Hong hab Kak

A long time ago a nice couple in a Lao Kingdom said to the other one, “Honey let’s call this room, hong hab Kak.”   The other one replied, “Sound good to me!   What else can we call it? It’s to receive them.”   The thing a bout Laotian and naming is there is a history to everything.   A long time ago we received a lot of Kak.   Kak is what Laotians described a person who supposedly came from the Continent of India.   Hong is a Laotian word for a room and hab is to receive. So hong hab Kak is literary a “room to receive Indians” or a guest room.  Like most homes in the world, a Laotian home would consist of a praying room (since we are mostly Buddhists, bed rooms, living room, dinning room, kitchen, bathroom, and a guest room (hong hab kak).   It is customary for Laotians to host their guests with pride and dignity offering their guests quarter and all that good stuffs.

The story goes that a lot of Indian people come to visit the Laotian people to trade, exchange culture, and what not. They normally came in some type of envoy, their “truth and non violent” way.   They always have a good reason to visit especially with the leaders. The Laotian always had to be prepared to receive these out of town and country guests.   They dressed up their hong hab Kak to impress the Kak.   “We have got to show them we got culture too,” said great great great granny.   Nowadays, to receive a kak simply means to receive a guest, any guest.

Laotians often joke around, “Oh, you came as Kak today?”   The statement means “You came as a guest today?   This saying refers to a person who came to a function or an event as a guest.   Some people can say this in joking way or even in sarcastic way to their close friends who always come over to eat but never help prepare the meal.   You may have heard some people say, “Kak boh mee nuat” meaning Kak without a beard.   This usually refers to a Laotian who acts like a Kak. A Kak to Laotians also means a guest or a dignitary of a sort.   Today, “Mee kak si ma” means “We will be receiving guests today”.

What is your hong hab Kak looks like?

Soul II

I saw Block Buster new release Vinyan last night. I give it two stars for story line.  Four stars to the actors.   The film takes me places I never imagine.   Somewhere in Burma and Thailand border I think.

Anyway, as I have written before, after my return from SF, after broken one of my CD on the plane, I went on a search for some CDs to listen to. I ran into exactly what I wanted. It caught my attention because its label said History of Viengchanh (Vientiane). It was a rare type of music that I have not been listen to in a while. I bought one CD and one VCD. The VCD was exactly what I need. I wanted to hear this mor lum leuang’s story of Viengchanh. I want to feel its magic it possesses. When I got home, I sat and watch the whole presentation with amazement. I listened to the story tentatively. I was paying attention to the singing more because I want to hear the sound of the singers’ souls and the souls of the masters their predecessors…many generation of mor lums reaching into the present, me the listener. After I saw Vinyan, I listen to my mor lum VCD by myself, oh my gosh, my skin crawled for a minute. I actually was feeling it. Creepy……..

As I have written before, I consider mor lum leuang to be one of the wonders of this World. I think so because not everyone can be a mor lum just because they want to. It has to be given to by a master mor lum. Same as mor khean, no way. Give your soul to the art and you will be able to memorize all those lengthy folk stories. Possess the power that is beyond human normalcy. Be able to yang people and capture their mind. No, don’t be alarm. I am not asking you to like it’s an advertisement or something. Like I said, it’s an art.

It is tough to be mor lum these days. Even though the word mor means doctor. A long time ago, mor lum were the light where there’s darkness. When they appeared, they brought news from other far away regions. They were like the CNN of today’s. Mor this mor that. There is a mor for everything in Laos. Mor lum is so valued and respected to tell you the truth. What happen nowadays is younger artists shine from it because they think it’s un cool or too out of date. Well it is but it’s still can be renovate or something. Just run with it. It’s your inheritance. Like I said before, I was just old enough to catch it. For what I know is they are the bearers of stories or histories…burdens passed on by their masters and their masters’ masters rather. History weren’t very safe written down as you know. What written down can be manipulate or destroy in a fire. Memorizing them and passed them down to the mor lum was the best way to go, then anyway. There are some master mor lums in Laos and Isan region of Thailand today who offer their service to people who want their story to be told in lum format (a form of singing or remembering). They will compose your story for you in kon lum (lum story). They will create a lyrics accompanies by a khean (bamboo flute or Lao musical instrument) instrument and recorded it in a CD for you. They are so good at what they do. If anyone has a story need to get off your chest, mor lum is the #1-A choice to go. But your story has to be really dramatic and so sad though. It is the best kinds you want to leave you. Mor lum will carry the burden for you. Believe me, other culture has this too.

Mor lum is a lot like Lao rappers, there is jit and vinyan of those unsettle souls in their voice and lyrics. But the two are not quite the same. Mor lum Lao are usually older while Lao rappers are younger and more stylish. Mor lum Lao is one of the world endanger species, IMO. Buy their CDs or DVDs or VCDs the next time you are in a Lao store, please. Well, lets expand on this later.

Thank you

What I do

The video above is awesome!  Imagine being a sport personality in Laos receiving $40k after have won the first Silver medal ever!  I am really proud of them.

I have no problem writing what I say, saw, and think. The code of silence does not work well with me. I resorted to write because I want to explain in detail to one and then to the other or both sectors of the community the why and what I care about. Why the why is because what I say, saw, and think have meaning not just to me but to a lot of people. I am leveling it to my friends and fans here so they will gain a better understanding of who I am the author. Perhaps then you might open your garden gate and let me in. But what may take our relationship to another level depends on the when and how much effort I put into explaining the what I say, saw, and think (things I know). Needless to say, my story is just another Laotian person’s story, if you are not a Laotian person, you may be a friend of one. Nevertheless, I hope my stories impact, inspire, and move you some how…to be a better and caring friend to us. If you are a Laotian and trying to match your Laoness with mine, you might be glad that you read my stories and learn something; this is mine, your friend’s story.

I was asked by one of the organizers to be the sport coordinator four months prior to the Event. First I was presented with idea of the Kato (Sepak Takraw) tournament. Knowing the magnitude of the task, I took a deep breath. I wondered why he didn’t ask the Lao Kato players in the area. I think he just didn’t have the time to look for any one in the area to take the job or it just easier to go ahead and ask yours truly. I gave him the option to cancel my appointment if he found someone in the area. Here is how the story goes; the subject came up 2 years earlier in Arizona when I attended the second international conference for Lao studies, “We will have an international sport tournament in the San Francisco Bay area. We hope you bring your team.” Had said “Okay”, I have been keeping an ear on for any news of the tournament. Two years later, the news came and so was the invitation to join the First Annual International Lao New Year Festival as the sport coordinator.

Upon accepting the position, I was the resource and as resourceful as I could be, by all means, handle it. I blasted emails asking for involvement of the local Lao Kato players that might jump right in. All were nothing but silence. When that didn’t work, I asked the organizers and who they linked with for help. That didn’t turn out so well. Didn’t know what to do and not knowing what to do was no way to be me, I looked up to heaven and asked for a little help. It was a voice inside my head that said, “Hey Amphone, having a hard time?” “Yes Lord, help?” I humbly answered. “What about the USA national representatives?” the voice said again. I was dumb found. I used to google and search for the history of the sport on the web. That is how I learn about Takraw USA Association. I took a few seconds to gather myself. Then I clicked on the Compose instead of the Check Mail button. I wrote, “Dear Takraw USA…” After I found all the right words to say to them, I clicked Send. I checked my e-mail everyday to see if they respond. Two weeks later a reply came, “I like your idea about being a part of an event that would benefit everyone,” Takraw USA Association wrote.

A tournament was not the best way to go because of time and venue. We only have from 10 AM to 5 PM. That would not even allow us to complete the first round of the competition. Knowing what the organizers really should want and need, I proposed something better: a demonstration of a sport called Kato Lao in Laos and Sepak Takraw internationally. It was a go. They approved it.

See more postings on youtube.com or go to www.takrawusa.com. See more postings bythe first international Lao New Year goers there as well.

Love the Ocean

I enjoy the peace and quiet at Panama City Beach the pass few days.  I enjoy swimming the ocean.   I saw 3 small sting rays out on the deep.  I swam until I was exhausted.

I had a moment to think about our trouble world.  Million of refugees are fleeing their home as we speak.  Many are dying.   It is a reminder how far we Laotian had come.  Because we are peaceful people, the number of casualties were minimized.  Many of us live a peaceful life now.  At any scale, War is Hell.

Let us pray for those who seek refuge.

The Training

Without conditioning your body, you might as well hang it.  It’s no use to get out there and get hurt.  For the past three Half-Marathon I ran with pain on my knee.   No more!  For training,  I take a 45-50 lbs. backpack with me up and down the mountain.   It’s 1.4 mile each way.  If I have more time, I go around the mountain, that’s 5 miles.   I’ve gained some ground in the past couple of months.   It seems to be working out.  This is what I am doing to strenghten my core.  The goal is to complete the Full-Marathon without any incident.