Andy's Asia - Life in the Village

Like many of you, I have been in absolute shock since the tragedy on December 26. Some of you have been proactive and sent me links and ideas about how to help. Many others have expressed relief that I am back in the Western Hemisphere. Still others have inquired about my friends and their well-being. I thank all of you for all of your thoughts and efforts. First, I don't know of any friends that were in Southern Thailand for the holidays. I have accounted for the two friends that were in Phuket when I left Thailand on December 14. Both had returned to Bangkok shortly before Christmas. For that I am thankful. What of the thousands of others that are confirmed dead or are still missing and at this point presumed dead? I can only hope that their death was mercifully quick and that they are now at peace. So many of the dead in Thailand are tourists. People from all over the world flock to the beautiful beaches for sun and recreation at this time of the year. Such a terrifying end to ...

Old dude sharpening knives near the pier close to the Grand Palace. 

My favorite fruit in Thailand. Rambutan!! Actually my favorite fruit to eat is mango, but rambutan is my favorite to look at!

A monk near the skytrain station just outside of Baan Phaasaa Thai. 

The man at the left has just commissioned the famed dancers at Erawan Shrine. More on Erawan Shrine in my next post!!

Young lady lighting her incense bundle at Erawan Shrine 

Several women doing 'the Buddha thing' at Erawan Shrine 

Well, here I am, back in the USA. The return trip was fraught with horrible possibilities. Fortunately all went well. There were many families traveling with me probably returning for the holidays. On the leg from Tokyo to San Francisco, I got to my seat and to my horror there was a couple and small baby sitting in the two seats between me and the window. Directly behind me was a woman traveling alone with a baby. This 8 hours could have been absolute hell. But the Gods of Travel were smiling on me. I was fortunate! Both babies behaved like little angels. There was a total of 10 minutes of crying during the entire trip. The worst part of the trip was getting my baggage, rechecking it and then having to go back through security in San Francisco. That was when the real culture shock began. Something's wrong when one is practically strip searched after going through security two other times in the same day. Welcome to the land of the free. I must apologize for posting so little in ...

The true Christmas spirit outside one of the largest shopping malls in Bangkok.

A close up of the true Christmas spirit with a Buddhist shrine in the background.

The Christmas tree outside of Ploenchit Center near my apartment and Baan Phaasaa Thai.

The Christmas tree in the lobby of my apartment building. It was NOT put up until after the King's birthday on December 5.

Here is the third posting about my trip to Laos. As to the economy, since I was only in one place, it's a bit hard to make any conclusions. Luang Prabang is booming, at least during 'high season' when the tourists are plentiful. The streets were swarming with a variety of people with varying amounts of money to spend. The internet cafes were busy as were the restaurants and tour operators. There are many businesses that seem to be flourishing. Not all businesses catered to tourists which is always a good sign. Additionally there is a vast amount of work being done on streets, electric, drainage and sewer projects. Much of this is no doubt due to the World Heritage site designation. Opportunities? I think there are lots of relatively low end opportunities here for people interested in relocating to this lovely place, but I didn't perceive too many opportunities to really do well by USA standards. The locals seem quite happy. There certainly a few beggars, but...

Could this Hmong girl possibly be any cuter????

As we strolled through the village, I was introduced to many of Hai O's friends and family. I tried not to be to intrusive with my picture taking. As we wandered around, one thing I noticed was that all the women were very busy sewing. I asked Hai O about it and he told me that they were making clothing for the New Year. The Lao New Year is December 12 and the women were definitely working hard to finish. We also saw a Chinese man who had driven up from Luang Prabang to sell clothing to the Hmong. The men were involved with a different type of preparation. They were cutting wood and making rat traps. One of the most important things going on in Laos is the attempt to wean people away from the growing of opium poppies. Since the Vietnam War, there has been a concerted attempt on the part of the Pathet Lao government as well as various world agencies to help villagers learn to grow other crops. This area grows onions, pineapples, watercress and various other vegetables now. I h...

Hai O's cousin, wife and children. The young boy in the foreground has a wood carrying basket on his back. The young children carry wood and do other simple tasks at a very young age in these villages. 

Hai O's aunt sewing up a storm. She invited us to sit with her for a bit. 

Hmong boy having lunch 

Cute young woman carrying her baby in Hmong Village 

More women sewing for the New Year while grandpa relaxes in the background