PETA had its first-ever Mekong Performing Arts Laboratory showcase program this year, and the culminating event was on tonight at the Theater Center. The participants of the project, coming from the Mekong River sub-region of Indochina (Lao PDR, Yunnan province in China, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia), each had mini-plays and performances dabbling with dance, acting and alternative methods such as puppetry and shadow manipulation.

All 8 or so performances were unique and had their own merits---in short they were all very good! Whether it was the violently dancing Thais, the Lao puppeteers, the kicking, juggling and contorting Cambodians or the unusual acting and storytelling of the Vietnamese, the whole show was a joy to watch for something so minimalist and done at a tight deadline.

Met my new Japanese friend Chisato there once again, after the theater management stint for "Ang Palasyo ni Valentin." She's been here and with PETA for 8 months for theater workshops which according to her are pretty hard to find in her native Shizuoka, and she's taking the plane home on November 8th. She'll drop by the office just before then to say farewell.

I wanted to congratulate the actors (especially the Cambodians and Vietnamese) for a supremely funny and entertaining show, but I was afraid they wouldn't understand English and they might take offense at my good-natured actions. Cocktails were served after the show.

It dawned on me that although we're the most beleaguered group when it comes to finishing our OJT hours, I have no doubt we're having the most fun. We get to laugh, play games, watch theater shows and fool around with our officemates as our job---what's not to like?