Blog January 28, 2011 from Ed and Charlene

 From Charlene:

Ed’s chest cold improved with the help of a Zpack.  We both have pretty well adjusted to the 12 hour time differential.  I can call the states in the morning when it is evening at home; and at night when it is morning.  My dear friend Marcia calls in the evening, I am usually in my night gown and she is in her Nanuok of the North winter wardrobe visually demonstrating the trials of living in the Northeast.. 

While the Northeast has been pounded by incredible snow, the weather in Laos is glorious.  Temperature is about 78-80 during the day and cools in the evening.  Seeing blue sky and tropical flora is pretty cool. 

After Monday’s run in with the law, the week flew by.  Ed has been focused on developing a streamlined approach to the project planning, and has made great progress.  Through some advance excel spreadsheets and reports, significant duplication of time can be reduced through a systematic approach that relies on a defined product list.  I have been parsing out the annual business plan with focus on meeting goals and future initiatives.  DDD has developed an incredible infrastructure, with many talented people.  People from SE Asia as well as expats who have come and worked here for many years are part of the DDD community.

Friday, Ed and I took a long lunch break and rode our bikes north of the office for 4-5 miles.  Along the road, which for the most part is paved, a few new mansions have been built.  One gigantic compound that has gained much notoriety amongst the natives is surrounded by a stone wall that simulates the Great Wall of China.  The scale of the house is beyond belief - 75,000 to 100,000 square feet.   The ”Great  Wall” surrounds the compound, with terra cotta warriors standing guard along the wall.

 There is no discrimination where the mansions are built.  Next to them sit the traditional homes built on stilts with no running water. Not far down the road from the Great Wall is another themed mansion  -it’s a mini Taj Mahal.  Again, the size is huge, complete with reflecting pools, the iconic dome with spindles on each corner of the house.  Laos is a land of vast differences.

As I drive to work on the main road, I love to see the small shops-the one that I love the most is a basket weaver.  Outside the shop is a huge display of absolutely beautiful baskets -not basket for decoration, but baskets for everyday life . 

We have altered our itinerary a bit, as we have delayed the trip to Phenom Phen until mid-February.  So on Monday, we move to our new apartment we have rented for the duration of our stay.  I am very much looking forward to staying there, though I don’t plan on cooking dinner frequently, it will be nice to have COFFEE I can drink.  Between not drinking alcohol at dinner in order to drive the motor bikes; and not having coffee, I have given up all my vices!!!  I am excited about shopping at the market, and really getting into the Lao style of life a bit. 

From Ed:

Sabay Dee is hello in Lao.  It is the friendly greeting we hear over and over from everyone each day.  The people here are shy and unassuming, but very kind.  People offer to help at every opportunity.  I can honestly say that I have not met a single person that I do not like.

The Laotian culture puts a high priority on politeness, and people shy away from being confrontational.  It is often difficult to get them to offer criticism or admit to disagreeing with an idea, because they are so concerned not to offend.  This can be a challenge in business.  Working to bridge this cultural gap can be very rewarding (In American business, we are so used to in-your-face honesty where if someone doesn’t like something, they tell you).  Dealing with these kinder and gentler folks  is a part of working successfully here (or anywhere), and the team building and communications lessons we learned in the last few years at Stanpak have been a big help.  

I am pleased with my first week's work.