Our crew woke up early in the morning. We were supposed to go on the book boat, which is part of the program I described in the previous entry, and go to a village and deliver books and play games. However, it had been pouring rain all night and into the morning, and the village was fairly flooded. Very disappointing, but what can you do?
I was fine relaxing at the hotel after breakfast, since I had to leave for the airport at noon. I flew back to Vientiane (30 minutes, the shortest flight ever) and went back to the Embassy to clean up the rest of my desk and say goodbye to the few people left in my office (everyone else was still in Luang Prabang).
Although I’d already said goodbye to Ken, Christina, Emily, and many of my friends, I was able to get together was some friends I have made here, such as the Fulbright researchers Melia and Pon, my boss Matt before he left for Bangkok, and Shana, a teacher I met who is at the National University. They were so nice. We ate Lao food at Makphet, which is a restaurant that trains street kids and helps give them training and jobs. It was really good.
Reflecting on my experience, I think it’s pretty impressive that I crammed so much in to only 7 weeks. I thought I might not get to come at all, so I am so glad I did. I really loved Laos and I truly enjoyed my job at the Embassy. It is really one of my favorite jobs and workplace environments. And now 4 flights and over 24 hours from now, I will be back in Phoenix and in the middle of school and a new full-time internship. Yes, I am crazy! I will miss Laos a lot.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Luang Prabang (8/28)
The daily event has become touristy, and there are guidelines that are widely available to keep it respectful. One is that if you participate, you do it properly and get a basket of sticky rice prepared, wear modest clothes, and wear the sash that the locals wear. I did not participate but I saw a foreign woman participate and she was very respectful. Also, don’t be loud and avoid blocking the way of the monks as they walk, avoid flash with photos, etc.
I stayed near my hotel, and found it was not too overcrowded and very beautiful, peaceful, and meditative to watch. Monks can be little boys through old men, and some of the boys smiled back at me as they walked by.
I went back to sleep, and then woke back up to go get breakfast. The hotel restaurant is right on the river, and the view is truly incredible. Free breakfast includes made to order eggs and/or pancakes, fruit shakes, coffee, bread, etc. So good. And so peaceful to watch the river as you eat.
I had the morning open, so I headed to the Traditional Arts and Ethnic Cultural Center (TAEC). The US Embassy gave a grant for one of their exhibits on the Katu minority people. It’s a nice small center, and I talked with several of the people that worked there. My favorite part was the gift shop, I’ll admit. They have beautiful handicrafts, and 50% of the proceeds go back to the people that made them. They are not even that expensive, especially since they are very high quality handmade products.
I got to walk around town quite a bit and do some more shopping. I also went to the Luang Prabang Museum, which used to be the Royal Palace. You can’t take photos (or wear shoes) inside, but it was very interesting with some beautiful furniture and mosaic walls. There were several gifts from other countries, but one of them totally blew my mind. There was a huge painting of Huanguoshu Waterfalls, which is in Guizhou, the province I lived in when I was in China. Of all the gifts from China to be there! And I’ve actually seen the falls in person. Crazy.
I went to two locations of OckPopTok, which is a store with many handwoven items, many of which are modern takes on traditional Lao patterns. There were many lovely items, and I talked a lot to two workers at one of the stores, who knew Pam, my former boss, and spoke great English. They were so friendly.
By lunchtime, Wendy (the librarian from Bangkok), and several local staff from the Embassy had arrived. We reunited at a restaurant, where the local staff and I shared some great Lao food, including a delicious eggplant and minced pork dish I hadn’t tried before.
In the afternoon, Ken, Wendy and I gave presentations to some older students at the library, where we have an American Corner. I did College Life in the USA again, to a great talkative crowd of students. It was a lot of fun. After that, groups of kids put on a show for us. It included kids from very young to teens, doing traditional dances, hip hop dancing, singing, and a puppet show. It was very fun.
The Library in Luang Prabang, which is where all of this happened, is a great place. There is a program where tourists can buy books, spending $2 and up. The books are educational and usually English and Lao, with great illustrations. Tourists can buy books at the library or night market. Then, fairly frequently, the books are loaded up onto a boat, and taken to a village school. It’s an amazing program, and a great way for backpackers to help out very easily.
In the evening, Wendy, Ken, and I headed to L’Elephant, which is one of the most famous restaurants in Laos. The atmosphere was really nice and the food was great. I got a cucumber salad, delicious bread, and a cheesy pasta dish. Very classy and very delicious.
Once again, I shopped in the night market before heading back to the hotel. I bought a lot of stuff in Luang Prabang, since it was my last big chance to buy things before I left Laos. I got some really gorgeous and unique items that I am excited to bring home.
Luang Prabang (8/27)
Ken and I left for Luang Prabang yesterday, and a quick 45 minute flight later were here! We were greeted by a van with ice cold water and towelettes from our hotel. Luang Prabang is such a nice city, and has a very different vibe from Vientiane. It's much more pretty and much more relaxed (and Vientiane is fairly relaxed compared to most Asian cities).
We got to the hotel, and were immediately welcomed with juice and friendly staff who gave us maps and a nice overview of the city. I absolutely love the hotel. It think it is actually my favorite hotel ever. I got to my room. It's done in kind of a colonial style, with wood floors and lovely wooden furniture. There is a big comfy adjustable bed with colorful embroidered pillows, and best of all, you can see the river out the windowed doors, which lead a a private patio with a gorgeous view. It's all the best. Also a free minibar with water, soda, tea, Milo, coffee, etc. I love the touches like a desk with beautiful books in many languages about Luang Prabang and Laos.
Ken and I went to Phu Si, and we learned how out of shape I am, because like everything cool in Asia, it's up many stairs to get to the top. However, the view was definitely worth it in this case. And on the way down, there were some cool buddhas, and "Buddha's footprint"-basically a big hole. Also, we met some monks. Monks here tend to speak good English, and these monks were teenage boys, like many of my students in English class. They were very impressed with Ken's Lao.
We walked around a bit, and saw a temple. Luang Prabang is definitely known for gorgeous temples. Luang Prabang is a really nice city. Nice colonial and wood buildings, an easy city center, and two rivers flowing through. The riverfront here is much lovelier than in Vientiane. There are little cafes and restaurants with lights and lanterns all along both sides of the river.
We went out to eat with an American who runs the Luang Prabang Film Festival at a lovely garden restaurant. I checked out the famous Night Market, although it was closing down already since it was past 9 pm. The Night Market is more touristy than the Vientiane night market, although it has a few different items and some more variety in some ways. My favorite items are the paintings, the handmade paper, and of course the fabric, especially the embroidery and weaving.
I was exhausted and headed back to my lovely hotel.
We got to the hotel, and were immediately welcomed with juice and friendly staff who gave us maps and a nice overview of the city. I absolutely love the hotel. It think it is actually my favorite hotel ever. I got to my room. It's done in kind of a colonial style, with wood floors and lovely wooden furniture. There is a big comfy adjustable bed with colorful embroidered pillows, and best of all, you can see the river out the windowed doors, which lead a a private patio with a gorgeous view. It's all the best. Also a free minibar with water, soda, tea, Milo, coffee, etc. I love the touches like a desk with beautiful books in many languages about Luang Prabang and Laos.
Ken and I went to Phu Si, and we learned how out of shape I am, because like everything cool in Asia, it's up many stairs to get to the top. However, the view was definitely worth it in this case. And on the way down, there were some cool buddhas, and "Buddha's footprint"-basically a big hole. Also, we met some monks. Monks here tend to speak good English, and these monks were teenage boys, like many of my students in English class. They were very impressed with Ken's Lao.
We walked around a bit, and saw a temple. Luang Prabang is definitely known for gorgeous temples. Luang Prabang is a really nice city. Nice colonial and wood buildings, an easy city center, and two rivers flowing through. The riverfront here is much lovelier than in Vientiane. There are little cafes and restaurants with lights and lanterns all along both sides of the river.
We went out to eat with an American who runs the Luang Prabang Film Festival at a lovely garden restaurant. I checked out the famous Night Market, although it was closing down already since it was past 9 pm. The Night Market is more touristy than the Vientiane night market, although it has a few different items and some more variety in some ways. My favorite items are the paintings, the handmade paper, and of course the fabric, especially the embroidery and weaving.
I was exhausted and headed back to my lovely hotel.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Pizza Party and more! (8/25-8/27)
Monday I managed to book myself up all day. I taught my last English class in the morning, and then I needed to prepare for the back-to-school pizza party in the afternoon. My last event that I planned was a party for the students and teachers who have been doing the English classes at the Embassy.
It was a great success! We had lots of pizza, nice cookies, soda, and the Deputy Chief of Mission came and talked to the students. We played the game where you stick a post-it to a kid's head and they have to guess who/what they are. The kids didn't want to stop playing!
It was a great success! We had lots of pizza, nice cookies, soda, and the Deputy Chief of Mission came and talked to the students. We played the game where you stick a post-it to a kid's head and they have to guess who/what they are. The kids didn't want to stop playing!
Tuesday, our regional information officer, who is a librarian for the Southeast Asian countries based out of the Embassy in Bangkok, came for a visit. I got to tag along and visit libraries with her. First I visited the National University Library. It is a large building. I was very impressed at how much they do having so little. Most of their books are donated, but everything is well-organized and they have lots of spaces for students to study.
We then visited the Vientiane public library. Once again, I was so impressed with what the have done with the space. About half of it is a children's space with little tables, picture books, and a reading area. The other half is for high school students, which is perfect since it's right next to Vientiane high school. Once again, they get little money and rely on donations. They even have a mobile library to do outreach in villages. However, sadly, their van is currently broken down.
Tuesday night Matt, Christina, and I went to Christina's favorite restaurant in Vientiane, Les Caves des Chateaux. It was lovely! My favorite French restaurant so far. I had French onion soup (mmmm) and flaming prawns! We shared chocolate souffle and lemon vodka sorbet for dessert. So delicious. Truly a great meal with great friends. And my last meal with Christina, who has become such a good friend to me. But hopefully I will see her soon! She is doing training in DC in September, and hopefully she will get to come to the West Coast and visit me!!
Wednesday I helped Wendy set up a presentation for Lao students before heading back and cleaning and finishing everything up. I was headed to Luang Prabang that afternoon! (cliffhanger....for next entries)
Vang Vieng (8/23-8/24)
On my last weekend in Laos, I decided to head to Vang Vieng by myself. I decided to leave Saturday morning at 8 am. Of course, somehow my bus ticket didn't get booked so I left at 9. A driver took me to the large coach style bus, which slowly filled with backpackers and didn't leave until 10. Finally, we got on the road.
I'd heard that the 3-4 hour journey could be rough, but it wasn't too bad for me. I enjoyed the scenery. Lots of rice paddies, cows, water buffalo, and stilt houses, with the mountains in the background. Laos is kind of strange, especially on the outskirts of Vientiane, in that there will be these huge, gaudy, new colonial style houses right next to a hut.
The countryside started to get really nice, and then as we approached Vang Vieng, just gorgeous with the karst mountains. Vang Vieng is one of those places that is so much better in person than in any picture.
Vang Vieng has kind of a crazy story. It became a backpacker stop between Vientiane and Luang Prabang due to the beautiful scenery. Soon enough, it became a party place. Foreigners went tubing and drank on the river. They walked through the town in their bikinis (this is a very modest culture). There started to be a lot of drugs being used. There were ropes to swing into the river that were very dangerous, and foreigners started to die. Kids in Vang Vieng started to drink and do drugs.
Overnight, the government shut down most of the bars and guesthouses that were full of drugs in 2012. Vang Vieng is recasting itself as a place for outdoor lovers, with hiking, kayaking, caving, tubing, waterfalls, etc. There are more boutique hotels on the river.
I arrived and loved the landscape. The town itself is very small. I checked out some hotels and decided to treat myself, since it was one night, to the 5-star hotel, the Riverside Boutique. I snagged their last room. It is beautiful. My room was Hmong themed, with a private patio. The gorgeous pool overlooks the karst mountains and the river.
By the time I arrived, it was afternoon. My main goal was to completely relax and enjoy the scenery. I got some spring rolls, checked into the hotel, and watched a quick monsoon rain from my patio while drinking tea. I had an afternoon cocktail at the hotel bar, with the best view, before walking around a little bit, including getting some pictures from a bridge over the river.
I ate dinner at Ban Sabai. There are bungalows there right on the river (looks nice if anyone is going to Vang Vieng!), and a restaurant that is a platform above the river and mountains with a picture perfect view. I watched the sunset as I ate my dinner and enjoyed a Beerlao. It was incredible.
I went swimming at night in the shadow of the karsts. The pool was the perfect temperature.
I got great sleep in the quiet hotel next to the river. The next morning, I made the most of hotel breakfast on the balcony of the hotel restaurant overlooking the river. I had bread, gourmet cheese, mango-papaya jam, an omelette, and lots of Lao coffee. The service at the Riverside Boutique is really top-notch.
I went for another swim and sat outside and relaxed until lunchtime, when I checked out of the hotel. I had an hour until the bus to Vientiane, perfect for lunch at the hotel restaurant. I got minced pork, fried and then put on sticks of lemongrass (basically fancy hot dogs). Soooo good.
The ride back to Vientiane was a little rougher. I think perhaps the bus was a bit older.
Overall, it was a super relaxing and lovely trip. I definitely recommend going if you get the chance, even just for a night!
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Second to Last Week
I had another great week that is making me really sad that I am leaving Laos so soon. After my Lao friend/coworker Christina brought me to the gym with her, I decided that since I was already dressed for it I should go down to the Mekong river front for aerobics. There are 2 groups that do aerobics, outside, right by the river. I love the river in the evening. People go to hang out, jog, bike, shop, and eat. I joined one of the groups and did some aerobic dancing (yes, there was some techno Enrique Iglesias). A dark cloud was approaching, and as we were facing the river, I watched it get closer and closer. Suddenly, there was a loud boom of thunder, and lots of people screamed and started running for shelter.
I had tons of great Indian food at a restaurant I ducked inside just before the downpour. The power went out briefly (really, not so different from monsoon season growing up in Phoenix), but went back on within a few minutes.
This week I also tried Pimenton, which is a Spanish (I think) steak house? I had an amazing perfectly cooked (medium) burger and some nice tapas.
I gave a fun presentation for Lao high school and college students about what college life is like in the USA, including dorm life and what it's like to live on campus. I ended up having around 60 students show up, and it was a lot of fun, especially towards the end when they began to ask questions.
I also gave a presentation on my internship, and what I have done while I've been here, at our weekly meeting with all of the political/econ/public diplomacy officers. The Ambassador is out of the country, so I gave it for the Deputy Chief of Mission. I really got to do a lot even though I was here a much shorter time than most interns. It turned out I couldn't hook up my PowerPoint so one of the officers held my printed out slides as I talked, which was pretty funny.
Christina had told me she and I were going to go to a final lunch at Kong View, a riverside restaurant. However, I ended up being surprised by a goodbye lunch with all of my coworkers. It was a wonderful suprise, and the surprises didn't end there. Later, Christina said she needed to go to Scandinavian Bakery to pick up a cake for a friend, so I went with her. She gave me the cake to hold, and I was shocked to see a cake with my face on it.
The funny part is that I was actually at Scandinavian Bakery when Matt ordered the cake and I had no idea. I happened to be sitting in the cafe, drinking a coffee and reading, when I heard Matt's voice. What a coincidence! He said he was ordering a cake and asked what a good flavor would be. I said chocolate, having no idea this was for me. He ordered in Lao, which I thought nothing of, since I assumed he just wanted to practice his Lao. And that was my cake.
Last night, Christina and I went to Spirit House, a bar next to the river, to watch the sunset. Matt and Melia ended up joining us. We also tried a Japanese place and a wine bar with live music, although at first the only seats open were literally next to the speakers, which was pretty unpleasant.
All in all it was so much fun, and I am amazed by how well my coworkers have gotten to know me. I really like my public diplomacy coworkers, both American and Lao, and they have done such a nice goodbye for me already.
I had tons of great Indian food at a restaurant I ducked inside just before the downpour. The power went out briefly (really, not so different from monsoon season growing up in Phoenix), but went back on within a few minutes.
This week I also tried Pimenton, which is a Spanish (I think) steak house? I had an amazing perfectly cooked (medium) burger and some nice tapas.
I gave a fun presentation for Lao high school and college students about what college life is like in the USA, including dorm life and what it's like to live on campus. I ended up having around 60 students show up, and it was a lot of fun, especially towards the end when they began to ask questions.
I also gave a presentation on my internship, and what I have done while I've been here, at our weekly meeting with all of the political/econ/public diplomacy officers. The Ambassador is out of the country, so I gave it for the Deputy Chief of Mission. I really got to do a lot even though I was here a much shorter time than most interns. It turned out I couldn't hook up my PowerPoint so one of the officers held my printed out slides as I talked, which was pretty funny.
Christina had told me she and I were going to go to a final lunch at Kong View, a riverside restaurant. However, I ended up being surprised by a goodbye lunch with all of my coworkers. It was a wonderful suprise, and the surprises didn't end there. Later, Christina said she needed to go to Scandinavian Bakery to pick up a cake for a friend, so I went with her. She gave me the cake to hold, and I was shocked to see a cake with my face on it.
The funny part is that I was actually at Scandinavian Bakery when Matt ordered the cake and I had no idea. I happened to be sitting in the cafe, drinking a coffee and reading, when I heard Matt's voice. What a coincidence! He said he was ordering a cake and asked what a good flavor would be. I said chocolate, having no idea this was for me. He ordered in Lao, which I thought nothing of, since I assumed he just wanted to practice his Lao. And that was my cake.
Last night, Christina and I went to Spirit House, a bar next to the river, to watch the sunset. Matt and Melia ended up joining us. We also tried a Japanese place and a wine bar with live music, although at first the only seats open were literally next to the speakers, which was pretty unpleasant.
All in all it was so much fun, and I am amazed by how well my coworkers have gotten to know me. I really like my public diplomacy coworkers, both American and Lao, and they have done such a nice goodbye for me already.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Boh Pennyang (don't worry or no worries)
Boh pennyang is the phrase that basically sums up the laidback Lao lifestyle.
Friday was the Young Diplomats reception, which Emily and I planned and helped set up. It is for the less experienced, lower level diplomats to mingle and connect with one another. We had it at a Bruniean diplomat's house, which was huge and lovely. Emily and I set up tables with centerpieces, and the event was catered. It ended up being a success, with about 30 people attending. It was a long day though!
Yesterday, I missed breakfast at the hotel so I got a big French brunch at the cafe Le Banneton. I did some more shopping, and then I got a coffee and tartine (baguette with melted cheese and ham, mmm) at my favorite cafe Pricco. I also went to the National Museum, which was certainly interesting. Lots of pictures labeled like the ones below:
I met up with Melia, the Fulbright researcher and intern from last year at the park by the Mekong river. Some locals and foreigners play a game called Spike Ball. I had never heard of it but attempted to play. It's fun and doesn't require one to be too sporty.
I did a Happy Hour at Samsek Pakpasek, which is a cool restaurant/bar overlooking the river that has live music (see pic below).
Today I met up with Melia at a hidden gem in Vientiane, which is down a random street away from downtown, called Kung's Cafe. I had sticky rice mango pancakes, which was delicious (sep lai!), and a blended coconut coffee, which was like a Coconut Starbucks frappucino (except cheap). We walked around a temple. On our way to Khou Din, a market, we watched some guys play a game that looked very similar to bocce ball on the street. Khou Din is much less foreigner friendly/touristy and much crazier than other markets, but has basically everything from clothes, to food, to household goods.
The rest of the day, I plan to relax and probably get another massage or spa service before I begin my second to last week here!
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