Category Archives: The Karen

Going back

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Lou

It is strange returning to Mae La Luang after six weeks away. I can’t believe so little time has passed since I was here, and how different the landscape looks. Fire has ravaged the woodland, blackened scars adorn the landscape … Continue reading →

Posted in Thailand, The Karen | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Little Things

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Lou

Living in the village, beyond anything else, feels incredibly normal. Yet there are a thousand small things that make living here a totally different experience to any that I have had before. Buildings here might only have a floor and … Continue reading →

Posted in Best of the Blog, Living with Locals, The Karen, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A few photos.

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Lou

     

Posted in Best of the Blog, Living with Locals, Teaching English, Thailand, The Karen | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A little bit manic.

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Lou

I am leaving on Saturday and I am not getting a leaving party from my school, as they would normally do, because everybody is busy with exams and a multitude of other jobs. Having seen what a show Thai people … Continue reading →

Posted in Living with Locals, Teaching English, Thailand, The Karen | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Thai Wedding

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Lou

Nothing is done in small measures here, so it was of little surprise when I arrived on Saturday morning, on the back of Sinuan’s scooter, to find that the entire road outside the Bride’s family home was blocked off by … Continue reading →

Posted in Living with Locals, The Karen | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Pbakuu

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Lou

Pbakuu is a man, at a guess in his mid forties. He is well built, especially for a Thai man, and his skin is dark from a life lived outside in the sunshine. He doesn’t say much but has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Living with Locals, The Karen | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Love in the Land of Smiles

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Lou

I have in fact stolen the title of this blog post from a book I recently read about prostitution in Thailand. Whilst it is only one book, on one narrow topic in Thailand, it gave me some insight into the relationship Thai … Continue reading →

Posted in Living with Locals, The Karen | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Monk’s Cremation

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Lou

My experience of cremation ceremonies in the past has been limited to loved ones dying, and the resulting ceremony tends to be an understated affair, characterised by dark colours and sombreness. Not so in Thai culture. Monks are treated with … Continue reading →

Posted in Living with Locals, The Karen | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Family Life

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Lou

Whilst I cannot claim to be any kind of expert on Thai or Karen life, it did not take much time here to realise that there are some profound differences between family life here and that in the UK. For … Continue reading →

Posted in Living with Locals, The Karen | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Collection of Conversations

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Lou

Conversation 1: It was not late, but it felt it. It was a few weeks ago and the nights were still drawing in quickly and thickly. Nuan and I were drinking Lao Kow (“White Whisky”) on the porch outside. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Living with Locals, The Karen | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment