Another Week in Vientiane

Charlene writes
The week flew by so fast, I thought Friday was Thursday.  That says a lot, as our involvement with the organization has become more and more involved, and far me more engaging.  I have really enjoyed spending time with the students teaching English.  The neat thing is I am learning Lao words as well.  So I have a class schedule that includes teaching 4-6 hours per day.  The balance of my time is learning complex reporting tools directed toward pulling financial info from Quickbooks into meaningful reports.  This is fun but is challenging as DDD has four divisions, each with varying data. 

We continue to share the camaraderie of the young DDD managers.  We share most of our lunches with our co-workers at various local stands.  There is a noodle shop around the corner and adjacent to a Buddhist Temple.  I am not sure what we are eating but it’s a large bowl of steaming soup filled with homemade noodles and vegetables, all surrounded by HOT chilies.

 
The food is amazing, once you get over washing your chop sticks and spoons with a roll of toilet tissue before eating.  FYI Warm water is not used in washing dishes.  Most of the outdoor stands cook over wood fires with huge pots of food.  The smells are amazing--scallions, cilantro, chilies, onions, are common ingredients in most foods.  While driving our motor bikes through the neighborhoods you frequently see pigs roasting on an open fire, or smaller meats and fowl.  People eat well here, they may be very poor, may live in tiny houses but food is abundant and wholesome.



Great smells from cooking pots.

Apartment living is fun, but extravagant by Laos standards.  You really forget how removed we are from poverty that is all around this area.  Last Friday, I joined a group of DDD employees to visit two families that have been profoundly changed by DDD.  The first family we visited was the home of a young woman named Mukda-a polio victim with terribly deformed legs.  She has been with DDD for many years.  When we were five years ago we also visited her family.  The house, which is a typical example of a very basic rural Lao family’s house, is constructed of bamboo.  It basically is an elevated box, 20’ by 12’, built on stilts to protect it from floods in the rainy season.  Bathrooms, toilets, are squat-style out house arrangements located below the house.  There is electricity for the limited lighting and the ubiquitous televisions.  Cell phones are everywhere and are affordable even for a poor family.

Mukta and her Mom.

Mukta's house with visitors from DDD.

Mukda’s involvement with DDD has changed her life and has given her opportunities she would never have had.  She works full time for DDD as the company’s receptionist, her English is remarkably strong and her smile just melts your heart.  She has almost completed college, and I am sure she will be the first in her entire family to have reached such a level of education and career. 

 

The second house.

The second home visit was to the home of a young man, about 20 years old.  He lives with his parents and six brothers.  The home is similar to Mukda’s house.  I cannot imagine how eight people live in such a small area.  The house and yard were absolutely spotless.  Chickens live under the house, and there are fruit trees and a small garden. 

Another view of the second house with owner's son who works at DDD.

The father is a street vendor who makes and sells banana leaves filled with rice and pork; on a very good day he could earn $5. Typically, he earns around $3/day to provide for a family of eight.  Less than $100 a month!!!   While the young man studies and works at DDD, he will double or triple the family’s income.  When I think of my cable bill at home, and how others live, it is humbling. FYI I am always annoyed at my cable bill. 

Friday evening, we joined a group from DDD and ate at an outdoor Italian Restaurant, La Scala.  Not sure if the food was the best Italian meal I have ever had, or perhaps it was the availability of very good Italian food in South East Asia, whatever the reason, the food was excellent. 
Sunday we played golf at the same course we had played at the previously.  During the week, we had located a sport shop in the market where we bought a dozen golf balls for about $20, a great price in comparison to the price at the golf course of $80/dozen.  Needless to say, counting ball loss, it was MUCH cheaper this week.

Our schedule for the week is a bit off, as the office is holding its managers meeting in Vientiane, where all managers and company officers are in town to discuss business and share ideas.  We have been graciously asked to join in the meetings which we have done.  The people attending the meeting are from Africa, New York, San Francisco, Ohio, Manila, France, Australia ,and of course,  Longmeadow, etc.

ลาก่อนนะ - Charlene