Pii Mai in Oz!

Pii Mai (Laos New year) and Easter just happen to take place around the same time of the year...this is a very good thing!

Pii Mai is full of festivities of throwing water (sometimes ice cold with blocks of ice in it) and cover people with menthol powder. As it is the hottest time of the year in Laos the cold water is most welcome....Something unique to laos though is the smearing of grease on ones face and clothes. Fortunatly this is confined to Luangprabung and tourist center for Laos. This April i choose to forgo these festivities and take a quick trip back to Oz for a surprise visit to my family followed by a quick trip from Brisbane to Sydney.

The surprise visit to my family was fantastic! David stood at the door and kept asking what i was doing in "here" ( i presumed that he was asking why i was in the kitchen), Jon just looked up and asked "what are you doing here" after a moment of blank expresion (next time i will have my camera ready!). And my neices gave me hugs! It was then off to Brisbane for a drive to Nambucca for a quick visit with my Grandma...who has made it all the way to the grand age of 80 only a week before (sorry i missed your party Grandma!). Then onto Sydney to catch up with friends ... not a moment to spare...why is it that time always goes by so quick when there is lots of fun being had! Oh well, will just have to go back for another visit!