Project Sekong 2014: Last night someone built a campfire over old ordnance. The device, hidden underground, heated up and exploded.

February 14, 2014
Project Sekong 2014: Last night someone built a campfire over old ordnance.  The device, hidden underground, heated up and exploded.

It’s always unnerving to hear a bomb explode after hours. Say…we’re all eating lunch in the field, or dinner in camp, or sitting around the campfire on a chilly evening. An explosion can only mean a mishap in the village, and possibly the loss of limbs or lives. Last night, when most of us...
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Project Sekong 2014: Sometimes the guys lark about, boys in spirit if not in age.

February 13, 2014
Project Sekong 2014:  Sometimes the guys lark about, boys in spirit if not in age.

We began work after lunch by hiking into to a miserable site. We first spent half an hour stumbling around at the top of a ravine looking for a safe route down. We couldn’t find so much as a rabbit run in the dense foliage, much less a path that the farmer would have...
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Project Sekong 2014: We visit farmers that we helped last year and are pleased to see how they are using their land.

February 12, 2014
Project Sekong 2014: We visit farmers that we helped last year and are pleased to see how they are using their land.

Last evening near, Dak Lie village, we visited with a family who last year asked us to clear a parcel near their fishpond so they could plant a vegetable garden. They envisioned harvesting fresh greens not only for their table, but possibly in an abundance that would permit them to market produce to others...
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Project Sekong 2014: If our team misses an object the size of a walnut we could be setting the stage for a fatal accident.

February 11, 2014
Project Sekong 2014: If our team misses an object the size of a walnut we could be setting the stage for a fatal accident.

In the forest near Dak Yoy village we’ve encountered a surprising number of detonators from cluster bomblets that broke in half upon impact but did not explode. Whenever I see these walnut-sized devices in the soil I’m reminded of my friend Thongbay who has lived most of his life as an amputee. When he...
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Project Sekong 2014: We can only carry so much into the field. We either “make do” or “do without”.

February 10, 2014
Project Sekong 2014: We can only carry so much into the field.  We either “make do” or “do without”.

I’ve resolved: By this time next year I want to have mastered six new knots. The challenge isn’t to learn them in the comfortable confines of my living room using two, fat, differentially colored ropes. My self-imposed standard demands that I’ll be able to tie them using a variety of materials in true-to-life settings....
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Project Sekong 2014: Travelers who want to present a meaningful gift might consider reading glasses

February 9, 2014
Project Sekong 2014: Travelers who want to present a meaningful gift might consider reading glasses

People traveling to Laos or other developing country often plan to present gifts in gratitude to hosts or to assist needy villagers.  I’ve found that reading glasses are an excellent gift—cheap to buy, light to carry and, potentially, life changing.  I buy pairs a dozen at a time at a discount store for less...
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Project Sekong 2014: As we go about our everyday tasks, villagers go about theirs. This time of year people are collecting firewood.

February 8, 2014
Project Sekong 2014: As we go about our everyday tasks, villagers go about theirs.  This time of year people are collecting firewood.

Shortly after daybreak, women from every family head out in the cool morning air to cultivate their gardens and to forage in the forest for edible foods. Every woman carries on her back a hand-woven basket of split bamboo. The baskets are large, reaching from the nape of the woman’s neck to the small...
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Project Sekong 2014: Our Team Leader must recognize ordnance in a myriad of forms: rusted, broken, decayed and more.

February 7, 2014
Project Sekong 2014: Our Team Leader must recognize ordnance in a myriad of forms: rusted, broken, decayed and more.

Late yesterday afternoon the guys finished clearing a farm, the fifteenth in fourteen days, but we still had slightly over an hour before the end of our normal workday. Was there time to squeeze in another job before we called it quits? The guys had worked hard all day, but their workday is difficult...
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Project Sekong 2014: Good boots are essential. I’m taking back an earlier recommendation.

February 6, 2014
Project Sekong 2014: Good boots are essential.  I’m taking back an earlier recommendation.

One piece of advice for those who are planning for work in the bush: spare no expense when you purchase your hiking boots and allow enough time at home to properly inspect them and break them in. Better to break in your boots than for your boots to break in your feet. Learn from...
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