All tied up

In Laos, I was the guest of honor at a baci ceremony. The purpose of the ceremony is to call the Kwan (spirit) back to the body, and to bind it there with strings tied to the wrists. It's often performed to welcome someone home or to prepare them for a safe journey. The village elders gather and sit in a circle. Food, flowers and white string are placed in the center. The elders call the Kwan through chants and then bind the guest's wrists with a dozen pieces of white string. The food is considered to be blessed and is eaten. It's accompanied with shots of homemade Lao whiskey! One woman was definitely into the shots and kept pouring them for the two of us! (I think this constituted a wild night for her!) The elders seemed to enjoy themselves, and hopefully my Kwan is content, too. I had to wear the strings for at least 3 days.