What? Culture shock? What is that? Whatever it is, I am sure that I do not have it.

Here in Vientiane, I feel as good as ever. Even better actually. I can’t help but smile all the time and I just have this urge to say ‘Sabaydii’ to everyone I pass. It feels so great to be here, I just can’t believe it! I am sure that a big part of it has to do with being with the other I am feeling so comfortable with the other English speaking SAILers! I am so glad I get to share this experience with the six of you! All of you have such a rich past and I am looking forward to learning from you. Many things you and your family experienced learn through films or books, but there is nothing that can replace personal experience. I really appreciate you sharing!

But really, I feel so natural here. All I want to do is speak Lao, but knowing so very little as I do, at first it was very difficult to maintain even the smallest of conversations. In just a few days, I have improved so much! In fact, I have definitely learned more outside of class so far, but we did just learn the alphabet (which is very hard to learn!).

It’s kind of funny because I feel much more comfortable speaking Lao here than I did in the U.S. Here I feel so confident, I just want to go to all the neighbors and chat with them to practice. In the U.S. I was always so shy! Especially when people put me on the spot, I would always be worried I would take forever to choke out a few words. I was nervous I would have that same shyness here, but I haven’t felt that way at all. Actually, it seems almost like a game to me to find as many opportunities to talk to native Lao speakers here, even if all I can manage is hello or thank you.

One thing that is very hard to master is the money! I know all the notes (500, 1000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,0000 Kip) but knowing what these numbers mean is another story. The exchange rate is currenty 8,507 Kip for a dollar, give or take. The trick is that 10,000 is about $1.25. When making a purchase, there is no time to make this calculation, however. I think it is best if I just learn what reasonable prices would be. Also, the Kip is pretty hard to work with as some of the bills look very similar. For instance, Sandra missed out on 8,000 Kip at the currency exchange where the teller gave her a 2000 instead of 10,000 note. At least it was less than a dollar!

As of now, this seems like the most difficult thing for me to master, but that may change once I start really speaking Lao as much as I can! I expect to get frustrated sometimes, not being able to express myself. I hope I can just relax and enjoy the ride! So far it has been as smooth as riding in a tuk-tuk. And yes, riding in a tuk-tuk is surprisingly steady! Most drivers are pretty good, and it feels so good to have that fresh air blowing past. As I hop on a tuk-tuk, hopefully I wont run into the sudden stops, bad exhaust and potholes of culture shock!