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.