some of the novice monks I am teaching

these are my four novices from Wat Na Luang and they're the best, I think they're fabulous.
they are heaps of fun and so respectful and keen to learn, am having a ball

talking adjectives with the novices monks .....

tonight we discussed adjectives
as an ice-breaker I wrote on the board Michael is .......
and the novices came up with .....
.... tall (good start)
.... has black curly hair (clearly deluded but flattery will get you everywhere)
I did correct them (salt and pepper - a new phrase for the novices !)
.... and then, GET THIS .... has a big nose
am not offended, does anyone have a number for a plastic surgeon !!!!

Drinking with the locals in Luang Prabang

This is how it works - many bottles of beer, one glass, fill the glass with beer, pass to your neighbour on the left, they "down in one" or in Loas "100%", refill the glass with beerlao and pass it on.
fun, my kind of game ....
but they said I was a lightweight as i wasn't doing the 100% thingy, yikkes ....
will practice ! goodie

teaching the novice monks in Luang Prabang

Meeting my novice monks today, very excited !
The charity was a little misleading in their blurb, when I signed up it was to be an English teacher's assistant, when I arrived we had an intense TEFL course along with a monk etiquette course, and were informed we would be teaching in pairs with no Laos teacher at all, now have been told because I am old and a responsible doctor ! i am teaching a class on my own !!!!
dobedo
in at the deep end, the only word of Laos I know is sabaidde !
oh well, breath and enjoy

Burma

Burma is a wonderful country, I loved it there. The men wear longis (skirts), I do now too ! the women paint their faces to look more beautiful, I need that but look a tad silly billy, everyone wears a huge smile. It's the friendliest place I have visited, the people were so warm and kind, they have little monetary wealth and are very generous with what they have, wanting to share cups of tea with a laugh and a chat. The country is beautiful, amazing scenery, it was great to walk and cycle through the clean air and to see and listen to Burmese life. Ate the food cooked on the street and shopped in the markets with their abundant colourful flowers, fruit and veggies. Buddhism is big, we all have to be more present, and when things are good be very grateful and when things are bad acknowledge the reality - it's temporary, deal with it, it will make us stronger and things will be good again soon. There's a great deal of hope placed in The Lady, everyone wants more freedom and peace in their country so hopefully Aung San Suu Kyi will win the elections in 2015. Really glad I had the opportunity to go to Burma especially whilst its just opening up to tourism so relatively unspoilt, would love to go back and spend more time there

life on the water around Inle lake

Big Burmese smiles !

One-legged rowers fishing on Inle lake

breakfast time, Kalaw

Kalaw hill station

temples and Buddhas in Mandalay

considering joining a Buddhist monastery in Mandalay

visiting a farming village

the circle line Yangon

I'm off the rails !

people of Bagan