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Laos Gold Mining Crackdown

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Here is a Laotian Times article related to my last post about the rescue of villagers from a flooded cave in which they were supposedly looking for gold deposits. The illegal mining was taking place in Xaysomboun Province, the same province where the trapped villagers were rescued. I guess it just shows that some Laotians, villagers and larger mining operators alike, aren’t averse to trying to get the shiny stuff in any way they can, sometimes with consequences of one kind or another.

UPDATE: Laos cave rescue workers report ‘knocking sound’ in search for last 2 missing people

Let’s hope for the best!

Crocodiles Released in Laos

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The Laotian Times reported that 56 young Siamese crocodiles, a very endangered reptile species, have been released into the Xe Champhone wetlands in Savannakhet Province, part of an effort to bring the species back from extinction.

According to the Times “During the nesting season, conservation teams locate crocodile nests and collect eggs early to protect them from danger. Then, the eggs are moved to village incubation sites, where hatching success is much higher.

After hatching, the young crocodiles are raised in protected enclosures and fed until they grow large enough to survive on their own. This can take months to years. Before being fully released, the crocodiles are placed in temporary pens in the wetlands to help them adjust to their natural environment.”

You can read the entire article here. A great effort. Many thumbs up for this.

P.S. And here’s another interesting article concerning the whole process, including the participation of Laos villagers and Buddhist monks.

In Laos, ancestral spirits are helping save one of the world’s rarest crocodiles

My Latest Interest

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I haven’t shown any digital art that I’ve created recently, because, well, I haven’t done any. I haven’t given up on creating, but I’ve been spending a lot of time lately on something else. I’ve been working on my two new YouTube channels.

The older one, which has only 17 posts, is a channel about my adventures playing my favorite game, the MMORPG called “Lord of the Rings Online,” or Lotro for short.

The other channel is about documenting various locations in Vientiane and Thailand. It’s called Vientiane ‘n Beyond and it has only 3 posts at the moment, so I just started it. I hope to add posts to it about every two or three weeks.

If you want to take a look at either of them, click on the links below.

Vientiane ‘n Beyond

Lotro Minstrels at Play

Though neither of them has attracted many views or subscribers yet, I’m having a lot of fun creating them, especially the editing part. For editing, I use DaVinci Resolve, a free (although it has a paid version) editing software that is used by editors of Hollywood cinema. It’s awesome to work with but there is a bit of a steep learning curve. Still, give it a try if you’re interested.

Having written that, I’m still going to do some more digital art and as soon as I get some done, I’ll post them here, as usual. Be on the lookout for them. Talk to you later.

To the Moon . . . and Beyond?

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Woo-hoo, it’s a great day for space fans, like me, as Artemis II sent the Orion capsule to it’s journey around the moon. I was awake at my usual time, around 5 a.m. Indochina time, and I was able to watch the launch on the Youtube NASA page. It was wonderfully exciting to watch the flawless liftoff and the aftermath of the capsule orbiting the earth in preparation for its ultimate voyage to the Moon, which begins tomorrow.

I’m a big fan of space exploration, whether it’s being done by unmanned spacecraft or by humans in space, but especially manned exploration. I hope to stay alive long enough to see humans eventually step on the surace of Mars. I know that there are many who disagree with this opinion, but that’s OK. I won’t hold it against others who might say that we should take care of our problems on Earth before we spend resources on space. I understand that point of view, but in my opinion, we can do both.

So, here’s to more space exploration and good luck to the crew of the Orion space vehicle on this present journey!

Journaling

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I regularly do a lot of journaling using several different methods. I used to do all my journaling in a notebook, and I still use that way on occasion. It’s a visceral feeling, kind of, feeling a pen in my hand moving across a somewhat textured paper. I think it puts me more in touch with what I’m thinking, sending the brain signals to my hand and fingers. It’s unmatched by digital journaling.

However, having said that, I do a lot of my journaling with digital software, in particular with Day One journaling software. I like using Day One because, with a fairly cheap premium version, I can create many different journals, easy to find all in one place. I have several journals that I write in, including a daily journal, gratitude journal, tips, headlines, school, gaming, YouTube, and a few others. This works better than having journals flung far and wide, and having to remember where they’re at. So, yes, I use digital journals now mainly.

But I still use my paper notebook on most mornings, right after I get up. I read “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron some time ago. In it she explains about doing a morning journal, basically freewriting every morning for about 30 minutes, more or less. I started doing this a couple of years ago and I still incorporate this idea into my daily journal, although I don’t freewrite for 30 or 40 minutes, like I used to do. Time constraints. Time is my most precious commodity, so I dole it out to different areas of my life with care. The morning journal is one area that suffered a bit. Again, though, I still do it on occasion.

I find journaling to be an important part of my life. It’s a bit like meditation, especially when done in the quiet hours of the early morning. Do you journal? Leave a comment if you wish. I’m curious to know what kind of journaling you do.

Day One Journal App

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I’m pretty much into journaling, whether it’s keeping a physical daily journal in my paper notebook or writing morning pages in another notebook.  I started my daily journal as a modified bullet journal and I still keep it that way. In it I keep ideas for digital art projects, resources, things to do that relate to art or things to do around the house, movies to watch, books to read and other items. Unfortunately, I don’t keep up with it daily and, in fact, I only add an entry maybe once a week. My morning pages journal I just began a few weeks ago, and I write in it every morning, quite happily. Click on the links above if you’re not sure what kind of journals these are.

Although I enjoy writing with pen on paper, which has many advantages, I recently found out about a digital journal app that I’ve completely fallen in love with. It’s called DayOne. . It’s digital journal app that can be used with an Android or iphone, with a Mac or Mac tablet and with a web browser, which I mostly use because trying to type on my phone just drives me crazy. If you’ve always wanted to journal but just hate the idea of writing with pen and paper, give DayOne a try. You can do almost any kind of journaling with it. It’s free, but paying $34.99 a year for the premium version gives you so many more options on how to use. Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with DayOne in any way whatsoever, so I get no compensation for touting this product.

Day One App logo

Gratitude

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It’s Thanksgiving day (November 23rd this year) in the United States, a day to give thanks, overindulge (I’ve been just as guilty of that as anyone!), watch a football game, play family board games, prepare for Black Friday, and to be grateful for what we have. That’s one of the suggestions for art journaling in one of the digital art courses I take (Photoshop Artistry). Our mentor, guru, and chief cook and bottle washer, Sebastian Michaels recommends that at least once a week we devoted some time in our personal journals to list the things we’re grateful for. I don’t do nearly enough on that subject; I should definitely include it in my journaling efforts.

Here’s a blog post from Bella Grace Magazine, one of the many arts and crafts mags from Stampington, titled 15 Simple Everyday Moments to be Grateful For:

Without fail, life gets even busier as the holidays approach. Our never-ending
to-do lists become even longer, our calendars more full, and quiet moments
to ourselves feel impossible. That’s why it’s vital to seize these tiny pockets of
magic we may experience every day and take note of them, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.

1. Waking up to sunlight streaming through your
bedroom curtains
2. Hitting all green lights while running errands
3. A hot shower on a chilly morning
4. Watching the steam rise from a pot of something
nourishing cooking on the stove
5. An unexpected conversation with a stranger
6. That sigh of contentment when you’re finally done
with your tasks for the day
7. Getting that messy bun just right on the first try
8. The sound of cozy-scented candles crackling
9. Hearing the first notes of your favorite song
10. Finally starting that new book that’s been sitting
on your nightstand
11. Settling in to watch an episode of a beloved show
you’ve watched more times than you can count
12. The feel of a dog or cat’s nose pushing into your leg
13. Someone offering to take something off your plate
14. Slipping into your coziest loungewear after a
long day
15. Catching a scent in the air that makes you
feel nostalgic

Not all of these pertain to me (loungewear?), but I can add some more to the list.
16. The smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning.
17. The aromas of pizza and bread being baked or served.
18. Holiday breaks from work.
19. Showing off your handyman skills by fixing something around the house.

And so many more. What are you grateful for today?

Also, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Thailand Trip–Patong Beach, Pt. 2

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Patong Weed Shops

Thailand has recently legalized the use of cannabis (marijuana, ganja, etc.) for medical purposes, though it’s unclear if anyone will be prosecuted for recreational use. See this Lonely Planet article which attempts to clear up the rules.

If it’s for medical use only, well, there must be quite a few people with medical problems because there are “weed shops” everywhere on the Patong Beach main road and side roads, sometimes with three or four shops in the same block. So, here are a few photos of some of the creative advertising of the shops. If you’re traveling to Patong for the lovely beach, great! But if you’re going for “medical” reasons, you shouldn’t have any problem finding “relief” for your symptoms.

There is outdoor seating at Weedland. Their motto is “Weed Be Good Together.” Also, while you’re there, have a cocktail or a beer.

Patong Weed Shop

It’s my way or the “High Way.” No seating at this nook on Bangla Road.

Patong Weed Shop

You might be in “Heaven” at this one, and you can enjoy a Smirnoff with Coke. Yum!

Patong Weed Shop

You’ll be happy here, not only for the cannabis, but you can satisfy your munchies right next door at Burger King!

Patong Weed Shop

“Juicy,” and get fitted for a suit after you feel better. You never know what kind of unusual clothing you might end up with.

Patong Weed Shop

Great exterior at “Weedly Wonka,” and I really wonder what it’s like inside. Chocolate pot, anyone? Also, after you’re high enough, why not get that exotic, strange tattoo you’ve always wanted–right next door!

Willy Wonka Weed Shop in Patong

Only the best here, and you can partake of Smirnoff again.

Patong Weed Shop

So, those are just some of the many weed shops at Patong. If you’re tired and run down and ill after soaking up the sun at the beach, give one of these “medical” entrepreneurs a try. You’ll feel better in no time.

The next post, coming soon, will look at a few examples of the street art, not to be confused with graffiti, near the beach. Some of it looks like it was done after the artists had patronized a few of the weed shops.

Vientiane Graffiti, Bars and Signs

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I’ve done a few photowalks around Vientiane lately, mainly down by the Mekong, and found a few new signs outside various businesses that I haven’t photographed before. I also found some new, interesting night life spots that were interesting, so here are some of the shots that I took.

Graffiti

 

“Weed” spray painted on a door leading into . . . hmm. No idea. I didn’t try to open it. Marijuana is, of course, illegal in Laos, so this is probably a statement of some kind.

Weed spray painted on a door

There is quite a lot of graffiti in Vientiane, but never on walls that are part of businesses, only on abandoned buildings, and there are a lot of abandoned buildings if you look for them. Here’s one; I’ve got more graffiti photos which I’ll put in another post soon.

graffiti

Bars

 

“Oh My God.” Quite a name for a bar. I looked for it on Facebook, and there was a nighttime video of the goings on there. It was quite busy with a good number of patrons partaking of their favorite beverage. It looked like a fun spot, so let me know if you give it a try.

Oh My God bar in Vientiane

Interesting name for a bar.

Another view of “Oh My God.”

Oh My God Bar in Vientiane

Another view. Are you lost? Just follow the appropriate signage.

Here are a couple of shots of another establishment near the river. I couldn’t get the whole place in because of security bars, as I recall, so I had to shoot between the bars. Looks like another fun place. Again, let me know if you visit it.

Photo of a bar in Vientiane

Philip Bar. Looks like it might be an interesting place to enjoy a quick beer.

And the other half:

Photo of a bar in Vientiane

Here’s the other half. I had to take these shots viewing through some security bars, so I couldn’t get a complete photo.

Here’s my potential favorite spot. This reminds me of what an improvised beach bar might look like, except there are no beaches in Vientiane that I know of, but I suppose you could find a small, sandy spot along the Mekong that might be a poor substitute.

Ramshackle put-together bar in Vientiane

This might be a fun place when it’s open. Or not.

Signs

Finally, here are a few business signs that I find interesting. I’ve got many more that, again, I’ll post later. Don’t want to inundate a single post with too many photos.

Sticky Fingers is a good restaurant near the river, but their name is rather evocative of other activities. Maybe this sign would go well with the “weed” door above.

A restaurant sign in Vientiane

Sticky Fingers restaurant in Vientiane. Good place to eat.

This is part of the signage around “Tully’s Irish Pub,” a now-abandoned building since Tully’s moved to a new location. I don’t think I’ve ever drunk stout, so I looked it up. Wikipedia states that one of the variations is oatmeal stout. Hmmm, maybe it’s OK to drink for breakfast. What do you think?

A sign advertising "stout."

“Stout” is available at the former, now empty, site of Tully’s Irish Pub.

I haven’t bought any bread from here. Wonder if it’s really good. I like the bread “emojis.”

Good Breadshop sign

Hungry for some “good” bread? Try here.

Lastly, this text on the wall near the entrance to 2sister restaurant and bar. Words to live by? More later.

Writing on wall of restaurant

2sister restaurant and bar near the main entrance.