MontanaRon » Laos

Vacation Time

montanaron — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:01:45 +0000

It’s the end of the fall semester, so, as usual, I’ve been busy with final assessments, grading, paperwork, meetings and other duties. But soon, however, I’ll be vacationing in Laos (mainly) to visit with my friend Nai and his family. Korea’s weather is starting to turn wintry cold, so spending some time in a more [...] Related posts:

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Vientiane Boat Racing Festival

montanaron — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:46:34 +0000

The Vientiane Dragon Boat Racing Festival is one of the events marking the end of the Buddhist Lent period, which is called Ork Punsa in Laos and Thailand (read about it at the Buddhism Inter blog, at this Laos travel blog, or at Lao Voices). The race was held this past Thursday, Oct. 13th, along [...] Related posts:

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Weather Woes in Laos; Typhoon Muifa

montanaron — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:40:12 +0000

Tropical Storm Nock-Ten recently made its way over Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. I phoned my friend Nai last night to find out how badly his area had been hit. He said that most of the farmland in his village was under water and the crops destroyed. Many people were heartsick and crying, he told me, [...] Related posts:

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Two Sides of the Mekong

montanaron — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:23:39 +0000

I stayed a few short days in both Nong Khai, Thailand, and Vientiane, Laos. I mainly hung out along the Mekong River, and both cities have built up their respective riverbanks.

Nong Khai hasn’t changed all that much in the year since I’d last been there. It’s a pleasant walk along the river, where [...] Related posts:

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Off to Phuket

montanaron — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:34:58 +0000

After spending a few uneventful days in Nongkhai, Thailand and in Laos, I’m back in Bangkok with Nai in tow. Tomorrow we’re off to Patong Beach on Phuket Island to spend a week lazing away on the white sand under the palm trees. OK, Patong isn’t quite that idyllic, but it’s nice enough (and nasty, [...] Related posts:

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Korean Prostitutes Protest

montanaron — Fri, 20 May 2011 12:15:07 +0000

Uhmmm, I meant to say that Korean “sex workers” protest. Sorry for the “offensive” title of this post.

I don’t know how widespread this story is, but I found it interesting that it was reported by the Vientiane Times of Laos. Here’s a screen capture I made of the report; it’s a bit blurry, [...] Related posts:

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Dancing House

montanaron — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:57:53 +0000

I just finished phoning my friend Nai in Laos and he breathlessly reported that Vientiane experienced an earthquake last night. I had trouble understanding him at first, but he told me, with his sometimes-bad pronunciation and his humorous, but creative, fracturing of English, that:

Last night we have same-same NieuwZhelind (it took a few [...] Related posts:

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PeaceBomb Bracelet

montanaron — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:33:35 +0000

Wow, talk about an oxymoron. Peace – Bomb. They don’t quite go together. But, in a great example of making lemonade when life gives you lemons, there is an organization in Laos that is doing just that. They are making bracelets of the scrap metal of unexploded bombs left over from the incredibly intense and [...] Related posts:

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Vientiane Celebrates 450th Birthday

montanaron — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 01:21:17 +0000

This weekend, the capital city of Laos is marking its 450th year since its founding in 1560, when the capital was moved from Luang Prabang out of fear of Burmese invaders. There have been lots of celebrations, and when I phoned Nai on Friday night, it sounded like the party had moved to his house. [...] Related posts:

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Buddhist Lent and Merit Making

montanaron — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:59:39 +0000

Today marks the beginning of the 3-month long Buddhist Lent period, known as Khao Pansa (or Phansa or Vassa). It occurs at the start of the rainy season, and it’s the time when Buddhist monks return to their home monasteries, there to remain for the remainder of Lent. It’s also a time when ordinary folks [...] Related posts:

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