Category Archives: Rural Bong! Bong! Bong! The sound of gongs reverberate in my head; deep, surprisingly melodic tones that almost transport me back to Bhutanese monasteries… But in this image there are no tall, ornately carved and painted wooden buildings; in fact we are outdoors on dusty ground, surrounded by dry trees, old people and children, with few […]  Have you ever wondered where your salt comes from? No – I haven’t either! Salt is one of those many things we tend to take for granted. In Thailand, most of the salt used comes from brine salt-farms, and the largest number of these brine salt farms are close to Bangkok, along Highway 35 in […]  Money trees for sale! Why should I be startled? Morning markets in Asia are a jumble of surprises – people and products rubbing shoulders in unexpected combinations. The morning market in Attapeu, southeastern Laos is a great example: a treasure trove where the nails are next to the make-up and crayons; where you can buy live […]  “All objects, all phases of culture are alive. They have voices. They speak of their history and interrelatedness. And they are all talking at once!” Camille Paglia I grew up in North America where the artefacts of culture are relatively modern. By contrast, Asian cultural objects speak of time… endless time… with it’s ebb and […]  Isn’t the English language wonderful? In the title “Weaving Communities” you probably read ‘weaving’ as an adjective – that is, communities that exist about or for weaving. But, weaving is more usually a verb: the art of forming something, (a fabric or a fabric item; a basket, a story, a rug, a community…) into a pattern by interlacing long threads […] |
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