Sinh [sin] noun: Traditional Laos skirt worn by women all over the country.

Sunday 28 July 2013

Crafternoon #1

It was Martin's idea but we were all for it: let's do something creative; something arty; something crafty.

Vietnamese-style pointy bamboo hats are plentiful and cheap and so is poster paint. What if we put the two together....?
Poster paint + bamboo = ART
 

Plans to sit in a park overlooking a golden temple were shelved due to rain. Elcira and Jorge's flat is gorgeous and has an inspiring view. Perfect!
Inspired and creative on a wet afternoon

Most of us had no clear direction or approach. But Martin knew where he was going:
Inspired
 
Clara and Jorge got right into a cubist interpretation of woven bamboo:

 Practical application of mathematical formulae


Tentative at first but precise and orderly
 

 Elcira launched into some free-flowing floral folk art:
free-flowing, floral and folky
 
Suggestions were made that I was re-living the decade when Sandman panel vans ruled the streets and airbrushed palm trees were cool. Not true! My inspiration actually came from the view outside the window. I don't think they believe me. 
 
 Not a panel van in sight

 
Some of the aforementioned inspiration may have come from a 3 litre cardboard box (allegedly).
Liquid inspiration
 
Expressing our creativity and individuality made a nice change from the usual weekend activities. (What ARE the usual weekend activities around here?)  It may also have been just an excuse to have a wine with friends.
 
What else are weekends for?
 
Productive or what?
 
I'm not sure if it'll create a new trend in town but painting bamboo hats was great fun and a lovely way to spend a rainy arvo in ol' Wiengchan. Now if only it would stop raining long enough for us to wear them in public!

Saturday 27 July 2013

Mekong River: Fill 'er up!

The Mekong River - as yet undammed

This week I sat on a 5th floor balcony and gazed across the mighty Mekong River. I can only see a small bit of its 4000+ kilometres but what I see is pretty cool.

Wide brown waters
 

The Mekong starts on the Tibetan Plateau and cuts its way through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I have seen it in several of these countries. It's always brown. Sometimes it has boats. I've heard it can sometimes have dolphins in it too. There are usually people in it, fishing or washing. Often there are cute, laughing, playing, swimming, naked, shiny kids, too (or was that just in the travel brochures?)
 
I am watching it fill.

When we first arrived It looked a bit like this. Bare, sandy, grassy, not much water.

Grassy and sandy

Behind the dogs it's all just sand and grass, sand and grass
 
Back in May, we didn't know any better. We were still excited albeit slightly underwhelmed by the brown sliver. There were so many disappointments back in those days - the thin strip of brownish water representing one of the worlds mightiest rivers was just one of several slightly less-than-impressive experiences. (The green curry has also been sightly disappointing, but I digress).
 
 
 Martin and Clara - a little unimpressed, but it IS the Mekong! And we are here!

Over in the distance was the brown watery stuff with Thailand looking down on it. (Ah, those Thais! So superior!)
See the brown strip under the green strip?  That's all the water we could see, back in the day

Even as the June rain fell the puddles on our side of the riverbank were unimpressive and kind of useless. (No fish; no dolphins; no swimming; no good!)

Unimpressive puddles
 
Then we started to notice that the water was rising. Larger boats appeared on the other side. Some even had POLICE stickers. Border police? Water Rats?
 

Border police: stopping the boats
 
Admittedly its hard to observe water levels while jumping around with sweat in your eyes and pop music in your ears and aerobics moves to try to master, but the river had started to swell.
 
After days of rain and storms up north, we have a raging torrent. The grass is submerging. The puddles have joined up and I reckon they might even have fish in them now.

Submerging slowly

The banks are slowly being paved and built and riverside food stalls are a thing of the past. I vaguely recall a cocktail on the dirt riverbank a very long time ago. Maybe after all the concreting (if there are not pop-up aerobics classes taking up space) those riverbank cocktails might come back.
 
Paving and tiling and concreting and removing important cultural experiences like riverbank drinks.

Then again, perched on the fifth floor balcony of the Sengtawan Riverside Hotel, looking at this majestic view is certainly a fabulous replacement riverside drinks experience.
 
Riverside drinks, 2013 style
 
 And look at how much water there is now! Quietly flowing, moving massive amounts of water and various other things down south and out to sea. Now if only someone could harness that power! Oh. Oh yeah. Someone is. Dam.
 
Lots of water. Not yet dammed but possibly already damned.
 
Can't wait to see what happens next.


 

Friday 19 July 2013

Hammers and Sickles and Handbooks

I’ve been sharing lots of photos and anecdotes of fun adventures and exciting meals in Laos but a few friends and family asked about the work I am supposed to be doing. If you read previous posts you could be fooled into thinking I’m here to slack off and eat. Well, Ok, I am. What else is the weekend for? But the rest of the time I do actually work.

The job
My job is a series of roving goalposts. I’m writing and researching stuff for the Lao Federation of Trade Unions. I’ll run some workshops later and then I’ll go home. I’m hand-in-hand with APHEDA Union Aid Abroad and meeting some amazing people working hard to chip away at a very big mountain of injustice, poverty and ignorance.
I quickly discovered that working for the union ‘movement’ here is not like at home. I am a public servant again. But this time I have to wear a conservative business-shirt-and-sinh uniform with an embroidered patch on my chest that has the hammer and sickle in the centre. No jeans and T-shirts with radical slogans referencing past campaigns here (dammit).
This is the first badge I've scored since Brownies
 
The union and the plight of the proletariat
Laos PDR has a one party government with most services owned by the state. This means that apart from the growing number of private enterprises, most things are controlled by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (the ones who ousted the Lao monarchy, chased off the French imperialists and returned land and resources to the people back in ‘75).

The Office
 
I’m keen on a dose of good old socialism now and again. Not so sure about communism - certainly the version I see here isn't doing so well. Sadly, it's hard to see what's going on through the very low minimum wages; health and safety hazards; exploitative labour practices; lack of education; limited access to medical services; rapid urban expansion; the growing gap between the haves and never-gunna-haves; economic turmoil and foreign investment in exploiting natural resources. These are all reasons why ‘someone needs to do something’. (Not to mention that there are possibly only 6 dolphins left in the Mekong. But that’s another blog post for another day).
Building site hazards and risks aplenty
 
The electrical trades could do with a skills upgrade
  
Working through the night - but at least some of these guys have "hard" hats.
Well, "hard-ish" hats
 
Many waged workers here get a pretty raw deal. Most have no idea why asbestos is bad for them (and it’s everywhere!) and they certainly don’t have international standard masks, hard hats and boots on construction sites. There are no pensions or super, workplaces can be disaster zones, workers are often paid less than they should be and work long hours in crap jobs. Technology that makes our lives easier and safer is often too expensive and the acts of questioning, lobbying, arguing, demanding and striking are rare options.

PPE? What's that?
The job at hand
Now, I knew to take my duty statement with a hefty grain of salt. I knew too that my comrades’ main hope in having me here was that my English would somehow seep – osmotically? – into their brains. So far I’ve managed to get even the shy ones saying “Good Morning” and “See you tomorrow”. Kicking goals (or points, at least). I also knew that if the LFTU needed some plain English technical writing done and some courses about collective action and OHS drafted and delivered, I’m their woman.  But I held my expectations back with a strong leash. Those expectations are now content to sit at my feet. And wait.
As for the major task on my plate, I will write a hefty compendium that says who we are, what we do and how we do it. Riiiiight. I thought I was here as a workplace education professional. Whatever. Once I have found out who does what and how (one of the trickiest research projects I’ve known), interpreted various conventions and regulations and unwritten rules and definitions, written it up, had it translated and run some workshops around it, we’ll use my stuff to redraft some of the curriculum for the Diploma in something-or-other. I think. Maybe.

My confusing keyboard
 
The objective is, of course, to build workers’ strength, unity and knowledge so the Laos people can build a stronger, healthier, wealthier workforce and therefore community. Nice. I’m in.
Look closely. There's a worker in the middle of all that wire.

We'll have what they’re having
I’m starting with a handbook (from a nearby and much loved communist nation) that has been translated into English. It was given to me with a request to base the Laos manual on this one.. After reading most of the 300+ pages I'm pretty sure I will write different stuff in ours. It’s kind of… ummm… strange … in parts. Most parts.
But there are some pearls of wisdom in it too. It refers to “protecting workers’ interests, helping national citizens, helping the world.” Cool!  Helping the world! I’m all for that.
It talks about the aim of “Wealthy people, Strong country, fair, democratic, and civilized society.” Imagine that – a civilized society! I’d like one of those too. (Not sure if I’ve ever seen one though.)
Some aims in this other handbook are kind of similar to mine. They aim to “propagandize, educate workers to improve their skill” (their use of the word ‘propaganda’ is different to mine, but I get the drift.) They also acquire the cream of culture of the humanity, develop a better life style, contribute in developing modern culture that preserves our national character; improves people’s living standard and strives for social justice and progress.”
Sounds pretty cool so far. Then again… I’m a little unsure about this bit: focusing on education, on morality, good traditional lifestyle; positively fights against social evils among workers.” I reckon social evils among workers are the best bits! (I’m thinking Friday night drinks, the biscuit jar in the tea room and long lunches with wine).
 
There are some instructions for union officials about what’s important: “The purpose of this work is to form the trust in the spiritual life of the masses.” It also has instructions about how to dress, shake hands and communicate. The handbook from this (unnamed) country suggests Be half-serious and half-joking in shaking hands (for example, you just touch slightly your fingertips on partner’s)” and “Listening without vacant sign or looking other things, picking nose, cleaning ears or picking teeth.” Good advice! I might use that bit.

Some of it is quite poetic: “People said ‘A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver’. There are speeches creating gratitude or full of benefit, but there are speeches which create enemies and troubles.” So true! Just ask Julia. And then the bit I think should be included in all manuals for any people in power: “Don’t scowl or be joyful inordinately.”
View from my desk
So, here I sit
So each day I turn up to one of my two offices, hunch over a computer or sit through a meeting. Sometimes I sit and listen hard; focused and productive; making a difference; writing “apples of gold”. Other times I doodle in my notebook and think about lying on the couch in my air-conditioned apartment watching the first season of Game of Thrones again.
I’ve survived the first 2 months of my assignment and I’m just starting to work out what goes on around here. I’m expecting there might be some of the aforementioned scowling ahead but also some joy – possibly inordinate – but this ‘year of living Laos-ish-ly’ is already proving to be an interesting ride!
A young fella also having an interesting ride
 

Sunday 7 July 2013

River Song

We Went to Wang Wieng for the Weekend.

(OK, so without the Laos accent it's called Vang Vieng. But that didn't sound as good. I love a little alliteration!)

This post is partially to show off what a cool time I had recently, but also to show how spectacular the scenery is a little way up north.

And some might be wondering whether to add it to your Laos itinerary. I vote yes.
 
Yes!
 
If you've heard of this place recently it is probably because of some sad and nasty experiences had by some fun-loving back-packers when filled with grog and other stuff and doing dumb things in fast running rivers.

It was the scenery that called my name. And the river, Nam Song. (River Song). I've been here before but so long ago I've forgotten everything except the limestone karst panorama. There wasn't much to do here back then. Certainly no water sports and over-indulging. Not that I remember anyway!

River Song and her jagged panorama
 
It still attracts backpackers. Young and gorgeous; grubby and underdressed; funded by parents and carrying iPads and secret little stashes in the bottom of their packs. (I suspect).

But there weren't many people of any age around. The place was pretty quiet, We'd expected a fair bit of doof doof  and a dose of 'falang cringe' but the doof was minimal and the bogans were rare.


A few falang
 
With signs like this around can you blame us for tensing in anticipation of 24 hour party people?
 
Fat Monkeys. "Free beer... Laughing gas...Come in and get drunk". I feel so old.

Although slightly older than the targeted demographic, we went tubing.

Loaded up and ready to toob

"And don't the kids love it!"
 
It's not exactly an 'extreme sport'. We floated calmly down the river, gazing in awe at the mountains above. We stopped for a drink and a snack enroute. Kids threw ropes attached to water bottles over our heads. We caught the ropes, they towed us in. We scrambled bare-footed up the bank to the bar. Life in the third world can be so difficult.

We also went "caving". This basically meant sweating our way up a zillion steps then through a great cave that looked like a whale's belly.

I know how Jonah must have felt. Not enough to make me repent, though.

Walking across the bridge to the cave

Looking back across the flat side of the river
 
We stopped at a little temple thing with a statue of Kuan Ying (Buddha in female form), incense and lots of ants.

Kuan Ying

Incense crawling with insects

Gingerish

Another little temple thing

Hanging around. Sweating a lot.

Green beans over River Song
 
We stayed in bungalows right on the river's edge. The rain overnight meant there wasn't much space between the low wall beside us and the swirling brown stuff.

 
That was my room behind the balcony.

The room reminded me of a scene in a movie that I've forgotten the name of.

I got up early Sunday morning fearing that the gorgeous mountain mistiness would fade quickly.  It didn't - it hung around for hours. It was still worth getting up early though.

 Here's a few of my Sunday morning breakfast-time photos...

Misty and moody views

Some bungalows on the other side - and their taxi
 
Collecting little fish for making larp
 
 
And I did enjoin the view, even though I didn't take a baot.
(is it unfair to take the piss of poor spelling in a country like this?)

And if that's not enough misty, moody mountains for you, read on... I have thoughtfully stashed the rest of my pics behind the "read more" thing below. If you've had quite enough and want to quietly leave now, you are excused. But for connoisseurs of karsts and clouds...