Sao Lao

I found more elephants from the Elephant Parade Rotterdam earlier today at Kop van Zuid. I know of this area well since Hotel New York was once a place I often went to for good serving of oysters. It is oysters season at the moment but sadly I have not eaten any since last year before Christmas. That’s another subject to talk about.

The sun was hidden behind the clouds so I didn’t get as nice photos as I wanted. I was hungry and wanted to eat first but Johan said by then the sun would be gone at 18:00 hour. Funny though that after we ate an early dinner and was finished our meal before 18:00 hour, the sun came out again. I was too tired to go back for a second round of photo session with the elephants.

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Khao Chon Kai “เขาชนไก่ ” Thai movie, released in 2006.

I took a break from the elephant hunt and went to the beach for some fresh air. Last year when I went to Hoek van Holland beach, there was a big construction and not a pretty sight to see. Now a year later, these apartments are full and by the look of them I wouldn’t mind living on the top floor. It would be a great view from there. A second option would be one of these houses. I can see myself walking to the beach when it is not raining. If only Laos would have a piece of the ocean.

Thai TV channel 5 TV Pool Live Star News

Part 2

Part 2

In the Dark Music video by DJ Tiesto, featuring Christian Burns. One of these days I have to make it to DJ Tiesto’s concert. If only I can find someone to go with me.

When it seems like the world around you’s breaking
And it feels like there’s no one else around you
And it’s quiet there’s a silence in the darkness
And it sounds like the carnival is over

As you walk in the crowded empty spaces
And you stare at the emptiness around you
You wanna go to the city and the bright lights
Get away from the sinners that surround you

Cause I will be there and you will be there
We’ll find each other in the dark
And you will see and I’ll see you too
Cause we’ll be together in the dark
Cause if it’s coming for you
Then it’s coming for me cause I will be there
Cause we need each other in the dark
And if it terrifies you then it terrifies me

Cause I will be there so we’ve got each other in the dark
As I look into the sky there’s sparks bright as ice
You want me to take you over there
I want you to stay with me cause you’re not the only one
The only one

No, no don’t worry
You’re not the only one

Cause if it’s coming for you then it’s coming for me
But I will be there cause we need each other in the dark
And if it’s panicking you then it’s panicking me
But I will be there so we’ve got each other in the dark

In the dark, in the dark
We’ll need each other in the dark

In the dark, in the dark
We’ll hold each other in the dark

Now we’re saved together in the dark
Cause we’ve got each other in the dark

A music video by Thai band, Clash.

A few weeks ago my Grand-Mama woke up at 4:30 AM to find a snake in her bed. She normally gets up early in the morning to do her daily prayer. On this particular morning the snake was in her Jair Khun. She was so afraid that she started to scream and ran outside even though she could barely walk. Having a snake in the house is something that she took seriously. I don’t know much about Lao superstition but such an incident required some sort of ceremony or a boun to take place. Five Buddhist monks were invited to do a soot ceremony on the evening of September 1st and on the morning of September 2nd.

Grand-Mama was busy making this thing that I have no idea what it was. This was to be used for the soot ceremony.

There was a Morning Alms Giving on September 2nd, after a soot ceremony. I sent a digital camera, some money and also chocolate candies for the Morning Alms Giving. My Grand-Mama wanted the best candies for the offering and was very happy to have Dutch chocolate for the Morning Alms Giving. I don’t quite understand the meaning of the snake in Lao religious belief but I am happy to be able to help my Grand-Mama so she can have a better sleep at night. My aunts told me that Grand-Mama was worried and thought maybe the snake was a bad sign of some sort. I didn’t want to ask too much questions. In the end my Grand-Mama deserves a peace of mind.

I was doing some shopping in China Town part of Rotterdam and ran into more elephants from the Elephants Parade Rotterdam last Saturday. Some of them are so colorful and would make quite a scene at someone’s garden. Too bad I am not a millionaire with my own private park so I can collect the entire Elephants Parade Rotterdam for family members and friends to enjoy.

This elephant is hot all around.

I just adore the Happy elephant and the busy Bee elephant.

Please visit Lao Voices Gallery for more photos of the Elephant Parade Rotterdam.

Kansas City’s greatest band, Puddle of Mudd and their song “Nobody Told Me” with scenes from Dragon Ball Z, the Cell Saga. Oh, how I miss the good old days of coming home after school at 16:00 hour so I can catch Dragon Ball Z on time. Good thing there was a rerun on Saturday and Sunday of the show. Yeah, I’m still a kid at heart.

Looking back in my childhood
wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t that great
I carried the luggage like a bag of bricks
feels like it’s holding me down again
starring down a pitch black road
painted lines show me the direction
sun is burning on my face
sun is setting me on fire

Nobody told me where to go
Nobody told me where to run

I can’t find my way back home
lost my head down there some where
could we just be gone alone
lived in doubt of fear I’ve shown
gazing down a long gray road
I see the stop sign way ahead
the sun is burning on my face
the sun is setting me on fire

Nobody told me where to go
Nobody told me where to run
Nobody told me where to go
Nobody told me where to run
Nobody told me, Nobody told me

Same old shit different day
gotta get up, gotta get up

I was able to restored most of the postings at Laocuisine.net a few weeks ago. I still need to do some touching up like changing the photos so they are all the same size. With the starting of a new school term I told myself today that I will wait till Christmas vacation to redo all the photos at Lao Cuisine site. It is a bit time consuming to find those photos on my external hard drive and resizing them all over again.

Today I thought it would be a good time to try to repost most of the posts here. I just need to post one at a time. Maybe one post per day and eventually will be able to bring back all the posts or as much as possible.

My favorite flower is sunflower and next to that is marigold. I used to grow marigold in our garden in Vientiane. I love marigold so much I grew the flower every spring in the US. Now there is no marigold back home because no one grew it anymore. My mother likes roses so she only plant roses. When I see marigold, I think of hope. Here is to re-planting Saolao.net.