Fields of Desire: Poverty and Policy in Laos

Lists of Maps and Illustrations

List of Maps Map 1. Laos in Southeast Asia xv Map 2. Southern Laos xvi List of Illustrations Figure 1. A mother and three of her sons transplant rice seedlings 2 Figure 2. The Sii Phan Don area of the Mekong River is peppered with many islands 2 Figure 3. The main hall of the Don Khiaw Buddhist temple also served as the venue for most village meetings 17 Figure 4. A boat moored by the shore of Don Khiaw. Boats were the main form of transport during my fieldwork 17 Figure 5. Harvesting rice 27 Figure 6. I have translated haa kin (find and eat) as “a hand-tomouth existence.” It often includes gathering wild foods, such as this assortment collected from the forest 28 Figure 7. A woman prepares a meal using herbs grown in a homestead garden 28 Figure 8. Beauty is bounty and bounty is beauty: this scene is an example of the over-abundance that is valued in displays of donations at Buddhist celebrations 73 Figure 9. PRF promotional pamphlet circulated in 2003 128 Figure 10. This was one of the best areas of footpath that resulted on Don Khiaw from the “road to nowhere” project 148 Figure 11. Wrapping rice sweets in preparation for a merit-making donation 159 Figure 12. Monk’s begging bowls piled high with rice, sweets, and bananas 159 viii ...