Dear Kongkeo,

You deserve warm encouragement for your poem on the subject. You are

probably one of the few Lao who can write that way and be able to 

express your inner feelings pretty well.

Dr. Bolyvong

Sabaydii Kongkeo,

I am an old man about to retire from university soon !!!  Oh, yes the

headline " Coming Home" caught my eyes when I browsed through the

SCL. When I finished reading it I realize that my eyes were moist with

tear. That made an old man homesick I must say that you are gifted in

literature, in leadership, and admire your courage.

All the best wishes

Hakphaang.

Kham Pheuy Daraphet

Dear Mr. Saycocie:

I think it's time for me to take a moment to validate and honor what 

you've been doing all along. To make a drastic change in the course of Laos History or any history for that matter, it often involves the very few who have great inspirations and dreams and persistency. The amazing thing that you're doing here is to cultivate the fruit of the Laos spirits--the poetry, 

the arts and to instill and bring back a sense of natural peace and beauty of what being a Laotian person really is and what Muang Laos (Laos) represents.

Even though I haven't been back in Laos for over twenty years, I still 

Have these wonderful and an awed sense of memory of the country. Your poem brings back memory of growing up in Pakse for the first six years of my life—the joy of swimming freely in the lake, the beauty and sweetness in the acreas of jackfruits that my father owned (and abandoned when the communists took over) and paddling in a homemade canoe during the monsoon flood to pick up string beans and much more memories. 

Literature, media and global economic sense is what I believe will help 

Many Laotians today. First, however, the sense of being oneself--being a 

Laotian or Lao-American--will do wonder to start out. Without a good awareness of the Laos culture, it would be a bit confusing to truly feel a sense of what being a Laotian means and vice versa. For that, I thank you for your contribution to this cause by bringing literature and media into a meaningful purpose. 

Thebe

LanXang,

Again, I love your easy-flow verses.  In fact, personally I think they

are the most enlightened pieces I've ever read here in SCL.

Your verses are like hundreds and hundreds of snapshots of Laos & life 

there, with you intermittently showing in one of the pictures, sometimes

looking puzzled, sometimes looking happy, sometimes looking sad.

It’s great to see good but easy writing, in which the author talks about

serious things without taking himself too seriously; or in which he 

knows his place IN TIME, where his puzzlement over as well as wonderment

of himself and his past and present gives you a sense of reality of 

tremendous vividness.

Again, keep on showing us your “snapshots” of life and living as your 

“camera” records them in Laos, a country of my birth, too, but a 

country that is so remote in space and time, I know I probably will 

never rendevous with it again this life time.

Her Lao 

Hi Ai Kongkeo,

Beautiful pieces, brought tears to my eyes as you describe first 

Meeting with your uncle.   

-Thanh Vongdara

Sabaidee ai Kongkeo and all,

Thank you for writing "Meeting my old folks." I enjoyed the story very 

much. What a tribute to your father. When the speaker knelt down to his uncle (whom you described as 'my dad's only brother..') with tears in his eyes, I was very touched. The memories that were evoked by the trip home and the thoughts of your father were very fresh and the poem brought those emotions out very well. Thank you.

Hak Paeng,

Soudary

Sabaidee Ai Kongkeo.

Thanks you for sharing your writing and personal experiences. 

Keeps it coming; I feel I almost there every step with your stories. 

Again Korp Jai Lai-lai Der!

Huchpaeng/Sokdee.

Tip.

I second ai Tip's motion.  Your sharing are quite a treasure.  Do keep 

Them following der.  I'd love to see you get 'em published one day.   I'll add them to my small but valuable collection of Lao lit. =)

Huk Phang,

DeoN

Thank you for sharing your experiences.   A lot of your experiences and

feeling are similar to mine when I went home for the first time in October 2002.   My heart too was crying tears of sadness for the people.   

During my visit, I went to Pakse twice to shop and watch boats race.  Boat race was a joyful event, however, the sight of young soldiers disgusted me.  The presence of them in full uniform make it feels like a battlefield rather than peaceful event.  

Looking forward to reading more of your writing.  

-Thanh Vongdara

thanks for the series ai kongkeo.  good thoughts all around.  goes hand 

in hand with what i am reading from grant evans, "a brief history of 

laos."

peace,

dha

sad and poignant story. is this the social fabric of today's laos? 

-casalao

 

does khamtay and company read english at all? if they do, they need to

read these beautiful laonok poems. might change their minds after all

these years.

 

-casalao

 

Sabaidee,

 

   After a long 7 year absence from the SCL forum, it just happened that I decided to check it out today and I ran in to your poems and I really enjoy reading them.

 

Thongsay Ken Phanlouvong

 

 

Hi,

 

I'm from from MKE, Wisconsin, and I recently resuscitated my activity with SJD.  I've read through your 'coming home' series, and I wondered if you have a compilation of the whole stories behind the people you dedicate your poetry to.  Just curious to know.  I think they'd be honored to know that you've reflected on the moments of your encounter with them as a special moment in your life.

Thanks for sharing,
Laty

 

 

Very sad -- and very insightful (your observations) – indeed

 

Her Lao

 

 

Lan Xang:

 

The word "Thakhek" brings me very fond memories as well, although I

was not born there. As still a very young boy, I used to live with the

family of my uncle's wife (my aunt) while studying in the capital.

Several years earlier, they used to live in Thakhek before moving back

to Vientiane.  I believed the father (the Boun-gna-saeng) used to be

Chao Khaeng (or Chao Muang?) of Khammouane province ( or of Thakhaek

city) for a period of time. The house was filled with relatives and

other young people from Thakhek who stayed with the family temporarily

while studying in the capital.  They used to tell stories (with their

special Thakhek accent) about their youthful, joyful, and "sans souci"

life in Thakhaek, including their annual attendance of the Thaat

Phanom festival on the opposite side of the Mekong. They proudly sang

the Thai song about Sao Thakhek (by the Thai singer Kaan Keosouphanh

???: ...Sao Thakhaek Raek hen yark som... Sao Lao Chai Dee...) and

later the Lao song (by???...Thakhek suay ngaam dang daen savanh, eek

bor naan khaa nee ja tao khup maa...........nuung nai anah ngaam thae

thakhaek nee euy..).

 

Just a flash-backs of nostalgic memories induced by parusing through

your moving story.

 

Hak Phaeng

 

Noiy

 

Lan Xang has been so insightful and kind enough to

bother writing up and sharing with us his personal experience and

feeling about current Laos as well as the places and people that we

left more than two decades ago. I find his poems very moving.

 

Hak Phaeng

 

Noiy

 

as i read these wonderful poems by lanxang they remind me of a book i 

read long long time ago 'la condition humaine' (man's fate) by andre 

malraux the famous french author. there is no relation of course for 

lanxang describes today's laos while andre malraux described the early 

20th century china. 

but then both talk about the human existence in a specific place and 

time. so whether it is a novel or a set of poems they come out about the 

same...it is all about the human existence. so i have to say that 

lanxang is our scl and to a larger and profound degree a contemporary 

lao existentialist.

-casalao

 

Khun LanXang:

From your writing I realized that  you hate Thai people perhaps, for a

good reason.  Nevertheless, i wanted you to know that I have been

follow your writing with great admiration.  You are very gifted with

the alliteration style of writing.  Some time I read your series with

tears in my eyes.

Although I have limited knowledge of Lao, But I sincerely wish that

Lao would move forward in the right direction and above all else, I

wish that Lao would be free and prosper for generations to come.

I love and respect the wonderful characteristic of Lao people.  I love

and admire the innocent and the unpretentiousness of Lao people.  In my

opinion, this is truly a great quality and unique only to Lao people.

Noi

 

To Kongkeo Saycocie,  

 

Dear Kongkeo,

 

I do not know whether this message will get to you or not as I do not

Know your email address. However, my sincere thanks for sharing your "coming home" series with us. Your photos bring tears to my eyes. No matters where we happen to be, we are still Laotians. I was born in Soukhouma(Champassak) but spent my childhood in Pakse where I did my high School at Lycee de Pakse before I got Columbo Plan Scholarship

To study in Australia.

 

I went back to Pakse in 1995 before my mother passed away.

It was amazing how everything was so run down...I could not even

Recognize my own High School because it was so poorly maintained.

The corruption was even worse than before. I was so scared that I did

NOT dare say anything while I was there. My own classmates asked me if Laos is better or worse under the new regime...I just politely smiled.

I hope to be able to go back again one day.

 

Haakpheng.

 

Bounchanh Vannapraseuth.      

Gippsland Pathology Service

Princes Highway

Traralgon West....3844 VIC

Australia

 

Kongkeo

Congratulation to your new website, I was also followed your journeys from SLC, from the day one. A lot of sentences were touching my heart very much. Furthermore most of your expression was somehow broke my heart, and make me thinking of my mother's home land - the original place where I was born, grown up, and spent almost a quarter century before I came to the 3rd country. I was also dreaming of coming home one day to be back there before I die because of my chance was very slim to see those places again.

Best Regards

Oula

 

Aloha ai Kongkeo,

 

I've read some of your "Coming Home" series. It is a very good piece of modern poetry, a useful kind of poetry. Note: On the "the rest of the installments" page, you have the war which destroyed Wat Prakeo happened in 1928. Is this correct? I don't know. Is it 1828? Would you mind if I make a link from my website to your site? It will be in the "Art and Culture" page.

 

Best regards,

Dr. Mana Southichack

 

 

Dear Kong Keo,

That was a good story you put on about your strip to Laos.

Very well done.

Comments are very good and thoughtful.

Waiting to see more pictures of you in Laos.

By the way you are not the only one who had to leave your old "Dok
Hak"... I believe many of us had to do the same thing....

Above all the story is very well done... Thank you for sharing the
story and picture of your visit.

 

Sincerely

Dr. Som-Ock Syharath

 

 

What a great story Kongkeo. I haven't had much chance to read it 

Until today.

I will read the last ones when I have more time.

The story makes me feel as if I was at home.

Soudachan

 

It's been a pleasure reading every sentences and

paragraphs of inspiring poems. I definitely will refer

it to many of my friends and families. Thank you

Ting from Georgia

 

I really like reading your writings. They are well

thought of and well worded. Until now I was only able

to read up to the 96-98 installment. I am a slow

reader. I left Laos when I was really young. I

remember how I hated to have to leave Laos behind. My

heart was always with Laos.

Phoukhong from Canada

 

Hi my brother, As I read, it made me thinking of Laos

more and more. That's very sad about our country. The

rich gets richer, the poor gets poorer. Corruption is

the main issue there.

 

Noy Saycocie from Wisconsin

 

Excellent site, Kongkeo.

Dr. Pao from Australia

 

ຍາອ້າຍລາວເກົ່າ
ງາມແລ້ວເດີ ທັງສອງອັນ ດີໃຈນຳ
ບ່າວລາວ

 

ສຳບາຍດີລາວເກົ່າ
ຂໍຊື່ນຊົມນຳຜົລວຽກຂອງເຈົ້າທຸກໆຕ່ອນ
ຂໍ້ຄວາມຕ່າງໆທີ່ເຈົ້າເອົາລົງໃນເ­ວັພໄຊຕ໌ທັງ
໓ ຂອງເຈົ້າ
ລ້ວນແຕ່ປຣະກອບດ້ວຍສິ່ງທີ່ເປັນສາ­ຣະທັງເຫມີດ
ຊາວລາວທັງມວນຈະໄດ້ຮັບປຣະໂຫຍດຈາກ­ເວັພໄຊຕ໌
ຂອງເຈົ້າຢ່າງບໍ່ຕອ້ງສົງສັຍ
ຂໍຊື່ນຊົມນຳດ້ວຍຄວາມສັຈຈິງອີ່ຫລີ

ອີ່ລຸງທອງວັນ