Happy Laos :)

This year Vientiane is hosting the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the Asia Europe People's Forum.. . so everyone is talking about poverty reduction, solidarity, development, economic growth, etc., etc. I've been working with a group of people who are trying to get happiness on that list and ask some different questions: what are we all developing towards? Happiness? So what is happiness for Lao people?

To get the conversation started we're making a film and we need your support...

... thanks Dain for being our first supporter!!!

a fair share of ukulele

Me n Mike. Busting out some ukulele at Vientiane College's Fair Share, a fair to raise funds for schools in Laos. I think the crowd were hoping for some pop songs or at least some Disney numbers but we stuck to our guns/ukuleles and played songs by The Band, Beirut and an original by Mike's old band The Dads. As I put the 500gm uke in it's soft case and shoved it into my backpack I thought (compared to lugging a 35kg+ harp around and getting into a station wagon) - I could get used to this.

Happy Birthday Saoban!

Saoban's first birthday Baci ceremony...

Natalya was my special guest for the day and was looking lovely 'n Lao in her Sinh and frills...

See more photos from Natalya's visit...

Motorbikes and Face Detection

Jani just came to visit for a week. He arrived on the evening of Dain's birthday - the last one out of customs because his old US dollar notes were rejected. The next day we were on the bus to Thakek and the following day we hired motorbikes, had a quick lesson in the driveway, and rode off towards Nakai with Karlee...

See more photos from his trip here.

During the trip he discovered the face detection setting on his camera. Once the camera detects a face it starts flashing and then takes three pictures. It took a while to get it right...

 See more photos from his trip here.

Lunch time

Picnic on banana leaves with Bandith and people from our bamboo weaving village

Sticky rice basket and puppy (this photo is for you Alice) 

Grilled fish and soup cooking inside a piece of bamboo

Dessert!!
...actually we chewed on sugar cane (at least I think that was what I was eating)

Sok Dee Pi Mai Lao!! (Happy New Year!!)

There are ceremonies and rituals at the temples, at work and at home, blessings and good wishes for the new year, but there is also a lot of beer Lao and a huge water fight. Officially the new year lasts three days, unofficially Vientiane will be a huge water fight/party for nearly a week. For me it started today (two days early) at the first of PADETC's (my host NGO) parties...

Musical chairs + water

Bandith the MC of course

Last chair...

Winner!

Victory dance :)

Books and Buddhas

I just wanted to share some pictures from Lelde's trip to Laos. It included a lot of books and Buddhas of course.

Buddha Park...

 Kiss on the cheek

Arrow in the head

Weddings photos at a temple. More photos here.

I'll add some photos of the book parties we did in Muuang Met. In the mean you can see some photos on Saoban's facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/saobancrafts