The Red Apron of Culinary Excellence

Almost every day in Laos I have seen these aprons. People cooking food, serving drinks, stirring noodles, doling out rice, pouring beer and even bosses counting their profits wear them.

They cover up a lot; they are worn by men and women, boys and girls; they are cheap; they advertise a Lao noodle soup company (or so it appears to me). They are bright, cheerful and everywhere. I kind of love them.

Wiangchan or Winterfell?

It's cold. How the hell did that happen? Sure, I know I'm in the northern hemisphere and it's Christmas, but I'm also in a South East Asian country where I've been hot, sweaty, red-faced and exhausted for most of this year. This is an unexpected shock to the system.

Rugging up at Talat Sao

Angry Birds #2 - one for the kiddiwinks

How much avian anger can one town take?

Lots, it seems.

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

 

Paying For My Sinhs

This really is sinh city. Sinhs are everywhere. Women wear them on motorbikes, bicycles, to work, to market, in tuk tuks, in groups, to weddings, walking along dirt roads and running across busy streets. And soon I, too, will be wearing a sinh.

These sarong-like skirts are sometimes cotton, sometimes silk and, if you are not picky or wealthy, sometimes polyester. They usually have a strip of embroidered silk along the hem. The patterns often mean something. I don't know what yet, but something.

 

 

 

Clara and I were taken shopping through the fabric section of Talat Sao yesterday. It was confusing and hot and humid and noisy and we were grateful that Gai, our personal shopping assistant, had some idea of what to look for and how much to pay.

Once we got started it was hard to stop. Look at the choices we were faced with:

Although I am still not particularly pleased that I will HAVE to wear a traditional Lao skirt everyday to work for the next year, I'm kind of a little bit excited to have this gorgeous fabric swishing around me.

Leaning towards the conservative, I chose three pieces of fabric, all cotton, all gorgeous.

My original sinhs (boom boom!)

Clara made some gorgeous choices, too. They'll look stunning.

 

Clara worked out she spent $36 on all three (and the dressmaking won't add a whole lot more)

 

 We've been measured and now we wait...  (and worry about not having appropriate shoes).