All posts tagged: halloween

In spirit of the season: Haunting sights in Laos, Thailand

VIENTIANE, Laos – From the light-hearted to the macabre, ghosts and spirits have recently been visiting the area. Below are two must-see spots where the living may meet the dead. Ben Hansaa – The Funhouse View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jason Rolan (@jasonrolan) After the revolution, believing in spirits was officially discouraged, but belief in them still remains strong. This year, the end of Buddhist Lent fell at nearly the same time as Halloween. In the carnival erected annually at Vientiane’s Boat Racing festival, there is a haunted house where youths dare each other to face the horrors inside. In Thailand, or America, this would be called a Ban Phi Sing or “Haunted House,” but bowing to official sentiments, it’s simply called Ban Hansaa or “Funhouse.” Chair and Noose – Khon Kaen Manifesto View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jason Rolan (@jasonrolan) Shifting focus to Thailand’s Isan region, one of the original Lao diaspora communities where people of Lao descent outnumber the current population of Laos by almost 400 …

Happy Hallaoween: Lao Pumpkin Spice Edition

Happy HalLAOween! The first snow has hit and so in between getting dressed up as your favorite scary phi and other costumes for Halloween, it sounds like as good a time as any to share the latest delight (or horror) from the Little Laos on the Prairie kitchen! This year, we’re demonstrating that orange things don’t have to be scary! Pumpkin spice for your lattes and chai is all of the rage as it makes its way back for the season, but we know Lao can do it way better! (Without adding real pumpkin to it, like some people demanded a few years back. #PeopleUnclearOnTheConcept) Fortunately, this one is super easy to make in as little as 5 minutes.You’ll need ground cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You can experiment to taste, but we found approximately that the ratio should be approximately: 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 1.5 teaspoons ground all spice 1.5 teaspoons ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground lemongrass The lemongrass will be particularly overpowering if …