Luang Namtha, Laos New year, day 1

Unfortunately I’ve took some pictures today but lost all of them after a bad manipulation… The only thing I have is a tiny video I made with my phone that day, better than nothing. As planned, I met Tang, Chiang and all their chinese classmates today. They have been invited by the school academy to celebrate the Laos New Year. First, they offered a t-shirt to everyone and then we wished Happy New Year to each other by attaching a bracelet to the other person’s wrist. We do one wrist and then the other one. At the end of the day, you can end up with hundreds of bracelets on each wrist ;-) At the same time, some people distributed eggs but I could not find out why.
When that little “ceremony” was finished we sat around the table and started lunch. At this point, a woman standed up, picked up a container with water and walked around the tables. Person after person, she tapped your shoulder and then pour some fresh water in your back wishing you happy new year. The first time, it’s surprising and so cold but after a while you get use to, well, not when they put ice cubes in the water :-)
Then came the beer, the music and so on. During all the afternoon, some guy would walk around the place with a bottle of beer and make drink everyone they can. I hate beer… More I have to drink, and worse I think it is, beurk!
After 4pm we pursuited the rest of the afternoon in the river. I had a big surprise when I realised that 90% of the chinese did not know how to swim! Even in 50 cm of water they were scared. I’ve tried to explain the basics but in the river, with the current, it’s not the easier place to learn if you want to master your fear.