When the novices across the street at Wat Nong begin the afternoon drumming, I glance furtively at my watch to discover that I have already been lost in conversation with Klaus Seeland for more than an hour. He had in fact pointed out that, among the reasons he opened the Café for Knowledge, where we sat among a curated selection of books in French, German, English, Italian, Spanish and Dutch, was ‘good conversation’ with the kinds of people who drop in to places like this.

• Tags: Issue 24, Klaus Seeland, Laos, Sean Chadwell