Lucky wrists

Basi ceremonies are held regularly by Lao people as a way of maintaining harmony within the body and community. The ritual ends with the tying of strands of white cotton around the wrists to bless the individual with good health, happiness and wealth. 

When it came time for my landlady's fiancé to wish me well, he added an extra request to the spirits: "And may she find a kind-hearted man to love her"...