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Chinese New Year is celebrated in Lao with lots of red and gold! It's not as big as Lao New Year, but it's another opportunity for some fun. |
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Lots of shops sell Chinese clothes for the new year, including for the little kids, complete with hats and little ques. |
We were invited to attend a special celebration at one of the international schools by one of our members. The outside hallway was decorated with flags of the home countries of students there. They learn English and Chinese, as well as other subjects.
Peter Curtis, the one in the center, is our Primary student in church and is the one who invited us to the performance.
Everyone was in a big room, with one end used for the performing area.
Peter above, and his brother Spencer below, enjoyed performing and Peter did well with one of his parts in Chinese. Their parents Mandy & Sam Curtis are Malay and Australian, a very nice family.
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Inside a nice hotel in Vientiane, they have a permanent display, but this lobby adornment is tailored for Chinese New Year at this time. |
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Staff at the hotel dressed in appropriate color for the event. |
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Enter the dragon! Two men inside put on quite an energetic show. |
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Dragon fight, with 2-tiered performers. Val is on the balcony in the back, getting a video. |
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These talented performers were changed out several times, without missing a beat. It gets hot under the dragon costume and they are constantly moving with a lot of energy. |
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The band, providing almost non-stop music, consisted of drums and cymbals. The men with fringed pants are the relief dancers that go in to replace the other performers in the dragon suits. |
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Hotel staff with the dragon people. |
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After the 20 minute performance, the performers went to a waiting truck to take them to another venue to perform. They did this for a couple of days. |
Onkeo, one of the Branch presidency, invited us to his home for a nice dinner during the celebration and in honor of Gary and Loretta Nielsen's visit. They were missionaries here from 2010-12 and were well-liked.
This is Kek, Onkeo's daughter. The picture on the wall is one of their ancestors.
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Leilani is a granddaughter of the branch president. She is a perky 4-year old and speaks both Lao and English. |
Gary and Loretta talk with Sone, the branch young women's president and a returned missionary who served in California.
Sone really is only about as tall as Gary sitting down.
Onkeo and his wife, Khamnoi, were gracious hosts and had quite a spread of food. They invite about 30 people for this special dinner every year.
Pres. Kompadith and his daughter, Koungnyang. Although she looks like she is about 13, she is an accomplished mother of 3 and speaks English very well. She is sometimes our interpreter.
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Grandpa with one of his grandsons. |
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This was the group for dinner, all members of the Church. And no, Gary and the elders in back are not standing on anything, although Elder Vance is on his tip toes. Missionaries include Glenn & Susan Singley, Elder Ty Christian Harman, Sis. Jenny Her, Judy & Val, Elder Kendall Vance, Sister Samantha Holmes. |
