On The Rooftop and other thoughts
After a short nap last night, I knew I had hit the wall of exhaustion. I went to dinner with Thong and friend, Jonte, but I left and went back to the room and went to bed. I thought a long time about if I could go to Thong's village and knew that if I wanted to stay on a track with health, I had better make the decison not to go. In the morning, I told him. I was more emotional about it than he was and for that I am glad that I did not cause him any saddness. He was happy to stay here and see his friends and then head back to school. And so it is--we will stay in Luang Prabang for some time. Thong went to get ready for breakfast and I sat on the rooftop porch taking in the life in the open air of the back of the guesthouse off the second floor. Laugher next door, an occasional motorbike passing in the distance, and occasional howl coming from a cat (and there are lots at night!), someone cleaning dishes, chirping birds that sounded like parrots, someone whistling, sweeping. Then Thong comes out and we go to the bakery for breakfast. He tells me he want to try "American breakfast" of eggs, bacon and the rest. Usually for him, it is a bowl of noodle soup.
Today, I told Thong that I wanted to go to "Carol's library" and see the photography exhibition that is there. The pictures were taken by students that she helps in a hundred different ways. I met her last year. Carol is a woman of about 60 who is originally from Florida and came here about 15 years ago as a tourist and "found a need" and proceded to start this library. It is now the second level of a former internet cafe and has about 10 computers for monks and young students to come and learn languages, computer programs and further their learning in many other ways. She has a library of books that students can use along with computers. She works tirelessly and has really given her life to this. She gave students digital cameras to use to take photos. They are now displayed and sold for support of her library (it is all supported with donations) and to showcase student's talent in this area. The photos were really amazing... from details of Hmong costumes to children in line at school to birds along the Mekong. The stories of each student was posted below. Each was a touching one on it's own.. but I found this one to be particularly so. "Souva is 16 years old. He is a Hmong in his last year of high school. He is a bright student and studies to the top of his class. His family came to Luang Prabang when he was six and his father died. He is the youngest of a small family with four siblings and lives with his brother since his mother died. He works at a restaurant to support himself. He likes music and computers and wants to be a doctor." We tried to see Carol, as she is one of the main reasons I was able to start my support of Thong, but she was resting and so another day...
Later, Thong and I went to the Mekong and had a sit at a cafe overlooking the river. It is just peaceful to watch the life along the river. People are swimming in the river, collecting seaweed and pounding it on rocks to flatten it, washing clothes, diving into the river from a makeshift bridge, tending their gardens on the sandy shore of the river (it is low season so there can be at least one round of plant grown in the season). We walked over the bridge and just watched the life of it all for the price of passage of 20 cents a piece. Back at the guesthouse, I took a nap and Thong went with friend, Jonte. Later we all came back to go to dinner. When Thong was getting ready I sat talking to Jonte who told me that he would like to go to school in Finance, but there is no way he can get the money. He earns $25 a month at his two jobs and for the year of school the cost is $100. I thought of this as I was taking a picture with my camera of these two young men at dinner and knowing that the camera cost me $400 --enough to pay for a four year education here. So many thoughts go though my mind with all the experiences here.
Thong will leave Luang Prabang next Tuesday and I will leave for Phonsovan on Wednesday and spend three nights there. There is an area there called the Plains of Jars and when I saw the pictures in the museum last year in Vientiane I wanted to go. I go by plane as I just could not bear to do another 10 hours of winding roads! As they say --been there! done that!
Today, I told Thong that I wanted to go to "Carol's library" and see the photography exhibition that is there. The pictures were taken by students that she helps in a hundred different ways. I met her last year. Carol is a woman of about 60 who is originally from Florida and came here about 15 years ago as a tourist and "found a need" and proceded to start this library. It is now the second level of a former internet cafe and has about 10 computers for monks and young students to come and learn languages, computer programs and further their learning in many other ways. She has a library of books that students can use along with computers. She works tirelessly and has really given her life to this. She gave students digital cameras to use to take photos. They are now displayed and sold for support of her library (it is all supported with donations) and to showcase student's talent in this area. The photos were really amazing... from details of Hmong costumes to children in line at school to birds along the Mekong. The stories of each student was posted below. Each was a touching one on it's own.. but I found this one to be particularly so. "Souva is 16 years old. He is a Hmong in his last year of high school. He is a bright student and studies to the top of his class. His family came to Luang Prabang when he was six and his father died. He is the youngest of a small family with four siblings and lives with his brother since his mother died. He works at a restaurant to support himself. He likes music and computers and wants to be a doctor." We tried to see Carol, as she is one of the main reasons I was able to start my support of Thong, but she was resting and so another day...
Later, Thong and I went to the Mekong and had a sit at a cafe overlooking the river. It is just peaceful to watch the life along the river. People are swimming in the river, collecting seaweed and pounding it on rocks to flatten it, washing clothes, diving into the river from a makeshift bridge, tending their gardens on the sandy shore of the river (it is low season so there can be at least one round of plant grown in the season). We walked over the bridge and just watched the life of it all for the price of passage of 20 cents a piece. Back at the guesthouse, I took a nap and Thong went with friend, Jonte. Later we all came back to go to dinner. When Thong was getting ready I sat talking to Jonte who told me that he would like to go to school in Finance, but there is no way he can get the money. He earns $25 a month at his two jobs and for the year of school the cost is $100. I thought of this as I was taking a picture with my camera of these two young men at dinner and knowing that the camera cost me $400 --enough to pay for a four year education here. So many thoughts go though my mind with all the experiences here.
Thong will leave Luang Prabang next Tuesday and I will leave for Phonsovan on Wednesday and spend three nights there. There is an area there called the Plains of Jars and when I saw the pictures in the museum last year in Vientiane I wanted to go. I go by plane as I just could not bear to do another 10 hours of winding roads! As they say --been there! done that!
posted by Tracy at
11:07 PM
