A terrible thing has taken place in the last week and I need your thoughts and prayers desperately. My lovely friend Pawn (Lao guy who is in business with another American friend in town) has been kidnapped. I realise this sounds very dramatic and over the top, but this is exactly what took place. No trace at this stage … obviously lots of investigations and hearsay going on … Won’t write much here, but feel free to email me if you want. He is a very central figure in the town so it has had a dramatic effect around town … and on Bill his business partner.
So I was fortunate enough to be passing through VT on Australia Day so lapped up a very fancy little function at the Aussie Ambassador’s residence. Very excited at the champas, red wine and fetta cheese!!!
Am down the south of Laos this week for some work meetings, dentist visits and some lovely friend times on the weekend. A good mate of mine from Canada is living in Thakek which is set amongst some amazing caves, limestone cliffs and secret swimming holes. Some faboulous good times had … not least the 700 metre pitch dark cave we swam through! Was a treat to hang out with her. Thakek is just on the border from a little town in Thailand and unfortunately I just missed the border crossing closing time! We were literally waving to each other from across the river and she was phoning all contacts she could think of, but they would not budge! Ended up having a nice time hot showering, 711 visiting and dining on Italian.
Had a little dentist visit in Thailand … let’s just say that I got a little sick of half screaming and explaining that the injection musn’t have worked … THREE TIMES!! Anyways …
Well this’ll be a quick one BECAUSE I just discovered another girl my age, native English speaker who is living in town for a little while!!! Extraordinarily excited!! We both are! Looks like my vocab might be on the improve! So we are about to head off for a drink and to get acquainted … because let’s face it … we’re destined to become friends!
ALSO discovered another American guy last weekend who has been living here for 8 months and only 1km from me!! I have no idea how we have not run into each other, but he’s into the agriculture thing so spends most of his time with dirt I think. Anyways he is into long distance running so I now have a running partner to help ease the pain of those long distances!
Gosh … I might have to start actually creating some organisation in my social calendar! Hasn’t been needed before this!
I mentioned a “mini” wedding I went to a while back. This is the baci section. They tie bits of string cotton to their wrists and say things like “I wish you good health, lots of children, lots of money etc etc” After that you can tie pieces of string to the other people’s wrists as well. Somuela’s mother (who is in the side of the photo) tied a piece of cotton around my wrist and said “I will be your mother while you are away from yours”. Beautiful huh
Baci continued … lots of bizarre random food on the plate in the centre which you have to eat once the string tying is over. This ethnic group is Animist so there is no buddha in the centre.
So my New Year’s resolution has been to learn how to write Laos script! Is doing my head in but am loving it at the same time … actually makes my brain understand the pronunciation a little better once I can work out how it looks. Seriously though why have 28 vowels when you can have 5 … and quite frankly it sounds like only 5 vowels to my western English brain. Anyways, push on I will.
Can you believe it is 2007??!! Am having a lovely weekend staying at a friend’s house. They have headed off for a few days so I am soaking up having a kitchen, dvd viewing, fireplace and HOT SHOWER! It’s nice when you can really enjoy every moment of a luxury that sometimes you take for granted. Just watched Hotel Rwanda and The Constant Gardner … two movies all of you should watch … very challenging on the thinking and inspirational to your thoughts … I think, anyway. Marathon training and prep is kicking along nicely … I decided last weekend I need to up the anti so pushed out 27km’s … I actually think that if you can run 15km’s you can run 30km’s … the second half is dependant on good ipod tunes to stop your brain from thinking about pain. Anyway it has won me some new friends around town because it is just a bizarre sight to see someone running … sometimes I meet people who I don’t know but they say oh I know you … you are that girl that runs past my house etc Is good … I have a nice range of people spread out around town that I can call on for water supplies! So if any of you are thinking of supporting … now is the time to do it! Keep spreading the word and thanks to those who have already done so.
Am heading off to Muang Sing and Muang Long to stay this week (two towns in the Golden Triangle) … meeting various people at the schools there and hopefully putting some plans in place to run some workshops there and supply resources in the future. Well the sun has come out so I must go and take advantage. Thanks for all your lovely contact, texts and emails. K
