July 20, 2009

Test… ugh.

So, we have our very first test coming up this week in our Lao history class. It should be fun. We have taken in quite a lot of information so far. From Chao (King) Fa Ngum up until the mid 20th century. We are also going to visit the National University of Laos (NUOL) tomorrow morning and meet our Achaan’s boss. We all have to introduce ourselves in Lao when we meet him. We practiced today in class how to formally introduce ourselves and how to talk about ourselves in Lao. It should be interesting to see what the National University is like. Some of the LAC students study at both schools, so I have heard a little bit about what it’s like.

I can’t believe we have been here for 5 weeks already and are into our 6th. I feel like we are just getting started. I went from not knowing any Lao to actually understanding what people are talking about in a conversation. I think I’ve come a long way. Maybe not as far as I would have hoped, but who knows what will happen in the next 3 weeks. I will contiue to learn as much as possible.

Posted in Author: Brandin, Laos | No Comments

July 19, 2009

How to Plant Rice: ວິທີດໍານາ

Rice fields in Laos.

Rice fields in Laos. ທົ່ງນາທີ່ເມືອງລາວ.

The first thing one must do when planting rice is to wear appropriate pants. Ideally, you should wear shorts, since your calves will be sunk knee-deep in mud. Grab a conical hat if you can, since you can’t hide from the sun in a paddy field. Shoes are unimportant since you don’t need them in the sludge. Come with an open attitude, a strong back, and the willingness to sing Lao songs.

If you’re most of the SAILers, you wore pants that could be rolled up, old t-shirts, and mosquito repellent. We made due with what we had on the day we ventured outside town to watch the rice farmers plant their second harvest for the year. Not only watch, but participate of course! We left our flip-flops on the banks of the paddies, and 4 of the 7 of us marched (or slowly trudged) through the mucky water to our appointed places. We were handed bunches of young rice stalks, which we cradled like babies and had to plant in a particular way. When we did it wrong, the farmers were right there to correct us. The process, started slowly, but after 20 minutes or so, Sandra was planting with both hands, Amy was complimented for her neat rows, Eileen didn’t fall over in the water, and well, I got through my 2 bunches quite well! Vatsana and Brandin caught it all on video from the sidelines.

We had come to learn about rice planting and catching fish through a project from the Lao organization PADETC. The project was introducing techniques for naturally fertilizing rice, rather than having villagers buy expensive fertilizer from Thailand. The villagers were very proud of their effort, and the fact that they could save money and eat a healthier product. They loved showing us how they lived off the land, and watching us laugh and stumble through the activities.

After the rice planting, we walked barefoot along the rice banks to find fish living among the paddies. These were little guys, “paa tamaxat,” ປາທໍາມະຊາດ not like the bigger fish they were raising in nearby ponds. We took a big weighted, or casing net called “hae” ແຫ with us to see what we could catch. Which was mostly rocks. One of our Lao friends joining us turned out to be a pro and was a huge help in arranging the net for us. This was a real process, called “tuk hae” ຕຶກແຫ involving gathering it just the right way in one hand, then wrapping it around one arm just right so it could be correctly cast. Amy, Eileen, Sandra and I all gave it a try — some more successfully than others!

But it was Amy who really took the plunge. Ever fearless, ever adventurous, Amy didn’t think twice about following a man chest-high into the water along the length of a long net to check for fish. The net was checked every 2-3 days. As I followed another man to collect “pak bong” ຜັກບົ້ງ (vegetable known as morning glory) in a nearby pond, Amy disappeared around a corner through the water. Fifteen minutes later she resurfaced with 10 small fish in her basket! But her success was not as big as the smile on her face! She truly loved the experience. After walking around the rest of the rice fields, we returned to the hut to have lunch — bamboo shoot soup ແກງໜໍ່ໄມ້, the vegetables we had collected, sticky rice ເຂົ້າໜຽວ (of course), eggplant “jeow” ແຈ່ວໝາກເຂືອ and Amy’s fish ປິ້ງປາ– freshly BBQ’d! Nice to taste the fruits of our labor. But for the rice…we’ll have to return in November, during the That Luang festival, to harvest what we planted. Then our rice planting experience will be complete!

Posted in Author: Samantha | 1 Comment

July 19, 2009

Khao Pansa

Making Khao Tom for the Khao Pansa (Buddhist Lent) at Achaan Viengsavanh's home.

Making Khao Tom for the Khao Pansa (Buddhist Lent) at Achaan Viengsavanh's home.

Khao Pansa – Buddhist Lent or the Retreat of Monks to their Village Wats (Buddhist temple) during the Rainy Season for 3 Months.

On the eve of Khao Pansa or Buddhist Lent, Yaeng, Samantha and I were invited to our Professor Viengsavanh’s quaint, modest home located near the National University of Laos (Dong Dok). On the eve of Khao Pansa, many Lao women prepare khao tom, (sweet rice with coconut and bananas steamed in banana leaves) to give to the monks for merit. Achaan Viengsavanh made a huge vat of rice for us to roll up in the banana leaves. We learned to roll up the rice dessert in the banana leaves. Apparently, I need to work on making my khao tom much smaller. We also made khaonom nep, which is white with coconut in the middle and is wrapped in banana leaves too, but in a triangular fashion.

It was a fascinating experience to see how our teacher and her family lived. They live in faculty housing, a structure that is basically a three room building with thatched walls and roofs. The kitchen was a small room where water was taken from a large jug and the stove looked like a tall thin bucket made of clay. The khao tom was steamed in a basket on top of the coal burning stove. While it steamed, our professor was kind enough to feed us dinner. She made khao soy, a dish with ground pork and rice noodles in a spicy chili sauce. It was delicious.

Khao Pansa begins early in the morning, about 6:00AM. By 5:30AM, many people have already gathered and prepared for Khao Pansa. The local wats (temples) set up chairs and on a long table they line up silver and clay alms bowls (which belong to the monks) to collect sticky rice, candy, snacks, money, flowers and candles. It was a festive experience. Many Lao people in their finest sinhs and pha biengs (shoulder slash) carry silver bowls to offer their gifts for merit. It was a spectacular sight. I didn’t know what to do, I simply got into line and followed what the local people were doing. Each bowl you come to, you must lift the offering up towards your head and then place it in the bowls. During which time, the monks chanted on a loud speaker and recited prayers. I sat under a tent to observe and take in the experience and felt very fortunate to be there with the people and that I was equally welcomed. I loved that although its a special religious event that should be taken seriously, the movement and the activities in and around the wats continued to go on, not taking away from the ceremony or being disrespectful. It was natural and informal, and the people had a high level of comfort, illustrating that the special event belongs to the people and not the other way around. The only sad part of this event is that I will not be here in three months when Buddhist Lent ends and the big celebration begins.

Posted in Author: Vatsana | 3 Comments

July 17, 2009

Loving Learning

It’s been a while since my last blog and as usual a lot has happened so I would like to share a couple of stories with all you readers.

At first I was pretty bummed  because I thought that we would not be able to partake in any festival or celebration while we are here since it is the rainy season, but luckily, we were able to take part in Khao Pansa (Buddhist Lent).  Khao Pansa this year started on July 7th and continues for the next three months.  During this time, the monks spend most of their time in prayer and meditation and are restricted from traveling far out from their villages.  The night before Khao Pansa, families sit together to prepare Khao Tom (steamed rice dessert) and various other goodies that they will use for Tak Baht on the morning of Khao Pansa.  Some of us had the opportunity to visit our Achaan’s (teacher) home and help wrap the rice in banana leaves for the Khao Tom.  Once again I was able to experience first hand the togetherness that the Lao culture strives to upkeep.  On the morning of Khao Pansa people take time out from their daily activities to visit temples in their neighborhood with their family.  It is during this time that people take time to reflect on their lives and ask for forgiveness on past sins that they may have committed.  Later the same night, many return to the temple to participate in Vien Tien. This event consists of lit candles, wrapped with flowers, and walking around the temple three times, ending with placing your candles on the Buddha statue that represents the day of the week you were born.  It was very heart warming to see all the faces that made it out for Khao Pansa, most temples even ran out of sitting spaces; this showed me how important the people of Laos thought of their tradition/religion.  I would have never thought that I would be blessed with the opportunity to take part of Khao Pansa at the That Luang temple.  It was a very humbling experience for me since That Luang is such an important place for the Lao people and Khao Pansa is a meaningful celebration.

I had originally thought that I would make a visit to my birth place this past weekend, but some changes came about and I joined the rest of the group to Luang Prabang.  Although it was a long 10 hours bumpy road trip, it was worth it because the route was very scenic with beautiful mountains, rice fields and small towns along the mountain sides.  Luang Prabang is definitely a place worth visiting because it has a lot to offer with its history and magnificent landmarks to see.  The best part of this trip was the chance for me to meet some relatives that I have not seen since I left Laos.  They were so welcoming and kind that I wish we could have stayed longer.  The most awesome thing they did for me was a last minute Baci (blessing ceremony) the night before we left.  All the other SAILers, except Vatsana because she had to spend time with her family, were also invited to be part of the Baci.  After the Baci we had dinner and once everyone left I stayed behind a little longer to just sit and talk with my aunt and uncle.  Boy did they have some interesting stories to tell me, stories I probably would have not thought to ask myself.  I am learning more about myself and my family’s history since I’ve been here than I’ve learned in my entire life before I arrived.  I even learned that I was actually born in a different village than I have always thought.  These important facts about myself, along with many other things that I am learning while I am here, have made me realize how important of a decision it was for me to come study/visit Laos with the SAIL program.  Tomorrow I leave Vientiane to go home to Muang Mom, the place I been longing to visit.  I am more than excited.  I know that I will learn so much more about my family and myself.  I can say with confidence that this trip will be the most emotional trip for me while I am here.

As for everything else, I am learning a lot, in class and everywhere I go.  The people here have been more than kind and welcoming.  They are always so eager to talk to me and I am as well with them.  I am proud to say I am reading, although it takes me a while to read a couple of sentences.  I hope to become even better at writing.  I have to say, this accomplishment could not have been possible in such a short time if I did not have good teachers, my Achaan (teacher) and language friends to practice with, and of course due to the fact that I am in this beautiful country taking in everything Lao.  My volunteer at the hospital has also been great, everyone is so nice and accommodating, always asking me what I would like to see and learn.  I am still eating a lot, although mommy’s cooking is still the bes,  and trying to explore more of the city whenever I get the chance.

Posted in Author: Yaengsaeng, Laos | No Comments

July 17, 2009

Sabaydii!

I apologize for the lack of blogging.  I implore you to see it from my POV: I have traveled half way across the globe and my time here is limited.  I want to make the best of my time here and not spend it sitting in an Internet Cafe.

We had our trip to Luang Prabang last week.  It was very fun. However, I can live without the 9 hour bus ride. The mountains were beautiful though. On our way back I had a chance to sit with a Hmong gentlemen the same age as me who was on his way to Vientiene.  His family has a farm near Luang Prabang. We chatted a lot about Lao, Luang Prabang, and farming here vs the US.  It was a good time.  He said my Lao was very good for having only been studying for 4 weeks.  He has been studying English for about 6 months now, and wasn’t very confident in his skills.  His vocabulary was quite wide, however it was hard to understand him at times.

We did just about all you could do while we were in Luang Prabang.  We took a boat to the Bhudda cave (Tham Thing), a Lao Lao village, and That Kouang Si (which was beautiful). We also road bikes to a village where they make mulberry paper, and make silks/sinh.  Jeow Bong in Luang Prabang is delicious.  There were A LOT of foreigners there. I’m still not sure how I feel about that.

Our U-grad friends have already started to leave.  Many of us have already made plans to visit the ones who will be studying near where we each live.

Posted in Author: Brandin, Laos | 1 Comment

July 16, 2009

Finding love at the bank of the Mekong River

Mekong River

The Mekong River.

Drinking iced tea.

Drinking iced tea.

My heart was left at the bank of the Mekong River. What a wonderful sight to see this river that flows through countries and serves as important source of livelihood to the people.  I really enjoyed getting out of the fast paced, over crowded streets of Vientiane for a nice bike ride and boat ride on the Mekong River. After heading up towards Luang Prabang the highlights would be one of the ethnic minorities and their huts just tip-toed on the peak of the roads with the children at play. Many things have changed…for example we had to pay for “entrances” into all of the temples. When I was here before it was free…and surprisingly most everyone spoke English and the women didn’t wear sinhs as much as they do here in Vientiane.

I hate to count down my stay here in Vientiane but…here it goes….3 more weeks….I’m actually really happy that I finally have a permanent Lao language partner. It was pretty hard trying to find the right fit and make time from all the volunteering and socializing time. Hopefully I can pick up more Lao along the way with the local Lao. I really enjoy my Lao language teacher…he is really nice. But it’s hard for me to remember the characters and I don’t want to disappoint him. I recently bought a Lao dictionary to pick up more vocabulary.

The internet is pretty bad…I tried logging in so many times that I had to go to an internet café to get a stronger “signal.” Oh…I am so sad…I had 16 gigs of video clips and pictures from the 1st day of our orientation on my flash drive, and a couple days ago we were adventurous and so hungry that we walked to That Luang which is a 10-15 walk and then it started pouring. So we ate in the rain and I protected the cell phone but I totally forgot about my flash drive that got totally soaked. I am so sad and will wait a while to see if it works. Right now it says I have to reformat my drive…..=( Today we met with Professor Grant Evans. I was intrigued by his knowledge of history, government, culture of Laos. I wanted to know more but there was not enough time…

Posted in Author: Sandra, Laos | No Comments

July 16, 2009

Group Shower

This past weekend we had a trip to Luang Prabang. The guesthouse that four of us, Yaeng, Sandra, Eileen and I stayed at had a shower like no other we had seen before- one that looked like you could spend an hour in trying out every gadget. Since there were four of us, we knew our time would be limited, so we joked about having a group shower. Little did we know we would actually have one!

It’s a good thing that I grew up liking rain, because during the rainy season in Laos it rains very often. Many times it rains for only a short time, and luckily we’ll be in class or another appointment. Other times it rains so lightly I don’t even bother bringing an umbrella. And then there was last night when it already started drizziling, and it was very clear it would start pouring at some point. Hungry as we were, the few of us that were venturing off for food decided to brave the looming storm and set off to the market on the other side of the That Luang.

It didn’t start pouring until we had sat down to eat. Luckily the stand we ate at had an extra patio type umbrella that we were able to cover ourselves a bit with. Even with the umbrella, I at least was getting rained on from all sides- drips from the umbrella above, splashing from the puddles below, and mist as it blew on my side and back. So I followed a friend to seek better cover under the tarp sheltered food stand where we squeezed in as the sellers prepared papaya salad and clams. Eventually the rest of our group followed, trekking through the puddle almost level with the top of the curb. The rain didn’t look as though it would let up anytime soon, so we began our journey home, splashing in the puddles on our way. The funniest part about the entire thing was looking back for Brandin, and seeing him walking tall across the market with a plastic bag over his hair?

Actually, I have secretly been wanting something like this to happen! Since it is the rainy season, it is better to enjoy it. It was also probably the first time the weather here made me cold, so I took advantage of it while I could! A little different than we had imagined, I don’t think our group shower could have been more fun!

I’d say everything is still going well in Laos! My Lao is steadily improving, although I still feel that I don’t know a lot of useful vocabulary. I am at the point where I am pretty comfortable speaking, although I am not always confident I understand what people say to me. I hope I can improve soon so that I can understand the Lao language books I bought today- although I can read (slowly), I may not know the meaning of the words! I have also been volunteering at the Donkoi Children’s Development Center three times a week. For the first half of my time there I help out with arts and crafts, whether doing batik, making candles or constructing rock animals. I also am teaching a small English class at the DCDC. This is a great time for me to learn a lot about Lao culture as the students work on their English communication.

Posted in Author: Amy, Laos | 1 Comment

July 16, 2009

so… is that good or bad??

“oh duang champa, wela som nong. nuk hen pan sone, mong hen hua chai, hoa nuk kun dai, nai kin chao hom.”

So, last week we learned to sing the Champa Song (the national song of Laos)  in our Lao Language class and studied the basic way to introduce ourselves. It’s half way through the program and we’ve just gotten there, but now that we can read and write, it’ll be easier for us to learn from here on about the sentence structures and figure of speech.

I love how our whole class is so into learning the song, we sing it just about everywhere. xP

The weekend in Luang Prabang was amazing: the scenery was beautiful, the bus ride was long, the people were nice, the city was clean, the food made some of us not feel so good, our cameras exploded, and our legs were tired. There was SO much to do and see in such a small area. All in all we had a great time; pulling ourselves up the stairs at Mt. Phousi, riding our bikes in the scorching sun, falling off our bikes into sludge, riding in a boat to the Buddha Cave, trying some LaoLao (Lao rice whisky), finding huge random korean bbq shops out of nowhere, finding a dead gecko on the side of our bed, getting my fortune told by Yaeng’s uncle, receiving sweet “good morning” texts from our friends who miss us so very much back in Vientiane, seeing a family style Baci at Yaeng’s family’s guesthouse, watching a restaurant buy fish from another restaurant so we could have our dinner instead of telling us they ran out of fish, not being able to see a single elephant this whole entire trip… ok, well that’s sad.

So this week, another 2 of the ugrads are leaving. One’s leaving for Northern California tomorrow and Bea’s leaving for Montana on Friday. Then after them, another 2, Sai and Dai, are leaving next week. We’re going to miss the four of them so much. I’m going to miss Onee the most because we haven’t actually hung out since KunKhum’s Baci until last night when we all went out for some soymilk at Centerpoint as a goodbye get-together.

Today Professor Grant Evans is going to come tell us a little more about Lao history and whatnot. Awesome, so I’ll check back soon!

Posted in Author: Eileen, Laos, Trips | 1 Comment

July 5, 2009

Photo Essay

SAILers posing in front of the Nam Phou, downtown Vientiane, Laos.

SAILers posing in front of the Nam Phou, downtown Vientiane, Laos.

Sandra, one of our SAILers, sampling Lao fruits.

Sandra, one of our SAILers, sampling Lao fruits.

SAILers meeting UGrads (their language partners) at Lao-American College orientation.

SAILers meeting UGrads (their language partners) at Lao-American College orientation.

Samantha and Yaengsaeng riding the local bus into town from their guesthouse.

Samantha and Yaengsaeng riding the local bus into town from their guesthouse.

The SAILers at a friend's Baci ceremony.

The SAILers at a friend's Baci ceremony.

Eileen & Vatsana, our two SAILers at a Baci ceremony.

Eileen & Vatsana, our two SAILers at a Baci ceremony.
A view of Vientiane streets from Somneuk Guesthouse, where the SAILers are staying.

A view of streets of Vientiane from Somneuk Guesthouse, where the SAILers are staying.

Children performing to welcome the SAILers at from Sengsourigna Music and Cultural Center (SCMCC).

Children performing to welcome the SAILers at the Sengsourigna Music and Cultural Center (SCMCC).

Sandra and Eileen standing in front of the guesthouse.

Sandra and Eileen standing in front of the guesthouse.

Posted in Author: Samantha | No Comments

July 5, 2009

My latest trip to Vientaine

Sabaydii everyone!

Greetings from Bangkok.  My apology for not writing earlier.  It was so wonderful meeting all of you again last week.  On Sunday I attended a family’s merit making ceremony for my Lao sister-like friend who passed away since last year (as I probably had told you earlier; really sorry to keep mumbling about this).  It was my first time to witness the Buddhist ceremony for our loved ones.  The ceremony is merely slightly different from what we usually do in Thailand.  Here people put a tray with two candles in front of each person during the sermon; no such thing in BKK (at least not in my family tradition).  And when the monks said out loud my friend’s name I tried very hard to fight back my tears; still couldn’t believe that she’s actually gone forever.  As a Buddhist I have well absorbed the concepts of birth, aging, illness, and death.  Yet it’s still hard to accept these facts of life.

The following Monday had turned into quite a different day, however.  I was happy to see that you SAILers really have blended in with the students and the locals.  This time, please believe me, you don’t look like Americans at all!!!  I regretted that I talked to Nong Yaengsaeng in English, as your first sentences in Lao sounded so very Lao to me!!!, much better than my Lao speaking skill.   But I was too worried about the interview with you, that I forgot about the fact that we can actually communicate in Lao.  It’s too bad that I didn’t get a chance to talk to everybody.  I hope we could spend some more time getting to know each other more; perhaps if you decide to visit us (me, Vinya’s mom, Aj Rattana, my Lao-class students, etc) in Thailand, on your way back home.

Talking to Aj. Ginny was really a privilege to me.  I think you are such a special person.  I hope that you would have a chance to visit Bangkok and meet me and my whole family some day.  I will definitely consult with my faculty members at Thammasat and discuss how we and LAC can coorperate.

Have a wonderful stay in Vientiane everyone.  Please keep in touch.
Varisa*

* Dr. Varisa Kamalanavin is a current Center for Lao Studies’ advisory board member. She is an Associate Professor and teaches Lao at Thammasat University, Thailand.

Posted in Laos | No Comments

July 3, 2009

Dok Champa, Khaophansaa and Interviews – Sa!

Dok Champa, the national flower of Laos.

Dok Champa, the national flower of Laos.

The SAILers participated in a Baci ceremony.

The SAILers participated in a Baci ceremony.

SAILers singing to Lao tunes at a local Karaoke bar in Vientiane, Laos.

SAILers and their language partners singing to Lao tunes at a local Karaoke bar in Vientiane, Laos.

A few of our SAILers at the Lao-American College.

A few of our SAILers, in their school uniform, at the Lao-American College campus.

Achaan Bounmy teaching the beginning Lao to the SAILers at the Lao-American College.

Achaan Bounmy teaching the beginning Lao to the SAILers at the Lao-American College.

Achaan Viengsavanh teaching Lao to the SAILers at the Lao-American College.

Achaan Viengsavanh teaching intermediate Lao to the SAILers at the Lao-American College.

Hello blog readers and thanks for following our SAILers stories throughout their trip so far. We’re happy you’re following our words, and hope they are inspiring some of you to join us next year! As you’ll read in their recent blogs, lots has been said about some of our social activities this past week, so I won’t repeat them. They’ve been very busy with their UGrad friends because most will be departing soon and they’ve been trying to see them as much as they can before they leave. So I will concentrate more on the programmatic elements of the past week to give you an idea of how it’s developing.

I’m happy to report that the Beginning Class has learned the words to “Dok Champa!” They’ve gone from pretty much mastering reading and writing (Brandin is especially amazing in this respect) to singing! Achaan Bounmy is providing lots of different opportunities for them to learn, and I’m very happy about that. The Intermediate Class is very conversant and we’re pretty good at keeping our Achaan off-topic, so that we can learn about the culture, getting her opinions on everything from Lao-Thai relations, to Lao history, to the new Lao generation — all in Lao! Unfortunately, our reading and writing has suffered a bit, but we’ll catch up with the Beginners soon — just as they start catching up to our speaking ability. We are all learning a lot in our classes, but the challenge continues to be taking it out of the class into Lao society, since being a foreigner makes you an immediate English target.

Next week we will have our first language field trip to Ho Pra Keo — the original resting place of the famed Emerald Buddha which now resides at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Then we will head to the Morning Market, all in an effort to get a cultural lesson in Lao, and apply it in the real world. Khaophansaa, or the beginning of Buddhist Lent, also starts next week and the Intermediate class will make traditional sweets (khao tom) at the home of our Achaan, and will also learn to make Khao Soy. The next morning I’m hoping to motivate the group to wake up early, put on their sinhs, and tak bat (make merit) to the monks at the temple. If we do, they will have real exposure to the religion and the people’s involvement in it — something which they have not had a lot of up to now. Last weekend I took them to Wat Sisaket, the only temple that was not burned to the ground by the Thais back in the 1880s and we walked around, amazed at the site of the thousands of Buddha statues. Inside the sim or sima we saw original frescoes that unfortunately, with lack of attention and upkeep, are faded and crumbling. We all sat there, after bowing to the Buddha, awestruck by the beauty of it all.

In our Lao History and Culture class, we’ve been reviewing the history of the kings (I think we’re up to Chao SaySetthathirath right about now) and I’ve asked our Achaan to put particular emphasis on the history of Luang Prabang next week before our big outing there. I’m very excited for the trip up North, although I think a few of the SAILers are uneasy about the 10 hour trip up winding roads in a bus. For me, another opportunity for them to do as the Lao do which is what this trip is all about. The scenery is beautiful, and hopefully they won’t be too queasy to enjoy it. I know they’re going to love the temples and historic sites there, and since I’ve heard there aren’t many foreigners there right now, hopefully they will have more opportunities to interact with the LP Lao.  I’ve got a few plans to get the SAILers more involved in the trip, some of which involves them reading up on the sites and doing some planning in Lao!

I’m working on augmenting their education with talks from local experts. As you’ll read from Sandra, Mike Carroll gave us an incredibly informative talk on crop substitution and opium eradication in the North. He has lived in Laos for over 10 years and has vast experience on agriculture, challenges of getting crops to markets and local economics, and the ethnic minorities affected. He is also organizing a 4th of July picnic today of which we’ll be a part. CLS will have a booth there to expose expats and others to our program so they can hopefully spread the word to friends and family back home. Brandin and I will also speak about the program — following the Ambassador’s talk. The SAIL program has also gained exposure through recent interviews. Vatsana, Yaeng and I did our first interview in Lao with Radio France International (http://www.rfi.fr/actulo/articles/115/article_13990.asp) and back home, CLS Executive Dirctor, Dr. Vinya Sysamouth’s was also interviewed, and his interview could be found at http://www.rfi.fr/actulo/articles/115/article_13986.asp. Listen if you dare but don’t judge our Lao too harshly! The whole group also did an interview (in English) with a local Lao magazine, and Dr. Varisa, one of CLS advisory board members, also did an article for a Thai paper. SAILers going international!

Finally, a word about the volunteer positions. Sandra, Eileen and Amy are helping out at Donkoi Children’s Center three days a week, assisting in art projects, teaching English to the staff, and helping in the library (Eileen). I’m very excited for Yaeng and Vatsana who are also spending three days a week at Setthathirath hospital — a rare opportunity to work in a state institution. Yaeng shadows nurses and doctors doing rounds, and Vatsana has taken it upon herself to create her own project, interviewing mothers in the Mother-Child ward about their nutritional habits and raising children. They are expected to report their findings at the end, and I can’t wait to hear them! Vatsana and I also observed a newly created private center for autistic children funded entirely by their parents. They have teachers from Thailand to introduce physical, and some occupational therapy to them, and were very enthusiastic about Vatsana sharing her ideas based on her vast experience working with children with disabilities. Finally, Brandin is spending time with LAC students who need extra tutoring in English. He enjoys spending time with the students there, and I’m hoping it is also providing him the opportunity to learn a little Lao at the same time. He also recently purchased 2 pairs of fake designer shades, which will either scare them all off, or have them think he’s some sort of rockstar god.

More soon~

Posted in Author: Samantha, Culture, Laos | 2 Comments

July 3, 2009

Roll Out…

Tuk Tuk or Jumbo, a common mode of transportation in Laos.

Tuk Tuk or Jumbo, a common mode of transportation in Laos.

Lots has been happening and we had an especially social week, so here is the break down.  Sorry like I mentioned before I’m not much of a writer, but here goes.

Friday-we went karaoke at a Chinese Hotel and sang English, Lao and Thai songs…then we hit Club Romeo.  The club is very different than what I remember in the past.  They don’t have a dance floor just random stand up tables while people danced at the table.  Of course us being the “Americans” that we are, started searching for the dance floor. We tried to make our own, but then they moved the chairs and tables back into place.

Sunday-We went to “Taad Moun” for a picnic, it was a very fun mini adventure outside the Capital.  It wasn’t the cleanest river in the world, but Eileen, Yaeng, Phonh, Brandin, Samantha and I jumped right in just being a part of the river body floating fun.  Sometime during the day Eileen got kidnapped by some high schoolers and went off, hopefully to learn a couple of Lao phrases.  I sat out to sun bathe while locals singing songs flirted with the drifters.

Monday-We finally got our sinhs and now we can blend in. I just have to work on my tan!

Tuesday- Presentation by Mike Carroll “Working in Phongsaly in Opium Crop Substitution and Poverty Reduction or At Least Don’t make it Worse Projects” (funded by the US government/State Department).  It was interesting to hear facts about efforts to curb drug production, and encourage crop substitution in Northern Laos.

Wednesday-Interview with local Lao Magazine, and Bowling.

I forget which days that we went out for food.  But so far I have had about 5 “Khai Luuk” (chicken embryos).  I have seen them but have never eaten them before.  It was actually not that bad.  Can’t wait to try “jumping shrimp.”

Next I’m going to try to rent a bike so that I can have mini adventures from the side roads.  Lots to see…not much time to do!

Posted in Author: Sandra, Laos | 2 Comments

July 3, 2009

Taad Moun: Playing in the river

Traveling along the Lao country side.

Traveling along the Lao country side.

On Sunday, the CLS entourage ventured out into the woods to commune with nature, a pastime that many local Lao people find bizarre and “unnatural.” We invited many of our U-graduates and language partners to join us on our little outing to Taad Moun, a small river on the outskirts of the city limits where brave venturous souls, (unlike myself) fared the small rapid-like water falls in tubes, plastic blow up life jackets and floaties. It turned out to be a nice day, we weren’t sure if we were going to go out to the “jungle” as it had rained terribly hard the night before and was still raining when we got up in the morning. It’s amazing we got up at all as the CLS entourage began our evening the night before at a karaoke club and sang our hearts out, (badly) to the tunes of American oldies, Lao and Thai ballads. There’s nothing grander and amusing than a bunch of tone deaf American singers, although Sandra held her own. After our soiree at the Karaoke club, we dared to continue the local night life and went dancing at a very popular club called Romeo, where all the music has the same thumping beat and the bass made your inner bodies vibrate. There were many different foreigners all gathered together along with the local people and jumping, grooving, body smacking and shaking to the music. There isn’t a designated dance floor, your group just circles themselves around a counter-like table where servers dressed like hip-hop dancers kept an eye on your group and collected empty glasses. I must say we were the most colorful or should I say the most creative and expressive dancers in the place. Of course, I couldn’t last as long as the young’uns. With ear drums busted and lungs filled with second-hand smoke, I was craving the comfort of my soft, (relatively speaking) bed. Samantha and I went home while the rest of the crew continued on to get food and returned home later. More power to the young at heart!

The next day we braved the elements and climbed into the van to take us to the river. As you know, it’s the rainy season and like I had said, it was raining when we got up. We had to travel on muddy quicksand-like roads and I could just imagine us pushing this van out of the mud if we got stuck. On many occasions during our drive there, I thought the van was a goner. The van driver was a maniac diver also!! What’s the hurry bop? He was speeding and would come right up behind these poor little motor bikes, blare his horn and fly by them. If I was on one of those bikes, I’m sure I would have a heart attack. The whole drive over was like riding one of the roller coasters at Six Flags Adventure Park, WITHOUT seatbelts. When we got there, it was a VERY interesting sight. The Lao people sure know how to have fun! It seems that they have the concept of Leisure down to an art. They played in the water, sang and serenaded swimmers and passer-bys, drank, and boy, do they eat!! At picnics, the Lao people eat bamboo soup, papaya salad, green bean salad, roasted fish, fruit and rice throughout the whole day. When do they not eat and how do they keep so thin?!!? I know how I keep thin, it’s called eating and upset stomach. The most extraordinary thing about swimming in Laos is that some people swim with all their clothes on. Shoes, socks, jeans and t-shirts. They just plop themselves in the water, sometimes with a cigarette, and sit in the water as if sitting in a Jacuzzi. It’s pretty hilarious of the mix of people; young, old, men, women, peddlers, and foreigners and the myriad of clothing articles. It’s like the circus meets Sea World. I would encourage anyone to join in the festivity and I hope I would be more adventurous in our next excursions. Cheers!

Posted in Author: Vatsana, Laos | 3 Comments

July 3, 2009

Fan Club!

Traffic in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

Traffic in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

I don’t get it. Why do all masculine products here include a whitening agent of some sort? Back in the States it’s GOOD to be a little tan (not a tanorexic though)  whereas here they all want to be white(er)… like me heh.  Everyone seems so intrigued by the way I look.

For example, Sunday we went to Taad Moun, a “waterfall”  outside of Vientiene.  It was our first unpaved rural road experience.  It was raining.  Wow, so much red mud. I was glad we didn’t get stuck because guess who would have been pushing had we have been.  Yep, us.  Anyway, there was this group of people across the water sitting under/on/around a tree playing guitar and singing songs.  I was standing in the sun on the other side trying to dry off a little, and randomly some of the women started to take pictures of me.  “Ok, that’s weird” I thought.  They tried to be discrete about it at first but discretion was *not* one of their strong points.  I thought it was funny so I did like the Romans. I started posing.  I did a traditional “I’m Asian and I’m taking a picture” pose.  They went crazy, and the guys started to improv a song. I think they said something like “you are so handsome, come hang out with us!”

Posted in Author: Brandin | 3 Comments

July 3, 2009

Don’t Speak English to me!

The American Center at the Lao-American College.

The American Center at the Lao-American College.

Being fluent in English is great. I could probably manage to go anywhere in the world never knowing a second language. I’ll never get lost in an airport with all the directions in English. I can always get a taste of home by turning on the TV to watch a movie or listen to songs I can actually comprehend. I am honored to know that so many students around the world are studying my native tongue, hence my willingness to help them learn. Although I am very grateful that I don’t have to question my knowledge of English, I have found that it makes learning Lao that much more difficult.
For some time I have wanted to study in a country where I would not know the language spoken to see what it feels like to be in that position. Being here with a group of six other English speakers, and studying at a college where classes are actually taught in English, I have come no where close to feeling this way. Of course, this is nice, since I don’t think it would be so much fun not being able to communicate, but at the same time I feel a lot like I cheated.
Whenever I go for a walk or run on the street, I am never surprised to hear “Hello” or other English greetings directed my way. When I am with a friend who only understands Lao and another person begins speaking English to me I actually feel guilty! And I love spending time with you SAILers, but sometimes I am quiet since I don’t really want to speak English, but I don’t know how to respond in Lao either! Anyone who knows me well will know about my high expectations for myself studying in another country. For me, the entire point of going abroad is to learn another language and experience living there. There are very few places in the world that I would like to travel to see actual things. Even here in Laos, I am not so interested in tours or site seeing. Despite my recent camera purchase, I haven’t even been taking that many photographs. All I want to do is meet people who speak Lao and talk with them. So that is what I have been doing here in Vientiane. :)

I am so thankful for all the patient people I have met here who encourage me to speak Lao! Thank you so much for enjoying my company and inviting me to chat even though I may very well say ‘wao ik’ or ‘wao saa saa’ after every sentence.

Dear housemates of mine, I want to let you know of course I understand why it is easier for you to speak Chinese, but now that I am in a similar position as you, I hope you can believe me. You know, though, I will still tease you to speak in English since I would be thankful to have someone pushing me to speak Lao all the time! :) I miss you guys and hope you are having a wonderful summer! Mom, Dad, Samantha, Theresa and Som, miss you tons and hope you don’t miss me too much!

Posted in Author: Amy, Lao Language, Laos | 2 Comments

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