After thinking and thinking about it, I decided not to buy a car.  I am going to drive the family’s old car until it ran down.   The great thing about this car is the stereo in it.   Got the car, left mom and dad’s I decided to stop by Lee’s store to buy a few CD to listen to.   After last visit to friends in Tennessee, I realized how bad my singing was.  So I will need to get back to singing again.  I look and look for a CD that has songs I can sing along to while driving.  I decided on love songs by Manit.  I bought Manit and Sombath CD’s.  Once back in my car I turned on the radio and there it was a song that shot me back to 1988.  Ok, 1988 is the story of “Look Away.”

No, I was not heart broken.  I just like the song because it’s passionate song by any person who want to tell his girlfriend to look away if they ever run into each other.  But here I am, I am going to tide this song to my history.  So it was 1988.  I joined the rest of the Lao world, in this case, Laotians in Georgia.

When all hell broke loose in Southeast Asia, Laos was in its path.  In Laos we have a lot of people and a lot of those people are a lot different cultural wise.  By the late 20th century land locked Laos was a home of so many people from so many root.  There were so many people who speak so many languages and they all have their own cultural.  Although the country was worldly recognized as a kingdom, as a country of many people of ethnicities living together as Laotians, many of those Laotians do not think otherwise.  They never agreed that they should be under any one rule or ruler.   Opportunity came  when  all hell broke loose  in  SE Asia as I  indicated.  Since when hell’s gate was closed.  So what happen after all hell broke loose in Laos.  Laos enjoyed their short live independent in which they declared from France.   So when all hell broke loose, everyone who was not part of the new regime fled the country.  All that fled first were the leaders.  After them everyone else.  It was then that the Lao(s) or the Laotians were clustered in one space called “soun” or zero.  Zero or soun is the new starting point for the Laotians of many faces, cultures, religions, and beliefs.  So all these people clashed.  They not only clashed there, they clashed again in the third country.  Each one of them, who were proud anyway, show their cultural and hold it dear.  They even promote it further.  Look around you, the people from Laos.

No, I am still on Look Away.   So what happen after this all American boy return home from the military service, met one of those Laos’ people, my girlfriend, sao Poo.  The Laotians called themselves this Thai and that Thai because the word thai simply means people of.   So sao Poo was a person from the northern province of Laos.  The story goes that her dad was part of the new Lao kingdom, joining the royal Lao kingdom meant you are Laotians.  But in reality they had their own thai name, thai Puan I believe.   How we met was through her brother’s soccer team, boy he got a strong northern accent.  Sao Poo did not have any boyfriend because everyone was scared of her brother.  I just want to date so I dated her.  We dated for a year.   At the end of our break up Look Away came on.  People who knew us thought Look Away was the song for the occasion.  Hardly I thought.   Meeting sao Poo and her family was when I see different culture, a different one I am use to.  After sao Poo, I went on to study the culture of many people from Laos.   I was fascinated by what I discovered.  People of cultures and colors too in Laos are very different from one another.  I am a Lao lume (lower land Lao), I always thought that everyone in Laos were one until the pile up in the second and then the third country anyway.

“Look away babe look away…”  What a great song!

When it comes to perspective and perception, I have an opinion.  I put my hundred percent into my work.  I expect the same from my co-worker who make the same amount of money I make.   Until recently that I realized I was so off. 

One, my co-worker who did not like to work hard took advantage of the fact that we have a lay back supervisor who let us sort things out ourselves.  Becaues we all cool with one another, we sort of let things slide.  I think I mention this young man once in my earlier post.  You know the one that almost die from a projectile shot at him.  What I learn from this young man before he was fired was, if you bring home the money, you are not lazy.  What happen was, my Indian friend was picking on him because he was really laying back.  One day the young man got really mad and wanted to fight.  My Indian friend shouted at him by telling him that he was lazy.  One reply was all it took to let us know he is not a lazy person.  The reply was, “How can you can me lazy when I take home 40 hours worth of pay every week?”

I was amazing with his mote of thinking.  After that we all take a step back and re-examine how we work.  The boss want the work done and done on time…and he want us to work as a team.  Being we don’t snitch on each other and the work is getting done, everything was fine.  It was us who got upset with the young man on our own.   His family don’t ask him if he was being lazy at work or not.  All they care was the direct deposit pay day.  How can we call a man lazy when he provide for his family?   He was let go on other charges, not for being lazy.

Two, we recently hired a few more employees from the temp agency.  A lot of them, I know, will not be offer a permanent position.  It has been two month since this older Hindi gentleman came on board.  So he is 59 but act as if he is 69.  He was one cocky old guy.  So they put him with me to be trained.  We have to show them how to do the work so they can help us effectively.  Normally, we would get a guy who has some to a lot of experience but this man.  I don’t know he got into the company.   He claimed he had work in this kind of field before.  He can’t even handle a simple tool.  He walked into the place expect special treatment.  It’s two months now.  What takes me 1 hour to do will take him 3.  Everyone on the department know he definitely came from a totally different field.  He seems to have a hard time whenever he has to focus on a task but when he is on break he is on a cell phone laughing and joking with someone all fine and good.  He seems to be using his age on me.   I help him as much as I can so he can be of help to us. 

It has two months, this man shows no sign of improvement.  I think because of the economy, the company decided to help out by give people job and let them stay on.  But for us who has to work for these people who don’t seem to appreciate at all what we had to put up with.   1 out of 4 is good now.   One guy got mad at me because I recomment him being move out of our department.  This guy move like pond water.   He took fours to do what we can do in 30 minutes plus he seemed to think he got all days.  We tried to tell him we do have time limit to get each job done.

Anyway my friend here are the same way, he shows interest in the job but he just has no skill or talents with tools and designs.  After we realized that our leadman, supervisor, and manager are ignoring the matter, we decided to do the same, just let them do what they can.  So what happen was, my Indian friend came and ask me what we can do about this.  I simply has to put him in his place and make him realize, “it is” is what it is.   I had to take him to a point beyond perception.  I told him to think about it.  I told him the older gentleman charge the company more money than we do to do a job.  He makes $40 while we make only $20 doing the same job meaning the longer it takes him to do something the more money he would make.   Why does he has to hurry when the job still getting done and done on time?  After thinking about what I said, my Indian friend got it.  He said to me in return, “So if I take longer to do the same task, my money will go up.”  I said, “That’s right.  You were complaining about the new hire works slower and do less but make the same amount of money or more.”  I agreed that he too can make more money by charging more for his time.  It just that he has to slow time on completing each task.  That way, he can feel he makes more or the same amount of money as the new people who just got hired.

You see, we got to go beyond the point of perception.  All the time, it was our mind that worked us.  The young man who screamed he is not lazy saw as long as he make money and bring home the bacon, no one at home will question.  Next, by looking deeper into the situation, we were able to realize that the old man did not work slow, he simply charge more for his time.  Since he is paid by time he work less.  

Both men work ethic is not important here.  They know that.   The young man actually thinks that his being at work helped out already.  The older man who probably had been there done that walked into the company with a determination to go through each day getting paid well.  Even paid well is the same as work less than his co-worker.  What works for him is he is charging more for him time being at work.

So I conclude that in order to be at peace we must look beyond our own point of perception and examine perspective of others.

I am in training for my major running event March 2010.  It is a function that is seeking performance.  To get the best performance I must condition my body.   I have to see to it that I made it safely to the finish line.

Running would not be the only thing I would have to do on this run.  I will be walking, jogging, shuffling, and whatever else it will take to get to the finish line.   The condition is hard just thinking about it.   The weather is going to be hotter,  the hills are going to be steeper,  and the miles are going to be longer than usual.  We who signed up for the heavy category will have additional 35 lbs on our back. What we are to pack  are can food to be donate to the food bank after the race. “Oh, that’s relief.” I thought it’s going to be bricks or something like that.

For a couple of months I have been walking up, down, and around the Stone Mountain. I felt the difference. My core is getting stronger. The thing is this.   I have not weigh my backpack.   I thought I have packed it heavy enough though for the training.   I thought it’s more than 35 lbs which it is but when I pack  a 35 lbs dumb bell, it is actually heavier than the pack I have been towing around. This could be a problem. So Friday I decided to do two laps which is 10 miles to find out where I stand. The most I have done so far was 7 miles. I wondered what it would feel like with this new pack after 10th miles. .

On Friday I got out of work at 3:45.   I fueled up at Wendy’s value meal number 1 with a coke and arrived at the base camp (base of the mountain) at 5 to begin my test. The factors were, I was up at 4:45 and have worked all day. I was not really tire tire but I was a little weary thinking that I never had a good training day. Never mind that. I timed my self using my cell phone. It has a split timing feature. Too bad it got erased somehow. I didn’t keep an accurate record of my training.

I struggled a little struggle with the new pack. I don’t know why it was so heavy especially going up the hill. I had to jog down to make good time. The first lap I did good. I started out slow since I just had a value meal. Yeah, a value meal for my pocket book only. The first mile was tough with a full stomach. But I always train under the normal condition. Whatever is consider normal to me. In my case, just ate, just woke up, waking up in the middle of the night, stayed up all night, or had too much to drink. Just had food? No problem. That’s normal. As a soldier, I can’t ask my enemy to “shoot after I finish eating, ok?” If I can condition my self to train in any condition, I am good.

My split time was 16 minutes for the first miles. I know that was bad comparing the Bataan Memorial Death March winner who did a 14 minutes split. Two minutes off would put me about two hours after the guy that do 14 minutes one. Realized that, I sped up after the 3rd mile marker. That brought be up to 15 minutes split. Felt a little better then. After the 3rd mile marker I had a short moment of joy going down hill. After the 3 1/2 mile marker it was going up all the way to the 5th mile marker. At the 4th mile marker and 5th mile marker I hit the split button, it said 15 something. I was nervous so I dashed from 4 1/2 mile marker all the way. It was a tough 5 miles. I thought what about the rest of the 21.2 Amphone?

After I took 5 to 10 minutes break I loaded up and start again. My cell phone battery was low so I decided to just look at the clock and divide the number by 5 later. The next 5 miles was a problem because of the new pack, the 35 lbs dumb bell was kicking my rear end. I reminded myself to double check the weigh on the scale at home. The thought of having a full day already was of no help, ” I had a full day already. I am support to be tire.”

Every hills, every slopes, every cyclists, every passed by runners, and walkers I came across were friendlies but my back, legs, and shoulders were not. I made it to the finish with averaging at 16 minutes per mile. It is what I was expecting without a little to no running. Running is something I am avoiding right now. I will run more when my knees, joints, nerves, and muscles tell me to.

So I walked about uninjured, which is number one goal at this stage of training. I checked the weight when I got home. The backpack it self was more than 3 lbs. I had some water, a pillow to wrap around the dumb bell. All that and the dumb bell, hmm. Not bad after all. Although I feel the pain, “but the pain was a different kind of pain,” I am good. Training went well.

My lung is good. My mind is great. I tried to stay focus when I am on the road. My heart is good. It’s at a good place.

We are on the top of the food chain.  Nothing can kill us but disease and us.  Last night I joined the world in a fight to save mankind.  We the world showed up to give support to our braves men and machines as they fight against a common foe.  We needed everyone and everything we got to fight against this enemy.  This something does not discriminate.  It will kill us weather we are black, white, brown, or yellow.  We had enemies that destine to destroy us and wipe us out of our existence.

So we put up the fight.  We applied ourselves using what we’ve learned since birth of humanity.  We showed up with the best technology available.  We had the battleship, war planes, tanks, guns, and big guns.  All seemed to be like tossing a bunch of ants into a flame.  It all turned out that we needed the best weapon we got, ourselves.  We needed knowledge and wisdom.

It seemed Hollywood is the last stand against evil thus far.  Hollywood seems to be the best University to attend for just a small fee.  If we can get people at attention without interrupting for one, two, or more hours to deliver the message, if that is what it will take, we will continue our work.  Transform two times, Terminator three times, ok?  We are bringing GI Joe in August and we are bringing the Avatar next years.

At the end of the film a lot of us clapped our hands.  Last night we united in harmony under one roof and we won another battle.  All of us went home in peace.    I can only imagine what the little children got out of this movie.   Parental guidance has always been suggested not restricted.

The Band has not yet go on tour to promote their new CD. There is a talk of planning a tour.

I interpreted the song and posted it on youtube (for those of you that don’t understand Lao).  I hope you just listen to the music and forget about the video quality.  I am pretty bad at creating one.  Ha ha…I hope everyone enjoy the Chitpanya band’s Pieur Nong (For You). It’s sweet love song. I would recommend this song for a wedding or a special occasion. If you are a fan of Lao music, you can help promote this new CD by writing to the Chitpanya Band yourself.

New Line Cinema in association with CJ Entertainment, a Taewon Yedang Entertainment Production: The Legend of the Shadowless Sword.

Master swordplay, epic battles and stunning martial arts action kick into high gear in this fantastical adventure set in ancient Korea. 927 AD. The Killer-Blade Army has toppled the ruling dynasty, plunged the kingdom into chaos. The only remaining heir, Prince Jung-Hyun is living in exile, unaware of his family’s dark fate. Still loyl to the dynasty, the beautiful and deadly warrior Soha sets out to find Jung-Hyun and guide him to become the great leader he was born to be. But with the Army’s greatest assassins and the criminal underworld hunting them, Soha and Jung-Hyun are swept into an explosive nonstop battle of swords, wits and bloodshed as they to reclaim the fallen throne.

At the end of the movie, after all said and done, the prince led his Army to the gate of Balhae. Before he put on his battle helmet, he turned to his soldiers and makes a speech. “We were robbed of our castle…our land…and our country. They even invaded our capitol…and changed the name of the palace. Our people have died. They beseech us to recover the valuable things they have lost. So, in this battle…we are not going to falter or fail! We’ll continue to fight. If our swords break, we’ll fight our hands. If we have no strength left, our eyes will pierce the enemies. If our eyes get plucked out…we will cry to the heavens about their sin. We’ll let them know…that they can never take anything away from us. This castle will once again be named Holhan Palace…and we will restore our country!”

He then turned toward his enemy and cried out, “Charge!!!!!”

The film ended there. The script came up after that scene:  Finally in the year 928 East Georan reverts back to Yodong. After that New Balhae and Junghan are established. These two are considered the descendants of Balhae.

The film is rated R for violence, supplemental material not rated.  I say that was a good Block Buster pick. I often hesitate when it comes to Asian martial film.  I hate to run into that same ole mumble jumbles.  Making the wrong choice would mean “Waste”.    This movie was fun to watch. I like their costumes designs. Each scene is highly prep and decorated with a good back drop.   It really showed they paid attention to details.  The extras are so funny looking, they’re the type you don’t see often in movies.   The martial is good not too much.  The delay of death is cool, the blood squirt and burst out shooting in different direction? Groovy awesome.  It was like, okay?  This is something new.    The over all production is great.  The actors and the actresses fit the part in the movie. In comparison to the Last Samurai, I would say that this movie is stronger in creativeness and artistic. The fight sequences are something new.   The Korean product is taking over the market: car, television, music, food, fashion, and film.

This is how movies should develop into.  Human drama is forever.  A movie that’s entertaining at the same time shows human quality is what I got out of this whole thing not the hatred and vengeance.   Guys, lets continue on this route.

I was tired of my lady, we’ve been together too long.

Like a worn-out recording of a favorite song.

So while she lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed.

And in the personal columns, there was this letter I read.

If you like pina coladas getting caught in the rain,

If you not into yoga, if you have half a brain.

If you like making love at midnight in the dune of a cape.

Then I’m the love that you’ve looked for.

Write to me and escape.

I didn’t think about my lady.

I know that sounds kind of mean.

But me and my old lady had fallen into this same old dull routine.

So I wrote to the paper, took out a personal ad.

And though I wasn’t no body’s poet,

I thought it wasn’t half bad.

Yes, I like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.

I’m not much into health food. I am into champagne.

I got to meet you by tomorrow noon and cut through all this red tape.

At the bar called O’mally’s, where we’ll plan our escape.

So I waited with high hope, then she walked in the place.

I knew her smile in an instant, I knew the curve of her face.

It was my own lovely lady, and she said, “Oh, it’s you.”

And we laughed for a moment, and I said, “I never knew,”

That you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain,

And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne.

If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape.

You’re the lady I’ve looked for, come with me and escape.

If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.

If you’re not into yoga and you have half a brain.

If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape,

Then I’m the love you’ve looked for, write to me, and escape.

Yes, I like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.

I’m not much into health food, I am into champagne.

I have got to meet you by tomorrow noon, and cut through all this red tape.

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?

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

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.