Slipping Around

After sleeping off the traumatic events of wednesday night, I joined the guys at a meeting at Helvetas, a Swiss organization committed to sustainable development, to discuss a partnership of handicraft production and sales at the QLA.  Unfortunately the whole thing was conducted in Lao and I was lost in the language barrier.  At some points Vongdala was able to catch me up and at the end of the meeting, I voiced my opinion and our concerns about equal resources for sustaining a fair trade agreement.  They are going to summarize the meeting for me and send it in an email... in english.

From Helvetas we returned back to the office to pick up Viengmany and head to lunch.  We drove down to the old airport, where a marketplace has been erected next to a busy lunch restaurant.  Ensuring that I wouldn't get pork, I took my chances and had Viengmany order for me.  I ended up with a really good plate of fried rice and soup.  Having not eaten since visiting Lao Kitchen before the bus, it really hit the spot.  Everyone asked how my bus ride had been and I recounted the story.  They were horrified and amused.  Once we ate, the guys insisted on combing through the market and showing me around, as if I haven't done my fair share of market shopping!  It was interesting and despite feeling like I'm in the middle of nowhere, there is access to almost everything.

From lunch, we returned back to the office and I picked up the very large boxes of scarves from Saoban in Vientiane and headed to the QLA.  I wanted to get everything on an organized inventory sheet, create new sales labels and get the scarves hung up.  I enlisted one of the QLA volunteers, both to help me and to try and have her look more interested in the work.  We were able to spice up the gift shop and I think it looks really good!

The new and improved (and colorful) QLA gift shop 

Our fancy little bamboo bags.  Chanukah gift sneak peek?

While I was climbing ladders and creating a more visually pleasing entrance way, Thoummy, Youla and Dachang were meeting to discuss a new position at the QLA of a skilled tailor, who will join the team to advise on product design and quality for the gift shop.  Around 5:30, we packed up and headed back to the office.  Youla, who also lives at the office and is a project manager for one of our UXO programs, took me out to dinner, again at the fried rice place.  I tried to explain that I had eaten the fried rice for lunch, but that was misunderstood and I was faced with another plate of it.  It was still good and I tried what I thought was going to be sprite-like soda, which turned out to be green cream soda.  Interesting.

After dinner we walked around the market, which at night takes on a carnival like appearance.  There is a bounce castle, gambling games and balloon popping.  We both played the dart game and won a ton of free soymilk and energy drinks.  Walking through the market again, we headed back to the office to wait for Vongdala to pick us up for a night of beer and gambling.

Youla being a boss at the dart game!

At 8, Vongdala showed up with a car and we loaded in.  We drove a couple blocks away and got out to join some people for drinks.  I don't really understand how we knew them (some distant cousin I think), but they all seemed keen to meet me and pour more glasses of BeerLao.  Several campai later, we walked down the road and into someone's house that Vongdala knew.  There I was taught the infamous counting card game and we began to bet.  I walked away 5000 Kip in my pocket and they were shocked I had picked it up so quickly.  To be honest though, it takes little skill.  Thanks Grandpa for all those hours of Casino and Poker!

We called it an early night and I was back in bed by 10, ready to pass out.  

Today was spent in the office, reading reports, editing documents and helping Lathana and Viengmany prepare for their Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) training which will run Monday to Thursday next week.  I'll let you know how it goes and update you on how we effectively "Calculate Shit" as per one of the outlined project goals.

Lunch took Viengmany and I to a new restaurant for a really good ginger and vegetable dish.  The woman who ran the restaurant was very nice and again, it was quite busy.  After lunch, she insisted I try some Lao desserts, so we stopped at a shop for take-away of a mix of different jellied items, fruit wedges and pieces of fresh pumpkin.  When we returned back to the office, we poured the concoction in a bowl and added coconut milk.  It was interesting and certainly very different from any American dessert.  Certainly too sweet for my liking.

Lao dessert.  It was sweet and the bowl said "I Love You"

This afternoon I began work on an informational pamphlet for the QLA and War Victims Medical Fund.  I've been trying to understand a lot of the data we have collected and doing so puts it all into perspective.  I listened to the final CLTS presentations for Monday and helped Lathana brainstorm more activities to keep people involved for the whole day.  

After work, Viengmany stayed at the office for my first motorbike driving lesson.  I need to learn how to drive one because up in Xieng Khouang I have to do a lot of driving between the QLA and the office and it's easier and faster than waiting for a driver.  To be honest driving was much harder than it looks and my first time around our gated parking lot, I drove up a wall before realizing where the accelerator was.  After gathering several weary spectators, I finally made it around the parking lot several times and called it a day.  In return for BeerLao, Viengmany is going to continue teaching me.  

Once the bike was put away, Youla, Dachang and I went out for dinner.  I told them to choose a place and of course it happened to be the one I had eaten at for lunch.  This time there was a menu and I pointed to what I wanted.  The nice owner smiled at me when I came in and again, the food was really good.

Its significantly cooler up here, which is nice and I'm looking forward to coming back next month with my down jacket.  I like the quiet atmosphere and I have to admit it is a nice reprise from the hustle and bustle of Vientiane.  Most importantly, I get to wear these around the office:

My new office footwear.  I chose the bunnies.

Big weekend plans so stay posted!