the near-futureness of it. It really could happen.

Wanting by Richard Flanagan
Historical fiction with three main components - 'civilizing' aborigines in Tasmania, where whole groups of people are relocated into villages. One of the children is picked out by the Governor's wife, Lady Jane Franklin to be the subject of her grand experiment to see if a Christian veneer can take. The second component is Sir John Franklin's exploration in the artic. And the third revolves around Charles Dickens and the staging of a play based on John Franklin's tragic end.

This book is very intense, sad and wonderful and maybe packed too tightly into its slim volume. But there are thoughtful and beautiful passages. Because of the complexity of the three stories, I think that it really could be three times as long.

Winter in Thailand

2010-01-24T09:58:00.000+07:00

Although the calendar says, "Winter," we never see snow in SE Asia. There was rumor of snowfall in Xieng Khouang in 1984 but the blizzard that drop 1 cm. on Phonsavanh, left quickly and all the snow melted by the afternoon. There are periodic sightings of 'snow' which turn out to be early morning frost. Yes, it does get cold enough to freeze water in some places and make you put on several layers of coats - but not enough to get your feet wet.

There are displays of snow men and Santa Claus in the shopping malls. Maybe it's cold enough to snow wads of money during the shopping season.

That's My World!

2010-01-06T06:34:00.001+07:00

These old trees line the road in front of Hor Pra Keo, a former Buddhist temple which is now a museum. I took this picture on Tuesday while walking to the bank. Along with the tree-lined streets and the history of the roads and the old French buildings, Vientiane has a distinct feel!

Best Conference

2010-01-05T06:18:00.000+07:00

Continuing the suggestion from Gwen Bell's blog: "Best Conference of 2009."

Living in a Developing Country, I don't often get a chance to attend conferences. When a conference does happen in-country, I'm often in the field and usually don't hear about it until I return and I hear how good the conference was. There are conference offerings in Thailand - if I get a chance to go to Khon Kaen which has the main university hospital for NE Thailand, I see posters for very interesting medical conferences on the walls of the elevators and on bulletin boards but usually for the previous week or the next week. Nothing seems to happen in the present.

So, this past year I went to the University of Washington 'Advances in Family Practice Conference.' I think this is the fifth time I've attended. All the topics are interesting and practical, reflecting the current practice standards for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of common problems that medical providers see in their clinics. It's a great chance to review and meet other primary care physicians and physician assistants.

My list of 'Best of Books read in 2009'

2010-01-04T12:29:00.002+07:00

Looks like I read 74 books this year. Thought I read more, but I think I forgot to list them on Goodreads. Well, that's the way it goes.

Books I liked the best:

1. Year of the Flood by Marget Atwood
2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
3. Cats Eye by Margaret Atwood (you can tell I'm a fan of this great writer)
4. Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips
5. The Thing around Your Neck by Chimanada Ngozi Adichie
6. Tinkers by Paul Harding
7. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
8. The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright
9. A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam
10. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

I also read A Wild Sheep Chase, which I thought I had read several years ago, but it didn't seem familiar in a Murakami kind of way. So after I read Dance, Dance, Dance I read A Wild Sheep Chase. Love Murakami's writing. Also re-read Norwegian Wood. I kinda put these separate, as any list that I compose, which includes Murakami, would mean that the books by Murakami would come out on top, as far as I'm concerned.

2010 recommendations: Just be the Best I can be!

2010-01-03T10:20:00.001+07:00

At this time of the year, blog posts focus on the best and worst of the past year. Even more amazing, there are many articles on the best and worst of the decade. I can't believe that we've gotten through the first ten years of the millennium. And I've spent them all in Laos.

Along with looking back over the year or decade, everyone posts their resolutions for the new year, or why they don't believe in resolutions and won't post any resolutions. At a new year's party last night, I asked some of my Lao staff if they had resolutions. At first, they were confused because the word 'resolution' is translated as mat-tii , meaning 'law' or 'decree.' So I explained that in this context, it was like a personal law or decree for what they would like to change or try out in the new year. They all laughed and told me that they always want to do the best they can so why do they need to make their own laws?

Well, I was hoping that one of them would say something like, "I'd like to write better quarterly reports and get them in on time." Sigh. I just know that they will continue to do the best possible...

For myself, I really don't make resolutions. My situation is always changing so if I say, "I resolve to write 2,000 words/ day" or "I resolve to run 5 miles/ day," if I don't do it, then I feel bad. So I prefer to make recommendations for myself, such as:

Writing 500,000 words this year. Three years ago, I tracked my writing. I felt my writing was improving and I had the time and energy to keep at it. I discovered that if I wrote a lot, it became easier and my writing grew better. At the end of 2006, I had written about 370,000 words. So, I recommend to myself to write 500,000 words and see what happens.

Train for a half-marathon, whether I end up running in one or not. I always think a lot while I'm running and it frees my mind.

Read as much as possible this year. I always try to read one hundred books/ year which includes lighter reading as well as massive books which have won Booker or other literary awards. I still have a backlog of books, so I'm participating in the 'TBR challenge'.

Try to be patient and be a better boss. That also means handing over more work to my staff so I'm not left with it, which makes me feel crabby and uncreative.

Travel more in the region. I recently found out that I have frequent flier miles on Thai Airways that I have to use. It looks like I'll be doing some work in Nepal in February/ March so I'm going to travel a bit there (someplace safe as the political situation there is always changing).

Strive for quality and not quantity in these recommendations and don't get upset if I don't always live up to them. Just live a good and meaningful life, that's my main resolution.

The Worst Books of the Decade!

2010-01-02T10:31:00.005+07:00

Well, if there's going to be a list for the best, there should also be a list for the worst. Actually, it's weird - the Davinci Code is on both the best and the worst lists! I haven't read any of these books, though I did try to start Vernon God Little. Although it did win the Booker Award in 2003, I found it hard to get through because the main character is just so unlikable.

Anyway, about this list - I can you can say that it's the 'best of the worst of the decade.'

The post is rising to the challenge of National Blog Posting Month. This month's challenge at NaBloPoMo is to post daily about "The Best of...."

Sky Watch Friday - 01/01/10

2010-01-01T23:42:00.001+07:00

Happy New Year everyone! I managed to fall asleep early in the evening after returning from one party. The sound of firecrackers in the neighborhood and the lower booms of fireworks in downtown Vientiane woke me just for a moment at midnight but didn’t keep me awake.

So this morning I felt very energetic and took a six mile walk in the afternoon. The day ended a large cloud over Thailand, with the sun peeking out of the upper layers.

It’s unusual to have much rain during this time of the year. There are some showers during January and February, called the “Mango Rains,” necessary for the fruit to get juicy and sweet.

In general, the skies are clear in the afternoons. I like the view in the mountains, where the high grasses dry out and refract the sunlight. This view is along Rt. 13 going north toward Louang Prabang, before the turnoff on Rt. 7 to Xieng Khouang.

And a couple of views of the sky through my backyard. I tried a bit of High def on this plum blossom:

Unfortunately, the wind was blowing which is why it looks like it should be viewed through 3D glasses.

And my papaya tree. I wonder how many will be ripe by the time I return to Xieng Khouang. I brought a few green ones back with me to Vientiane - once they ripened, they were delicious.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

The best Books of the Decade!

2010-01-01T09:33:00.004+07:00

I've been reading all sorts of "Best of Lists". No only do we have to go through our memories for the best of 2009 but also the best of the decade.

The Times of London list of the best 100 books of the decade is fun. I've read 25 of the 100 books, which includes the last Harry Potter book (although I've read only one of the previous books).

The books I have read on the list were:

1 The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)
7 Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2002)
9 Atonement by Ian McEwan (2001)
14 Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi (2003) - I was so impressed with this book when I read it the first time, as part of a group read in the old Barnes and Noble Book Groups. The discussion was led by Azar Nafisi herself. I really felt I got to know the author. I read and re-read some of the books they had discussed such as the Great Gatsby and Lolita.
17 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (2007)
19 The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (2001)
20 White Teeth by Zadie Smith (2000)
24 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005) - speculative fiction at its finest.
25 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (2003)
29 The Accidental by Ali Smith (2005)
30 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003)
32 Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer (2002)
46 Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (2002)
55 Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Baghdad’s Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran (2007) - This is the real story in Iraq. I plan to re-read it some time and review articles on the some of the events he discusses.
56 If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor (2002)
60 Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond (2005)
62 Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (2002) - loved this book - incredible descriptions and plot twists.
66 Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (2004) - one of my favorite books. I've read it twice already.
72 True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (2001)
73 Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami (2005) - Great collection of Murakami's stories.
80 The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (2008)
84 Unless by Carol Shields (2002)
96 The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda's Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright (2006)
97 The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (2007)
98 Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie(2007) - another one of my favorites.

Books I have but haven't read but promise to read this year:
2 Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2003)
5 Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky (2006)
6 The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
12 A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (2000)
13 Austerlitz by W. G. Sebald (2001)
15 The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (2006)
21 The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (2004)
28 The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross (2007)
39 Runaway by Alice Munro (2005)
41 The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (2008)
44 Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (2005)
48 A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (2003)
54 Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss (2003)
61The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
69 My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk (2001)
94 Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta (2005)
83 This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust (2008)

This month is NaBloPoMo's challenge - "The Best of...."

That's My World!

2009-12-29T22:03:00.003+07:00

Even in paradise, you have to clean and do laundry. I washed the slippers I offer for guests visiting my house since it's tradition to take your shoes off at the front door. It's been cool up north so it's been taking them a while to dry so I hung them on the metalwork of the window.

When I entered the room, I thought, "The shoes are dancing without me!" So here they are in flight:

This is my contribution to That's My World! where everyone plays tour guide for their part of the world.

2010 TBR List

2009-12-28T06:51:00.006+07:00

This is my third year on trying to respond to the TBR Challenge and get through my impressive to be read list. Although I read nearly 100 books this year (still have to count them up), somehow I seemed to avoid my TBR list. I have read a few but not all. Part of the problem is that books are physically in one location and because I travel so much, I'm often in a reading mood and the book is elsewhere; or I bring the book to another one of my work sites and leave it there and forget where I left it. One of my New Year's resolutions is both to read the books on this list and also to not move them so I know where they are.

So my primary list:
1. Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen - Xieng Khouang
2. A War of Nerves by Ben Shephard - Vientiane
3. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West - Xieng Khouang
4. What I talk about when I talk about Running by Haruki Murakami - Vientiane
5. number9dream by Daid Mitchell - Vientiane
6. Wandering through Vietnamese Culture by Huu Ngoc - Xieng Khouang
7. In an Antique Land by Amitav Ghosh - Xieng Khouang
8. Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali - Vientiane
9. The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins - Xieng Khouang
10. The Care of Strangers by Charles E. Rosenberg - Vientiane
11. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood - Vientiane
12. Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon - Audiobook, anywhere

Alternative list:
1. Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus - Audiobook
2. Hard Times by Charles Dickens - Audiobook
3. Bleak House by Charles Dickens - Vientiane
4. Herzog by Saul Bellow - Audiobook
5. Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham - Audiobook
6. The World without Us by Alan Weisman - Audiobook
7. 2666: A Novel by Roberto Bolano - Vientiane
8. Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku - Audiobook
9. Brasyl by Ian MacDonald - Vientiane
10. A Grand Delusion by Robert Mann - Vientiane
11. BuddhaDa by Anne Donovan - Xieng Khouang
12. Mara and Dann by Doris Lessing - Vientiane

And if I get around to them:
1. The Execution Channel b Ken MacLeod
2. Shriek: an Afterword by Jeff Vandermeer
3. Slan by A.E. Van Vogt
4. Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint
5. The Redundancy of Courage by Timothy Mo
6. The Tapestries by Kien Nguyen
7. On the Natural History of Destruction by W. G. Sebald
8. Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan
9. White Noise by Don DeLillo
10. The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
11. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
12. I am a Cat by Soseki Natsume

Well, we'll see how it goes this year.

And here are the physical candidates, on the bookshelf next to my bed in Xieng Khouang:

SWF - Christmas edition

2009-12-25T20:07:00.001+07:00

OK, so I've been quiet for a while, but I have time to go over my images from the past month or two in the little bit of quiet time available between Christmas and New Year.

On Christmas Day, we supported a training in Animal Raising/ Village-level Veterinary skills for people injured by unexploded ordnance or family members (such as parents if the UXO survivor is a child). We usually have twenty people in the training but make appointments with twenty-five people, just in case there are 'no shows.' This month, everyone attended, including four people from another province which requires more than a day's travel.

After two days of theory, we have practice sessions in one village, vaccinating chickens in the evening when they have come home to roost, like so:

We were trying to find the chickens in their coop but their owner told us to look up!

On Christmas morning, we vaccinated more animals in their mangers.

The buffalo in the foreground has a newborn white calf. The buffalo in the background was just starting to go into labor. We weren't in that section of the village long enough to see the baby. Water buffalo calfs are really cute, not like the full-sized version.

This cow is wondering whether it's safe to leave.

And I took photos while everyone else was working. I experimented with some HDR after we returned to Phonsavanh. The blue sky over a bamboo trellis and fish traps.

And over a cow pen:

When I told a friend we'd be vaccinating animals in the manger, she asked if that included camels and donkeys. I told her, "of course. Donkeys are the animals with short horns on their heads, get into everything and go 'baaaa,' right? And camels are the slow moving animals with big sweeping horns which are used for plowing." She had to agree with me.

And in case anyone gets the wrong impression that it is always sunny here - the mornings are often very foggy.

I didn't even realize that the cows were under the tree in the middle of Ta-Oi town until I nearly stumbled over one.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world. Huh, I guess this is the last one of the year! Season's Greetings everyone!

NaNoWriMo progress

2009-11-03T21:42:00.004+07:00

Did I mention yesterday that I wrote almost 10,000 words for NaNoWriMo in one day. It felt good to stretch out and write. The backdrop of the weather didn't provide any distractions - cold and windy with the threat of drizzle in the air. The gusts of wind rattled the window and I was glad to be inside, though without heat the insides of houses in Xieng Khouang are nearly as cold inside as outside. When the temperature dropped in the evening, I stoked my internal furnace with a glass of wine.

My story starts in a village in Kham district where Daeng, the hero, and Boua, the heroine grow up. Not a smooth childhood - Daeng's mother dies in childbirth and Boua tries to marry her off to the son of a neighbor. They are both tormented by an older boy named Vong. This typical village life is contrasted with global events - new technologies and China dominating the movement to return to the moon. While the village doesn't have electricity, people still buy cell phones, which they charge when they go to town. So I'm writing about some of the juxtapositions I see in my daily life in Lao.

I'm glad to get ahead with this project, far enough to see the possibilities in several sub-plots. Also, glad to get ahead as I have some work-related stuff coming up and I'm not sure how much time or mental energy I'll have after work.

That Luang Holiday

2009-11-02T19:09:00.003+07:00

Being based on the lunar calendar, the main Buddhist holidays occur on the days of the full moon. Many Lao names also revolve around the moon. My own name, Chanpheng, means "full moon". The person who gave me the name said that 'The full moon is beautiful and likes to have fun.' It also has Buddhist meaning, because of the main religious days being on the full moon.

That Luang itself is a gold colored monument (also called a stupa because it often contains relics, particularly those of the Buddha). Many believe was that missionaries sent by the Emperor Asoka in India, brought a Buddha relic which was built into the stupa in the 3rd century. The temple was rebuilt as a Khmer temple in the 14th century. In 1560, King Setthathirat moved the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane and rebuilt That Luang, which was again destroyed in 1828, when the Thai raided Vientiane. The French using old plans, rebuilt the stupa in 1900 but it was finally rebuilt in 1930 and people say that the shape is more elegant and pleasing to the eye.

Boun That Luang is the holiday falling on the full moon of the eleventh lunar month. Yesterday, people making merit at the Sri Meuang Temple brought their wax flower offerings on a parade from Sri Meuang to That Luang. Today, thousands of people offered food to the monks, who came in from all over Vientiane and the provinces. Tonight, while the Thai celebrate Loy Krathong, there is the Vong Vieng, where people light candles and circle the stupa three times.

Well, this year I'm up in Xieng Khouang and didn't wake up early enough to offer food to the monks. I'll also miss out on the ceremonies at That Luang. On the other hand, it's been a quiet and creative day. The sky has been overcast and strong gusts of wind hit the house. I can feel the temperature dropping. Earlier I noticed that the flowers on the peach and plum trees are starting to bud. Cold season is coming.

November 1st - getting back onto my blog

2009-11-01T09:51:00.002+07:00

The past few months have been kinda wild and I haven't had much of a chance to write. I visited the US for what should have been for a month, but circumstances dictated otherwise.

My first week in Seattle was interesting. As I fought off jet-leg, I attended the annual Family Practice Update at the University of Washington. It's my favorite continuing medical education conference, with a wide variety of topics. It's always amazing how medical understanding and treatments progress, even in the two years between the conferences I attend.

The following two weeks are a blur. I must have picked up the dreaded H1N1 in the caverns of medical advancement - I was quite sick and even after the week of high fevers ended, I still felt weak. Unfortunately, I didn't think of bringing Tamiflu with me and I didn't feel sick enough to go the a doctor. Seattle was reporting so many cases that they advised people to stay home if they weren't on their last legs, or coughs.

Fortunately, I was able to beg my boss to stay another two weeks. "I can work on reports and proposals while I'm over here," I said optimistically. Well, they certainly took me up on that and I think I ended up dealing with about an hour of e-mails every morning plus the report writing work.

I did go down to San Francisco for about two weeks and enjoyed some time with my Hmong friends in the Central Valley. I attended the Hmong "Cultural Festival" in Oroville in mid-October. Everyone said that it was the earliest celebration of the Hmong New Year ever but they didn't want to give the impression that Hmong New Year was starting so early, hence the new name. I also went to a party in Fresno and met up with many Hmong friends there.

After returning to Seattle for a few days of shopping, packing and sending the stuff that couldn't fit into my bags for Laos, I took off.

I'm doing both NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo this year and have a feeling I'll be able to keep up with both. I've been back in Laos for a week and as my jet-lag fades, I feel more energetic. Also, I'm just regaining my commitment to write, which is sometimes battered with my responsibilities at work. We'll see how it goes!

2009-08-29T07:52:00.002+07:00

While I was drinking coffee and deleting the posts of Disa, the spammer, I came upon my TBR list (To Be Read Challenge) that I posted in December. I've read about 60 books this year, but still haven't gotten around to most of the books below. Ah well, will be going on home leave soon so better bring a few of these with me.

List One:
1. Baghdad Burning II by Riverbend - I used to follow her blog but now I check back intermittently to see if she has posted anything new after 22 Oct 2007. She has blogged of her experiences as a Iraqi woman and her thoughts on the war, American troops and a life being boxed in by the violence and the aftermath of the occupation. In October 2007, the family decided to leave - and her last post was in Syria. What happened next? Where is she? Her first book was great and very intense.
2. The War of the Nerves by Ben Sheppard
3. Brasyl by Ian MacDonald
4. In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen
5. Shriek: an Afterword by Jeff Vandermeer
6. Dark Sun by Richard Rhodes Vte
7. Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury - currently reading
8. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West
9. Wandering through Vietnamese Culture by Huu Ngoc Vte
10. Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith
~~11. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood~~
12. Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen

Alternate List:
1. Echo House by Ward Just
2. A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry
3. A Mercy by Toni Morrison
4. Indignation by Philip Roth
~~5. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith~~
6. Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku
7. 2666: A Novel by Roberto Bolano
8. The Stuff of Thought by Steven Pinker
9. Sly Mongoose by Tobia Buckell
10. Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick
11. A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
12. A Grand Delusion by Robert Mann

Being spam-botted

2009-08-28T16:31:00.003+07:00

Sorry to say, I've just put comments on verification and moderation cause some spam bot is leaving comments in Chinese on old entries. I myself find having to do the verification thing for commenting to be time-consuming when I'm on dial-up and sometimes the comments don't go through but I'm feeling desperate.

Anyway, I think I'll reconsider when and if the coast is clear....

I just can't imagine why these spam-bots exist. What benefit do they get in leaving messages on blogs, in other languages?

SWF - 7 August 2009

2009-08-07T22:04:00.003+07:00

I took the train to Bangkok. There is now a rail link between Thanaleng, Laos and Nongkhai, Thailand. This is a view back towards the Lao side.

These guys were hanging out on the bridge. Not sure if they just like seeing the train go by or whether the cell phone reception is that much better.

I spent the next few days in Bangkok - dental work and sleeping. Finally felt some energy and walked around old neighborhoods I haven't visited in a long time.

River express taxi on the Chao Phraya River

Houses on stilts along the waterfront.

An unusual view of the Sanam Luang, the Royal Park. I remember a grassy field from 20 years ago, but with various gatherings and demonstrations, they have now paved it over.Although there were some banners in favor of one side of the current rounds of problems, there were no demonstrators so the park has become a parking lot.

With the skies looking so threatening, it wasn't long before the sky poured down on us.

View from the pedestrian overpass by the MBK shopping center, looking across at the Sky Train station. I was happy I got up the stairs before the rain started coming down.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

SWF - 31 July 09

2009-07-31T21:33:00.002+07:00

It's been six weeks since I last posted. I've been un-well, I suspect dengue fever. Fever, fatigue and whole-body aches. I have had zero enthusiasm about everything, even lifting my camera up. Fortunately, it's going away and I find myself with both the strength to carry my camera around, and the interest in looking at things and saying, "I'd like a picture of that."

Sky over Salavan on 12 July. The clouds look like nebulae.

The same evening - the moon looking through my window. Even though it's two days past full, it still looks big and round through the clouds.

The red glow at sunset at the Vientiane waterfront of the Mekong River. People like to sit by the river in the evening to relax, drink smoothies or eat other snacks.

And the sunset in the Xedon river in Pakse. The boats look like they are floating in the sky.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

SKY 19 June 09

2009-06-19T16:56:00.002+07:00

I've been traveling a lot. I broke a tooth and have had to have all sorts of dental work, requiring voyages to Bangkok. This was the scene on Tuesday 9 June at the Nongkhai Station.

The train had to pass through that weather later in the night.

It rained a lot while I was in Bangkok - these violent kinds of thunderstorms that can turn a street into a river in the period of five minutes, before the rain stops and the street drain and a half hour later, it looks like nothing had happened.

Last Saturday, I took a long walk around Bangkok and followed one of the canals. I hadn't walked here before - there are sidewalks on both sides of the canal, which run behind people's houses. It's surprisingly small town along the path.

On Sunday, I arrived in Nongkhai in the early morning and took a long walk around town. The city reinforced the bank of the river to prevent flooding and erosion. And the broad sidewalk is a nice place to walk.

I took the following picture at the Waterslide Park in Vientiane. Yes, they have one - but it's out of the price range of most of the Lao and it does not attract expats or tourists. The slides are interesting for taking pictures. This one I photoshopped; it's kinda funny:

Back to reality - a view of Phonsavanh on Wednesday afternoon, after arriving by plane and having a few meetings, we went off for a beer and a view:

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

Skywatch Friday - 5 June 2009

2009-06-05T18:37:00.003+07:00

At the start of the week, I caught sight of these clouds as I was walking home. By the time I got my camera out, they were just past their peak but still amazing. It's also amazing how quickly clouds can change.

On Tuesday, as we were driving down to Champasak, I requested a stop to take a panoramic shot of pictures of the Krading River.

After an afternoon and evening of thunderstorms, we headed to Salavan on Wednesday afternoon. The sky was so blue and clear from all the rain. While we stopped by the road, a whole family drove towards the distance in their tok-tok.

And today, the rain came and went.

In spite of the humidity, the winds in the evenings are cool and refreshing.

Sky Watch Friday 29 May

2009-05-29T22:31:00.000+07:00

The weather has moved into rainy season, at a much faster gallop than last year. The skies are either crystal clear or covered with thunderclouds.

Although I haven't had much chance to post over the past month, I'm still taking pictures. I snapped the above picture on a moody late afternoon, where thunderclouds were directly overhead but the light from the sunset lit up the Buddhist temple from the side.

And a very luminous sunset over the Mekong river, looking over Thailand.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

Gecko dreaming of becoming a butterfly

2009-05-27T23:16:00.000+07:00

I took this picture late at night, because I realized I had not taken my picture of the day, then I found the shapes feature.... and it's cool.

ABC Wednesday: S for silver and sleeping

2009-05-27T18:10:00.001+07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I walked around the Morning Market in Vientiane, looking for reflections and light. And I found silver. These bracelets were enticing - I took the picture but did not take my wallet out of my bag - this time.

And sleeping - this woman lives behind her shop, and her shop is an extension of her home, so she can take a nap anywhere and any time. Not sure about the profits though.

This is my contribution for ABC Wednesday. I thought I would get all the way through the alphabet this time - well I will but I've skipped everything between K and S.

Water

2009-05-26T19:04:00.000+07:00

There's a lot of back-breaking manual labor jobs, with low pay. This truck delivers drinking water around Vientiane, with their staff of a driver and the man who carries the 50 liter water bottles to the houses and businesses.

I wonder what he is dreaming about....

While there is a municipal water system, we only use the water for bathing and cooking. Very few people use it for drinking water - too much chlorine. These men would be out of work otherwise!

Naga and camera

2009-05-25T18:57:00.000+07:00

The Naga are serpents which move between earth and the other world, and have a central place in Buddhist images in NE Thailand and Laos. The legend is that the Naga King sheltered the Buddha from a thunderstorm while he was meditating. Naga images grace every templeyard, at the entrances to the buildings and along the roofs.

I bought a Nikon D5000 and I've enjoyed taking photos with it, even though I should stop a moment and read the instruction manual. This picture was a little dark and I didn't get such a great depth of field, so I played with it in photoshop. Turned out kinda cool in spite of my lack of experience.

From Bangkok to Nong Khai

2009-05-24T23:29:00.000+07:00

I endured my dental appointment and then resolved to get back to Vientiane for a frantic week of work.

The new airport at Bangkok (well not so new, it's about two years old now) is gigantic and ultra-modern. I haven't gone through there so many times so I arrived two hours early so I could have lunch and make sure to get to my gate on time. Since my last visit, they have installed some beautiful large paintings. Here's a mosaic of images from two paintings:

Unfortunately, I didn't write down the artists' names. The painting of the picnic in the garden is like a Persian miniature but on a large scale. The other painting is of village life and I enjoyed the interactions of the community life on the wall.

I finished the book I had brought with me, so during the 50-minute flight, I stared at the map on the screen. I like watching how it zooms in from this view of Asia. It places me on the world.

Well, the original photo was a little boring, so I altered it a bit in photoshop.

Once I arrived in Udorn Thani, I got on a crowded mini-van to Nong Khai. I arrived late and enjoyed a late evening meal at the hotel. These tuk-tuks were parked across the street, ready to take someone around to all the sights in Nong Khai.

Still alive, still happy

2009-05-23T22:19:00.001+07:00

I just realized that while I'm taking pictures and contributing to several photography communities, I haven't kept up with my own blog. Well, whoever is following me, here's a special picture:

I just bought a new camera, in anticipation of a dental work I'll have to endure tomorrow. And I'm learning how to play with photoshop, so I can turn three turtles into six.

I took this shot at the park next to the Emporium shopping center in Bangkok.

Sky Watch Fruit 17 April

2009-04-17T19:23:00.002+07:00

I've been spending the week of Lao New Year in Xieng Khouang. My closest friends are here, and I've been going to several baci, or string tying ceremonies, every day. The only problem is that I don't have access to fast internet so I haven't had a chance to upload pictures and post journal entries. And I haven't had the time, what with all the activities going on.

Lao New Year means traveling around and visiting friends. Usually, there's a small ceremony with an elder, who usually had been a monk for several years, chanting Buddhist prayers and then blessing everyone to have good luck and health in the coming year. The blessings are made by pouring a small amount of water on the person's back, to wash away the bad luck of the previous year and bring good luck for the coming year.

We went for a picnic at a friend's farm outside Phonsavanh. They put up the buildings in the foreground, but other people had cut down the trees to raise upland, dry cultivated rice.

The weather contributed to water blessings. Usually, Lao New Year is the hottest time of the year but this year, there was a lot of rain. Didn't make us feel like having water fights.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

SWF - 10 April 2009

2009-04-10T00:45:00.003+07:00

Bangkok haze was thick last week - though it started raining every day. Not just rain but the kind of deluge which makes you think that the whole atmosphere is coming down. It did bring down the dust and pollution, so the clouds building up on the weekend were very impressive against a clean sky.

This photo was taken between the Champa trees. The Champa flower is the national flower of Laos - though there are none in this picture.

I'm posting a bit early this week because it's after midnight and I can't sleep. The night is hot, humid and sticky. Hot season.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

SWF - 3 April

2009-04-03T11:40:00.003+07:00

I viewed the skies in two places this past week. In Vientiane, the hazy skies became more clear when washed by several thunderstorms. I arrived in Bangkok on Weds morning, just after a storm so the sky has been unusually clear here as well.

Last week, I went on one of my long walks. I was enjoying the shape of a palm against the intense blue sky when I saw something special in the tree.

He was cutting ripe coconuts out of the tree and lowering them to the ground by a pulley system.

I also passed this temple entrance on one of my walks last weekend. At first, I though the shapes in the triangle were cut outs, revealing the sky behind. Then I looked closer and realized the illusion - often tiny mirrored tiles are used in the decoration.

Even in the closeup, it's hard to see the joints between the mirrors.

The weather in Bangkok has been nice the past few days - well hot, but not the painful kind of hot that comes with smog. This is a stitched together view of one of my favorite places, Lumphini Park in central Bangkok.

And a view of the building craze still going on in Bangkok:

I remember there used to be a great market here, plus several sleezy bars I enjoyed going to. One of the bars, the Cock and Bull, had a great Philippino country-western band. After working Saturdays at the refugee camp, we'd often take the late afternoon bus to Bangkok for the rest of the weekend and stayed in a rundown guest house near here.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

That's my world! 31 March

2009-04-02T23:57:00.001+07:00

A few shots of my life on this Tuesday. I woke up in Vientiane.

I took this picture before I started my morning run. This is a picture of one of teh Naga heads which will adorn the stairways leading into the new building housing the Buddha images. I wanted to get a shot of the workmen molding the images but they have eluded me.

So I set off on my three mile route. About halfway through, I saw this thundercloud lurking over Thailand on the other side of the Mekong.

I didn't think that it was coming in our direction so I trotted off on my regular route. Just as I was turning back, the storm hit and I had to stand on someone's porch until the rain slowed down a bit. It was just a bit surprising - it's been unusually dry at this time of the year so I'm glad for the rain.

Later on in the day - after a morning full of meetings, and finishing up odds and ends at work, I headed over to Thailand and took the overnight train to Bangkok. This was the scene at the Udorn Thani station.

The sleeper cars on the train are comfortable and not very expensive, so it's usually a nice ride to Bangkok. I kept waking up during the night though. Around midnight, I saw these people waiting at a train station.

I wondered where they were going at this hour of the night.

This is my contribution to That's My World.

ABC Wedesday: K for Kites

2009-04-02T00:05:00.000+07:00

This is the season when the hot winds blow constantly and kids run around flying their kites.

This boy couldn't stand to just got home when it got dark. He had to continue flying his kite.

These pictures were actually taken over a year ago but as I was going through my flickr pages, I laughed when I saw these. I hadn't seen them for a while.

This is my contribution for the letter "K" for ABC Wednesday! Check it out!

Shadow Shot Sunday - 29 March 09

2009-03-29T14:43:00.003+07:00

These PVC pipes are blue but somehow the shadows and the way they make the pipes so round, only seem to jump out in B 'n W.

Check out more shadows here:

Funny...

2009-03-28T14:51:00.000+07:00

I took a series of 3 photos at this temple but it wasn't until I uploaded them that I realized I had gotten the vendor both coming and going. I'm going to try more of this stitch photos with the same people in different poses in different parts of the composite.

SWF - 27 March 09

2009-03-27T18:12:00.003+07:00

A couple of wild thunderstorms have passed through the area. The clashing of the heat rising from the plains and the clouds at this time of the year is very dramatic.

The really nice thing is the dust in the air gets cleaned up and the skies are so clear in the mornings. The air feels lighter.

This is the new building at Wat Meuang Wa. The lovely mural of the Buddha surrounded by the animals coming for teaching was just finished a week ago.

View from the front. It's amazing how blue the sky was this morning.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

ABC Wedesday: J for Joy

2009-03-25T21:12:00.000+07:00

These kids looked full of joy. The adults don't look that happy but children find something to turn them on - the wind, the dust, the adventure of the tok-tok ride.

This is my contribution to ABC Wednesday!

Kids on bikes

2009-03-24T21:26:00.006+07:00

Panoramas of my world

2009-03-24T20:34:00.003+07:00

I enjoy fooling around with my camera settings and these past few days I've discovered photo-stitch, so now all my pictures are panoramas until I get tired of the novelty. I'm running around trying to take 4 - 5 - 6 pictures and more to make up a 360 view. However, the landscape starts getting a bit weird.

This street scene looks like it got stuck between two universes:

This one isn't so bad though check out the power lines:

The water in the Mekong looks like it's flowing uphill:

But it's fun. Have to keep practicing.

That's my world contribution for this week.

Monochrome Monday with Ox Cart

2009-03-23T11:40:00.002+07:00

Ox carts used to be the major mode of transportation in SE Asia. They are still used widely in rural areas but even a few years ago, I saw them in small cities in Thailand. Well, not on the main roads but in the streets near the rice fields.

They are disappearing now. With the development of the two-wheeled tractor, people can use it both to plow fields and, but changing the wheels from tractor treads to truck wheels, they have multi-purpose transportation. A few months ago, when the price of gas was so high, many people returned to using water buffalo to plow their fields and ox to pull carts. I wonder whether this trend will continue.

Many people are buying the carts and the cart wheels to use for decoration - in front of restaurants or in their gardens.

This is my contribution to Monochrome Monday.

Mellow Yellow Monday - Dok Khun

2009-03-23T11:21:00.003+07:00

Commonly known as the 'golden shower tree,' the Dok Khun flowers start to bloom just before New Year. The flowers, tied together in bunches, are used for scattering water for water blessing ceremonies. They are also in the silver bowl of water used for the New Year's blessings. Since they have so many cultural uses, it's easy to see why the Dok Khun is the National Flower of Thailand.

Whenever I see the flowers, I feel the great lazy feeling of this time of the year. March through May are the hot season, with the hottest part of the year during mid-April, which is the time of the Lao New Year.

Shadow Shot Sunday - 22 March 09

2009-03-22T06:22:00.001+07:00

My view when I was eating breakfast in Sekong this past week.

Click on the icon to see other shadow shots from around the globe.

Regular Saturday

2009-03-21T21:27:00.002+07:00

I've had a perfectly lazy day. This past week, I traveled down to Salavan then on to Sekong Province where some medical staff, we've trained in first aid, passed along their knowledge to village health volunteers. On Tuesday, we returned to Salavan and I attended some meetings on Weds. On Thursday, we stopped at a district hospital to see how they were doing and then continued on to Vientiane.

I deserved to have a lazy day. I finally left the house for a walk in the late afternoon, and stopped for dinner.

First time I've had dinner at this restaurant on the Mekong riverbank. The food is good and it's just 3 minutes walk from my house.

My view while eating dinner. This is the first time I've tried photo stitch and the two photos just went right together into one. Have to try more of this.

After yesterday's rains, the maeng mao or drunk bugs came out. They are flying termites who crash around the lights, fall down and after they've lost their wings, dig into the ground or die in the attempt. Geekos or humans eat them - the humans put out pans of water to catch the bugs and then deep fry them.

I don't like eating them much - they're very bitter. Now I'm catching up on the internet stuff though my connection keeps disconnecting. I'm always amazed that the internet works at all.

Reading Spin State by Chris Moriarty. Best 'hard' science fiction book I've read for a while, though the whole Einstein-Bose condensate and what it's supposed to do makes my head spin. And by entanglement, other heads should spin as well.

Anyway, back to the book.

SWF - 20 March 09

2009-03-20T19:00:00.003+07:00

Continuing on the theme of 'dust season.' It's been hot and dry here, not much relief from the few drops of rain that sometimes appear. The sky is opaque.

Thursday morning, the dawn was very strange. The whole sky glowed pink. It reminded me of how old science fiction films portrayed Mars.

This is part of the reason why it's so hazy - dust roads and buses.

Women trying to keep the dust off themselves.

Actually, people tend to use umbrellas to protect themselves more from the sun than from the rain.

When we drove back to Vientiane on Thursday, we were about a kilometer from Snake Mountain, one of our landmarks, before we could start to make it out through the haze.

Still, in the irrigated fields, you can still see some green under the gray skies.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

ABC Wedesday: Imperial

2009-03-18T21:39:00.000+07:00

Just in case anyone doubted, Cats are really Gods in disguise. This cat knew that he was entitled to drink the water on the altar. It was offered to him after all.

I saw another imperial cat in residence in a spirit house, waiting for offerings to be brought to him.

SWF - 13 March 09

2009-03-14T06:47:00.003+07:00

The skies have been thick and gray recently. There's a big smoke cloud covering SE Asia, mostly the result of people burning the stubble and organic trash on their fields so they can prepare for the next growing season. Many of my pictures over the past week include a white or powder blue sky.

The bright colored structures are funerary monuments, or chedhi. They are made of concrete, with a little room and door in the structure to place the ashes of the diseased. They are usually placed in the yard of the Buddhist temple, but with some cultural traditions, they can be placed just outside communities, on low-lying hills or in fields.

In spite of the haze, life goes on. We passed this ceremony and my staff continued to have a discussion about what its significance. Were they opening a new section of the temple, or was this a merit-making festival?

There are high clouds in the sky but they can barely be seen through the dust. Last night, a big wind blew up and this morning, dust is covering everything in my house. The air is also cool so I wonder if there was a storm somewhere nearby. That would be nice - even though it's dry season, it does rain a few times during these months. People call these storms, "Mango rains" as the moisture helps to ripen the mangoes.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

ABC Weds - H's

2009-03-12T21:02:00.003+07:00

This is a Haystack of rice straw in Xieng Khouang Province. When the rice is cut, the stalks are carried to the haystack and they are laid down with the head of the stalk, with the rice kernels, on the inside. It's built up and a cap made of rice straw laid on top, to seal the stack. After a week, the straw and rice kernels are dry enough to thresh.

Some people make patterned woven symbols at the top of the stack, which keep out bad influences and keeps the spirit of the rice within.

And here are some farmers cutting the rice. Harvest is usually October through November, though it depends on the region of the country.

After a hard day at work, the farmers return home with their cows. Homeward:

This is my contribution to the letter "H" on ABC Wednesday.

That's my World! Dry and Wet

2009-03-10T06:53:00.003+07:00

The year is starting to propel us into the hot season. The fields are dry, the sky is obscured by dust. I took this picture of sugar palms in a very dry field near my house in Salavan. I walked into the field, behind someone's house and walked back and forth to get the angle right.

As I returned to the road, with its one-inch layer of dust, I heard a noise behind me. A woman came out of the house I had been standing behind. I guess she heard me and came out to see who it was. She looked shocked to see it was a foreigner!

Some of the fields are irrigated.

The fields in the front are not. Not all fields are irrigated, just enough to farm and to conserve water. Most of the small streams have dried up.

When the heat gets to be too much, we can stop by the Thad Lor waterfall.

That's my world, and my contribution to That's My World!

ABC Wednesday: Some G's?

2009-03-10T06:35:00.003+07:00

Good enough to eat?

This was lunch on 7 March, in honor of International Women's Day. Sour fish soup, spring rolls, sticky rice and goi pa, a spicy fish salad.

This is a picture of a dazzlingly red flower in a garden by a restaurant, made even more intense by using the color accent on my camera.

Kinda looks like an animal.

And a gas station near my office, on a busy Friday afternoon:

These pictures are in honor of ABC Wednesday, even though I usually don't post on Wendesdays!

SWF - 6 March 09

2009-03-06T16:34:00.004+07:00

Another week has flown by. We started with a typical long drive to the south. It took all day - well, we were slow getting off on a Sunday morning. At sunset, we stopped to stretch our legs and the moon smiled down on us.

This was the view from the back of my house in Salavan on Tuesday night.

I hadn't been down here for over a month so even this sunset was very spectacular.

Then I returned home one day to find a helicopter parked in my back yard. Well, it's the old air strip back in the days when passenger flights used to run between Vientiane and Salavan. The following morning, the helicopter took off.

It sprayed my house with dust. Very impolite.

We worked in Pakse on Wednesday and Thursday. Yesterday, we stopped by these floating restaurants for lunch. This is the Mekong River, near the ferry to Wat Phou, a Khmer-style temple. It's on the other side of the river from here.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

SWF - 27 Feb 09

2009-02-27T19:58:00.003+07:00

Some favorite sky pictures over the past week:

There were a few spots on the Mekong Riverbank where dragonflies hung in the air this morning.

Tree outlined by the river and the sunrise a few mornings ago.

When I returned from Xieng Khouang on Saturday, there was still a bit of sunset. I was amazed to see that the Bodhi tree near my house was covered with new leaves. When I left on Monday morning, the branches were bare.

One of my favorite views along Route 13, the main north to south road through Laos. This is a view of Patang - the Cliff Throne - about 50 kms. north of Vang Vieng.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

F for Food

2009-02-25T22:52:00.000+07:00

Whoops! It's Saturday morning and I forgot about ABC Wednesday. It's been a busy week, so I'm just catching up with myself before I go back out into the field tomorrow.

Well, I'm sure many people think of F for Food, so here's my take on a few of my classical food shots over the past few months.

This is one of my favorite food stands for breakfast in Bangkok. When I got for a doctor visit, I get my blood draw then head over to this alley under the Skytrain for breakfast:

A food vendor in Huay Kwang Market in Bangkok. Oh, and she's selling fish, so got in another F.

Well, there are many varieties of F in the world. I'll try to see how many I can view on other people's blogs this weekend!

And back to Laos - another variation on Food stand. This woman is selling sticky rice and grilled frogs, fish and dried meat.

Monochrome Monday with colorful cats

2009-02-23T21:30:00.002+07:00

I usually take pictures of the cats in color but I thought they look just as colorful in B&W.

For other monochromic maniacs, go to Monochrome Monday.

Mellow Yellow Monday - Temple Guardian

2009-02-23T19:28:00.002+07:00

I'm not sure if this guardian looks more like a dragon or a lion protecting the entrance to a Buddhist Temple near downtown Vientiane.

Shadow Shot Sunday - 22 Feb 09

2009-02-22T18:52:00.004+07:00

While I was away in Xieng Khouang, the leaves on the Bodhi trees suddenly emerged. When I left on Monday morning, the tree next to my neighborhood temple was bare - and when I returned yesterday, the saucer sized leaves had sprung open. The new leaves are a pale, translucent green, and the shadows of the leaves on other leaves can been seen through the leaves.

And here's a follow-up picture from my shot from last Sunday - whatever it is they planted has now started to grow. I'll take a picture next week to see if I can determine what they planted.

Click on the icon to see other shadow shots from around the globe.

Thursday Challenge: Pink

2009-02-21T19:09:00.001+07:00

I couldn't find anything pink earlier this week but I was amazed by this vegetable garden in Xieng Khouang while I was on my walk this morning. When I downloaded the pictures, I saw how the rose jumps out of the picture in contrast with the darker greens of the vegetable garden.

This is my contribution to Thursday Challenge, whose theme is 'Pink' this week.

SWF - 20 feb 09

2009-02-20T17:45:00.001+07:00

It's the hazy and dry season - fog in the mornings, which chills the air. Then the sun comes out and starts to burn off the fog.

But it takes a while for the world to warm up; a farmer has to go to his fields at the crack of dawn.

Mid-day in Phaxay, where we drove to visit a person who had been injured in a UXO accident and we provided some funds so he can raise pigs.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

ABC Wedesday: E for Elation

2009-02-18T20:53:00.007+07:00

As I was sitting at a restaurant, I watched this father and son playing together. The baby looked elated by his discovery of his toy and the father seemed to glow in the child's enjoyment.

That's it for my E contribution for ABC Wednesday. I'm on dial-up so gotta sign off!

That's my World! On the road

2009-02-17T20:45:00.004+07:00

I spent the day going from one place to another. Woke up in Vientiane, attended some meetings and flew to a project site. This was the scene at the airport in Vientiane. It's the only time I come even somewhat close to watching wrestling on TV.

I'm up in Xieng Khouang, taking around some new staff to meet the people we work with. So we ate out at the Sangna, one of the most popular of the twenty restaurants along the main drag.

This is posted for the photo meme That's My World!

Mellow Yellow Monday - Duckies

2009-02-16T19:57:00.003+07:00

This is as mellow as yellow as you can get. My neighbors thought I was daft taking pictures of the ducklings - they raise them and see them every day but I thought they were really cute.

This is my contribution to Mellow Yellow Monday. Click on the link or on the icon on the sidebar to see other forms of yellow around the world.

Monochrome Monday with Melons

2009-02-16T19:26:00.001+07:00

I was more impressed with the B&W shot of these melons than I was of the shot of the melons in color. Not sure if they look more appetizing - but they look more artistic.

For other shots of monochromes, go to Monochrome Monday

Shadow Shot Sunday - 15 feb 09

2009-02-15T18:45:00.004+07:00

The Mekong dries up and the sandbars emerge during the dry season. I'm not sure what they are planting in the sand bars, but the shadows in the trenches were very interesting - topographic.

People often have elaborate metal fences. The undulations of the fence made a shadow that looked like a serpent - at least for me. Not sure about anyone else's eyes.

This final shot is of the shadow of a tree on the street.

These photos are for Shadow Shot Sunday, an amazing collection of shadows and their objects around the world.

Temple Construction

2009-02-15T18:14:00.002+07:00

I saw these carved boards by the front of my neighborhood temple, so I stop by in the mornings to check on their progress. I wondered when the craftsmen had been working on them.

On Saturday, I found them, so talked with them for a while as they worked.

Each of the windows takes about a week, though since the men work during the day and it's usually dark when they get off work, they mostly work on the weekends. They are donating their services to the temple, though the planks of rose wood (Mai duu in Lao) had to be bought. Rose wood is a hard, dense wood which everyone likes to use for furniture, mostly exported. Many trees have been cut and sent to Vietnam. This means that the cost has risen - so these boards are very expensive.

The other workman. Note the Pepsi cups behind him.

Finished window:

Wat Meuang Wa is one of the oldest Buddhist communities in the city. When I first moved here, there was an old community hall made of teak and two temple buildings and one dormitory for the monks. About five years ago, they tore down the wood building because it was falling apart, and put up a cement building which is mostly a dormitory and offices now. And two years ago, they tored down the Bodt, the building which houses the Buddha images. Interestingly enough, they did not move the larger Buddhas during the construction, but built a room around them. They have taken down the planks and have started to paint the detail work both inside and outside the building, even though the building structure itself is nowhere near completion.

This is the main Buddha image in the temple building:

Photo Hunt: Nautical

2009-02-14T21:13:00.007+07:00

Lao is a landlocked country so the Mekong River takes the place of the ocean. Life revolves around the river, and many customs involve the legends of the river.

These are Naga Boats (other cultures call them Dragon Boats). The naga are snake creatures which live under the water. When the Buddha was in meditation to seek the Middle Path, a thunderstorm blew up and the Seven Headed Naga King flared out his heads to protect the Buddha. Many communities along the river worship the naga and at the end of Buddhist Lent, have races so the naga can enjoy the activities of humans.

This race took place in Salavan in October 2008, along the Xedon River which flows into the Mekong at Pakse.

There are still few roads in many parts of Laos, so a lot of good are shipped by boat. People live on the boats - and there's always the need to do laundry.

Boat at sunset along the Mekong.

This is my contribution to Photo Hunt.

SWF - 13 feb 09

2009-02-13T11:58:00.004+07:00

This was a week of looking up at the skies, especially over the tops of Buddhist temples. Lao Buddhist temple have beautiful roof ornaments, and often they have layered roofs, in contrast to Thai temples which are usually single-roofed and lack the roof ornaments.

I took the above picture when I was leaving my house to go running in the morning, just as the just-past-full moon was setting.

Another roof line. I hadn't realize that the bird was in the photo until I had downloaded them later in the day.

I thought the above temple was interesting. The main part of the roof is just being started - yet, the ornamentation at each end is nearly complete.

People have been donating to build a lot of new buildings for temples. While I do like the old wood buildings, they are plagued by termites and rot. When people rebuild the temples, they usually build using concrete and polychrome colors. This is the start of the mural at the top of the temple in my neighborhood:

It will probably be depicting this scene, of the Buddha surrounded by his disciples:

The pointy shapes along the roofs are flames, which represent both purity, as well as burning away the outer layers of illusion, which is the goal of meditation. "To see things as they really are."

In spite of the blur, I liked this photo, taken on the full moon night this week:

The full moon is special to Buddhists. Each of the major holidays in the Buddhist calendar are defined by the full moon - the birth, enlightenment and passing into Nirvana of the Buddha all are celebrated on the full moon days.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

ABC Wednesday: Some D's

2009-02-11T19:45:00.004+07:00

Just before the weather gets really hot, people collect the tall grass and dry the stalks on every available flat space. Then they braid the stalks into brooms.

Here's a vendor selling the brooms door to door:

And a sign for a favorite Lao dish - a special kind of duck salad:

Maybe the reader doesn't wish to know the details about this kind of salad.

I just wonder - is this Daffy Duck or Donald Duck promoting the virtues of eating other ducks?

This post is for ABC Wednesday, which going into it's fourth round. Check out other people's alphabets from around the world!

My World Today in Vientiane

2009-02-10T17:21:00.003+07:00

When I went out for lunch today, I saw this basket cart. Love baskets, and there are some beautiful ones here in Laos, especially those made from rattan.

For other pictures from around the world, check out That's My World!

SKY - 6 Feb 09

2009-02-06T18:06:00.002+07:00

As I was driving to work this morning, I noticed people standing by the side of the road and other folks sitting on the back of motorcycles gazing up into the sky. When I stopped at the red light I was able to get a picture of what they were all staring at:

This past week was so intense, I didn't have much time to contemplate the sky. Next week will be better, and I can lift my face from my work to look out the window.

This is my contribution to Skywatch Friday, whose members post pictures of the skies around the world.

ABC Wednesday: C for Cart and Cockles

2009-02-04T19:02:00.001+07:00

A bit late this week - so I'm backposting. On Weds, I was up to my neck in logistics for a donor visit, followed by a long trip back to Vientiane. Had a meeting on Friday, and Saturday, I've been recovering.

These pictures are of mobile markets. People go around the neighborhoods selling food and other items during the mornings. This woman is selling vegetables from a hand cart:

The folks in this truck are selling cockles. Lao people steam them and eat them with a sauce of fermented fish, lemon juice and chile peppers, further lubricated by beer. Although Laos is a landlocked country, fish travel from Thailand via the overnight train or by truck. Not exactly fresh, but people consider seafood to be a delicacy so in spite of the consequences, these vendors sell out their stock quickly.

This is my contribution for ABC Wednesday.