Since I have not prepared any glutinous rice, flower, and fruits to offer, I gave up the idea of paying a visit, but I decided just to go there to see how things are going at the temple. First of all, I went to a temple only about 50 meters away from home. It is located almost diagonally opposite. What I saw in the precincts was many ownerless dogs, but there was a mat spread in the garden, and a microphone has been set up as well. I then went to the Nak temple located about 100 meters in the opposite direction. This is the main temple in this area. There were three elderly people offering incense sticks and flowers. A monk came out with a book in his hand, and kindly invited me "Would you like to join us for a dinnerÉ?" Being a bit concerned what they would serve me, I said "I am sorryÉ," and kept walking. Then I arrived at Si Ampon temple about 500 meters away. There I saw a quite many young ladies who have been dressed up nicely. They were wearing gorgeous sin skirts. As I looked closer, there also were several young men with cameras hanging down from their necks. I noticed one of them talking something with s group of four ladies. He then told the ladies to form a line, and started taking pictures. Those men must be photographers. Their job is to take pictures at a sightseeing spot and on an important Buddhism event day. That was why they were prowling about. The reason why I have not realized their existence until today is because they have no interest in us, the travelers. They know that there is no traveler without a camera. So they do not even try to talk to us. In Laos, only wealthy people own cameras. So, I suppose, if ordinary people want to have some pictures taken for commemoration, they would have to ask the traders. As a matter of fact, when I traveled to Vietnam, I think I saw the same kind of photographers there as well.

According to Hinayana Buddhism, a woman cannot enter the priesthood. There are some women who live at a temple after getting a divorce from their husbands and losing a place to live, or who receive lessons from monks in order to attain Buddhahood, but, unlike men, they are not allowed to practice asceticism by following the strict religious precepts. Thus, women would pay a visit to a temple and make an offering to monks on a day like this to practice a virtue. That might be why nine out of ten people I saw at the temple were females at all ages from those unmarried young ones to elderly ones. It well indicates that women contribute a great deal in supporting Buddhism in Laos.

P.S:
I found out that, while I was visiting the U.S., another Japanese friend of mine also had someone breaking into the house. She and her husband have locked the bedroom, and were in a deep sleep at that time. She told me that she remembers hearing some noise of someone barking a tree, and herself asking "What is that noiseÉ" half asleep and half awake. Then they were astonished when they woke up the next morning. The grating of the window has been removed (This was done by using a screwdriver), and they found that their house was broken into. Before everything, they went to check two computers in a study. They were almost sure that the computers would have been stolen, but surprisingly, both of them remained intact. A camera and other electrical products were also safe.

So, they examined what have been stolen...

Flashlight
Cap
Screwdriver (the best one among all they had)
Work gloves

Well, what on earth does the robbery mean by stealing such things?

Translated by Maiko Noda