The Center for Southeast Asian Studies » Laos

Bookshelf Spotlight: Southeast Asia & Folklore

Pahole Sookkasikon — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:47:13 +0000

Featured Books

* Folk Stories of the Hmong: Peoples of Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam
* A Glimpse of Vietnamese Oral Literature: Mythology, Tales, Folklore
* Cambodian Folk Stories from the Gatiloke
* In Grandmother’s House: Thai Folklore, Traditions, and Rural Village Life
* Indonesian Folktales

Folk Stories of the Hmong: Peoples of Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam

by Norma J. Livo, Dia Cha
ABC-CLIO/Greenwood, 1991

Hmong culture has had an oral tradition for millennia, but the language itself did not even exist in written form until the 1950s. Compiled by famed author and storyteller Norma Livo and coauthor, Dia Cha, this is the first collection of authentic Hmong tales to be published commercially in the English language. Beginning with a description of Hmong history, culture, and folklore, the book includes 16 pages of full-color photographs of Hmong dress and needlework and 27 captivating tales divided into three sections: beginnings; how/why stories; and stories of love, magic, and fun. Appropriate for high school and adult readers, with selected stories appropriate for younger children, this collection is an important addition to multicultural units.

ABC-CLIO/Greenwood | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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A Glimpse of Vietnamese Oral Literature: Mythology, Tales, Folklore

by Loc Dinh Pham
Xlibris Corporation, 2002

VIET NAM: The ancient Vietnamese believed that their nation came into existence in the third millennium before the Common Era. The excavated cultural remnants of the earliest inhabitants in the land suggest that their culture belonged to the Bronze-tools Age in around the 7th century before the Common Era. Vietnamese literature in oral form was first to appear in their earliest times long before their written language was established. Oral literature is viewed as a literary treasure of any country in the world of literature. One scholar in Europe once has suggested, “Les peuples se rejoingnent par leurs sommets, et par leurs racines, et different par l´entre-deux”. That is, peoples in the world come across at the summit or great thoughts, and at the bottom or oral literature, and differ in spaces between the two.

Xlibris Corporation | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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Cambodian Folk Stories from the Gatiloke

by Muriel Paskin Carrison
Tuttle Publishing, 1993

Fifteen folk stories with origins in the teachings of Buddhist monks and translations from the Gatiloke, an ancient literary tradition from Cambodia. The stories concern simple villagers, monks, lords, kings, talking animals, a Moslem, a Brahmani, even a “savage” Phong. Most of the stories will present difficulties for Western children. A thief escapes with a widow’s jewels, a king fails to keep his promise, an old woman plots to kill her son in order to marry a handsome youngster, but few of the offenders are punished; the point of the story lies else where. Carrison provides explanation in an introduction that gives an ac count of Buddhism and shows how its spirit infuses the tales. She also adds brief notes at the end of each story in order to make its meaning clear. An information-packed appendix contains a description of the land and people of Cambodia, a short history of the country, an account of village life, and a list of recommended readings aimed at adults. Attractive small line drawings are scattered throughout the book. Except for a few Cambodian tales included in the multi-volume set Folk tales from Asia for Children Every where (Weatherhill, 1975), there is nothing else available from this region. While some of the stories have a “worthy but dull” air about them, Carrison’s volume does go beyond filling the gap. More than a collection of folktales, it serves as an introduction to a little-known culture, exemplary in its scholarship and clarity. Ellen D. Warwick, Robbins Junior Lib., Arlington, Mass.

Tuttle Publishing | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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In Grandmother’s House: Thai Folklore, Traditions, and Rural Village Life

by Peter Robinson, Sorasing Kaowai
Monsoon Books Pte. Ltd., 2011

In Grandmother’s House is the fascinating true story of a boy’s childhood in a remote Thai village. Brought up by his grandmother—the village matriarch, healer and midwife—Sorasing Kaowai retells some of the folk stories, traditions and superstitions that his grandmother passed on to him, including the strange tale of a mysterious forest-dwelling tribe of pygmies, a fifteen-meter-long python and even a local Bigfoot!

Sorasing recounts how village healers diagnosed and treated illnesses with a ball of sticky rice and a length of string or, in especially difficult cases, an egg. He explains why some Thai men were, and still are, terrified of being visited by Phi Mae Mai, a female ghost with an insatiable sexual appetite, and he remembers his delight at seeing his first tractor, only to be warned off the machine by his grandmother: And what does a tractor return to the Earth Mother?

Thailand has developed greatly since Sorasing’s grandmother returned to the Earth Mother last century. Many of the ancient rural traditions that influenced and guided her long life have now been lost and forgotten. In Grandmother’s House preserves at least a few of them for future generations.

Monsoon Books Pte. Ltd. | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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Indonesian Folktales

by Murti Bunanta, Margaret Read MacDonald (Editor)
Libraries Unlimited, ABC-CLIO, 2003

The world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia is home to hundreds of ethnic groups with diverse cultures and languages. Focusing on the rich heritage of the country, this latest addition to the highly acclaimed World Folklore Series presents 29 stories from across Indonesia, most of which have never been published in the English language. Build your multicultural collection or expand your repertoire with tales that provide a moving and colorful image of the diversity and richness of the people and lands of Indonesia. Six thematic groups are presented: Jealous and Envious Brothers and Sisters; Stories of Independent Princesses; Stories of Ungrateful Children; Stories about Rice; Stories of Place Legends; and Stories of How Things Come to Be.

Libraries Unlimited, ABC-CLIO | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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Featured Publication – Spirits of the Place: Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture

Pahole Sookkasikon — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:07:07 +0000

Featured Book

* Spirits of the Place: Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture

Spirits of the Place: Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture

by John Clifford Holt
University Of Hawai’i Press, 2011
New in Paperback

Spirits of the Place is a rare and timely contribution to our understanding of religious culture in Laos and Southeast Asia. Most often studied as a part of Thai, Vietnamese, or Khmer history, Laos remains a terra incognita to most Westerners—and to many of the people living throughout Asia as well. John Holt’s new book brings this fascinating nation into focus. With its overview of Lao Buddhism and analysis of how shifting political power—from royalty to democracy to communism—has impacted Lao religious culture, the book offers an integrated account of the entwined political and religious history of Laos from the fourteenth century to the contemporary era.

Holt advances the provocative argument that common Lao knowledge of important aspects of Theravada Buddhist thought and practice has been heavily conditioned by an indigenous religious culture dominated by the veneration of phi, spirits whose powers are thought to prevail over and within specific social and geographical domains. The enduring influence of traditional spirit cults in Lao culture and society has brought about major changes in how the figure of the Buddha and the powers associated with Buddhist temples and reliquaries—indeed how all ritual spaces and times—have been understood by the Lao. Despite vigorous attempts by Buddhist royalty, French rationalists, and most recently by communist ideologues to eliminate the worship of phi, spirit cults have not been displaced; they continue to persist and show no signs of abating. Not only have the spirits resisted eradication, but they have withstood synthesis, subordination, and transformation by Buddhist political and ecclesiastical powers.

Rather than reduce Buddhist religious culture to a set of simple commonalities, Holt takes a comparative approach, using his nearly thirty years’ experience with Sri Lanka to elucidate what is unique about Lao Buddhism. This stimulating book invites students in the fields of the history of religion and Buddhist and Southeast Asian studies to take a fresh look at prevailing assumptions and perhaps reconsider the place of Buddhism in Laos and Southeast Asia.

University Of Hawai’i Press | Goodreads | Amazon | Google Books

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Four Thousand Years of SEA Art Podcast

Ronald Gilliam — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:21:18 +0000

Hawai’i’s strong connection with Southeast Asia is probably most easily felt through the influx of residents from the area. Many don’t realize that the University of Hawai’i is an extraordinary resource for Southeast Asian scholarship, the only university in the U.S. with Southeast Asianists in both art history and archaeology, a Center for Southeast Asian Studies plus related faculty in the history department. Noe Tanigawa found two specialists for this visit with “Four Thousand Years of Southeast Asian Art” at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. “Four Thousand Years of Southeast Asian Art,” works from Ban Chiang, Angkor and the Sukhothai Kingdom, continues at the Honolulu Academy of Arts through January 9th. Check www.honoluluacademy.org for details.

Link to podcast on Hawaii Public Radio

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Next Generation in Asian Affairs Fellowship

Ronald Gilliam — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 01:41:27 +0000

The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) is pleased to announce the Next Generation Leadership in Asian Affairs Fellowship for 2011-12. This year-long program, based in Seattle, focuses on bridging the gap between scholarship and policymaking. Fellows support NBR research projects and collaborate with leading scholars to conduct independent research and share research findings with the policymaking community in Washington, D.C.

The fellowship is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Individuals who have received their master’s degree diplomas up to twelve months prior to the application deadline may apply to the program. Applicants must have completed a master’s or equivalent professional degree (MA, MBA, LLM, JD, etc.) by the time the fellowship begins. Prospective fellows should apply only for the year that they expect to participate. No deferrals are permitted.

The Next Generation Leadership program, now entering its sixth year, is training young Asia specialists from a wide variety of fields to bridge the gap between scholarly research and the needs of U.S. policy toward a rapidly changing Asia.

The application deadline is January 15, 2011. Fellowships begin June 1, 2011, and conclude May 31, 2012. For further information and application materials, please visit the Next Generation Fellowship website: http://nbr.org/about/nextgenfellowship.aspx.

The print-friendly announcement posting is available at: http://nbr.org/downloads/pdfs/NBR/NextGen_announcement_2010.pdf

For more employment, funding, internships, and professional networking opportunities, please join the CSEAS Alumni & Community Linkedin Group!

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Secretary Clinton Honolulu Speech

Ronald Gilliam — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:33:30 +0000

View Secretary Clinton’s speech at the Kahala Hotel in Honolulu Waikiki on October 28, 2010 entitled, “America’s Engagement in the Asia-Pacific” below:

US Dept. of State | Official Speech Transcript | Facebook Page | Twitter Feed

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Laos Links

Ronald Gilliam — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:59:34 +0000

General Information

Embassy of Laos
World Press
CIA World Factbook
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
US-ASEAN Business Council
Doing Business (Laos)
Lonely Planet World Guide
WWW Virtual Library
Outreach World
University of Hawaii Press
Thailand, Laos, Cambodian Study Group

Language Learning

Lao Language Fonts
Online Dictionary

Newspapers

Vientiane Times (English)
Vientiane Mai (Thai)
Pasaxon (Thai)
Le Renovateur (French)
Lao News Agency (French)

Forums

Forum on Laos (English)
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Travel Forum

Blogs

Blog for Laos

Wish to share a link not posted on this page? Contact us and let us know!

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SEA Heritage, Community Development, and the Role of Archaeologists in the Process

Ronald Gilliam — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:41:39 +0000

Anthropology Colloquium Series Occasional Seminar
Co-Sponsored by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies
Thursday, September 16th, 3:00 pm, Crawford Hall 105
Presented by Dr. Nigel Chang, Department of Archaeology, James Cook University

At the end of February, 2010, the (now) James Cook University led 10th excavation season at Ban Non Wat, Northeast Thailand was completed. The Ban Non Wat excavations are one of the longest-running archaeological research projects in Southeast Asia, and this project has led to greater, local, public involvement and interest than might otherwise be the case. Currently, strong local government interest is being translated into the building of a Community Learning Centre; some are arguing that the site be nominated for World Heritage status.

How did this come about? Is this the sort of thing that archaeologists should be doing? Is there such a thing as too much knowledge or community involvement, and does this intensity of research provide fuel for the illicit trafficking in antiquities? These questions will all be considered at Ban Non Wat as well as for another (also JCU-led) ongoing project; this time based in Laos and with a significant commercial component. Of particular interest is the issue of how the Laos-based project’s status as a contract archaeology project affects the nature of community engagement.

SPEAKER BIO:

Dr. Nigel Chang (Lecturer, Department of Anthropology, Archaeology and Sociology) holds a Ph.D. from the University of Otago and co-directs the Society and Environment at Ban Non Wat, Northeast Thailand Project. He has worked in Thailand since 1991, worked in Cambodia several times, and currently also directs archaeological research in Laos.

Photos – NEW | Podcast – COMING SOON

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Torn from Home: My Life as a Refugee

Ronald Gilliam — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:41:08 +0000

8 June – 16 October at the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Museum

A traveling exhibit on the world’s refugees has made its way to Honolulu. “Torn From Home: My Life as a Refuge” takes young visitors and adults on an inspiring, hands-on journey into the lives of millions of children who were forced to flee their homes in conflict regions throughout the world.

The exhibit is on a national five-year tour and will celebrate its grand opening at the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center on June 20, recognized as World Refugee Day, with vibrant cultural performances, ethnic foods and more from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The exhibit will remain in Hawaii through October 16, 2010.

“Torn From Home: My Life as a Refugee” gives children and adults an opportunity to gain a firsthand look into the often challenging realities faced by refugee children and their families, and yet experience the personal triumphs of rebuilding their lives in a new land. It showcases seven exhibit areas: Home, Losing Home, Registration, Refugee Camp, Medical Clinic and Going Home.

The self-guided tour walks museum visitors through exhibit areas where they will learn about the shelter, food, medical care, schooling, and play activities of children in refugee camps. The exhibition features interactive multimedia, as well as photographs, artwork and testimonials of refugee children from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, and Afghanistan.

“By hosting this exhibit, we hope that children and adults in Hawaii become more aware of what is happening in other countries throughout the world,” says Loretta Yajima, president of the Board of Directors at the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center. “We hope that awareness will help them to develop a sense of empathy and compassion, while also exploring themes such as “What makes a home?” and “What is peace?”

The Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center has partnered with local community organizations, as well as individuals from regions including Laos, Vietnam and Burma, to recognize Hawaii’s own refugee populations. Monthly cultural events will showcase each culture through food, performances, and more.

The Center has also crafted extension exhibits specifically designed to address Hawaii’s diverse immigrant communities. Children will gain traits such as understanding the beauty of our differences by participating in various projects, such as creating a peace quilt. The Center itself has galleries of hands-on, interactive exhibits that help children learn about themselves and the world beyond our Island shores through exploration and guided self-discovery.

“Torn From Home: My Life as a Refugee” was developed in partnership with Lied Discovery Children’s Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, and international aid organizations including UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. Philanthropist and part-time Hawaii resident, Pam Omidyar helped conceive the exhibit and personally provided core funding. Transportation funding to Hawaii was provided by Unbound Philanthropy.

Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center | Torn From Home: My Life as a Refugee Exhibit

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SEA Radio on the Web

Ronald Gilliam — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:43:11 +0000

Looking for a place to listen to radio from across southeast asia? The CSEAS staff recently discovered radiotime, a free streaming radio program online called radiotime! All the major southeast asian countries are listed, in addition to other countries across the globe. Some countries are even further categorized by locality! Check out the site and be sure to let us know what you think!

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Muslim Societies in Asia & the Pacific Launch

Ronald Gilliam — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:20:04 +0000

Until today, the Muslim Societies in Asia & the Pacific program (MSAP) only had a facebook presence online, so we are very excited to announce their new website: http://www.msiahawaii.com! We hope our readers enjoy the site as much as we do!

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies would like to recognize the incredible efforts of graduate assistants, Nezia and Effendy, who were instrumental in the building of the Muslim Societies in Asia program. The quality and success of the current MSIAP is a testament to their hard work and the CSEAS wishes them the best of luck on their future endeavors.

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