Vientiane Times

I moved to Ban That Luang, right behind the That itself. This is the view from the rooftop patio. It was well worth it. I know can get fruit from the bicycle fruit carts and get to live in a Lao community and best thing is that I'm not getting stuck watching CNN and BBC at night. The CNN international broadcast has got to be the worst newscast on the planet. Don't know what else to say.

This is Katay and his friend. He lives downstairs with Mr. Et and Mrs. Pao. Et used to be a monk and swears that because he drinks Lao-Lao with a special bark in it that he has special powers and is immune to snake bites. Quite the character.

The Vientiane skyline from the Chinese market. Look at all them satellite dishes! It could be a bamboo house but there is a dish up top and peops inside watching Thai media.

This is montly routine, getting the inner tube of one of the motorbike tires patched up. Quite the inventive rig I thought. Probably more irons used for patch presses than their original purpose.

Jump starting a Vdub. I've been driving the red one since we got it going. Moon my landlady runs a Vdub club and has been great talking with all the Vdub volks here. She also insists that I drive the car as the battery will die if left for more than three days. Can't say I mind. I think Vientian rivals Mexico as far as the number of these beauties on the road is concerned

The Mekong at the end of dry season. You could just about walk to Thailand.

And wet season has begun, this is the parking lot at work that turns into a lake with the daily torrent.

So I was originally supposed to return home at the end of March but got a few more months working at the Institute of Foreign Affairs, part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here that trains government officials in English language. I'm running a computer lab that my friend Lisa started to get up and going and now have 20 computers from 1999 up on running and online. But the best part has been getting know the students through Pétanque, the favourite french colonial leftover game.

Don't think I have to say anything about this one.

Celebration Times C'mon

First off was St. Paddy's.... yeah an Irish party that took place at the Lao Cultural Centre with Lao bands serenaded by a weird hippy French group that no doubt had enough armpit hair for us all but had a drole alure that only maybe Tom Waits playing an accordian and a synth could pull off. It was then off to the French Cultural Centre to take some live Irish tunes, dance a jig, and do all the great things Irish are renowned to do (except fight of course).

Turns out this vid had been watched 201 times on YouTube since I posted it on May 22nd. Guess word is getting out. Rap Rock hits Laos late, but they are still me fave in town.

Next up was Pi Mai Lao, or rather Theravada Buddhist new year. Basically a huge water fight (I mean jubilant water toss that takes place in Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and any other country I might be missing) on the new moon of the 4th month. It is now the year 2550.

To celebrate I attended a baci at my Lao teacher's house where I ate way too much fish and noodles, drank way too much beer, got far too wet and covered in baby powder and basically had way too much fun.

This lady was 60+ and had more energy than a supernova.

A family wishing my drunken ass well, of course the wishes and inebriation were mutual.

Getting soaked for the fifth of at least 50 times over the 4 day holiday


I know this is a crappy vid.. but if you have some bass on your speaks, you can get an idea of what Lao folk music is about and have mini groove to the closest thing to reggae Asia has I think. It is tradition to go to the temple and wet the Buddha images with perfumed water to bring the new year in. This was Wat Simuang, one of the more famous temples in Vientiane.

The last day of the holiday it was off in a longtail boat to Nam Ngum with fellow CUSO volunteers and administration staff. It is a man made lake that was created in 1972 by a joint Japanese/American venture by a hydro-electric dam project.

The area was flooded before the timber could be logged. Supposedly this was to stop the inevitable encroachment of the Pathet Lao and their takeover of the capital Vientiane. Or rather the woods were full of commies and local economies were far less important than flooding the reds out.

The lake at Nam Ngum has many islands that were once the crest of steep hills, two of which are prisons. One for the men, and one for women. Of which most of the later were prostitutes following a massive crack down on the now infamous Indochina sex-trade by the Revolutionary regime that took power in 1975.

Hey Boo-boo.... what is in the picky-knick basket?
Why Yogi, of course it is the staple sticky rice, beerlao, and fried fish.

On the way home from the lake it was sweet revenge on the last day of the water fight as we drove back in the back of the pick-up armed with water baggies (unfortunately bags used as balloons.. which would be just as bad... can't beat the litter join it I suppose... the fun is worth it.)

So the festive times continue.. and continue to be festive. Boun Bon Fie.. aka the rocket festival has been going on for 2 months now with a different Boun in different towns each weekend. The idea is to shoot home-made rockets to the sky to bring on the rainy season and water for the rice paddy's... It's definitely starting to work.

Not the safest thing I bet, but hand packed gun-powder into PVC pipe is first judged by weight and decoration before being blasted to Nirvana... hopefully.

The day I attended it was a stinky hot dry 40 degrees. The throats well cooled but still needed protection from neighbouring rice paddy dust. No matter how bad of a cover of Hotel California the band was playing it just could not be sung. (I VOTE TO BAN THAT SONG... THE ONLY THING IT IS GOOD FOR IS KARAOKE..
BUT ONLY IF DESPERATE AND ENGLISH SPEAKING)

Oh yeah, and the other thing about this festival is that the men like to dress like girls.
As if there weren't enough lady-boys over in these parts already.

Playing Ketchup

Ja halo... so it's been 3 months and I'll be home soon so I'll just make this quick and get some picks up to confirm that I am still enjoying myself.

Actually, I'll start with the events that occurred prior to my attending my sister's wedding.

I got to enjoy a few days in Thailand touring the Chaopraya river and take in some sun and seafood on the icing sugar like sands of Koh Samed before getting on the plane back to Canada.

An assortment of dried seafood products, I wish I could record smell.


My buddy Tuesday Sleeping Buddha.. a huge one, about 80 metres long or so.


A rickety pier that by the beach bungalow,
Ko Samed (about 4 hours from BKK)

The island had some wild rock formations in addition to the soft sand and warm clear turquoise waters.

So my last post was from the Hong Kong airport where I was casually enjoying a brew while taking advantage of their free Wi-Fi service. Figuring I had at least an hour to go to catch my connection to Toronto via Anchorage, Alaska I decided one more icy Carlsberg would do just right as I waited for a few more pics to get posted. Well.. my old pal Murphy was in full effect as I forgot to change my clock on the laptop. Once I realized what I bozo I was I ran to the gate only to see the doors of the Airbus being sealed along with any chance of getting on the plane.

No worries, with a boarding pass for the next day in hand I used the last ten minutes of juice on the lappy to get the numbers for hosteling international and headed downtown to check out Hong Kong for 24 hrs. Being in HKK made me realize what a quaint and humble little town Vientiane actually is as I succumbed to a late night meal of a Chinese Big Mac. Yup same s*#$. Definitely a cool city and a beacon of modernization. Coming from Vientiane and then hoping to the megalopolises of BKK and HKK was pretty much like going from Tatooine to Coruscant (links provided for those that are wondering what the funk).

The Hong Kong skyline from the hostel atop Mt. Davis

Took a ferry ride across to Kowloon

Electronics Bazaar - absolutely incredible, you could find any piece to any gadget and just about any gadget you could want. I drooled alot and got a bought some batteries, and 5 dollar Siwss Army watch, no that isn't a typo

So I made the plane next day to notice the orange peel
quality of the atmosphere as 20 hours becomes 12.

Save Alaska!

Weird thing in Anchorage, we stopped there for 1.5 hrs and got off the plane. Me and a big German fella that worked for MAN Roland, who I got to talk about printing presses with, and another few hundred Chinese. I had almost forgot about terrorist paranoia but being processed in Anchorage really hit it home. Everybody but me with my Canadian Passport was fingerprinted and photographed and entered into big brother's memory. I must already be in there.

Wow that place looks familiar, and totally surreal that I was here 3 months ago. It's like it never happened, but it did and was a great time and great day that I came back for. Julia got married on a perfect winter day.

Timequake

Had to steal the title of a Kurt Vonnegut novel for this post due to the 6 week gap where some of you might have thought that I may as well be among the Tralfamadorians. Bear with me if you want, if not, so it goes... scroll for the pics.

The month of January has been the fastest time spent in life so far I think, and already February is chugging along (revision - almost over). It seems even more incredible in a place where things move relatively slowly. Actually, I’m starting to think that things really aren’t as slow as they seem. It has been incredible the construction that has been completed in the time that I have been here. Some boulevards that had sidewalks that looked like plate tectonic shift simulations caused by tree roots are now red brick footpaths. From all accounts that I’ve heard, it seems to me that Vientiane is not just the capital city of one of the world’s least developed country, but more so seems to fall into the fold of a city experiencing the same as any other as they deal with the urbanisation symptom of globalisation.

Work as a teacher has been quite fun and even found myself thinking that I could probably get used to a gig like that. I say that now, I’m still considering on how to approach the daunting task of assessment, which has been further complicated by a constant steer away from the agreed methodology to proceed with the course. Issue being that I was supposed to have beginner and intermediate classes, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Well, most people have better things to do around 3 in the afternoon it seems so I have up to 15 students in the morning, and a few keeners in the afternoon. Also, I only have two computers for students to use, and they seem to just give up the computer to who ever uses it best, leaving me to wonder how effective handouts and diligent note taking will be. The rest of the day I spend cruising around the office and cleaning viruses, troubleshooting problems, and teaching some folks how to use a new photocopier donated by Vietnam. Oh and teaching the German football coach how to use his computer. All and all definitely some knowledge transfer happening which is good because I have to report on it real soon.

I really feel quite comfortable here which is a weird thought when I’m sitting reading listening to a live Pearl Jam show in Edmonton. I find myself pondering that I really have now idea at this point the extent that I might have changed in terms of excepting and thinking of new ideas as I continue this introduction in development here while the juggernaut that is human “progress” continues it’s charge of change. So everything is always changing and wonder just how differently I might be changing compared to if I was at home the last three months. For the first time I have felt like time is short and the ages march on, especially when I’m discovering serious amount of hair growing on my ears as I look at my sun-whipped face.

Maybe one day….

Right now I am looking at any possibilities to prolong my stay a few months. The development and expat community here is quite large and have been able to have some fantastic conversations and make new contacts. It’s extremely interesting meeting new people with such fascinating and rich backgrounds with life abroad and get to hear takes on the machinery of the development work world and life in Laos.

As a good way to get some communications involvement onto my CV, I might have an opportunity to start writing a column for the daily national English language paper here, the Vientiane Times. I am meeting the editor this week to discuss ideas on writing about the use of information technologies in general. I’m looking at bringing up things such as the leap frog in technology adoption that developing countries are able to take advantage of because of no previous infrastructure. One example that currently blows my mind here is how advanced the wireless telecom is. While it may not be the speediest, I am able to chat, check my e-mail, and access the Internet on my laptop via my Bluetooth and GPRS enabled cell phone. These are services that are emerging in North American markets but at a steep price preventing wide spread early adoption. Meanwhile, I hear that farmers in India are able to take advantage of mobile phones to turn on their irrigation systems. Just the other night I was telling the new canuck in town, Lisa from Winterpeg and Fernie B.C., how I think the technology bubble is going to pop and we will be dealing with Minority Report graphical interfaces (and furthermore that I fear the techno-access line of will be further drawn between the marginalized and the privileged), when on CNN I saw these guys zooming into and spinning digital maps with their hands on a wall display.

Future world is here, do will we all get to play?

I am really looking forward to a chance to take some students somewhere to do some Internet and e-mail training. While I have been able to benefit from the technology that Laos has to offer, the majority have very limited, yet rapidly growing use. I think that the Internet as a means of communications and more so it's ability to feed any hungry mind's curiosity is crucial for people who are already marginalized by poverty. As I was talking above, I think the Internet is now starting to mature and those without access or know how need it now before the technology becomes even more so culturally or rather class divisive.

So on the tech convergence note, here is some cell phone media:

Who is this guy again? I'm not sure if the peops of the land really know what they are putting on their vehicles. I've seem Osama Bin Laden mudflaps and Che is ubiquitous.

Thank you Canada! These are the only visible public rubbish bins, and there are not too many left. Made from old transport tires they are also the only thing that bears the name of our nation. As a side note, a tourist visa into Laos is 42 USD, the most expensive country in the world. This changed in October shortly before I arrived. Don't quote me but I have heard that it is due to the "New Government of Canada" (can I still call it that? what's going on there anyway?) and their complete cut of Canada Fund funding to Laos.

So pretend you are strapped to my back looking backwards to the sky and come for a ride on the Super Cub. Watch out for the rough start. I was in 1st but it still started.. with a hurry. Good thing she's a tough old bear.

A view from my perspective, lots of reading on the veranda at home in my safe foreigner compound, where I can stretch my feet up in the air without worrying about offending anyone. Sometimes it feels weird living so lavish, other times I'm really thankful for the personal space.

So the highlight photos I got this time around are mostly from a trip about 60 km north of Vientiane to the zoo:

A gibbon, he had a whole island but for the day was restricted to the cage.

Hungry hungry hippo

It's a mouse, no, it's a deer... no.. it's dinner! Big problem in Laos people eating et'in litt'l critters like these ones. I'm picturing ol' Tom Joad getting randier than a billy goat for this 'her lit'lun. Jokes aside, biodiversity (after poverty) is a major issue here. I love venison.

They are hungry too

This is a Myrna.. it blows away a Parrot in terms of bird speak. This one is speaks about 8 sentences in Lao.

Asian Sun Bear

This wasn't at the zoo but in my bathroom. About fist size. Non life threatening.

Mangoes in the mango tree at home. Eating unripe with fish sauce and chilis. Different kind of mango, so it kinda works. If you like fish sauce. The other day was the first rain in the evening. I've been told when the mangoes grow it mean the rainy season cometh.

My house and most frequented locale.

My original classroom, have since been moved. 2 computers doesn't quite cut it but making a go. Have some pretty keen learners so feel good about what is happening.

This is my gated community neighbourhood, rich Lao and falang. Loads of dogs, was thinking there might be a dog farm not too far with all the yapping. Even a pair of St. Bernards, the mom definitely has had a litter or 5.

Some sort of flowering bush

Oh yeah, and in other news, my sister Julia is getting married this coming Saturday, February 24th. As I’m writing this I am in the Hong Kong airport on the way back to Canada to take part in the festivities. This might be a surprise, I’ve only told a few. I’m looking forward to seeing everybody especially for such an occasion. I know we had all come to terms with me not being there, but as the day approached, I felt it was important to be in attendance. So on that note drop a line if you are in the Toronto area and mayhap we meets. See ya soon.

Sabai dee pi mai (Live well in the new year)

Well.. where to start, this has been a holiday season like none other. Last time I posted I mentioned that I was heading to the north, and I did, but of course not without something happening that is of course typical of my adventures. Friday, Dec 15 I attended a fantastic Christmas party put on by the French Language Cultural Centre, which played it kinky reggae late into the night. The next day I was quite fatigued and thought it would be a great idea to go down to Stickie's and get some comfort in a steak and kidney pie. Unfortunately for me it turned out to be my friend the cook's birthday and was unable to escape the celebrations after closing time. This then led me home much later than planned to pack my bags, which I didn't and slept passed the morning bus departure. Still no worries at this point as there is always the overnight bus to the northland that would arrive in Luang Prabang just in time for me to shower up and make it to the morning tour of a watershed and water testing project, or so I thought....

This is the scene at probably the highest point in the mountains on the trip north. The bus on the left there is in the same place that it had been for about 8 hours after blowing a head gasket leaving us to sleep in it in about 4 degree weather. Glad I brought a few sweaters I tell ya. The crew around the fire there were great, we had some dried fish, salty chicken out of a bag, and of course the guy that was carrying the Kalashnikov at the back of the bus also supplied a bottle of Lao rice whiskey to keep us warm at 7 a.m.

The aftermath of the fire, alongside a few "new" pistons, a well used replacement head gasket and the mechanic's tooling that appeared once the morning bus to the north appeared to save us and departed only after the whiskey was done... I don't mean to give you the wrong impression here that I or Lao people are alcoholics, it's not true, I just think they have a very different idea of moderation at times. (Ask me about the karaoke that the uncanny resemblance to reggae rapping that I have to try and fall asleep to each night). Also, consider the season, these folks are way more into celebrating anybody's holiday more than the land in which they are celebrated it seems, take away the commercialism, add more booze and laughter over a longer period of time and it is the same same but different I'd say.

A view of the landscape where I slept somewhat as the sun rose, when another truck or bus had to pass there was about an inch on one side to the edge of a cliff, and an inch from scrapping the side of our bus.

Here's my first YouTube, now you can vicariously drive through some Laotian mountain roads... enjoy! Keep your eyes peeled and you might catch the many free-range goats, chickens, turkeys and pigs.



So I eventually did join the rest of the CUSO and New Zealand VSA (Voluntary Service Overseas) folks to take in a tour of rural upland agriculture research and to learn about the issues at large.

The trees in the forefront of this panorama are rubber trees, which are increasingly becoming popular things to grow in the highlands, unfortunately, not by the local villagers. Large chunks of land are deforested for lumber, most of which is sold to China and Vietnam. In turn, Chinese and Vietnamese investors want rubber plantations, and strike a deal with various ministries and factions of the government. There are very good protection laws here, people just don't know about them and I guess money and the guys with guns are the ones that talk l0udest to the layman villager. I don't know all the details and really, and don't think this is the forum for them. I'll just say yes it is beautiful here, and increasingly feel that the more issues I hear about here, the more I am reminded of issues in our own backyard.

A Khmu (one of the various minority ethnicities in the highlands) village. There is a growing trend of relocation of highland peoples into lower lands, the excuse given is access to services and better land use management. Wonder if anyone considers the livelihood of these people over the profits to be gained from what are now, for the time being, abundant natural resources. Yeah whatever Erik, you young idealist. (Refusing to become jaded)

Dad.. could you imagine ripping board and baton like this or what!.. It is for house siding too. Truly incredible how straight of a split I thought.

Some riverbed agriculture (early watermelons in this case), just down the road from the above village. The plastic is placed over each furrow to hold in moisture in the dry season. I've now been here for going on two months and every single day has been blue sky and sunny. It's just getting dustier.

This waterwheel irrigates the below cabbage patch, which I thought was ingenious until I saw the same set-up in a really bad Jackie Chan Disney movie on HBO the other night which took place in the early 19th century which made me think that it's probably been done like that forever, still ingenious, just not as unique as I thought it was. Yes I know, deep thoughts.

We all be chillin' in the cabbage patch, no babies or storks to be found. Or Dana's either Julia. Sorry folks, weenie statement for the sis.

Luang Prabang from Phousie Mountain at sunrise, a few of us got up at 5 for this, way too early, the sun came up at 6:45 like I said it would but well worth it. Luang Prabang is a UN World Heritage City, and you can tell. Beauty cobble sidewalks, French bistros, I again found myself in “not the real Laos”. It has been elusive finding this so called real Laos living in the big rich city of Vientiane and touring so far only to the other major tourist centres, but really, I don’t speak enough Lao right now to actually be able to immerse myself in Lao culture and all my experiences have been quite visceral and real indeed. Also, I have to say it is amazing how a book such as the Lonely Planet can affect the places to go. You can really tell what places are in the book…

The Luang Prabang Night Market, all sorts of touristy stuff mixed with other really nice stuff. About 300 m of one of the main street is closed every night for merchants to set up and sell their goods. Lanterns, textiles, Hmong, Khmu, and Akha people’s traditional jewelry, big fancy opium pipes, Thai rock VCDs, all sorts of food stuffs. It’s pretty neat but repetitive, every 50 m seems to have the same merchandise.

This is actually insects, they grow on the bark of a tree that grows something that looks like snow peas. The peas are edible but Lao people don’t eat them and they are used for livestock feed. These white insects eventually cocoon and create a resin that is collected and is used in many things that I can’t remember at the moment, but plastics and varnishes, shellacs and whatnot. This was at a highland agricultural research station that was looking into different types of plants that are profitable, therefore desirable to grow around the main growing area during the fallowing period. Having trees around the area also help retain nutrients in the soil as come rainy season, this country gets over 1.5 meters of the wet stuff in 4-6 short months, which is basically the annual precipitation, and is not conducive to keeping nutrients in the soil of the steep slopes.

Bounnie from CUSO and Hmong new year festivities. Bounlahn is the Cooperant Assistant here in Laos and will be unfortunately her contract was not renewed. She has been fantastic in helping learn the dos and don’ts of Lao culture and helping me settle in to life and work. A bunch of us went out in LPB to thank her and had a blast. The people she is standing with are Hmong and playing their new year mate selection game. It involves tossing a ball back and forth, and back and forth in two lines. I asked if the guys drop the ball, are they not the chosen one, but it turns out that it's no problem, they just toss the ball and decide if they like each other.

Stopped for the view on my way back south to Vang Vieng for Christmas.

One of many caves in Vang Vieng, I was about a km back in this one. Vang Vieng is a beautiful place, however, it is now one of those “musts” for every back-packer that comes through Laos. Which has changed it considerably I would imagine. The main drag is just bars and restaurants, serving “happy” food if you want. After a happy meal, many tourists simply lie around and watch Friends or The Simpson's on one of the TV's that are everywhere.

Christmas friends in the cave in Vang Vieng. On the left is Evegny (he let me know it means Eugene) from Russia, next Jen from B.C, studied masters in Guelph and now works in Bangkok, Vanessa from Switzerland, and freaky on the right. I stayed across the river from the madness where I found a great group of people all that where travelling alone and had the same idea to find something away from tourista mayhem. Joe, the Irish owner of the guesthouse was great and even did up a big Christmas dinner for us. No turkey but great BBQ kebabs. Joe has all the topography maps of the area and I hope to get up there again for some orienteering and a trek half way up the mountain with him.

On the way back to Vientiane I took and sung-tao, basically, a pick-up truck with some benches in the back. It was a 4 hour drive but only cost 25,000 KIP or approx. $2.50 USD. Butt gets sore and it gets really packed at times, but it is faster and more reliable than the bus, half the price, and they leave every 20 minutes to wherever you are going.. so I'd do it again.

Papayas in the back yard at home. For new years, I attended the festivities at the National Stadium where I work. It was quite the party, lots of hand dancing, some line dancing, all to a guy on a keyboard and various people taking turns to sing. They love to sing here. A couple of Cuban's got up and did Guantanamara too. Loads of food, tables filled with beer and a couple bottles of Johnny Deang (Red), enough said. Champagne was only for the VIPs though.

My 50cc Hawg, it's a Honda Super Cub and has be be getting on 30. The odometer stopped working but it's stuck at 8000 km. I'm getting way too used to it and am thinking I should buy it. It is for sale and I'm just driving it for now, an old roomie who left to travel wants $350 USD for it but I can get a recent model used Chinese 125 cc bike for less than $200. We'll see what happens, I'd say it's safer on the roads on a motorbike than it is traveling by pedal power.

Emerald Buddha temple in Vientiane. The Emerald no longer resides here. The Siamese (Thai) stole the last time they raided and it now is in Bangkok somewhere.

Vientiane Sunset

Buddha park 30 km out of Vientiane near the Thai-Lao bridge. It was built in the late 50's and is filled whith statues and scenes of all the Hindu gods, of which Buddha is only one.

Teaching is starting and will be the subject of my next post I figure. I now have a class with 2 computers donated from Vietnam (which I had to pretty much completely take apart and rebuild to get to work), an LCD projector, Windows running on my mac and a 1 dollar full version copy of MS Office 2003 intalled on my WindowsXP partition on my Mac with which to demonstrate. After I teach about the whole part about the power button, loging in, the mouse etc. of course. Feel free to drop me a comment! Would love to hear from all you that I can see that are reading. Ciao for now.