Laos

Latest news on laos

CC licensed off-the-grid weaving cooperatives up for $1.5M prize

Cameron sez, The non-profit Architecture for Humanity and Lulan Artisans are vying for $1.5M worth of funding to build weaving cooperatives in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and India. These centers will be designed through the Open Architecture Network with the Creative Commons Developing Nations License. These funds will allow 6000 women access to a stable income and create an alternative to the human trafficking going on in many of these rural villages. Voting for the AmEx Members Prize is on September 1st and the top 25 go through. This project is currently in 27th place out of 1190. Vote for Architecture for Humanity and Lulan at Amex Members Project (Thanks, Cameron!)...

Roomate needed for a 2BD/2Bath swank SOMA Condo w/ big outdoor garden (SOMA / south beach) $1500

I'm losing my wonderful roommate to the inevitable serious boyfriend move-in, and I'm interested in finding another fabulous person to take her place. About the Apartment: Construction finished on The Lansing finished in '07, so everything in the apartment in brand-spankin' new. I bought the place and moved in a year and a half ago. Common spaces (living, dining, and kitchen) are fully furnished in a clean, Crate and Barrel-esque style. Open living/dining/kitchen area opens onto a 450 square foot private patio (see picture below). It's perfect for outdoor entertaining. Your own room will be delivered empty. It is connected directly to your bathroom and it has sliding doors that open onto the patio. Full workout center in the building means you need no gym membership. Bonus! In unit washer/dryer. View from the roof deck is pretty much unbeatable (will send pictures upon request). Street parking is remarkably easy at night. If you commute to the East Bay or the Peninsula, the place is right on 80/101/280/Caltrain. It's also only steps from the financial district. About Me: I'm an outgoing, social 26-year-old, originally from the East Coast, but I moved to California for college and grad school, and I've been here ever since. I teach kindergarten at a charter school in East Palo Alto, so I leave early and come home around 6-ish on weekdays. I am spending this summer in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and am pretty big into to travel in general. An average weeknight for me could include salsa dancing and drinks with friends, or just heating up delicious Trader Joe's frozen food and watching the Daily Show on the personal televisions while working out in the gym. I don't smoke or do drugs, but I drink socially. I'm interested in having a friendly, no-stress relationship with a fun and considerate roommate. About You: Easygoing and friendly non smoker with stable income. Fairly neat but not adverse to the occasional coat left hanging over a chair or wine glass in the sink. Not a wild partier but down for the life style of a mid-twenties city liver. The room is October 1st ish. E-mail me a bit about your self and I'll send over more photos.

A pen, a passport, a mission for Laos

In Laos, where books are a rare commodity, one mystery writer puts the nation in print ? and helps put books in the nation.

ENVIRONMENT PHOTOS WEEKLY: Asia Floods, NYC Storm, More

Blue skies illuminate Beijing, floodwaters rise in a Buddha park in Laos, and more in our weekly roundup of nature news photos.

ENVIRONMENT-THAILAND: River Diversion Plans For Whose Benefit?

BANGKOK, Aug 4 (IPS) - Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s plans to divert water from rivers in neighbouring Laos to help feed agricultural production faces stiff opposition from activists, who argue the ambitious projects could threaten the environment and local people’s lives.

One Bedroom/One Bath Available in Swank Two Bed/Two Bath SOMA Condo (SOMA / south beach) $1500

I'm losing my wonderful roommate to the inevitable serious boyfriend move-in, and I'm interested in finding another fabulous person to take her place. About the Apartment: Construction finished on The Lansing finished in '07, so everything in the apartment in brand-spankin' new. I bought the place and moved in a year and a half ago. Common spaces (living, dining, and kitchen) are fully furnished in a clean, Crate and Barrel-esque style. Open living/dining/kitchen area opens onto a 450 square foot private patio (see picture below). It's perfect for outdoor entertaining. Your own room will be delivered empty. It is connected directly to your bathroom and it has sliding doors that open onto the patio. Full workout center in the building means you need no gym membership. Bonus! In unit washer/dryer. View from the roof deck is pretty much unbeatable (will send pictures upon request). Street parking is remarkably easy at night. If you commute to the East Bay or the Peninsula, the place is right on 80/101/280/Caltrain. It's also only steps from the financial district. About Me: I'm an outgoing, social 26-year-old, originally from the East Coast, but I moved to California for college and grad school, and I've been here ever since. I teach kindergarten at a charter school in East Palo Alto, so I leave early and come home around 7-ish on weekdays. I am spending this summer in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and am pretty big into to travel in general. An average weeknight for me could include salsa dancing and drinks with friends, or just heating up delicious Trader Joe's frozen food and watching the Daily Show on the personal televisions while working out in the gym. I don't smoke or do drugs, but I drink socially. I'm interested in having a friendly, no-stress relationship with a fun and considerate roommate. About You: Easygoing and friendly non smoker with stable income. Fairly neat but not adverse to the occasional coat left hanging over a chair or wine glass in the sink. Not a wild partier but down for the life style of a mid-twenties city liver. The room will available sometime after August 22 or starting September 1st. I am currently out of the country so I need to do a lot of the initial stuff via email. Also, it may take me a few days to respond 'cause I'm very much so on the road. E-mail me a bit about your self and I'll send over more photos.

Laos sunshine turns villagers green

Only 48 per cent of Laotians are connected to the electrical grid. Access to electricity is limited due to lack of infrastructure and high costs so most rural communities rely on environmentally un... more from enki...

Traditional Lao music, remixed in random YouTube video

A funky little video of traditional "Mor lam" singing. Here's what Wikipedia says about this genre: Contemporary forms of the music are also characterised by quick tempi and rapid delivery, while tempo tend to be slower in traditional forms and in some Lao genres. Some consistent characteristics include strong rhythmic accompaniment, vocal leaps, and a conversational style of singing that can be compared to American rap. Typically featuring a theme of unrequited love, mor lam also reflects the difficulties of life in rural Isan and Laos, leavened with wry humour. Link (Thanks, Alex Ringis). Update: commenter Wisekwai out-weirds me with this culturally related video, which includes obliquely simulated bestiality and Thai furries....

CAMBODIA: Wave of Dam Projects Calls for New Approaches

PHNOM PENH, Jun 10 (IPS) - An explosion of dam building projects along the Sekong River in Laos, the Mekong river’s largest tributary, is prompting Cambodian and foreign experts to warn of significant downstream impacts and call for new approaches to governing the cross-border issues that arise from the use of the Mekong’s water resources.