Mekong Series
by Noonie Thibodeau
Haunting Mekong River
“It’s haunting me. We crossed the Mekong River and I don’t remember any of it. I was 6 years old when I left Laos. Nobody knew about our great escape plan! We left at midnight with no belongings. The boat rock back and forth, I thought I was going to die.”
The Lao Water Girl
“My sister, Malay is the Lao water girl. She fetched water from the well. They didn’t have running water. By the time she got to grandma‘s house, there was barely any water in the buckets. This particular piece is a remembrance of my sister.”
Fishing in the Thailand River
“My dad taught me to fish when I was six years old at the Thailand Refugee Camp. I don’t remember any of it, but he told me I caught a turtle instead. This bird reminds me of the peace and quiet I found when I was fishing with my dad. He passed away on June 30th, 2015 with cancer.”
The Fighting Beta
“The betta fish (named Monsoon) is a freshwater fish native to Laos. It’s been known to be a fighter gambling matches besides cockfighting in Laos.”