Sao Darly

We were getting streams of visitors in the late afternoon at the house wanting news update on Grand-Mama’s funeral. It is a common courtesy to feed your guests in Laos and if nothing else there should be drinks and fruits or candies provided. I went next door to buy some ping kai and Khek went to buy some Beer Lao for our guests.

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We were informed after lunch of Grand-Mama’s funeral. Many people were there to show their love and respect for Grand-Mama. She was the pillar of her community, the oldest living grandmother of the village and the woman that made the local temple what it is today. She is with Grand-Papa now according to all the relatives that had dream of the two of them showing up at their houses for a visit.

We had a nice lunch and ate what Khek and I bought from Gok Pho Market. After lunch we talked about what was taking place in Pakse. When it started to rain Aunt Phone called Pakse to make sure the funeral was not being hampered by the rain.

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I took as much photos as I could along the Mekong River as we made our way to Gok Pho market. Khek and I ordered some tum maak houng and went inside the market to buy some khao phoon to go with the tum. We then headed home and walked through Akat Elementary School. I said hi to the kindergarten teacher and told her I would make a visit to the school next month.

Mekong River in Vientiane

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It was day 25 of my two months in Laos. We were all up early as usual and there were phone calls going back and forth between Vientiane and Pakse. It was a hectic day for the relatives in Pakse since the funeral of Grand-Mama was taking place on that day.

My only task was to take care of little Sidney and she was so used to me being there that she wouldn’t eat breakfast unless I was the one feeding her. We ate Khao Phiak Sen and then went for a walk around the neighborhood later. When a fruit seller came by the house with a cart full of bananas I asked Aunt Phone to buy a few for me. I usually eat banana and soy milk for breakfast here so I was happy to have something so familiar to start a day with.

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Song used in the trailer for the Watchmen movie by the Smashing Pumpkins. If you have good speakers, then you can blast this song and shake the house. I still play this song on a daily basis.

The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning

Send a heartbeat to
The void that cries through you
Relive the pictures that have come to pass
For now we stand alone
The world is lost and blown
And we are flesh and blood disintegrate
With no more to hate

Is it bright where you are
Have the people changed
Does it make you happy you’re so strange
And in your darkest hour
I hold secrets flame
We can watch the world devoured in its pain
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I’m back and posting again after more than a week of silent. Some of you probably noticed how active I’ve been at FB but do not worry because I don’t plan on abandoning my “home away from home” anytime soon. Let’s talk about some entertainment before heading back to the subject of Laos. One of these days you will get to the end of my two months to Laos trip finally.

I saw a great movie not too long ago. It was a pity that I didn’t get to see the first three minutes of it. I’ll have to wait till this movie is on Blue-ray disc so I can watch it again. If you are a fan of this comic, then go see it.

Watchmen Trailer with the song “The end is the beginning is the end” by The Smashing Pumkins

Watchmen Trailer version two

I went to a BBQ party a couple of weeks ago. It was not a sunny day and a little windy and a chance of rain. Well, once the grill was set up the sky was pouring and I had to do my best to cover the food. You can’t see that in the photos since I was busy moving the gas grill under a shade. Then it was showering on and off while the grill was doing its work.

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I was so fond of the Gouden Regen (Laburnum) or Golden Rain Tree that I found on my way back from Hoek van Holland beach that I made a mission to look for more of them. I even found two trees next to one another with one having yellow flowers while the other having purple flowers. Sorry the photos of those two trees didn’t turn out real well. Maybe next time.

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Elephants Miniature Sheet Lao stamp issued on June 12, 1997.