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01/20/2009: "New Years Feast"

I mentioned in my previous post that I could eat Mekong fish all day. New Year's Day put that statement to a test. It seems that eating fish on that day is a Lao tradition, at least among Nai's family and friends. About 20 good-sized fish were purchased, cooked and eaten, with friends and relatives dropping by from time to time to enjoy the feast. I kept nibbling, right along with everyone else, and by the time all the food was taken care of, I was stuffed. Here's a sampling of the New Year fare, which also includes noodles, sticky rice, various greens, papaya salad, spicy bean paste dip, and, of course, the ever present bottles of Beer Lao.


Holiday Feast


But, what's a holiday feast without friends and family? Below, from left to right, are a cousin (name unknown), Nui (Nai's sister), a friend of the family (name unknown), and camera ham Nai.


Friends at the Feast

Of course, many other people came and went, some staying to dance to the music blaring from loudspeakers set up outside by Pui, one of Nai's brothers. Here's Nui and her mother enjoying a dance together.


New Year's Dancing

Here's Nai with some friends and cousins enjoying the day.


Nai and Friends

Finally, this fellow was already two sheets to the wind and was pretty much out of it by the end of the festivities.


Hoisting a Beer Lao

Next up: Christmas in Vang Vieng