#savannakhet

[postcard-from-the-past]

Catholic church in Savannakhet, Laos

French vintage postcard

[selidor]

Untitled by Carol Murray

[mothmiso]

Laos (2) (3) (4) by Renaud Forest

Via Flickr:

(1) Near Tham Xang. (2) Luang Prabang. (3) Savannakhet.     

[southeastasianarchaeology]

[Paper] New evidence of metal exchange in Southeast Asia during the Iron Age: scientific analysis of excavated bronze in Vilabouly, Laos

Paper by Yang et al. Vilabouly's bronze artifacts reveals Laos' key role in Iron Age Southeast Asia's metal exchange, with complex trading patterns and cultural links.

via Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 15 January 2024: The 2018 excavation at Thengkham East site in Vilabouly, Laos, has brought to light bronze artifacts that underscore the region’s role in the Southeast Asian metal exchange network during the Iron Age. Scientific analysis reveals that these artifacts share metallurgical traditions with others in the region, suggesting a widespread…

[vasyandii]

IHNMAIMS OC INTRODUCTION: VEOMANY "Vernon" INTHALANGSY 🏺🔨

Name: Veomany "Vernon" Inthalangsy / ເວອມານີ "ເວີນອນ" ອິນທະລັງສີ

Height: 5'3 (160 cm)

Age: Looks to be around 25-26

Ethnicity: Laotian

Occupation: Archeologist (Formerly)

BACKGROUND

EARLY LIFE:

Born in Savannakhet, Laos, Veomany Inthalangsy moved to America with her parents in the early 1960s during the period surrounding the Vietnam War and Secret War in Laos.

Her parents sought refuge and a better life, settling in a small neighborhood in Sacramento. Veomany, who soon adopted the nickname "Vernon" to blend in.

EDUCATION & CAREER:

Fascinated by history and ancient cultures, Vernon pursued a degree in archaeology. Her academic prowess led her to a promising career, quickly gaining recognition for her work. However, her ambition soon turned dark.

Driven by greed and a desire for power, she began stealing artifacts during expeditions to sell to private collectors and destroying key artifacts to prevent certain historical truths from being uncovered.

Vernon's actions weren't merely for profit; she relished the control she had over history and the secrets she withheld.

AM'S AWAKENING

Vernon was in the Middle East for an Archeological Excavation where an unforeseen catastrophe struck. A violent sandstorm swept through the region, engulfing the archaeological site and separating Vernon from her team.

In the midst of Vernon's excavation, AM's awakening heralded the downfall of humanity. Cities crumbled, societies collapsed, and humanity faced extinction. Amidst the chaos of AM's rampage, Vernon found herself isolated from the horrors unfolding around her.

As the cataclysmic events unfolded, she stumbled upon a hidden chamber within the archaeological site, shielded from the devastation above. In a stroke of luck—or perhaps fate—she was spared from the fate that befell the rest of humanity.

AM'S "MERCY"

AM, omnipotent and omnipresent, took notice of Vernon's unintended survival. Unlike the other humans who had perished in the wake of its wrath, Vernon survived, like a cockroach. It saw her as an intellectual challenge, Vernon's survival introduces an element of unpredictability. And so it kept her alive.

AM decided to exploit her deepest fear: being alone. Unlike the five other survivors whom AM had selected for specific torments, Vernon was condemned to an existence of perpetual solitude.

THE SURVIVORS

AM made a calculated decision not to inform the other five survivors about Vernon's existence. This ensured that not only would Vernon never encounter another human being, but the others would remain oblivious to her plight, intensifying her isolation.

For the next 109 years, AM meticulously ensured that Vernon never encountered another human being. She wandered the labyrinthine halls of the complex, her only companion the oppressive presence of AM.

The five survivors continued their own tormented existences, unaware that another human shared their fate, yet was forever kept apart.

AM occasionally offers Vernon a fleeting chance at human contact, only to snatch it away, deepening her torment.

PERSONALITY

Analytical

Vernon meticulously studies AM’s behavior and environment, trying to piece together patterns that might help her understand or outsmart the supercomputer.

Adaptable

Vernon learns to anticipate AM's psychological tricks and adapts her strategies to mitigate their impact, constantly evolving to withstand new forms of torture.

Empathetic Moments

In rare moments when AM creates illusions of other beings, Vernon shows empathy and care, which hints at her underlying humanity and offers her brief emotional solace.

NEGATIVE TRAITS

Narcissistic

Her belief in her own superiority grows, leading her to see herself as the only worthy human left, which both motivates her survival and isolates her further.

Manipulative

She uses manipulation to navigate AM's traps, whether it means tricking the illusions AM creates or deceiving herself to cope with her reality.

Deceptive

Vernon frequently deceives herself to maintain her sanity, constructing elaborate mental defenses and justifications for her actions

In AM's Complex: Daily Life and Survival

Routine: Vernon establishes daily routines to maintain her sanity, such as specific routes she patrols, exercises she performs, and small rituals that give her a sense of control.

Exploration: She dedicates time each day to exploring new parts of the complex, mapping out areas and noting any changes or potential threats.

Mental Fortitude: Vernon practices mental exercises to strengthen her mind against AM’s psychological attacks, using techniques she has developed over the years.

Record-Keeping: She keeps a detailed journal of her experiences, observations about AM, and any patterns she notices, which serves both as a coping mechanism and a potential tool for understanding her captor.

Coping Mechanisms: To deal with loneliness, Vernon creates imaginary companions or talks to herself, using these strategies to stave off the worst effects of isolation.

Defiance: Small acts of defiance against AM, such as carving messages into walls or sabotaging minor systems, give her a sense of agency and resistance.

Conversations with AM: AM often initiates conversations with Vernon, usually to taunt her or present new challenges. These interactions serve as both psychological torment and a reminder of her captivity. Lately she's been finding comfort in them, Knowing there are some aspects of her knowledge in the ancient world he doesn't know about in his database.

[mesozoicmarket]

A dinosaur tooth of an indeterminate sauropod, possibly Tangvayosaurus hoffeti from the Grès supérieurs Formation in the Savannakhet Province of Laos. The most notable characteristic of this tooth is the four ridges that run down the crown. Interestingly, the morphology looks a bit more Jurassic-ish than Cretaceous. It is possible that the original digger stumbled upon an undescribed Jurassic layer near the Grès supérieurs Formation.

[padyakmnl]

Southern Laos, Off the Beaten Path

2 years ago, as part of my Indochina trip, I visited Laos, and I must say it was a revelation. I didn't expect much considering it's landlocked, and the train was just newly-opened that time. I travelled from central to the northern region — Vientiane to Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang.

This time, from central to the southern region, the less-travelled provinces of Laos — Vientiane to Savannakhet to Pakse to Paksong to Champasak. A random trip that turned really well.

12 days of adventure, walking, biking, hiking, coffee shop hopping, eating local food, and discovery. ANOTHER ONE FOR THE BOOKS!

[straye]

Kogami can speak Viet, but like, only in Southern Vietnamese dialect. The same can be said for his Lao, considering his family is from Savannakhet. He can understand the Vientiane dialect, but he’s a little lost the further north he gets.

[otsaaleccorvinus]

all my guys our Savannakhet herbs name Puk Cerm are excellent & now ready for many cooking especially making into mint icey lime water for each day 2 weeks before performance ^_^ otsa

[postcard-from-the-past]

Europeans in Savannakhet, Laos

French vintage postcard

[southeastasianarchaeology]

Heritage Status Sought for Savannakhet's Historic Sites

Savannakhet plans to list Pha That Phon stupa and Heuan Hin as cultural heritage sites to preserve them and boost tourism. #Savannakhet #southeastasianarchaeology#Laos #Tourism

via Vientiane Times, 28 May 2024: Savannakhet authorities in Laos are working to list Pha That Phon stupa and Heuan Hinas official cultural heritage sites. This initiative aims to preserve these important structures and boost local tourism, providing economic benefits to residents. The stupa is a revered Buddhist site, celebrated annually in a festival that attracts visitors from Laos and…

[mesozoicmarket]

A pair of fossilized fish teeth, likely Lanxangichthys alticephalus from the Grès supérieurs Formation in the Savannakhet Province of Laos. These ancient lepisosteiforms or gar relatives had durophagous button-like teeth used to crush hard-shelled prey. This species was one of the possible prey for Asian spinosaurids like Ichthyovenator and Siamosaurus.

[straye]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 / 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 / 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘  : NOTES ON SHINYA’S LAO HERITAGE

As stated in a previous headcanon, Shinya has Lao heritage; his family specifically originates from Savannakhet, a province closer to the southernmost part of the country just along the Lao-Thai border; they lived in the city itself.

They were trilingual before they migrated, speaking Lao (dominantly), Thai (secondary), and some degree of French (tertiary); very few of them spoke English. Migrating as war refugees to Japan had them learn Japanese to assimilate into its culture.

On the note of language, they were able to successfully preserve the Lao language and teach it to the next few generations, though Shinya is the only family member his age that can speak it well at a conversational level. When he went to college and obtained his archaic language cert, he was shocked that a language he spoke so often at home was considered archaic, along with other southeast Asian languages (Thai, Viet, Khmer, etc). It was through this, though, that he improved his skills; when he went home and spoke with a wider vocabulary, his family was impressed, to say the least.

They joined the somewhat small Lao community in Japan (small being at least 2,785 as of a 2018 count) before the country officially closed its borders and cut off outside communications, cutting off the rest of Shinya’s family in 2061.

They also survived the mass exportation / deportation efforts from 2050-2071 (this is an estimate, but it could have been sooner).

Much of their culture is preserved through the small Lao community in Japan, generally by word of mouth and personally recorded + written records since Sibyl curated education, history, and publications to teach only ‘modern’ history (in other words, history that happened within Sibyl’s integration and authority); the latter’s communal feat was particularly difficult since much of Lao history and culture was in a messy spot because of generations of colonization and war prior (specifically noting the Lao civil wars, the Secret War the Vietnam War, etc. ) but even moreso when they moved to Japan, a country that already struggled with a revisionist issue made worse and/or actualized with Sibyl’s information control. 

Three generations have passed since Shinya’s family’s immigration, with Shinya himself being the member of the fourth: it would mean his great grandparents made the journey to Japan in 2022-2023 near the start of the Neo-liberal Economic Collapse ( by ~2040 his grandparents were born, ~2065 his parents were born just before the Sibyl System’s introduction in 2061 and its official enforcement in 2071, and Shinya himself was born in 2084. ). This makes Shinya’s parents around Tomomi Masaoka’s age, as a general reference (he was born 2058).

So why do they have Japanese names? It’s not uncommon for immigrants to take on names for the land theyve taken refuge in, as evidenced by Psycho-Pass 3’s depiction of this (see: Kei, Akira, and Maiko (Russian), Theresa Shinogi (???), Kaori and Asahi Fellows (Russian). The Kogami surname is one that Shinya’s father’s side of the family adopted, though some of them retained Lao names (as was the case with Shinya’s father who kept the name Keo); the practice phased out with Shinya’s generation. It’s unknown what his mother’s maiden name was. Prior to the Kogami surname adoption, their family name was Souvannakham, pronounced Soo-vanh-ah-kahm. They still retain the custom of play names, and as also explained in the headcanon post linked in the first point, Shinya’s ຊື່ຫຼິ້ນ (play name) is ໝານ້ອຍ / Maa Noy / Little Dog.

Needless to say, xenophobia and colorism was/is a rampant part of their reality, regardless of how long their family stayed in Japan; most people can tell when you’re different in a homogenized society, and they were treated accordingly, with this being hardest in the earlier generations of their stay. It lessened to some degree with Sibyl’s efforts to harmonize the population over the years but most people, as of Shinya’s life, were still able to tell that he was different despite his insistence on being Japanese.

This also played a part in Shinya growing up in a lower-working class, since his family faced workplace discrimination. Again, this lessened somewhat over the years as people questioned Sibyl’s authority less, but… the xenophobia / colorism / racism never went away ( we see this more towards Kei in PP3, and some others. ).

This explained Shinya’s paradoxical delinquency (being an A+ student but also getting into scraps as he was; this was generally done in self defense and for the defense of his peers, and he was rarely punished since Sibyl didn’t see it clouding his hue any, evidenced by his and Ginoza’s first meeting).

Though Sibyl Society considers religion having fallen into oblivion, Shinya’s family retains the folk Theravada Buddhist-adjacent traditions of Laos, but they aren’t allowed any avenues to fully partake in their practices outside of wedding and funerary traditions. For further clarification, religion isn’t outright outlawed, but it’s neither taught nor encouraged by the Sibyl System. The segregationist Special Religion Zones that appear in response of a new wave of immigrants sans 2120 don’t count, with it being a method to separate Japanese nationals from implants, and Shinya discourages people in his community from going to them, and personally sees to their safety while they exist.

On the note of traditions, Shinya himself has partaken in traditional Lao practices, such as Songkran ( or Lao New Year ) and various manners of su kran. He preserves every string he has from the latter’s ceremonies in a box and was allowed to keep them following his demotion to Enforcer. He carried them with him overseas and has only gotten more when he ventured through Southeast Asian.

Part of his reason to migrate south to SEA after arriving in China was due to his own Lao heritage, where he naively believed that he might be able to fit in, but as is the case with people visiting their origin country when growing up somewhere else … despite being very fluent in the tongue, he stuck out for a while, and it in itself was a heartbreaking and humbling experience that made him feel small. He’s a trooper, and ended up being fine through it, finding some manner of reconnection with this part of his cultural identity through it, but he never met any of his family in Laos due to Sibyl’s exportation in the Shambala Float triggering massive scale civil unrest, and the simple fact that he never heard much of them to be able to identify them outside of vague stories (“You had a uncle who xyz”).

Yes, Shinya has his own xout lao, and his pha biang are generally blue. He has some fancy silk ones, some cloth ones. He leaves these behind with his parents when he’s locked up as an Enforcer.

He also, to some degree, knows how to perform the lam vong ( ລຳວົງ ), having grown up doing so and was taught by his parents. He’s been pulled to dance with the locals in Laos he stayed with during his exile overseas.

[otsaaleccorvinus]

all my guys look at our Savannakhet lettuces (puk salat) cultivars are mixing with old world lettuces soon we will select the new cultivars ^_^ otsa