| Just outside the main room of the house, some volunteers have carved out a few pieces of wood. Guests at the funeral line up to pour whiskey on the wood. The pieces of wood are representative of a traditional Akha coffin. Traditionally, the Akha carve a coffin from a large tree, but these people live in an area where it is forbidden by the government to cut down large trees. Instead, they carve these small pieces in the shape of the coffin. |