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Today and tomorrow ( October 30-31, 2012), is a national holiday in Laos, the Boat Racing Festival, so schools and businesses are closed.
The Boat Racing Festival is a Buddhist festival held at the end of the Buddhist Lent ( Awk Phansa) every year in Vientiane starting on the 15th day of the 11th month in the lunar calendar.
Buddhism is embedded in Lao culture, so although I am serving with the Lao Evangelical Church, I hope to learn a lot more about Buddhist culture while I am here. Everywhere you turn there are monks walking down the street (dressed in orange with umbrellas over their heads) or there is a temple.
The Boat Racing is held in dragon boats on the Mekong River. There are three categories of rowing teams; sports for men, traditional for men, and traditional for women. The festival is sponsored by big companies, such as Lao Telecom as well as other Lao organizations.
The streets along the Mekong River bank are lined with stalls days before the event also. The stalls sell all kinds of products and foods, from meats, and fruits to Khao Lam, (sticky rice and coconut grilled in bamboo, yummy! ), to clothes and watches.
The festival also includes games, such as pop the balloons, rides for children, and concerts along the riverbank.
Vientiane comes alive during the Boat Racing Festival!
Words. Words have power. What you say can make or break a relationship, but what happens when words cannot always be used fully. (?) Many people in Laos do not know English. If someone does know some English, it is very limited. You may be able to imagine interesting situations this has, therefore, got me into (someone who is learning Lao- and whose Lao is still almost nonexistent). For instance, I got lost while riding a ‘tuk-tuk’ (an open air bike of sorts) and was not able to tell the driver what had happened and where I needed to be. It has also created some misunderstandings about the mission and purpose of me coming to Laos. Nevertheless, not always being able to communicate with others effectively has provided me with the time needed to sit back, listen, and intensely observe. Listening to others share their stories through body language, facial expressions, and tones in their voices is powerful and inspiring. For example, one worship service on Sundays lasts from 8:30- 11:30 AM. That is 3 straight hours of hearing nothing but Lao, for the most part (and not yet understanding a good chunk of it). Despite not being able to understand, it has become quite clear to me how strong their faith is, they have a powerful way of sharing the word of God, they care about each other, and want to get to know me. Likewise, the pastor’s wife knows no English but she continues to grace me with love. She is always checking to see that I have eaten, went and bought me a laundry basket and a couple other items, and calls me part of her family. Words don’t always have to define a person’s thoughts or actions. There are many other ways to communicate.
Likewise, I began teaching English at a primary school, Providence School, last week. Most students come from a lower class family and have not yet been exposed to any English. The students know very little English, if any. What I teach them are basic words and sentences, and since they cannot sit still long enough to write or listen, I usually sing songs or play games with them too. Some days another teacher translates for me, but she does not know much English herself, other days I am on my own. Regardless of language barriers the students and I have begun to already form strong relationships. They are regularly coming up to me, asking me Lao questions (as if I can answer yet), or wanting to be held.
Love and understanding often prevail without words.
Sabbi-Dee! Greetings from Laos! I have arrived safely after 3 days of flying on 3 different airlines and in 5 different airports. Talk about some hardcore jet lag… 🙂
The flights went well. My journey started in the Minneapolis airport where one of the employees who checked my bags was astonished when I told her I was going to Vientiane. I watched as her eyes got bigger and her jaw slowly dropped in disbelief at how far I was about to go, as she began asking how old I was and if there was Skype in Laos…
The journey from Minneapolis to Los Angeles was interesting. Most of the people were from Los Angeles as noted from their classy outfits and conversations about American city life. All I could think was, wow, this is going to change quickly…
The trip from LA to Taipei was long, but went well. I was asleep most of the time, so do not remember much, but not much happened, besides being served airplane food at various times.
Other than that, when I arrived in Bangkok I had been traveling many hours already, about 20 hours. After getting off the plane I got turned around very quickly. Everything was written in Thai, no one knew English, and I didn’t know where to go. Someone must have seen my worried and exhausted look though, and despite our language barriers led me to the right area. 🙂
It is now 2 PM and I am sitting on the floor of the print shop that is attached to the home I am living at eating dried bananas (makkoy) with Nun ( a 19 year old girl who helps in the printshop- who I am currently helping with her English study workbook). The home belongs to the family of Reverend Khamphone, President of the Lao Evangelical Church. The family owns three homes next to each other. In Laos, because of culture and money families live together regardless of age. In the main house lives the pastor and his wife as well as their son and church offices. In the building next door lives the pastor’s daughter, her husband, and 2 year old son, as well as myself. In the other building lives the pastor and his wife’s other daughter and an ‘adopted’ 16 year old daughter. There is also an adjacent room on the side of one building where an ‘adopted’ son lives. The people are all VERY friendly and nice. There are always new faces coming and going, and I am in the process of getting to know them all. Everyone wants to know how to say things in English, and, likewise, I have already begun to learn lots and lots of new Lao words! 🙂
Peace.
Myself and Malasavanh Kounthapanya, one of Rev. Khamphone’s daughters who is 23 and lives next door.
Nicole's Journey to Laos & Thailand! 