Sabaidee Pi Mai Lao!!

Happy Lao New Year!! Today is the first of three days of water fights in the streets, extremely loud music, and general merry making.

Last night Hong and I went to That Luang to enjoy some water-free activities. There were lots of things for sale as well as a few carnival-like games. Hong chose a shooting game. 

It looked fun so I decided to take one of his 5 shots. Success?

Nope. I have no idea how to shoot any kind of gun. Hong laughed a lot (he's still imitating my sweet straight-armed technique) and I'm sure that guy in the brown shirt was laughing on the inside. 

 Hong ended up shooting one down and he got an energy drink as a prize.

There was also a "Miss Lao New Year" competition taking place that night.

The winner received the title of Miss Lao New Year 2555. She also gets to ride around town on this buffalo on the first day of Lao New Year (today!) while people throw water on her.

As we were admiring the buffalo, the competition began.

These two came out in a cloud of smoke accompanied by the theme music of Star Wars. No joke. I tried to take a short video right after the music started, but I think it was accidentally deleted. So I typed it out for you. I hope you can follow along (I know that one person's DAH is another person's DUN).

DAAAAAAAH! Dadada dah. Dagga dah dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!

Dun dun dun DUNNNNNN DUNNNNNNN dun dun dun DUNNNNN DUNNNNN dun dun dun DUNNN DUNNNN da da da DUNNNNN.

Pre-Lao New Year

Tomorrow is the first day of Lao New Year. The actual holiday lasts for three days (this year it's the 13th 14th and 15th) but Vientiane has been gearing up for it for the past 2 weeks.

This being the last day of school before our break, we had some special activities.

First we had a Baci ceremony (you can read more about these here) to welcome the new year and ask for blessing.

I was blessed by two of my girls with strings from the Baci tree. As they were tying them on my wrist, they said "I hope you have a long life and that you will teach at KIS forever." They also gave me this decoration to put on my motorbike to keep me safe.

After that, the entire school took part in the biggest pre-Lao New Year water fight this side of the Mekong. (Not that there would be any pre-Lao New Year water fights on the other side...)

Math Competition

A couple of weeks ago, some 5th and 6th graders (including some of my students!) participated in an inter-school math competition. The test included logic puzzles as well as basic math. About 300 students competed. Last sunday we all found out the results in a ceremony held at the Cultural Hall.

They first called the students who received places 4 through 20 (clearly not all the students turned up!)

 That's us in the plaid! Two are 6th graders and five are 5th grade. Three are from my class!

Then they called the names of the students who got places 1, 2, and 3...

 ...and two sixth graders got places 1 and 3! (one of them from my class last year.) I'm so proud of them! (and loving the primary colored shoes!)

The actual awards ceremony went quite quickly and the rest of the night was filled with performances from different schools.

There was a fashion show in which kids were dressed up as bunnies, birds and trees. Someone even had on a Goofy mask. 

 These girls did a traditional Lao dance.

 Then there was a traditional Vietnamese dance.

And finally another Lao dance which told the story of silk-making.

(Try not to let the misspelling on the sign bother you too much!)

Color(ful) TV

My TV has been on the fritz lately. At first I was annoyed, but then I realized how much more interesting it was to watch.

Adam and Christina are from Avatar?

 Avatars are rainbows?

Blue coke! Red pepsi! Purple Sierra Mist!

Watching grass grow = interesting!

Watching sports is a bit more confusing, though. I was for the blue team. No...green team. No...

Unique Treats- Khanom Khee

This snack has three interesting names:

Khee Nu - Mouse Poop
Khee Meeo - Cat Poop
Khee Muu- Pig Poop

Nope, not actually poop.

Despite the name, they're really quite good! Their consistancy is similar to a crunchy cheeto and they taste like caramel.

Small Reminders of Home- Sunflowers

My students are always munching on sunflower seeds, so I guess I should have assumed there were sunflowers SOMEWHERE in Southeast Asia. However, I was still surprised to see this friendly little row greeting me as I drove home from work yesterday.

 
They mostly remind me of my sister, and also of summers at my grandparents house climbing hay bales, wooing frightened kittens and scratching unfortunately placed chigger bites.
 

 

Lao Alternatives - KFC

As evidenced by this post, I really enjoy a good piece of fried chicken. Though there is a KFC right across the border in Nong Khai, Thailand, I don't often get there (border crossings are not my favorite). And when I do, the price of one piece of chicken seems outrageous compared to an entire plate of delicious Phad Thai.

About a year and a half ago, it seemed Laos was getting its own Kentucky Fried Chicken, but it turned out that the sign was being used illegally and was soon taken down.

That being said, Laos does have its own version of KFC:

Kuvieng Fried Chicken! It has a bit less meat and a bit more cartilage and skin, but it's still quite delicious when you're craving something fried and chickeny.