SAILers 2010 taking photo with the CLS Executive Director at the conference room

Instead of having classes in Vientiane, The SAILers spent 4 days in the week 5 of their SAIL program to participate in the 3rd International Conference on Laos Studies at Khon Kaen, Thailand which was held on 14th to 16th of July. This is a significant event for them and for myself as well. For us all, it’s a valuable experience having attended such great conference. Beside the group of SAILers, there were more than twenty participants from Laos going to join the conference, among them were professors from the National University of Laos (NUOL) who were invited and sponsored by the Center for Lao Studies, some interested individuals and SAILers’ friends. In fact, this conference is the gathering of scholars and academic experts in different fields of knowledge and wisdom. The participants have wide range of choice to listen to the topics they are interested in.

To me, it is a great conference I ever have attended. Thanks for the host organizers, especially the Center For Laos Studies for giving me an opportunity to experience this big event. I feel I have gained a lot of new knowledge and also have consolidated some knowledge I had previously learned about it many years ago.

I had listened to quite many topics. such as  Phra Lak Phra Lam (Lao and Isan-Ramayana); Land concession and rubber plantation in the north of Laos, Land use planning; Cash economy and sexual practice in Laos community; the Role of FM Radios along the Lao-Thai border areas; Conflict Resolutions in the Mekong basin.

We came back to Laos in the same group that we had on the departure day, except for Dr. Vinya Sysamouth who went back home from Thailand directly. After the conference closing at 12.00 pm of 16th July, we were pick up at the conference venue (Charoen Thani Princess Hotel in the heart of Khon Kaen City) by a bus of Khon Kaen University which transferred us to the Friendship Bridge on Thai side, then we were pick up by a mini bus from Vientiane.

The 4 SAILers 2010 have been carrying out their activities in Vientiane Capital of Laos as the third week by now. Vientiane which is in the central part of the country is now in the middle rainy season. I mean it rains almost every day during the last two weeks, which means there’s not so many hot days as the previous months and early weeks of this month.  It is such a nice weather for our local people and the 4 SAILers as well.

As the SAIL in-country Program Leader I have talked with the SAILers twice a week when we have a small meetings on Monday and Thursday evenings in which they give me reflections on their situations in regards to their staying at the guesthouse, their food and health, training course, volunteer work and extra-activities.

By now they informed me that there’s no problem with accommodation, food and health. It’s quite convenient to have food in nearby food shop/ restaurants, also access to internet cafe.

They can follow their teachers in learning Lao language, Lao history and culture. Each student has shown progress to some extent in the Lao language learning, especially speaking even though slowly and with strange accent and pronunciation. Reading is alright but sometimes- difficult to understand the meaning of words/ phrases in different tonal levels.

Another thing is quite difficult for them is writing Lao scripts, particularly writing of words with a few number of consonants and vowels. In addition, they still have limited knowledge of vocabulary.  However, they hopefully think that it would be improved in the coming weeks through regular practice and lots homework, and they will learn about sentence pattern, sentence structure as well.

History and culture classes are great. Besides listening to the teacher’s explanation in class they also get supplemental reading materials from the teacher.

Beside having classes for their own lessons the SAILers have been doing an extra work on voluntary basis. Each one of them has done volunteer work since Tuesday 22nd June (week 2).

Toby spends her time in the morning 3 days a week teaching English for 2 groups of kids at the Children Development Center(an attached project to Primary School ) some 10 Km from the guesthouse where she stays. Ryan  is volunteering at the National Library in downtown Vientiane. He goes there 4 days per week- Tuesday to Friday, from 8.30 to 11.00 am. He sits at the front desk giving services to the library visitors who come to read books, borrow books, or register as a member, while he also has opportunity to read Lao history, or literature on the palm-leave script books.

Akarath is volunteering 2 hours in the morning 3 days a week, Wednesday to Friday. He is teaching English to a group of some 40 kids in a primary school located in the heart of city. Phouthasack is doing his volunteer work at the Lao-American College, giving presentations to the classes about the SAIL program and their intention to learn Lao language and history and culture. etc. He also socialize with students there in the school library to practice Lao language for himself while he help students with English or about the USA .

Last weekend the SAILers visited the Children’s Educational Develop. Center (of Vientiane Education Department). They have seen some activities there, such as drawing group, reading room for kids’ story books, show by Sinxay poetry reading group (short drama).

This weekend the SAILers will take a trip to the countryside some 70 Km to the north of Vientiane City. The group would spend 2 days and 1 night in a village. Through this excursion tour they expect to be exposed to rural community livelihood, to have experience on rice planting, fishing, bamboo basket/ mat weaving, and other cultural activities.

The four 2010 SAILers – Akarath, Toby, Ryan and Phouthasack have started their classes as the first week during Tuesday 15th to Friday 18th of June. I first met with them when they arrived at the Vientiane International Airport (Wattay airport) on Monday evening (14th) this week.

In the following morning – Tuesday 15th, the group started with an orientation for two hours regarding the Lao-American College area and facilities, school staff, teachers and several volunteer students at the college. I also attended this meeting. Ms. Ginny gave a warm welcome and nice talk with us. And there was a session for small group conversation in which 2 or 3 people talking about each other’s background and interests.

From that day afternoon, the SAILers began to have their classes on Lao language, Lao history and culture. The subjects are taught by 3 teachers from the Faculty of Letters and Mass Media of the National University of Laos(NUOL). Achaan Hommala and Bounmy for Lao laguage and Achaan Bounleuth for Lao history and culture. So far they have learned Lao language for 8 hours and history/ culture for 3 hours only. Any how, it seems that all of them has improved their Lao language – Akarath and Toby are more fluent in speaking, and Phouthasack and Ryan speak Lao faster and clear pronunciation. Young students brilliant and quick-learners!

Yesterday, I took them downtown for sight-seeing tour in Vientiane. They have visited Thatluang Stupa, Ho Prakeo Museum, Wat Simeuang  and the Morning market. I think there are still other points of interest in Vientiane area for them to visit, especially the traces of Lao ancient history. And those will be taken as the supplemented visits to the history lessons, according to Achaan Bounleuth – their history and culture teacher.