Reporting in....

So, what's happening with that daft woman in Laos?, you may be asking...

I am in fine fettle healthwise, except for the arthritis and such vicissitudes of age. I have heard about other people having arthritis and admired their bravery putting up with it, but I've never really understood what it feels like and now want to tell all you arthritics how much more I admire you than ever before. The knee is usually stiff, often painful and sometimes downright dangerous when it sort of gives way under me, and I cannot walk very far, especially on hard pavement without pain, although I can still dance like a madwoman. Feels dreadful the next day, of course.

Shark cartilage tablets, keeping limber with daily stretching and flexing, plus Pilates every week seems to be helping. Kneeling is still almost impossible and the graceful sideways kneel that one must adopt at ceremonies here is out. People have to help me up after a long baci ceremony.

I've also had my first bout of Dengue fever, but a very mild one. It was really going around during August, the height of the rains, so I guess it's logical. We are all learning vast amounts about dengue as friends and colleagues fall to the disease, a few every month.

The big news is that I have really had it with the noise in this neighbourhood and am planning to move. The restaurants along the road are more popular than ever and stay open until 11:30 every night with blaring music and jolly patrons loudly revelling and revving their motorbikes at all hours. Add to that my immediate neighbours who start shouting and banging and clattering and spitting at around five am as they get their all day restaurant going right under my window. They've now installed a tv outside in the restaurant so they can watch loud melodramatic soap operas and shrieking comedies after work, making my peaceful evenings on the verandah impossible. And their six dogs set up a din every time any body walks past, or even every time a passing cat investigates the rubbish outside, so sleeping through the night is becoming rare, and getting back to sleep again is difficult with the knee and all.

So I am looking for something farther out, and simpler, and with a large unpaved block of land were I can get my poor plants into the ground. Now they languish in pots and plants here are better when they can be given full rein to do what they want. I am propagating stuff and even giving them away but yearn for a proper place to really garden. Somewhere a bit west of town, preferably on an elevation with a view. I'll keep you posted.

So that's enough complaining. Otherwise, work continues to be challenging and satisfying. I am finished with my yearly stint at Amantaka for now but have moved on to a lovely textile producing operation here called Ock Pop Tock, where they design make and sell magnificent traditional textiles, plus have a beautiful riverside garden centre where you can watch the weavers and dyers working and even take classes in these arts. My job is to improve the English of the staff who translate for the classes, conduct the tours,sell the products, and work in the cafe. This means I am learning a hell of a lot about natural dyes, silk production, weaving, traditional textiles etc., etc. And loving it...

I am also spending an hour a day with a group of kids aged from 7 to 16 whose parents want them to improve their English. I just have to hang out with them, play games, answer questions and occasionally try to teach them a thing or two. It is mayhem, usually, with a lot of shrieking and laughing, fighting and teasing, but they love to sing Incey Wincey Spider, Row, Row Row your Boat and the ABC song and to play a game we invented which involves tossing a pillow at each other and calling out an English word, letter or number according to which category I nominate. This forces them to learn and remember what they learn and lets off steam at the same time. I draw on the whiteboard and improvise like mad and they are actually learning a thing or two, but it's fairly exhausting.

I am still sponsoring and mentoring young people who want an education, so anybody who wants to help with this, please let me know as there is a never-ending supply of worthy youngsters with no money and I am getting rapidly poorer keeping up with it all. I do a fair bit of job placement as well which is both fulfilling and frustrating. The need for good English speakers is endless and there are very few who qualify, so the good ones can name their price and be picky about the jobs they take.

And now I am writing for a travel website called Travelfish, which is a great way to use all my knowledge and experience of this place, get back into a bit of writing and make a bit of money. The technical chhallenges of posting the stuff have got me tearing my hair out just now but I'm sure that will sort itself out. Wish I had one or more of my kids here to help.....

Social life is as busy as ever with a recent highlight being a grand Thanksgiving dinner on a rooftop terrace withh 36 people, lots of turkey and wine and candles and fun. I did the candles and flowers and we all had a ball and an awful lot to eat.

I am getting ready for the usual influx of visitors for the high season which is on in earnest now. I actually enjoy these visits so don't be shy if you are planning to come to Luang Prabang anytime soon.

OK, that's yer lot....