ABSTRACT
It was sunset, and the darkness was gathering in quickly. Don Khiaw, a rural village in Laos’ south, had no electricity, so these last moments of sunlight were typically busy: times to wash, pack away and prepare, before the darkness closed in around us.1 I was surprised, then, when Laay appeared at my home at this hour. After some small talk, she said, ‘It is not fun here, is it? It is silent. I sit at home all alone. Every day! Muey comes to visit. She visits often. Twice in one day.’
