The Labours of Hercules

The title refers to the family next door who have clearly been under some form of curse or trial, which involves them chopping all day. The husband chops wood and the wife vegetables and herbs. Usually the husband is first to start, just before daylight; say about 5.45. I have no idea how or when the wood arrives, but there is an inexhaustible supply. He will chop throughout the day until dusk. He wife has not quite such an onerous curse, the Gods seem only to have her chop for about 4 hours a day. If this were not bad enough  though they have the additional burden of the Pink Guitarist to accompany them at odd times during the day.
I had assumed that the wood must be for resale, but not so, it seems. It is used for domestic purposes, to keep the fires going over which the chopped herbs and vegetables are cooked. The Gods really have thought this one through in some detail, since the husband and wife, for medical reasons have to have totally different diets, thus requiring all this cooking. I think that one of the couple has no stomach and the other no teeth, or something like that. Of course this all means that they have no income. In some countries this would have been considered something of a drawback, especially they have 2 boys still at school. But here it is fine. They have 3 older children living away from home and it is their function to support their family and allow the incessant chopping to continue.
You might think as I do that the wood store looks adequate for the moment...

The monsoon probably has a further sting in the tail, but right now it seems to be on a break. We have had no rain for 72 hours which is a remarkable change, since prior to that it was raining, I suppose about 8 hours a day. I have not been keeping you up to date about temperatures, but the other day at 4pm, it was 27 in my sitting room, 34 out  of the sun on my balcony and 42 in the sun. It is 8.40am now and the figures are, 28, 21 and 34. But it will get hotter as the morning clouds are burnt away.
I have now resumed easing both breakfast and dinner outside.

The quiet novice still visits, though at more irregular hours and not so silent. I discovered that he has a little English when he left a single cigarette on the table when he was leaving. I asked him if it was his and he said Oh yes, it is mine; thank you. I still remain amused about monks smoking, but I have looked it up and there is nothing in the Precepts for Novices, nor indeed, for Monks to say they may  not smoke. But nor is there anything that says they cannot ride on the back of  motor bike in Luang Prabang but can in Vientiane. He also has a name, and is called Novice Ai. I am told that before joining the temple he was quite a party animal with long hair and inclined to hang around the western type bars in town. He has put all that aside for a few months following the death of his mother. I have probably said this before  but I am always surprised by how warmly people speak of their time in the temple. It seems to me a regime which combines a hard way of life with a lot of boredom and early mornings, but those I speak to do not see it in that light at all. I have yet to  feel the need to try it for myself.

Another regular morning visitor is one of our students.He stops off on his way to work for about 15 minutes. He makes straight for the kitchen, gathers up all the washing up and sets to work. He washes and dries, swabs down the kitchen and bathroom floors and is off again. Since a Trustee of a charity is not allowed to derive any benefit from that role, I wonder if I am breaking the law in allowing this ?

The turkeys are thriving. Oh my, they are ugly creatures. The male parent has been exhibiting signs that the breeding season is upon us. When he shows himself off to his best advantage (as he believes) he reminds me an ugly, overweight and over dressed Regency beau.

 The duck-who-thinks-she-is-a-turkey is quite different. She is a nice plump mallard. She and I have reached a kind of understanding. Sometime she stands, with her turkey family, under my balcony, looks up with her head on one side and gives me a wink. I am sure she is saying. 'Look, I  know I am not a turkey, and I know  that you know that I am not a turkey, but you are not going to tell anyone else, are you?" I nod back to her, signifying that her secret is safe with me.

There is not a pineapple to be had. Kheak was out at the plantations at the weekend scouring all over.... and he brought me back a gift of bananas. The last few had been, to the Lao taste, very sour; in fact they had a very refreshing tartness to them. So, plenty of bananas, mangoes, and nice apples; the small rather ugly ones, not the large individually wrapped soggy tasteless ones.  I have eaten my beans but another serving should be ready in a few days.

I have previously mentioned my orchids; I fear that these photos do not show them in their full glory...and the phone lines add very little.

I had a culinary breakthrough this week. I managed to cook jacket potatoes....wrapped in foil and cooked for 10 hours in my slow cooker.   I also made some watercress soup, which  was ok too. But the same cannot be said for the coq-au-vin of which maybe more another day.

I have received some improbable advice about how to deal with the damp on some of my clothes, I am assurred that the thing to do is wipe them down with beer !   I am being wound up ? I suspect the Lao sense of humour at work here, and for the moment at least I am not taking that advice

I am off to the big city this week. Mostly to attend a student graduation event, but to catch up  with friends and other students too.  I am hoping that the rains will continue to hold off, thus making for a safe and 'speedy'  journey...ie 10 hours, and not 14 or 15. These events seem rather different here, with family, friends and supporters not admitted to the ceremony. I think my function will be to  stand around and eventually to present some flowers or soft toys to an undoubtedly embarrassed young man whilst others record this momentous event on film. So now you have something to look forward to next week

The river level  has already started to drop, and yesterday I watched a kind of fishing I had not seen before. Apparently it is believed that the fish initially keep to their favoured stations and do not drop down with the water...if you see what I mean. Thus there are are decent sized fish close  to  the surface and near the banks and Fishermen go into the (muddy) water with their nets to catch them Yesterday I saw several large ones being caught.

Oh dear, no crime, no deaths, no nasty accidents or even disputes with banks  (though it would not take much to set me off on the new security arrangements  for HSBC Internet banking) to report this week, I shall soon lose my readership if this continues......

Best wishes

Alan