Hmong New Year (Part 3)
Hmong Chic
The next day of Hmong New Year was supposed to be much of the same. Another bullfight, more tennis ball tossing. More Hmong girls in traditional costumes wearing sunglasses and talking on cellphones. I’d already gotten quite a bit of nice material of both subjects, plus I was a bit hungover from the the bombshell barbecue, so I woke up a bit late. After a headachey breakfast and a couple of much-needed stiff coffees at our favorite local eatery “Craters” (two huge unexploded bombs in front for decoration) we headed over to the bullfight.
Houses and Detours
My House in Vientiane
Well, it’s been about a week or so since I posted, so it’s time for another. Overdue, actually, but internet access is a pain in the ass here, so… bear with me.
I know the photo I started this entry with is less than exciting, but a few people have asked to see my new house, so… there it is. I signed my contract 12 days ago, and moved into the apartment unit next door while I waited for them to finish fixing up the house for me. I was assured that it would be ready in 2 or 3 days, and 12 days later it’s finally ready! Now, this is Laos, so I wasn’t expecting it to be ready on time. But my patience was starting to wear thin. I wouldn’t have even been getting too concerned yet, except for the fact that tomorrow I’m taking off for Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang in the early morning, and won’t be back until the day before Hans, my friend, will be arriving and moving in with me. I’m not positive, but my gut feeling tells me that Hans wouldn’t be too happy if he arrived and I told him that we would be sharing a bed until the house was ready. In fact, I’d be a hell of a lot more concerned if he wasn’t upset about that.
Who is this guy?
Sunburned and happy...
So, to begin things, I guess I should introduce myself to those of you who don’t know who I am, what I do, or why you should be remotely interested in reading what I have to say. So, here goes:
Hi everybody! I’m Jake. I’m an American guy who’s been living in and traveling extensively through Southeast Asia for the past 8 years. My love affair with the region started as a result of a love of the cuisine, a keen interest and ability in foreign languages, and just a general curiosity of places and cultures far removed from my homeland. My second trip to this part of the world started in early 2001, and was meant to be a 6 month extended vacation, sabbatical, party, escape from reality, whatever you want to call it. I’m still here, and have no immediate plans to leave this cozy little corner of the Earth.