Lao Book Review: Creating Laos - The Making of a Lao Space Between Indochina and Siam, 1860-1945

Title:  Creating Laos - The Making of a Lao Space Between Indochina and Siam, 1860-1945
By:  Soren Ivarsson
Publisher/Year:  NIAS Press, 2008
ISBN:  9788776940232
Price:  $20

Overall, it is an enthralling and educational read as it combines the topics of Lao identity, history, politics and culture.  Whether or not you agree with the author's arguments on how the ideas of Lao identity came to be, you can still appreciate the in-depth analysis he provides and the plethora of details.  Note that the book, as the title indicates, specifically covers only periods of 1860 to 1945.

Lao Word of the Day: Statistics

Lao Coffee Gets Its Own Festival

What better way to promote a product than to give it its own festival.  Featuring the 1st Lao Coffee Festival from last month (October 2014).  Lao coffee can be a bit expensive if you're buying it from outside Laos.  Nonetheless it's high quality and often organically farmed.  It's also one of the first few Lao food exports to have gained traction overseas.  Here's a video clip from Vientiane Times on Youtube.

Video Credit:  Vientiane Times

List of Different Lao Textiles

Borrowed from LaoTextile.blogspot.com's 2011 post on a list of some of the different sinh or seen that Lao women wear.  As described in the post, the names and ways in which the textiles are identified related to what technique or material that was used, which ethnic group it's often associated with or perhaps named for a particular motif.

• seen mee (ikat)
• seen muk (supplementary warp)
• seen kor / sinh chok (discontinuous supplementary weft)
• seen keet (continuous supplementary weft)

Good Old Lao Love Song - ກ້ຽວສາວແຄມງື່ມ

Haven't posted Lao music video in a while.  Here's a good old Lao love song, one that'll help set the mood.  It's called kiew sow kaem ngeum / ກ້ຽວສາວແຄມງຶ່ມ.

Video Credit:  Posted by Youtube user Khoun07.

Hmong New Year Dance Troop

It's from last year (2013) but no less still fun to watch this wonderfully talented dance troop perform.  Nice music too.  Have a look.

Video Credit:  Youtube user MeLovelyTV

Nyob Zoo Xyoo Tshiab! Happy (Hmong) New Year!

It's the beginning of December which marks the Hmong New Year.  They have a rich culture and very unique traditions and celebrations and are a large ethnic minority within Laos.

Here's a wonderful video from this past New Year with a beautiful song and footage of what goes on during traditional Hmong New Year.  Enjoy!

Video Credit:  Youtube user ehmongdvd.