Best Staff Retreat Ever!

This past weekend, the MCC Lao staff went on retreat to Nongkhai province in Thailand. With the Lao staff’s families, there were about 45 of us. We traveled in four vans across the Mekong River to Thailand. It wasn’t far, but suddenly cars were driving on the left side of the road, we had to use baht (a 33 to 1USD exchange rate) instead of kip (8,000 or so to 1USD exchange rate) to buy things, and we could tell even just from the quality of the roads that we were entering a country that is more developed than Laos. It was hard to believe that we were staying along the same river that runs beside Vientiane.

View of Mekong – I enjoyed seeing a view like this both mornings before breakfast

Saturday morning we visited a wildlife refuge, but the highlight for most people was actually seeing a rubber plantation. The explanation was in Lao, but I learned afterwards that producing rubber is a relatively new cash crop in the area, and, at least in Laos, it is controversial because rice farmers are losing their land and forests are being cut down to plant “orchards” of rubber trees.

Lao city folk fascinated by the process of tapping the rubber tree

We ate lunch together Lao style, meaning sitting on mats on the floor. By the way, an important cultural side note is that in more formal settings than this, it is very rude to point your feet at anyone.

The group eating lunch together

After lunch, most of us headed up the mountain to see the view. The trip was made more exciting by rickety wooden stairs leading up the mountain and around the side. I was rather sweaty, but it was more than worth it for the gorgeous view!

the beautiful view from the mountain

path along the mountain

As breathtaking as the view from the mountain was, my true highlight of the weekend was waterfall we visited after that. Most Lao people don’t really use swimming suits, so I felt completely comfortable jumping fully clothed. It wasn’t very deep, but sliding around on the slick rocks was pretty exciting. Actually, the best part was seeing a rainbow through the mist of the waterfall. Or maybe it was having a splashing battle with my Lao coworkers’ kids or seeing the playful side of everyone including one of the co-directors of MCC Laos, who decided we should all slide down the rocks holding hands (which was not too successful). Plus, a bunch of Lao teenagers were there sliding around and falling all over each other when we were, and they loved it when I asked to take their picture. So I guess I don’t know which was my favorite part! The joy of the natural beauty and of the people there made me feel so alive.

people getting soaked in the waterfall

Lao teenagers posing for the foreigner

Continuing the playful note, the next picture is of a group game we played the next day. The woman on the right is the co-director I was talking about. Coincidentally, she also “killed” me in the game of Assassins we played. They are passing the rubber band to the next person with their straws. The game was highly competitive and equally hilarious.

Madame Hien passing a rubberband to another staff person

Having so much fun together was a great way to get to know my coworkers and their families. I feel a lot more comfortable around everyone after this weekend. It was especially fun to get to know the younger staff. Souk (in the picture below) is the office manager, and only one year older than me. I was also ready to get out of Vientiane and be in a different kind of setting for awhile, so the retreat came at a good time.

with Souk in the van

Patuxay, a Baci, and a Birthday Party

The past week or two were full of many firsts: going to the Lao National Circus, bargaining at the market, meeting my host family and moving in there, going to the Lao Evangelical church and making many friends there, and visiting several Lao homes, plus a birthday party. Unfortunately, now I’ve taken too long to create another blog post, and now too much has happened to tell about it all in detail.

I’ll say more about this when I have pictures to go along with the words, but I should at least say that I moved to my host family’s house last Saturday, and things have been going well. We are a house of all women: my host mom (age 39–it isn’t impolite to ask a Lao person his or her age, which is probably related to the fact that you gain more respect the older you get) and her two daughters (12 and and her younger sister and her daughter (4). I’m glad to be living with a family, and they are very nice. The girls and my host mom are all gone from about 7:15 am to 6 pm, though, so I feel like I don’t actually get to spend that much time with them. I did get to have a lesson in Lao dance from the 12-year-old, though, when I found out that it is her favorite subject in school.

After language school one day this week, I rode one of my little host sisters bikes to Patuxay (a.k.a. The Monument). Lao people probably thought I was crazy, because I was a foreigner riding a child-size, pink Hello Kitty bike, but that’s ok. It was built in the 60s and was never actually finished, but now is an iconic spot in the city, and is surrounded by a park where many Lao people go in the evenings to watch the fountain lights display with Lao music in the background or walk the loop around the park. Lao people tend to really like to exercise, which was actually pretty surprising to me, I guess because of how laid-back the culture is. So anyway, Patuxay is one of my favorite places to get away to and people-watch. When I was there, I ended up having a conversation with a Lao university student who was selling phone cards there. He is studying English and was delighted that I was studying Lao, so we practiced together in both languages for close to an hour. It’s funny, I feel like I’m a lot more open to random encounters like that here than I am in the States. I don’t know if that is me changing and growing, or just the difference between the two cultures, or both. When the second stranger came over and wanted to talk, I kind of regretted the fact that as a Falang (foreigner) I really stand out and get a lot of attention, but it comes with the territory, I’m learning.

Patuxay as seen from my tuk-tuk going to language class

Another exciting thing this week was attending a birthday baci/party for fellow MCCer Matt, hosted by his host family. So this was exciting because I got to see another Lao family’s house and meet them and bacis are a very integral part of Lao culture. Lao people do it at any major event like a wedding or when a child is born, and apparently, also for birthdays. Actually, MCC had one for all of us newbies last week. The best way I can describe it is a blessing ceremony that comes out of the Buddhist/Animist traditions. There is a “tree of life” symbol made out of banana leaves and marigolds (or other flowers) and surrounded by sticky rice, chicken, money, and other symbols of blessing. All the participants sit on the floor around it, and the leader chants a blessing in Sanskrit. Then everyone takes small strings from the “tree” and says a blessing to the person of honor (and then other people) as they tie the string around that person’s wrist. This baci also included the fun twist of Matt’s host mother throwing handfuls of uncooked rice at everyone at what I assume were appropriate points in the chant.

The caption didn’t work for some reason, but this is the “tree” (that I helped to make! There are apparently pretty specific rules to follow, like how many marigolds on each stick.) with the baci strings hanging from it and the fruit and goodies surrounding it. Sticky rice is always served in woven baskets like that one on the ground.

Matt receiving a blessing from the baci leader, fellow MCCers Ben and Amy looking on

By the way, if you’re single, people blessing you at a baci will most likely wish for you many Lao husbands or wives. Also, I just want to add that it is a really humbling experience to receive encouragement and good wishes from so many people at once. I wonder how different American culture would be if we welcomed our guests or new coworkers like that.

And like people around the world, the Lao like to have fun. Matt’s family provided an amazing amount of food, and I loved attempting to sing Lao karaoke and dancing with all his host sisters, especially Kat. Prep for the party was lots of fun too: the little kids LOVED helping us blow up the balloons.

dancing with Kat, with Wendy, Matt, Amy, and Pontif in the background

Oh, one more thing…I’m wearing my first sihn (Lao skirt) in this picture.

hot (and red) after dancing with the host sisters