============================================================== To reach ALL SJD members, please send to sjd@satjadham.net ... Do NOT include any other addresses when sending to the list... Include as LITTLE of the original messages as possible........ Message sent by: LanXang Siengkhene *** Announcement: *** Please register for SatJaDham Fifth Annual conference at the website http://www.satjadham.org/sjd5sd/ ============================================================== Generally, Thakek was a quiet town. Hardly, there was any activity besides the Buddhist festivals. In the street, as expected, there were no cars but occasionally bicycles passing by. Sometimes, you could even take a nap right in the middle of the street. For me, like most Thakekians, walking was a means of transportation. In fact, it was really fun to walk especially after school had been over for the day. Most of the time, the street was completely occupied by students. I was not in a hurry at all. As always, I liked to stop for quite a good time when I passed the stream. Up from the bridge, I could see the boat passing by. At times, I would even see someone catch the fish right out of the stream. I, myself, never had a good luck catching a fish, even a tiny one. Most of the fish, I got when I went fishing were a courtesy of my friend. Besides using the fishing rod, he used the trapping net laying across the stream to catch the fish. No wonder he could bring home a bucket full of fish almost every day. By the way, he was a good boat rower too. Too bad that his boat was full of leaking holes that whenever I got on the boat with him, I had to continually pour the sipping water out. He, himself, didn't mind if his boat capsized once in a while for it will give him a chance to take a bath. Me, I couldn't stand the thought of hanging on to the capsized boat. Why? Because I didn't know how to swim. I who, most of my childhood, lived by the Mekong River couldn't swim. It was like the saying "living by the river and still have to buy Padaek." What a shame indeed! (to be continued) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com _ ***************************************************************** Visit SatJaDham Homepage at: http://www.satjadham.org (or .net) *****************************************************************