Today was our final day at the Lao American College.  It was certainly a sad day to have to say goodbye to our teachers and some of our new friends.  The road to this point was definitely long and hard but I think I have definitely gained quite a bit on this journey.  I was happy with my results from the language and history classes but more happy to have met and become close to our teachers.  They are such wonderful people.  They enlightened us with stories about their families and helped us outside of the classroom with matters beyond their required duties.  The friends we made here in Laos will last forever.  They were so friendly and considerate from the very beginning.  I only hope that I was able to help them out in some way as well.  The time that we spent together both at the LAC and around Vientiane consisted of many memorable moments that I hope to share with them all again one day.

Before I left the US to come to Laos, I was a bit wary of these other SAILers but I quickly found out that I could not have asked for a better group of individuals to have shared this experience with.  Thank you to Toby for her humor and friendship, to Sack for his silliness and love of adventure, to Ryan for his openness and insightful observations, and to Natalie for her warm smile and frequent confusion (joking).  Lung Xuan, too, made this journey very comfortable and at times, extremely entertaining.  He made sure we were always alright.  I can tell that he’s grown attached to us over these eight weeks and I know that we feel the same way about him.  He will undoubtedly be a great program leader for next year’s SAILers.

As all the SAILers go their separate ways, I know I will miss everyone.  My time here in Laos is winding down and it seems like there is still so much left to do.  I leave Laos this time with a better appreciation for what the country has gone through, where it is now, and the hope that the people here have for its future. I am sure I will be back here one day, hopefully sooner rather than later. I will certainly miss this place and the people here.  I know I still have much to learn about Laos but I feel that because of the SAIL program, my connection to Laos has been strengthened and will serve as a launching point to other great opportunities here in the future.

Lastly, thank you to Dr. Vinya and all the supporters of the SAIL Program and the Center for Lao Studies.  Such a program is vital for Lao Americans and other Americans to understand their identities and the changing world around them.  Laos is not stagnant.  It is important for students to broaden their experiences and the SAIL Program is an excellent opportunity to do just that.

Unlike the other SAILers, I did not go to Luang Prabang. After discussing it with my family, they thought it would be best to go with them at the end of the program. It was certainly quiet here in Vientiane without my fellow Americans. Being alone, however, gave me a chance to spend more time working on my presentation for class and hanging out with new friends that I’ve made since being here in Laos. While having dinner with one particular friend, I was reintroduced to the Xieng Mieng stories and the art of Lao riddle-telling.  Let’s just say I over thought many of them and did not fully understand half of them.  Some of them focused on word play, some on the vagueness or the particularity of some Lao words, some were just crude but hilarious, and some really made me think.  I was one of the most interesting conversations I’ve had in Laos.

On Saturday, I visited the children again at Noi Sengsourigna’s Children’s Music and Cultural Center. They performed for myself and Phensy, a friend of mine from Milwaukee, who is visiting Laos after having attended the International Conference on Lao Studies in Khon Kaen, Thailand. They were awesome! Of course, Phensy, Todd (who was also there), and I had to sing for the children. I did not disappoint with my out of tune attempt at “Nam Song See.” I think the kids liked it. Later in the evening, I was supposed to go out but that never materialized due to an unfortunate car accident (luckily no one was injured). Since I’ve been here, I’ve personally witnessed three accidents happen, and at least 10-12 aftermaths.  Vientiane has definitely changed since the last time I was here in 2000. There are so many “big cars” here now and many times carelessness and other factors have caused accidents.

Sunday, I was surprised when 2 students (and one of their sisters) from Khon Kaen University in Thailand came to visit. They were on vacation and wanted to visit Laos and well as interview a few native English speakers for a project of theirs.  I was amazed by one of the girls’ willingness to speak Lao to me when only a couple weeks ago at the conference she spoke Thai and English to me. Though she transitioned to Thai now again and I to English now and again, I thought the whole day was quite educational for all of us.  Ay Joi, another friend I’ve encountered along this journey, took all of us to Patuxay.  The last time I climbed those stairs was 16 years ago.  The whole area has changed dramatically.  The view of city was beautiful! I’m sure the view will continue to change as the city grows and continues to develop.

With Dr. Vinya’s arrival, the other SAILers and I were overjoyed to see a familiar face. Though his stay in Vientiane was short, we were able to have dinner with our teachers and spend a day on the Nam Ngum River.  It was fun to see a whole “other” side to Dr. Vinya, Michael, and Ryan. I wish we could’ve had music on the raft. It would’ve been that much better.

On the morning of July 13th, we were off to Khon Kaen for the 3rd International Conference on Lao Studies. We were fortunate enough to ride along with 12 prominent professors from the National University of Laos.  They shared stories with us while we entertained them with our singing skills.  The conference was great too. I was astounded by the different research that has been done on Laos and as Grant Evans noted, the great research yet to done. I left there thinking about the possibilities of my own research and how I could contribute.

Though we didn’t go out much in Khon Kaen, I felt like the spirit of the Lao people of Isan at the conference–in the warm smiles and hospitable gesture of the staff and volunteers.  I think I should share a certain experience I had.  While I was in Khon Kaen, I had the opportunity to do some shopping. I remembered that Dr. Vinya said that he refused to speak Thai in Isan. With that in mind, I spoke Lao to almost everyone I met and consequently shocked by their response in Thai. Dr. Vinya later explained to me that Thai was a formal language, whereas Lao was reserved for more intimate, personal “spaces” (perhaps a future topic of research). Overall, I was quite impressed by the quality of presentations, both receptions, and the comradery I always feel at these conferences. I can’t wait until 2013 in Wisconsin!

One of the SAILers, Ryan, landed second place at a hotdog eating contest during the 4th of July celebration at the Lao-American College.

SAILers participating in a Baci ceremony during a village visit.

Without question, the highlight of this past week was our excursion to the countryside. I was a bit hesitant to go at first given my recent stomach troubles but the entire trip turned out to be truly eye-opening. My parents, even while in Laos, had always been city folk but there is something about country-living that has always captured my interest.  The easy-going attitudes of the people, the sharing of work, meals, and entertainment were all very apparent in Phonsong.  My host mother had three boys of her own so it was no problem for her to add on another.  Even though I spent very little time in her home other than to sleep, it was clear that she cared a great deal about my comfort during my stay.  I loved the walk from the village to the rice fields and pond. I loved the feel of the warm water and mud between my toes. I regret not having had more time to fish and my being such a disappointing rice planter. I think I brought some shame to my host mother. Haha!

Oh, before we left to the countryside, we celebrated July 4th with some students at the LAC. They played charades and had a hot dog eating competition. Ryan finished strong in 2nd place! Ask him about it. It was so fun(ny)!

Yesterday, I think I had my first true test, among many, in speaking Lao.  One of the students at the LAC asked me about my research.  As I stumbled through the conversation, perhaps even making up words followed by many a ”Kow jai bo?”, I think he was able to understand some of it (I hope).  I know many times at home, I find myself not speaking at all because I just don’t know how to describe in Lao what I want to say in English. I think I’m getting better though.

Our time here in Laos is nearly halfway over. I can’t believe it’s starting to wind down. Tomorrow, my friend Phensy and Ai Achaan Vinya arrives so it will be great to see more familiar faces. Next week, we’re off to Khon Kaen for the Third International Conference on Lao Studies. I’m super excited to learn of the latest research everyone has been working on. I hope I can contribute one day.

Teaching students English at my volunteer work.

Without going much into detail, this week has been the most difficult in terms of my health.  After visiting a clinic yesterday for medication and saline treatment, I am feeling much better and enthused about this weekend’s activities.  Thanks to Toby and Achaan Hommala for accompanying me to the clinic. It was definitely an experience.

Aside from my health, I am enjoying our classes and the close relationships I am building with some of the people I have met here.  I’m finding that Lao people are very quick to offer (medical) advice, what I should have been eating or not eating.  I can’t help but laugh a bit inside while humbly agreeing on the outside.  I think a part of me thinks that I can take care of myself because I have been for the most part in the US.  Here, it seems I am everyone’s brother, son, nephew, or grandson.  I guess people really care.  Even at the clinic, people seemed to be much more personable than some places I’ve been to in the U.S.

I have to mention that one of the highlights of last week was visiting the Children’s Educational Development Center whose director is the daughter of the famed Maha Sila Viravong.  The children that performed a few scenes from the Sinxay drama were absolutely amazing.  They all had an incredible passion for Lao literature. It was great to see the Lao arts alive and well.  Volunteer work, teaching children English, is going well.  The more I know about their personal struggles, the more I in awe of their smiling faces everyday.  It makes me feel so fortunate to have what I have.

We’ll be heading out to the countryside tomorrow.  I’ll tell you all about it next week!

As I close out my second week in Laos, I am comforted by a sense of familiarity–with the people and places of Vientiane.  I continue to meet new people daily at the Lao American College (LAC) who have invited us to a couple of their events including a July 4th celebration. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. Although I feel very Lao, I am constantly reminded of my difference. True, I am not a Lao national nor have I mastered all of the nuances of colloquial Lao but my “American-ness” seems easily detectable. This fact has given me an even greater appreciation for the Lao people and its culture because it has been challenging for me, forcing me to rethink what I thought I knew about being Lao and being American for that matter. I am trying to absorb everything I can in and out of class. I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by so many willing “teachers.”

I started volunteering two days ago at Sihom Primary School. The school had closed down due to lack of students and poor administration, but Noi Sengsourigna (the director of the Sengsourigna Children’s Music and Cultural Center) was able to get a classroom reopened for me to teach some of the underprivileged neighborhood children English. Thus far, it has been a rewarding experience. The children are so eager to learn despite their unfortunately home lives. I only hope my limited time with them will give them some hope. I love how the students greet me when I arrive and politely ask to leave when they depart. This is something I will surely share with my community when I return to Milwaukee.

Athith, our primary language partner, has been great! A few days ago, he took us to a restaurant that served Lao food. It was incredible! I love how much Ryan loves Tam Mak Hung and how Sack, Toby and Natalie are just so positive about everything. The place was called Mieng Chao Kao, about at 10-15 walk from the guesthouse. This weekend was supposed to be our trip to the countryside but that has been postponed. Instead, we’ll check out Sinxay Drama Club. I’m looking forward to it as acting is a secret love of mine.

Take Care!

I’m finally in San Francisco which means that Laos is just around the corner! Although this has been a tiresome day, it was great to finally meet the other SAILers and a couple SAILers from last summer. At our orientation, we discussed what we could expect in Laos and to experience everything with an open mind. We also had the chance to check out the Civc Center. Ai Vinya pointed out some of the buildings that were in the area while many a dramatic scenes unfolded around us.  The trip to Laos is going to be great.  The other SAILers seem like a fun bunch, an eager group ready for the learning and fun to begin. I can’t wait to come back a little darker, a little thinner, and whole lot more knowledgeable!