This is the Khene. Other spelling variations of the Khene( pronounced 'Can') are: Kaen, Caen, Khaen. Some numb-nuts should just stop trying to be damn creative with these damn new variations and just stick with one damn way of spelling it.

But either one is acceptable. I suppose it makes more sense to spell it like 'Khaen'. Anyhow this is the Lao national instrument. Actually I like Khaen too, but I'll stick with Khene because I first used this one. No hard feelings friend :)(.

This is the instrument of courtship in Lao. If a person is the master of the Khene, a person will undoubtedly have an easy time finding a wife or soulmate. But let's be real: you've got to be good !!!. No,..wonder,...

In the old times the Khene was considered to be the instrument of courtship. I think it's good but a person can not chat with a lady if one intends to use it in this way. Need a guitar. There we go again. Two strikes for me,..sonofa,...

It's suppose to warm the hearts and ears of the women just to hear the voice of the Khene (that's why I'm learning the Khene at present :) ). But the main trick to it all is that there is a difference between wanting to play it and between talent. I keep wondering if this will work on a blonde or a brunnette ( it doesn't matter to me ) . She'll probably choke to death but boy,...it might sound pretty good. Would you like to do the ' worm' with me? hey? :0. Just good fun,...because as a person knows I can take it too. But I must admit because some good ones.

It's just like pool. Anybody can play it. But between good and great are two different things. When I go into a pool hall I bring my own pool stick. Not because I think I'm good, it's because I need all the tricks in the book and all the help I can get. I really like pool and try to sing karaoke but I know it's like a thirsty buffalo belching and bellowing. Wait, wait , wait,...I don't play pool with women. Know why? My fingernails broke,..this and that. No thanks. Even the women pros. I don't want to beat them too bad,...yuh someone is asking for Buddha trouble. My Buddha pool stick! If they do beat me, it is luck,...that's my story.

So I know I can not depend on my Khene sounds. For more elaborate info of the Khene (can) Check this great site Lan-Xang.com out about the history of the Khene It's one of the sites that explains about this wind instrument.

    I did this artwork when I saw a Lady mokhene (or Morkhene) in one of the Lao New Year video cds. (Laos 2000). I also saw the broadcast of a concert of a 'Morlum' show in Isan (Northeastern Thailand). It was a video cd which I think I forgot to return. I tend to forget things. It hit me like a ton of bricks. She was wearing the decorative Lao silk skirts or Thai silk skirts (just whatever it is) with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. I can still picture it in my mind the way she moved. The way she carried herself.

She had that (it) factor that most women don't have and some rare few do. Extreme charismatic elegance. Like those damn pretty ladies on TV. Damn perverts always pick the pretty ones. But I would too so great minds think alike. But of course looks aren't always everything if the talent is not there too so,...that's why they are on tv. Yup, the world isn't fair.

Her movements were plain honest and inviting with a lingering hint of a quiet subtle inner strength, but yet having so the eloguence of an unearthly skill in elegance. She moved like a queen. It was a rare sight to see. I would have married her on the spot :). Dressing sexy helps a bit too.

The way she moved was almost eroctic( to me of course, YES, a healthily sick bastard) , but yet feminine and elegant with the gracefulness of a sleak tigress. Of course other people may disagree but this is my own sick thoughts. At first sight a person couldn't even tell if she was the mokhene, I thought she was the singer. It hit me right on my face when they announced she was the Khene player. I'd felt I've just gotten rolled over by a Mac truck! She was something. Oh mama mia,...

The smoothness and adaptability of her movements; she just flowed with the naturalness of water. Her dainty feminine fingers just caressed that Khene. Every note was clear yet soft and delicate- it would make the most sadistic sonovagun melt and fall for her. A person just can't help but fathom whether one could ever hurt her in anyway. To do so would actually hurt our own selves in the worst way.

Often when one plays the khene one's spirits just link with it. It's like a sort of conduit for our spirits to be realeased into beautiful sounds (hint:she was very talented). I can not speak for even myself in this but,...

I did not know that this was initially the instrument for women. Until I found a great site called Lan-Xang.com The irony of this is: Khene masters are mostly men. But when I saw that lady played that night, it made me wish there were more lady 'Morkenes'. They are just amazing to see or stare at (maybe it's because they wore a sexy skirt).

When I see pretty women in skirts I don't know why I always think of that Marylyn Monroe movie. I'm an artist :) . Artists have an excuse to have sick and weird thoughts,...I think. Well,...I saw this scene when I was a baby of 12-13 in a commercial. When that skirt flip up then all of a sudden something got hard and of course I didn't know what the heck to do at the time however, anyhow,...No two Khenes are identical, each has it's own distinctive sounds .

So when picking a Khene, a person has to pick one's own prefferences. It's like picking a life partner. So when we pick the right one, we will have discovered some good sounds ( I wouldn't go that far,...just something to blab about,...). In other words, picking a Khene is like picking a wife or girlfriend. Boy if a person picks a shrew Khene they are in trouble. This is the time to brush up on 'The Taming of The Shrew'. Then again short cut with cliffsnotes and the movie if there is one. My high school theory.

But I am a good shrew Khene tamer. But I prefer the tame Khenes because it's less hassle but can't really say because no one sees the future. I would like them to teach me this sophisticated thing sometimes. Like how to use a damn cell phone. I don't own any but I don't want to. Just going to annoy me.

But I would like my girlfriend/wife to show me how to pick it up and look cool doing it. I think I would look good doing it. Yeah interesting. I don't need any phone. 'Ai when are you going to be home?. Are you done gambling yet?. How come you don't spend more time with me?. You don't love your wife?. Are you with someone else?'. Oh god damn. I'm playing the damn poker. That's what I'm going to say. The cell phone just makes a woman more nosy,...it's true.

Hm,...on second thought . Forget it. I don't want any cell phone. Pay phone all over the place and it's only a quarter. But it would be something different to try. But I used to have a beeper. It just annoyed the hell out of me. I never called back anyway so what's the difference. I threw it away. I don't know where it is. You want a super sophisticated? LOL. <...my first internet language that I've learned.

(May-7-2002) Well,...just heard on the news that a cell phone saved a person's life when he lost control of a car and crashed down a ravine. He was stuck for three days until he could move and get to his phone. Well, I've never said that I hated cell phones. They said without the cell phone the gentleman would not have made it. But I think I must get one now,...how the hell can I have my philosophy when everyone is trying to ruin things for me,...My philosophy of simplicity must be accompanied by a hand phone soon,...hm,...maybe. Maybe.

It's just something to blab about because as a person knows I'm going for a Nobel Prize in literature. You know? kitty literature? Sonofa,... good one though :). But yeah,...I don't use hand phones. But I do maybe just carry one in the future. Just so I can look sophisticated for the modern woman. Maybe. But I never call back anyway. Even at home,...if it rings past 4 I'll try to pick it up. 10-20 rings might be important. Have about 1 second to say hello. or in Japanese it's 'moshi, moshi'. If there is a pause for three seconds. I hang up. I love my philosophy. It works for me so I really can't complain.

Get ready for this,...right now, I'm trying to learn how to play the khene. Am I great? I wouldn't go that far on the compliments. Let's say that I'm improving. Right now it's a battle between me and the Khene. It's an endless battle that I think I have doubts about the out-come. But I'm going to have to rely solely on my stubborness and delligence if I'm going to make friends with my Khene. Right now I'm complaining that my Khene is not the top of the line.

But some of the Khene players say that it's actually a pretty good Khene. Am I missing something here? I actually questioned a person about it whether she bought a good Khene for me or not. I said to her, 'You know?, there seems to be something wrong with my Khene. It doesn't sound right.

I thought someone must've gotten scammed into buying a broken Khene. The story goes that a master Khene player tested it for me. Huh. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He said it's one of the best( the old man is lieing and I think he's exaggerating). I know it can not totally be me. Some X-factor is missing. Did you just say talent? I thought that's what I heard. Watch it blonde honey I'll burst your ear drums good. I can sing like BonJovi you know? Really!,...:). Don't take it seriously.

If the Khene could talk and it had feelings, I think it's going to say: Oh man,...here comes that guy again. Despite what some may, or might say, or some don't want to be in my presence when I'm carrying the Khene. But I have to say that at least I'm improving. Because I can't get any worse than it is at present. In the future I will post the sound of my Khene up on this page. Maybe. I don't want to be the one who's suffering alone :).

I will have my picture taken with the Khene too . Don't say I make the khene look bad ; I would consider that an insult. I think I look pretty good with it if I don't play it. I think this will be one of my life's efforts. Maybe an ongoing effort regardless of outcome. But I can get piss and turn 180 degrees and then there will not be a Khene. It's been known to have happened when I was younger. Feel like an idiot after it because can't put it back together. Age does make a person more calmer,...what I mean by that is wiser.

I will improve enough in the future to put the sounds of the Khene up. So enjoy your stay at this site and visit me again soon....I don't feel that I'm quite ready just yet about putting it up now. Why not do it for nostalgia's sake? Well,...nostalgia I like, but at this present time it would be more of a buffoonish nostalgia. again enjoy your stay. Am I serious about learning the Khene? Of course,................................................................... Hut