Hmong Ceremony part 3 - Sacrifice

A week or so ago I was fortunate to be able to attend a Hmong Ceremony where a friend was having her spirits cleansed. The night would involve watching a shaman do his thing, slaughtering a pig, hanging out with a Hmong family and cooking said pig. It was an amazing cultural experience and I left feeling so blessed that I live the life that I life. (this feeling lasted even when I got to my bike to find my helmet and tools stolen).

The shaman is conversing with the spirits. This would last for over an hour and possibly over two. The pictures don't do it justice but the whole experience has to be exhausting for him

instruments are involved

He sits and bounces on this special bench

A spotter is there to help guide the shaman from the ground to the bench when he jumps down and then back up

they even let me help out.

and I get to play some music as well.

PotD - My housekeeper is the best

So, besides being a super fun lady who makes fun of me in Lao language everyday and also tells me "khoy hock jeo" (I love you), my housekeeper at this guesthouse also has another great quality that I dig on. She makes great towel art. Some days I get a swan somedays a flower, somedays just her taking my nasty dirty towel out of my room is enough.

Here's to you Sang!

Hmong Ceremony part 2 - Shamanism

A week or so ago I was fortunate to be able to attend a Hmong Ceremony where a friend was having her spirits cleansed. The night would involve watching a shaman do his thing, slaughtering a pig, hanging out with a Hmong family and cooking said pig. It was an amazing cultural experience and I left feeling so blessed that I live the life that I life. (this feeling lasted even when I got to my bike to find my helmet and tools stolen).

The pig, still living, has a rope tied around him

The shaman then ties the rope around the participant. this is to get the bad spirits out of their body and into the pigs. thus a bridge for them to cross is created.

after being tied together the shaman says some chants and has some sort of water in this bowl which is then thrown around in various spots

he then rolls two cow horn type things

after rolling the horns on both sides more of the paper is burned

the paper has words written from the participant and I am guessing have to do with what may need cleansing. so burning them is symbolic of ridding these bad demons from our lives.

we ready for the pig to be killed. the bad demons have now been transferred to him so it's death will rid the world of these demons.

cutting into it's neck and bleeding it

blood is flowing

i asked if i could drink the blood but never got a full answer. hmmm

even though it's lost a lot of blood the pig is still very forceful and jerks a lot. I helped to hold it down

it's almost there

now dead. Thanks dear pig for giving your life for us

talking with a friend about how i killed a sheep in mongolia and the difference in the ways. Man, pigs are so much louder and herky jerky.

the hunters pose

don't cry little boy, it will be all right

Hmong Ceremony part 1 -Arrival and Introduction

A week or so ago I was fortunate to be able to attend a Hmong Ceremony where a friend was having her spirits cleansed. The night would involve watching a shaman do his thing, slaughtering a pig, hanging out with a Hmong family and cooking said pig. It was an amazing cultural experience and I left feeling so blessed that I live the life that I life. (this feeling lasted even when I got to my bike to find my helmet and tools stolen).

Before heading over to the Hmong village I hung out at my friends house on the Mekong. Beautiful place to live.

Our sacrificial lamb, er, pig.

sunsetting over the mekong and mountains from the village

two nieces of our host, just adorable

the family gathering pre-cleansing. the man in the middle is the uncle and also one of the shamans

my first hog tie, well... with first with a hog.

grandpa and me

The shaman starts the process

burns some papers with things written by the lady to be cleansed

shaman circles the participant while chanting and ringing the gong like instrument

circling

now circle the other way

last chants with gong

PotD - Pig Teaser

This little piggy did not make it to get to go to the market. In fact looking at this picture I'm reminded of the lord of the flies chant "Kill the pig, Cut her throat, Spill her blood." I plan to post more photos soon of the Hmong Ceremony I went to where a pig was slain. Let me just tell you this, killing a pig is a lot harder than killing a sheep. The sound they make is HORRIBLE and the way they squirm and shake is very spastic and if you're not strong enough then the pig can flop around causing itself more pain. Not the easiest experience of my life, but I'm glad I was able to partake in it.

This Sums Up Luang Prabang Pretty Well

Well, it sums up travel for the whole. I went out for some food after teaching yoga class tonight and ended up meeting some fresh of the boat (not that type of FOB) people at the table. They wanted to know where the good bars in town were so I told them but they seemed a bit confused. As I had time to kill I ended up walking them there and then I took a stroll along the Khan river to get home. I normally don't go this way as it's a bit longer but the night was nice. On the way back home I recognized a beard I knew from somewhere... but where? Maybe from Chengdu about five and a half months earlier. I ran into Betsy and Rick, a couple from Great Britain. Had I not walked those girls to the bar, or stayed with them for drinks or walked back the usual way, then I wouldn't have run into these friends from before. And this does sum up travel, especially when you're on the same routes. (though we were both on way different paths. they went from chengdu > tibet > nepal > india > then their SE Asia countries. and I went a different path). But this is also very Luang Prabang. It's a small city (really a town) where people stay around for longer than planned and seem to always run into someone (you may remember a previous post where I mentioned running into Rachel a girl from the town next to me who I met in Saigon and used to go to my uncle for her dentist. Also, there was a girl at my guesthouse the other day from my home town. weird!)

While talking with Betsy and Rick we ran into a group that I knew half of (a girl from a former guesthouse I stayed in) and they knew the other half (a couple they had met on a boat in Halong Bay).

It's a small small world and in Luang Prabang it's even smaller. And there is something sort of nice about this.

PotD - Mt Phousi Sunset Rainstorm

One of the TTD's (things to do) in Luang Prabang is hike up to the top of Mount Phousi (pronounced Poo-See... no joke) and catch the sunrise or sunset. Not so much a mountain as it's really just more of a big hill.

We went up one night even though it was grey skies, and by the time we got to the top rain was coming down. But it was beautiful even though there was no sun. The picture was taken on my phone so quality is beyond abysmal. We did see a few lightening bolts fly from the sky which really added to the atmosphere. That and the ginger gap year brit high on some drug sitting on a rock just taking it all in, getting soaked and being all "yeah, man".

I hope to get a good sunrise or sunset photo one day.

PotD - Breakfast sandwich

Most mornings I end up getting a sandwich for my breakfast. I find it's too hot for porridge or soup, as I don't feel like sweating at 8 in the morning. To buy eggs or cereal would be more expensive than I'd like to admit I can afford at the moment and the breakfast sandwich is filling and quite delicious. There is something quite enjoyable to me about having a nice soft baguette in the morning. Add in the yummy goodness inside of it and you have a great way to start the day. The lady pictured here is, IMO, the best breakfast sandwich in town. The problem is that the cart sells out early. I've gone some days at 8am and they are all sold out. See, I'm not the only one who really likes it but most of the locals do as well so you need to get there early. Don't worry, I have backup sandwich makers but it's this one I really enjoy best. The Lao sandwich is a bit different than the vietnamese style. Bigger bread with some different sauces and even fillings. There are days I'd love a vietnamese banh mi with pickles and pate. But most days here I am satisfied with what I can get.

It's working!!!

so I received a donation yesterday, but as opposed to my usual donations from immediate friends and family this was from someone on an outer ring of my orbital friendship circle. We went to college together and though we haven't seen each other or talked in many years, the internet has kept us somewhat afloat of the others doings.

I received not just a donation but also these very kind words

"I've meant to do this for a while - your journey has been a lot of fun to follow (especially the food - I tried some Bun Bo Hue at one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants after reading one of your posts from Hue - yum!)"

This is precisely what I was so curious about. Who was reading what I wrote? Was it effecting anyone out there? Or was it mainly just my loved ones reading it and me ranting away about whatever. To read his message and know that I am having a positive impact on peoples lives (even if only minuscule) is exactly what I wanted to know. and it really warmed the cockles of my heart to learn this.

So thank you, Justin (I'll keep the rest of his identity a secret but will say if you lived on our floor sophomore year in college you may know who it is.) your words and donation are greatly appreciated.

If anyone else out there has liked, disliked, or been effected in some way or another from my blog and wants to drop a line (or donation :P ) to let me know your positive/negative thoughts I'd greatly like to read/hear them.

many thanks.

Andy