Vientiane, Laos
In travel, it seems, a day can change your life, or at least your direction. And so it is for me in this last day. Thong and friends, Vong and Thim, met me at my guesthouse and we walked down to La Vendome (a French restuaurant and one of my favorites from last time I was here last year with friend Paulo). It was so wonderful to observe it all. The young men really did not know how to order off this menu (just like I feel with Lao food) but with encouragement to just order what you want.. we ended up with a couple steak dishes, a pizza, spaghetti and some soups. It was so interesting to watch it al. There was sharing all around. No one "owned" a dish. They all asked for a small dish and took a little off of all. It was a kind and comfortable community feeling. These three are good friend and Vong and my student, Thong, room together. It was interesting to watch their interaction with each other. It was so evident that they have fun together, are caring with each other and are all so pure in spirit in so many ways. After dinner (the bill was only $22...so it is all not putting much of a dent in my pocket!)we went back to my room and talked for a while. Vong tends to be the chatty one in a group, but in a while, Vong and Thim went downstairs so Thong and I could talk. I am just amazed by the vision in life at such a young age (18). We talked about school and his home. He had asked me in an email earlier if I might like to go to his home village with him (this is his vacation now for a week or two). I was planning on going south in Laos and I hear it is quite lovely, but I just could not say no to this. He said that his father, who had been down a few weeks before, told him that I was invited to their home if I wanted to come. So.. we will leave on Wednesday on, yes!, the 10 hour bus ride from hell that I took last year from Vientiane to Luang Prabang north. And yes I will be booking the VIP bus --that is the best there is--despite the fact that that is the one that almost rolled over the cliff before the driver ran up to pull the emergency brake and then proceded to put two very comforting rocks under the front tires while we took a short break. I am going to try my motion sickness meds and take a few cokes along for the stomach. We will stay one night in Luang Prabang and then get a local boat for two hours up river to his village. We will stay in his village for one or two nights and then come back to Luang Prabang. I am honored to be able to go to his village.
Today Thong picked me up at my guesthouse at 10 and we rode over to his home that he shares with two other students. It is a small place, the front room for the computer from one student, all their clothes, papers and books, the back room for sleeping. Thong's father had brought him some seaweed from the Mekong that is fried. A new thing for me! It was pretty good as seaweed goes! We rode over to his college--only about a kilometer away and they took me on a tour of the open air floors with a view into the rooms, library, computer rooms and all. I met the director of the college, Ginny, and had a delightful chat with her and another teacher. Ginny was already working on recruiting me for at least a six month teaching time at the college and I am going to think seriously about it. As she said, they cannot pay much, but I will love the students. Truthfully, I love Laos, and I could be long term in a place with a job and living a life here. It is something I have thought about and when something comes in life in a place that I love..I have to think that it just was meant to be.
Thong drove me back to my guesthouse (on a borrowed mini bike--I am glad that they now have a law that you must wear helmets and they are even starting to enforce it) and showed me some of his papers from school and presented me with a gift from his family--a beautiful weaving that his mother had made. This made it even more special to know that his mother had made it. He said when I am at his home, his mother can show me how she does this weaving.
So it is the warmth of the afternoon.. and I am going to amble down to Joma Coffee House for a coffee and something from the pastry shelf there (it is all tasty!)
Today Thong picked me up at my guesthouse at 10 and we rode over to his home that he shares with two other students. It is a small place, the front room for the computer from one student, all their clothes, papers and books, the back room for sleeping. Thong's father had brought him some seaweed from the Mekong that is fried. A new thing for me! It was pretty good as seaweed goes! We rode over to his college--only about a kilometer away and they took me on a tour of the open air floors with a view into the rooms, library, computer rooms and all. I met the director of the college, Ginny, and had a delightful chat with her and another teacher. Ginny was already working on recruiting me for at least a six month teaching time at the college and I am going to think seriously about it. As she said, they cannot pay much, but I will love the students. Truthfully, I love Laos, and I could be long term in a place with a job and living a life here. It is something I have thought about and when something comes in life in a place that I love..I have to think that it just was meant to be.
Thong drove me back to my guesthouse (on a borrowed mini bike--I am glad that they now have a law that you must wear helmets and they are even starting to enforce it) and showed me some of his papers from school and presented me with a gift from his family--a beautiful weaving that his mother had made. This made it even more special to know that his mother had made it. He said when I am at his home, his mother can show me how she does this weaving.
So it is the warmth of the afternoon.. and I am going to amble down to Joma Coffee House for a coffee and something from the pastry shelf there (it is all tasty!)
posted by Tracy at
2:42 PM
