Tha Thom, A View From Space!

There are now ‘newish’ satellite photos of the Tha Thom area! The red marker is approximately were our house is!


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Giant Jars

Imagine yourself on a hill top overlooking a large rolling plain. It is covered in waving grass and the sporadic pine. The weather is cool which makes you wish you brought your jacket. “Am I really still in Laos,” you ask yourself?

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Phonsavan, the capital of Xieng Khouang province is located on a plain at the top of a 2000m (6500ft) plateau. It is 130kms north of Tha Thom and feels like a different world. Palms are replaced by pines and the people live differently. We came to Phonsavan to attend Vone’s wedding and also to learn and see what another INGO, CRWRC (Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) is doing in the area. After spending two days visiting various field locations we learned that CRWRC is doing many of the same actives that MCC is doing in Tha Thom. We hope to collaborate further in the future.

Today, we find ourselves playing tourist…and there is good reason since there is lots of history in the area! For the past few nights we have seen videos at MAG (Mines Advisory Group) about the war and the bombs that have left Laos and the plain around Phonsavan severely pock-marked. MAG is an international de-mining organization that has worked in Laos for many years to remove tons of UXO (unexploded ordinance). (Read more about the ‘secret war’ in Laos on our blog.)

Picnic Lunch by a Bomb Crater (Site #1)

Jar's in the Forest (Site #2)

Now we are at the historic Plain of Jars. Throughout this region of Laos giant (several ton) boulders were carved out and sculpted into jars. They are now found in clusters at more than 90 archeological sites in Laos. We visited three of these sites and were amazed at the strangeness of the spectacle!

Kaarina and the Biggest Jar (Site #1)

A Jarring Pose with Our Lao Friends (Site #2)

“Why jars,” you may ask? That is a very good question and one that isn’t really answerable. The most official answer, however, is that an ancient civilization carved these jars as giant urns in which they stored the cremated remains of their dead. Other local explanations include: the lost drinking mugs of giants, huge brewing vessels made for a large celebration, and basins to collect monsoon rains, supplying trade caravans with water in the dry season. While walking through the various sites we developed our own theories concerning the jars’ use ranging from giant flowerpots and fish tanks to defensive hideouts used to surprise an invading army. (No one would expect a bunch of soldiers to pop out of massive urns, would they?)

Plain of Jars (Site #1)

Soldier's View from Inside a Jar

Wedding season

Come join us as we attend the wedding of one of our co-workers, Vone and his bride, Tieng.

You can hop in the car with us as we drive a few miles out of Phonsavan, the capital of Xieng Khouang Province, (about a 4 hour drive from Tha Thom) to the bride’s home. We arrive at 9am, just in time to watch the groom finish getting ready in the lawn in front of the house. A female relative has just finished applying his make-up and he’s getting help tying his tie. People joke that now he looks ‘falang’ (white like a foreigner).

We stand around awhile and chat with co-workers and close family and friends. The afternoon ‘wedding reception’ is a large ordeal and often 300 or more guests are invited (sometimes over 1,000 for city weddings). However, the morning wedding bacci (ceremony) is only for a small number of close family and friends.

From the lawn were the groom sits a small blessing ceremony commences, chants are sang and the groom is escorted to the bride’s house by a procession of family and friends. We join in with singing and clapping (there would be a drum, but somebody forgot it)!

Waiting for his Bride

When we arrive at the home we are informed that the bride is not ready yet (though we all know she is sitting inside waiting), this apparently is tradition. As we wait the groom’s family presents many gifts of food and drink (symbolizing that everything is prepared for couple’s life after marriage). The waiting ends as the families share some beer and the bride’s family then decides that it is time to start the ceremony.

Now the wedding bacci begins. Bacci ceremonies all have a similar theme, but each area of Laos adds a special twist to the ceremony. As we take our seat on the floor, we are sure to sit near a MCC co-worker, that way we can ask some questions when we don’t understand the ceremony. Some aspects of the ceremony that are the most interesting are:

The bride and groom feeding each other boiled egg and sticky rice (not cake, but similar to Western custom)

The bride and groom’s wrists being tied together with a single piece of string, blessed and then broken into two pieces and wrapped on each of their wrists.

The bride and groom asking for forgiveness and blessings from the elders...

 ...and then offering gifts to them.

Tying Bacci Strings

There isn’t any kissing or ring exchange… but at the end of the ceremony, parents decorate the bride with gold jewelry and family and friends tie bacci strings on the bride and groom.

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The wedding bacci may last 2 or more hours. After it is all finished we join the party that’s starting down in the yard! Guests begin to arrive so the bride and groom, parents and a selected hosts and hostesses line at the entrance near the large decorated arbor (In the picture you will notice the twenty plus people lined under the tent).

Dropping the Gift in the Card Box

At this wedding they decided to use local pine trees to adorn the area, but at other weddings you may see palm branches, vines or Christmas lights. As guests enter under the arbor, they are offered a drink of whiskey and then drop their envelope of money into a special card box. Packages aren’t expected so there’s no gift table. Once a majority of the guests arrive and we’ve found a nice table to sit at, the eating and dancing begins!

Wedding Tent with Guests

Bride and Groom Visiting our Table

Wedding food doesn’t vary, you can count on having sticky rice, lap (chopped meat (usually cooked) with mint and spices), soup, salad, and a sweet snack or fruit. Some weddings may also serve ‘ragoo,’ a French influenced soup that is eaten with French bread. It’s really tasty, but this wedding isn’t serving any. The bride and groom are also making their way around to each table offering guests a shot of whiskey. You can take a quick shot if you want (but beware! It’s strong stuff!). Then give the couple a small gift of money for their new life together.

Saap, Saap (Delicious!)

The music has started now, and it’s loud! We can’t do much talking, but it’s fun to watch the dancing. In Laos they do not have the ‘father-daughter’ dance, but rather the bride and groom start it off by taking a turn together. I will warn you, if you are a foreigner you are guaranteed to be invited to dance at least once during the party! But don’t worry; Lao dancing is really easy, and fun!

Wedding Sound System

Wedding Party

Bride and Groom Dance

After all the eating, talking with friends, watching the dancing or possibly joining in with the dancing…whew…you are probably getting tired! It’s time to head back now, but we hope you have enjoyed a taste of a Lao wedding!