nPosted on January 20, 2019
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Key Points
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nToday large posters will remind citizens of Laos that, on this date in 1949, the independent Lao Army was created.
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nHaving independent armed forces was a huge factor leading to Laos’s independence from France…but soon after achieving independence, Laos suffered from a long civil war and eventual communist rule. Today, Laos is rated one of the most corrupt nations in the world, and one of the poorest. It’s the poorest nation in Southeast Asia, and I can’t help wondering if its status as a landlocked nation (no access to an ocean) is part of its trouble. The “rule of law” is not well established, and Laos’s human rights record is bad.
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nSo, bad news mounting upon bad news! What’s the good news?
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nLike other nations, Laos has some sites of great natural beauty – especially on the Bolaven Plateau, with its many gorgeous waterfalls:
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nLaos’s ancient culture has many aspects of wisdom and beauty:
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nSome of the shrines and temples are amazing:
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nAnd what can I say about Xieng Khuan, or Buddha Park, with more than 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues? Ultra-amazing!
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| Notice that there are so many statues, it’s hard to get a good shot of just one! |
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| It’s especially difficult to get a good photo of this reclining Buddha (above), because it’s sooooooooo long (below). |
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| Here is a photo with a full-grown man sitting within one statue. That gives you a guide to the scale of the statue! |
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nOf course, children from everywhere are beautiful!
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nAlso on this date:
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National Heroes’ Day in Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau
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nNational Disc Jockey Day
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nPenguin Awareness Day
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nCelebrate Rio de Janeiro
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nAnniversary of the first game of basketball
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nAnniversary of the U.S. patent for the first successful roller coaster
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Anniversary of the founding of León
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Anniversary of the founding of León
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nArmed Forces Day in Mali
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nWorld Religion Day
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n(Third Sunday in January)
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World Snow Day
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n(Third Sunday in January)
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nTu B’Shvat
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nTu B’Shvat
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nPlan ahead:
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nCheck out my Pinterest pages on:
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nJanuary birthdays
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nAnd here are my Pinterest boards for:
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