Smoke from the fire gets rids of all the bugs (& larvae that hatch from any eggs that they might lay) in the bamboo & also the thatched roof of the house, so that they don't hang around to chomp everything into pieces. Just like how the fire in the 囲炉裏 irori of 合掌造り gassho zukuri houses in Japan have to be kept going in order to extend the lifespan of the roofing.
The house is simply overflowing with baskets - here are some scattered on the ground outside, used for carrying firewood back from the forest:
All photos below from December 2004
The master at work - making the base of a new basket:
Sitting on the concrete posts meant for building the buseh's new house, YK & the cat attempt to pass Akha Basket Weaving 101:
The external examiner (lady in blue work jacket from another household) scrutinises our work while carrying a completed version on her back with strap around her forehead + wooden shoulder board that helps distribute the weight more evenly:
Larger book lying on the concrete post is a pirated (& much lighter than the original hardcover) copy of Jim Goodman's "The Akha: Guardians of the Forest" :P
The master also makes bird traps - here his son shows off one of the 5 pieces they had in stock:
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