~ JUL 3 2002

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The Advice Column
From: TX
- I just wanted to write to say thanks, not only for the website as a whole but especially for the Advice Column. It's very insightful and it gives people like me an avenue to ask specific questions. Truthfully, I've learnt a lot just from reading the Column.

Reply:

Thank you for your kind and supportive words. We certainly try hard to answer all questions and to answer them factually. It's very nice to receive these comments - it helps to remind us at LCW why we do, what we do and that is to educate.

The best inquiries that are sent into LCW will be signed with a name and include a brief but detailed and specific question(s). The not-so-good ones are questions we have already answered, arrive unsigned with a name, or the ones that ask more than a couple of questions. Believe it or not, we have had some people actually send in e-mails asking a dozen or more questions in a single e-mail. Or they ask questions that are simply too broad.

Of course however we'll try to answer as many as we can. I'll be the first to say that when we aren't able to answer something, we'll be honest about it and try to include some recommendations. But we'll continue to keep our research-eyes open for possible future answers to your inquiries.

We appreciate everyone's interest in Laos, Laotians and the culture and will do our best to answer as many, if not all, letters/e-mails that we receive. Remember, help keep the Advice Column alive and send in your question(s) today! Something that you want to ask or learn about, someone else may be curious to read and learn about too. So don't be shy. Write us!

Reply:

There are a few common ones throughout Laos. They include:

For example they will do a 'sukhuan' with all the friends, family and relatives as well as presiding monks. Another example, before the cremation they insert jewllery into the mouth of the deceased. When the body is cremated one of more prominent objects left are the ashes but also those pieces of jewllery. The young children are permitted to run up to the ashes and retrieve this jewllery. It is often said that the young individual who is able to get the items is the one that the deceased individual loved most or was most fond of. There are stories of this throughout Laos where after several children run up to the ashes that only a few where able 'see' and get the items.