Joel's email to KSO

Dear Mrs Oscroft and KSO and my family and friends!

We are living in a little alley. There are no cars. 

 

 

We live with Ma Ma and Pa Pa and their three daughters, Haeny, Pone and Tong. 

 

 

 

In the morning Ma Ma and Pa Pa put on their good clothes and go to the temple. At night Pone plays badmington in the alley with a boy. 

 

 

 

No one in Laos has blond hair, everyone has dark hair.

Every morning I go buy breakfast, sometimes with my brother and sometimes not with my brother. I buy yoghurt and sticky rice on a stick dipped in egg and cooked over ashes. I found out you don't need fire to cook something, just coals.

A long long time ago in Laos the French lived here too. The old man across the road speaks french. He is 84 and used to be a chaeffeur for the French army. He was in a very famous battle in Vietnam. Everyday he speaks to me and my brother in Lao and laughs. he has bows and arrows. he has shown me. He can fix shoes too. 

 

 

I like to eat Nutella baguettes and mango crepes.

In another house there is an old lady in a wheelchair. She always tells me to come. The children squash her legs, up and down, up and down. I copied them, she said I could. That was funny. I only did that once.

This week there has been a film festival. Last night me and mum went to a movie called 'Chang' - I think that means elephant. It was a silent movie made in Laos in 1927. It was about a family living in the jungle and the funny bit was the people living in the jungle had a pet monkey. It was difficult living in the forest because there was tigers, panthers, bears, elephants and pythons. Their house was knocked down by an elephant stampede.I saw the traps they made to catch animals. They dig a hole and disguise it. The animals were very clever and it was funny when they chased the humans. Lao musicians played music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emile's chin cracked open. I did it accidentally. it was really sad. We went to hospital in a tuk tuk. He got 4 stiches and he is still alive.

 

 

I fed elephants. Their nose is big and picks up bananas. I was very scared that the nose would pick my finger off, so I dropped the banana and the nose had to find it. It's amazing how they pick it up with their nose. The noses are bigger than you think. 

 

I am going to get 2 very small birds in a tiny bamboo cage. They are sold with the temple flowers for people to release. We are going to climb the mountain and let the birdies go. Mum's letting us do this because Emile was very brave in hospital and he wants the birds everytime we see them.

 

 

love to everybody

xxxxJoel