Bücher veröffentlicht von Orchid Press Publishing Limited

Lao is the native language of the southeast Asian country of Laos, and is also spoken by much of the inhabitants of northeastern Thailand, an area known as Isaan. Mastering a language as different to English as is Lao may first seem to be impossible; with its strange looking script and its multitude of tones and vowels, the task can be decidedly intimidating. Compounding the problems, many native Lao language teachers don't fully understand how to effectively explain these aspects of their language to the expatriate. Rather than a linguistic treatise, Shapes and Sounds of the Lao Language is a practical guide to help you to become fluent in Lao. Using a combination of relevant descriptions, language learning tricks, flash cards, drills and comparison tracks on downloadable MP3 audio files, you will be able to conquer some of the most difficult aspects of the language. Certainly, learning a second language takes hard work and patience, but by following the instructions outlined in this book, you will get the most out of your efforts and will be delighted at the progress you never believed you could make.

A detailed first-hand account-and critical analysis-of the impact of the first contingent of American Peace Corps volunteers to live and work in Nepal, arriving in 1962 just following the King's seizure of absolute power and the tentative opening of the country to the outside world. The account not only explores the successes and failures of the volunteers in their efforts to have a positive effect on Nepalese development, but also the reverse effects of their transformative experience on the lives of the volunteers themselves. The narrative is further expanded as the author places the mission in the broader perspective of the globalization process that has so expanded our world in the past 50 years. A richly rewarding account for all with interests in globalization, social change, and transnational anthropology.

The legendary botanist and explorer records the details of his last expedition, in 1953, to his beloved northern Burma, prior to his death five years later. Frank Kingdon-Ward combined an insatiable taste for adventure, and the persistence to overcome any danger in his path-not to mention recalcitrant officials who attempted to block it-with the raconteur's gift to recount his adventures in a vivid and often thrilling manner.Rich in description of the unique flora, fauna and tribal customs of this still little-known region, Kingdon-Ward's account covers not only the magnificent rhododendrons and other tropical floral rarities that were the object of his travels, but also the customs of the various tribal groups encountered, the use of plants in local medical practice, the natural occurrence of tea varieties in the region and much more. A last look at a spectacular, then unspoiled, corner of Burma which since has been inaccessible and largely devastated by protracted civil war.

Burma's Icy Mountains describes two expeditions to Burma-one on his own and a second, with a larger American party close to the Burma-China border-completed by the intrepid British explorer and plant hunter, Kingdon-Ward, prior to the outbreak of WWII. Not published until the post war period some ten years later, the book is of particular interest in light of the more recent traumatic history of this region, and has become one of the author's most sought-after titles. Aside from its relevance to those interested in Kingdon-Ward's own focus on the rich botanical diversity of this still inaccessible region, his vivid descriptions of the terrain, the fauna and the peoples-including Tibetans, Lisu, Lashi, Kachin and Nung-encountered enroute make this true chronicle of hardship and perseverance come alive.

In 1914, the British plant-collector and explorer, Kingdon-Ward, undertook an expedition of some eight month's duration along Burma's eastern frontier and across the headwaters of the Irrawaddy River. Kingdon-Ward's travel was mostly on foot, through some of the most rugged and impenetrable terrain on earth; his legendary courage and endurance enabled him to prevail, despite significantimpact on his health. Kingdon-Ward's keen powers of observation result in an account rich in the details of this previously unknown territory, its flora, fauna and the anthropology of its tribal inhabitants. While primarily a scientific expedition, Kingdon-Ward's descriptions are, at times, lyrical as he described the majestic landscape through which he travelled. First published in 1921 and previously long out of print, this work has been one of Kingdon-Ward's scarcest and most sought-after titles.

Classical Tibetan, with origins dating to the ninth century, is the script found in a huge corpus of surviving Tibetan texts, mostly of Buddhist content; native Tibetans still employ this language, to this day when writing on religious, medical or historical subjects. The aim of this book is to provide a rapid introduction to the main elements of Classical Tibetan, so that students may begin to access for themselves the vast amount of written material available in this language. While designed for guided study, the material will also be of use to those who tackle the language on their own. Regular study over approximately six months should result in an understanding of most grammatical features and allow the student to read the simpler prose texts.

The artist Sappho Marchal was the daughter of the renowned French conservator of Angkor, Henri Marchal. She spent the early years of her life in Cambodia, surrounded by the magnificent ruins of the Khmers, and produced the present study at age 23. Her fine line drawings present the myriad details of ornament and costume depicted on the stone reliefs of Angkor Wat with a clarity that could not be captured, even then, on film. Since that time, many of the stone carvings have severely deteriorated, rendering Marchal's drawings all the more valuable as a record for present-day students and restorers of Angkor.

This is a story of life among the minority tribesmen of Vietnam who were trained by the author during the Vietnam War to become the feared and respected "Tiger Men", defending their villages and homes against the Viet-Cong.

This study of the development of architecture and the impact of architectural models on this evolution, draws its early examples primarily from surviving Hindu-Buddhist monuments in Cambodia and Java.

In an imaginary Portuguese colony on the south coast of China a beautiful Australian woman gradually achieves her own freedom and integrity through her relationships with four men: her indifferent English husband, her deeply sensual Eurasian lover, an expatriate Hong Kong homosexual dropout and an aged Chinese millionaire. The interplay of personalities is woven into the social and political fabric of a splendid antique city which itself provides the gateway for all the characters to a deeper level of reality: the Purple City, the mystical city which is hidden in all of us.The story mirrors the fusion of Latin and Chinese elements which has typified the Portuguese presence in China and provides insights into the emotional lives of a variety of people when east and west meet. Though a novel in the Western sense it also employs features of Chinese classical fiction in terms of intriguing subplots, use of dreams and poetry and scenes of heightened reality.Annals of the Purple City, with its rich erotic, political and mystical undertones, will appeal to all with interest in the intersection of the Asian and Western worlds.