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Kingdom of Laos, the Land of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol

You really have to love a country with a name like this. And I do. Of course nowadays, since 1975, its official name is Laos PDR or People's Democratic Republic.

Doesn't have quite the same ring.

Tomorrow I'm off to Bangkok to meet up with my gal pal Kelly from Canada, where we start what I'm calling the Planes and Boats and Trains (and Buses, Vans and Touk-Touks) Tour. This will be my fourth trip* there and I am so excited!

Back early November.

*Earlier tales from Laos trips:
Land of the ...Thousand Elephants
The Kingdom of the Million Elephants and White Parasol
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
How I Spent My Christmas Vacation
Pak Bat - Morning Alms 
Visiting the Hill Tribes
Bo Pen Nyang
Laughing Memories

Violence Close Up

This afternoon our maid Rebecca's nephew was murdered. He was the youngest son of her sister, a young man of 32 with 3 children and a wife working abroad in Singapore. Rebecca's sister, the mother, lives close by and takes care of the children.

The nephew it seems was thinking about running for election to Baranguay Captain in the upcoming local elections in the province. Men with guns broke into his home to dissuade him of the notion. Permanently. Rebecca says that in this province of Abra political violence is terrible. Abra is notorious for its nastiness. In addition to violence against those who want to challenge incumbents at the polls, political organizers are threatened and worse, and whole communities are threatened to keep them from turning up to vote. Rebecca's parents sometimes hid out in the bamboo when things got tense.

I read the local paper every day and each and every day there is a little or bigger story about a murder of a local politician or aspiring politician along with frequent stories of a journalist being shot to death. Usually the killers are on a motorbike and get away easily. Many must know who did it.  Occasionally someone is arrested.

Seeing Rebecca breaking down in agony and tears, I think of all the members of that extended family and what a sad sad night this is for them. And how many other sad nights there are for the living victims of this culture of political violence.

100 Drunken Women

In case I might have been thinking that our future life on Vancouver Island might be dull...

Brawl erupts as 100 drunken women watch stripper on Vancouver Island

NANAIMO -- Police want to talk to the management of Nanaimo's Cavallotti Lodge following a drunken melee that erupted at the hall on Friday night, featuring more than 100 drunken women and a male stripper.

Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O'Brien said officers responded to a call of an assault at the hall around 10:50 p.m., only to find "between 100 and 150 drunk women" on the premises, watching an exotic dancer as part of a fundraiser for the lodge.

"My understanding is that a big brawl broke out among a number of drunken women who were watching a male stripper event there," said O'Brien.

Police arrested five people they believed were involved in the incident but are not recommending charges to Crown counsel.

"They were drunk, it was an alcohol-fuelled incident and there was no real victim," said O'Brien. "However, we will be following up with Cavallotti because their patrons were extremely intoxicated and we need to warn them about the dangers of over-serving liquor."

Two of the women were kept in the cells at the RCMP detachment until they "sobered up," said O'Brien.

A witness to Friday's escapades who did not want to be identified said one woman stood on her chair to watch the male exotic dancer, who was dressed up as a police officer before he started to remove his clothing. The women behind her took exception because their view of the stripper was obstructed.

At least four police cars responded to the assault.

"I couldn't believe that many police officers were there," said the witness.
"It was police overkill."

O'Brien said the incident has been documented and police know the names of all the women who were involved.

"I guess one woman assaulted another woman who was blocking her view and then all hell broke loose," he said.

The woman whose view of the stripper was blocked asked the woman standing on the chair to sit down and the latter took a swing at her, said the witness.

"She really scratched her on her face."

The person who initially called in the complaint told police that not only was she assaulted but her mother and sister were also assaulted.

O'Brien said police arrested the five people because they caused a disturbance.

"There was no real victim here as far as we can tell and everybody was so drunk, it's difficult to determine what really took place and that's why we don't expect charges resulting from this," he said.

WCordery@nanaimodailynews.com

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