The Red Prince

Yesterday I met the Red Prince at his house

Not in the flesh – he died in ’95 – but definitely face to face.

Prince Souphanouvong, first President of Laos PDR

Known Unknowns

“	There are known knowns; there are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns; that is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know.	”
Donald Rumsfeld 2002

Sometimes I think that knowledge has a different value in Laos than I am used to.

I don't mean the knowledge that's coded into dusty libraries, or big picture knowledge about how the world works - or doesn't work, or who Ghandi or Che Guevara were. I mean knowing what's going on and where and when: information, data, details.
(Although knowing who Ghandi and Guevara were doesn't seem important either).

Jars and Bombs

The Plain of Jars,

Xieng Khouang, Lao PDR

Are these carved rocks iron-age funerary urns? Perhaps. Some people say they are tubs for distilling Lao rice whiskey and some believe they were created by an ancient race of giants who roamed the plains before the Laos arrived. They have been targets for USA bombardiers offloading excess bombs in the 60s - 70s. They have confused and intrigued many people for many years. Me included.

Stone jars

Cracks, Crocks, Canoes and Cocktails

I haven't blogged for a while. Been busy. Lots of work, then Mum visiting... now I'm nursing a broken collarbone, checking the bruising daily to determine the optimal moment for taking a photo to elicit sympathy. Apart from feeling sorry for myself and learning to do stuff one handed, here's some of what I've been doing...