Travels, Experiences, Work and Feelings!
The baci ceremony is akin to a blessing by a local elder who is well versed in the ancient lore and chants. I believe it has its roots in shamanism and incorporated Buddhism into the ceremony. 
Despite that, I do believe it is not religious in nature, and is now a form of blessing ceremony.
Somehow, Chinese New Year and other festivals seemed to have lost much of their lustre and meaning to many Singaporeans. People would leave the country for a holiday, or just spend the day to rest from the hectic work.
In Laos, on the other hand, the new year is so well celebrated, it makes the anticipation and the actual event so much more fun.
Pi Mai Lao, the Laos New Year, is held every mid April, when the heat of summer is at its height.
If there are (rainy) seasons..
The rains are coming. Love the pastel orange and pink sunsets.
Just seems to conjure up such a wonderful and tranquil feeling within me.
Went to the city of smiles to visit a friend, as well as to show a new colleague how to get from Vientiane to BKK via bus and train.
Was expecting some shopping and plenty of eating. And if time permitted, would like to go to the tiger temple, where the tigers will lick your head and let your pet them and literally hug you to death!
Arrived on Sunday, 12th April and went on a rampage at the food court at Centralworld.
All about me.
This blog entry is about my past, my present and my goals. At the same time, I also would like to share some of my views on certain things. I was inspired by the 25 things about me NOTES from Facebook. Read only when you have time! Very long and naggy… Woot
Childhood
I have a very vivid episodic memory- where I can remember episodes in my life. Till I was five, i stayed in a big house in a kampong with my grandmother, my first and second uncles and their families and my sixth aunt. We used to rear chickens, pigs and grow rubber trees.
Random Rumblings
Happy Neu Year!
Spent the countdown in pursuit of happyness via searching for a karaoke place that had a vacant room.
But it seemed that the whole of Singapore decided to sing in the new year!
I mean, there was no available place to sing at all!
Unless we decided to wait till 1am. Which i realise, is not very possible, cos i was really darn tired. Shacks! Forgot that i hit the big 3 liaos…
We by the way, referred to Kenny Kentucky, army best buddy, Andrew, good friend and business partner of KK, Eddie Pee, army sergeant now hanging out pal and two new friends. (forgot their names lor. but darn pretty lah).
Yo,
ye faithful people of the Royal Fatness!
Fulfilling the wish list of HRF will grant you this status:
1. The Most Highly Admirer of HRF
Rolex Oyster Emerald DateJust with the Presidential Bracelet or Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2. The Spiritual Adviser of HRF
Donation of not less than USD100 each to the Church, Mosque and Monastery of HRF’s choice in Vientiane.
3. The Good Pal of HRF
Donation of not less than USD50 to a school of HRF’s choice to buy tables and chairs for the students.
Have been really in a limbo for the past month.
Need to blog on the following:
1. Trip to Hua Phan, north eastern most of Laos, with its looming hills and low lying clouds, such generousity and warmth from the people.
2. Visit of my family, much to my distress and delight, and which I spent about S$2.5k on the 4 days they were here. Which was certainly, money well spent.
3. The eve of the day I turned 31, the two separations that I experienced, one in which made me sigh in melancholy under the cool wintry night.
Was invited with the diplomatic class (the students are future diplomats) to visit Nam Teung Dam last weekend, in Kammoune Province,
the central part of Laos.
The journey there was long (6 hours!) and tedious enough for me to star in Brokeback Mountain Part 2.
Suffice to say that the seat in the van was just too small for my leggy and sexy stilts.
But the view of the rolling hills, the lush green plains of padi fields, the wooden huts that lined the roads and the occasional cattle that dotted the landscape, gently grazing, with nary a care in the world.
All these more than made up the discomfort.
I have a soft spot for mountains and vast green plains.
It was so exhilarating that I could almost jump for joy!
What was disconcerting was the toilet time.
In the middle of nowhere, a colleague (lady, no less), would say, I need to relieve myself,
and the van would stop.
Everybody would disembark, find a spot in the bushes,
finish their business and presto! Back on the road again.
I have experienced this before in Myanmar and Cambodia and Laos during other periods of time. But when its somebody you know, well, kinda weird, especially if the people also happened to have served as diplomats in South Korea, France and other countries.
Contributing to nature, they say!
_____________
Finally fell into an uneasy sleep and I dreamt of something knocking my head,
like a huge woodpecker boring at my head.
Only the woodpecker is really a metalpecker, cos its beak was made of metal.
Woke up to realise that my head was bumping into the railing of the seat in front of me.
I looked like I had gotten in a fight with two ogres and was hit till my head was swollen like a melon!
Hahaha…
Funny but painful lah.
Luckily the view was just plain breaktaking.
___________
The following day,
went to temple to give offerings to the monks for the full moon.
Mid Autumn is not celebrated in Laos,
but full moon is.
I totally had difficulty sitting down the Laotian way,
as it is impolite to point one’s feet at the monks, or the statues of the Buddha.
After 10 minutes, I thought my legs belonged to someone else’s.
Quite surreal, I tell you.
Anyways,
didn’t prepare anything,
so bought something from my friend.
