Miranda, when not chasing some small or large creature- she is a little afraid of the goats as they have sharp little horns- is playing badminton with the guard. "The guard"? Yes.  We have three. There is Mr. Johnny who is the day guard, Monday through Saturday. Then, around 6-7pm comes Mr Huy. He is the night guard. He sleeps in a cot next to the laundry room. He brings his own fan and mosquito net and always keeps his motorcycle looking sparkling clean. Mr Huy is a badminton pro and Miranda loves playing against him. Mr. Huy is also the only one who seems to care for the 'spirit house' at the corner of the garden; pretty much every shop, house, building and park in Laos has one of these 'houses'. On Sunday comes Mr. Om. He is the 24 hour guy. Comes at 7am and leaves the next day at 7am. He doesn't use a net or fan, come to think of it. He speaks a total of 3 words of English. Mr. Huy,10. Mr Johnny can actually understand a fair amount. Communication is pretty limited. Thankfully, Charlotte is taking Lao classes three times a week and making great progress on that front.

Do we need guards? They are more like caretakers, really, no uniforms or weapons are involved.  Some people told us they are not needed as there is very little crime in Vientiane. Others think it is better to have them especially if you have computers and photo/video equipment around. Mr. Johnny has worked at the house a long time (he is also the gardener). We decided we were not going to be the ones giving Mr. Johnny, or the other two the pink slip.