Corner Store (A Village Walk)

For some in this village, it saves a trip into town. For others, it's a quick shot of lao khao or a quart of beer between loads of cassava to the processor and back to the fields.It's different things for different people, but there's one undeniable common thread: Yow. Situated at the far end of the main village road, where you turn toward the hidden garden temple, this is a peek into our daily walk to Yow's store.From six in the morning until eight at night, every day of the year, villagers come to sit, to talk, to laugh, to rest, to seek counsel, to drink. Some will even buy a small snack, a quart of gasoline, or light supplies.Here, the corner store serves as the tavern, the drugstore, the temple, and sometimes the corner where you can get your palm read.The corner store is Yow's home. The room in the back is his. His mom lives next door, his brother next to her, and his sister beside him.Like a steady stream of passing time, the corner store becomes the center of gravity of the village each day - where people naturally gather and, often, linger. Some perhaps too long. Read more