Sugar and Spice and IWD

International Women's Day in Laos is a big deal. It's a public holiday, restaurants offer special dinners and groups of female workers band together to celebrate. Sounds pretty good to a card-carrying feminist, right? It wasn't quite what I expected.

Asbestos in Laos PDR

The Fight Against Asbestos in Lao PDR

LAOS is a quiet, mostly rural South-East Asian country that is just starting on a path to industrialisation – but it is growing quickly. 

The construction industry is booming and the economy is growing over 8% every year. The workers in Laos’ busy roof tile factories, however, have no idea they are working with a killer.

Asbestos from Kazakstan is rife in Laos

In Laos, asbestos is being used mainly in the production of roof tiles and concrete pipes. Laos is a relatively recent user of asbestos, but consumption is rising rapidly and could reach 9000 tonnes a year. It is handled, stored and transported with little concern for exposure to its deadly fibres.

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

LARP YOU LONGTIME!

Some days (most days) things can be a bit confusing at work. I often tune out to the chatter in the office as I don't understand most of it (I tune back in when I hear my name - kind of like a dog pretend-sleeping on the kitchen floor). Often I am slaving away over a hot keyboard when the clock hits 11.23am and the cry goes up "eat lunch!". The other day it wasn't until 11.25am (I'm not exaggerating - I check my watch each time as a part of my own personal unofficial active research project) and the call across the floor was something about going to eat LARP.

Larp is something special. It's the Laos "national dish". Describing it as a cold meat salad just doesn't do it justice. There's always a lot of mint, lime juice, fish sauce, often coriander, usually a few too many chillies, shallots and in some cases the parts of animals that would otherwise not make it onto Masterchef.

Eaten by hand with balls of sticky rice, washed down by icy cold beer - mmmmm - heaven on a plate (and in a glass).

 

I love that the Lao word for "mint" translates to "vegetable good scent larp" or, more grammatically correct "the herb that makes the larp smell good" (not an official interpretation but close enough).

A plate full of goodly tastiness - A Whole Lotta Larp

So, back to 11.25 at the office... where the call had just gone up for larp...

 

I said thanks but no thanks because I brought my lunch today (a rare occurrence, admittedly). Confusion reigned. "No" was not the right answer. Eventually I realised we were all going out for larp. No choice. And not just everyday old larp, but DUCK larp. Wow! Duck larp. Somehow that meant something. I feigned excitement and gave in.

 

I had to check - are we going in the car? (thinking perhaps someone had brought food to the office-cum-kitchen downstairs) Yes! Everyone is going in the car. OK. So here we go for another training department lunch. I clicked "save" and grabbed my bag...

Downstairs I realised we really were ALL going in the car.  The Federation's minibus had already done a couple of trips and was pretty much full again when we got to it. We crammed in. I counted 18 blue-shirt clad employees (Monday is blue shirt day) plus one with a purple cardy (it WAS below 32 that day so she was probably cold). So... not just the training section then?

 

18 of us in a 12-seater

 

On the way I tried to find out what the occasion was. Not that Lao people NEED a reason to party and drink beer in the middle of the work day. But I assumed something was up. I asked. I was told. I still didn't really get it. Someone had a card and so we wouldn't have to pay? That's what I think I was told. Huh? Umm, OK. (I was thinking of vouchers or shop-a-dockets or something. I realised I was probably way off track but that's where my head went at the time.)

We arrived. EVERYONE was there. Even a couple of colleagues' kids were there.

 

Larp, larp will keep us together

The food was laid out, the beer was poured over ice, the whole gang was there. I sat near unfamiliar people who freaked a bit because they didn't know what to say to me without their lack of English being obvious. So they said nothing, smiled and put more food on my plate.

Larp is all around

 

It turns out that one of the guys at work had bought a new CAR. Therefore he was shouting everyone out to a larp lunch. Of course. Why didn't I just know that?

And here's a little window into the day's eating pleasures...

Not larp. Congealed blood covered with tasty stuff (just to fool me)

Vegetable matter - of some sort. Fresh and tasty, though!

Larp is all around...

The lovely Syfong and her friend who speaks a bit of English and whose name I really must learn

A photo of no great importance - but it adds to the general ambiance (chaos, confusion)

This place is now known (to me) as The Larp Shack

I ate happy ignorance. I refused the beer (that pillow I have under my desk has already had a bit of a workout lately. This time I wanted to stay awake all day). My colleagues mostly chatted to themselves and sometimes to me - usually raising their voices and repeating complicated sentences in a tone usually reserved for the elderly, deaf, demented and incontinent. I still didn't quite understand. So I smiled and kept eating.

 

Dessert - an unnamed melon and some bland but pretty dragon fruit - it was great!

But enough about the food. There were interesting things going on just around the corner - or behind the kitchen counter...

...like the kitchen staff's footwear:

Non-regulation angry bird slippers

 

The dish pig cat helping out in the kitchen...

Scrawny filthy disgusting moggy helping out with the dishes. Ewwww.

The ever-present Beer Lao umbrellas

Never let it be said that the Laos are not "wholehearted" beer drinkers

 

Lao Beer Company also provides plastic containers for tissues and toothpicks. How thoughtful! The square ones are nicer than the round ones - even if the round ones do fit a toilet roll perfectly.

 

Tissue? Toothpick?

 

By the time we all crammed back into the minibus and got back to the office there was not a lot left of the day and not a lot of energy in the room. I decided to leave my questions about strategic planning until another day. Anyway, as they say here (and also across the river if I remember correctly) "don't be serious!"

And as I say (and am considering for my own personal mantra and maybe even tattoo)...

Larp is all you need

or

Can you feel the larp tonight?

or

Larp like there's no tomorrow

or

Eat, Pray, Larp

or

Tonight I celebrate my larp for you

or (my favourite)...

LARP YOU LONGTIME!

Constructing Vientiane

I've been watching the empty block next to my office become a construction site. I'm taking pictures as they build. They do things a bit differently here...

 

After they had chipped away a couple of bumps to level the ground, (sort of), the formwork is laid out using strings as guides, plastic is unrolled to cover the lumps and bumps and grass

 

Rolling out plastic

 

Rolling out the reo

They ran out of plastic - some areas of the slab won't have plastic underneath. Will it matter? Yup, probably. But not for at least five years. So keep going guys, we've got a 5-storey apartment block to build!

 

Laying out the reo - note thongs and rubber boots - not quite regulation PPE

 

Stomping down the reo

 

In comes the concrete

 

Spreading the concrete - straight over the grassy bits that don't have plastic. Seems a bit wrong to me in a land that is soggy for 6 months of the year - but what would I know?

 

It's a big production and a big slab

 

Barefeet and rubber boots. But I do love the headwear.

 

stay tuned... more to come.

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

 

Sad News

I came home tonight after an evening of exercise and fun with my new friends to find out that my boss died today - suddenly and unexpectedly.

She was young - maybe early 40s? Went into coma less than 2 days ago. I am not sure what happened. Possibly a brain haemorrhage.

She had kids. She laughed a lot. Often at me. On Tuesday, (the day she went into the coma) she thought it was hilarious that I had spent an hour getting to work because I took the wrong bus and had an unexpected trip around town. She told everyone. Several times.

Somphanh spoke pretty good English, had a great grasp on what was going on in the LFTU and was a great resource and support for me for the past 3 weeks. Our desks were close, she was in charge of my project. I was looking forward to getting to know her better. She has been telling me to stop eating sticky rice or it will make me fat.

Somphanh has worked for years on workers' welfare projects, HIV projects and was managing the training department at the Laos Federation of Trade Unions. She was well respected. She was a strong sister and advocate for bettering Laos workers' conditions.

It's really sad and a great loss to many.

Could have been any one of us. May you live long and prosper.

What I reckon about this place

The following "opinion piece" (essay? ramble?) is just what I reckon and may not have any relationship with “the truth” (whatever that is)

Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Laos. One of the "last bastions of communist ideology".  It's tranquil. It’s hot. And often bit wet. Definitely confusing at times. Sometimes surprisingly organized. Usually it looks like chaos but everyone seems to be calm. I rarely hear a raised Lao voice or see anger or frustration. Except in crying babies. And even then not so much. Road rage doesn’t seem to exist – it’s certainly not common. It would be seriously frowned upon. The Lao way to deal with an idiot on a motorbike who cuts you off is to just make way for them. And smile. Plus the food is fabulous.

 

People generally seem sweet and caring. Twice I have lost my umbrella and twice people have made an effort to find me to give it back. One tuk tuk driver was doing laps looking for me to hand it back. People have asked me if I need help quite often (must be the confused look on my face). Haggling over prices is expected and done with a smile and a laugh.

Workplace health and safety stats how this place is a disaster zone. The APHEDA website  explains how this slow, beautiful, little country is one of the poorest in Asia and has one of the highest occupational death rates with 28.8 fatalities per 100,000 people, around nine times higher than Australia.

The importing and use of asbestos is scary. Canada, Russia and China are making a mint - not many other countries will buy their asbestos anymore. Laos will. The dangerous behaviours I see as I walk past any of the hundreds of construction sites is scary, too. I was sure the other day that I was about to witness a worker fall 20 metres to a nasty end. (He didn’t). The legal minimum wage is now $78 USD per month. Mid-level public servants earn around $300 per month (I think – hard to determine). (And my rent on a 2 bedroom flat is $400 per month)

 

Road accidents are common and fatalities and head trauma, especially in motorcycle accidents, are common and expensive. Helmet laws exist but are not well enforced.

After cremation, some people’s bones and ashes are placed in a jar (sometimes a recycled food jar with a plastic lid) and cemented into small spirit-house memorial things on pedestals with a picture and dates. No avoiding the reminder of your own mortality.

Religious things – temples, statues, spirit houses, monks, parades of people throwing rice, strings of flowers for hanging off religious things, offerings to the ancestors – are everywhere. Strangely, though, no one has asked me about my religious beliefs yet. (I copped this question often in Thailand where I think religion is generally a bigger deal than here).

As for many countries experiencing poverty, issues like saving the environment, raising the status of women, helping disadvantaged people achieve their potential, protecting owls and tigers and reducing the national intake of palm oil and MSG are pipe dreams. Or not even dreams – not even thoughts. Yet.

I’m told Vientiane is not like the rest of Laos. It’s not even like the Vientiane I remember from 15 years ago. It’s richer, there are fancy cars on paved roads, money has been poured into large, dramatic and impressive public buildings.  Many, many rice fields and traditional wooden homes have been bulldozed to make way for large concrete apartment blocks, hotels, office blocks and suburbs. There are fat locals around. Some people are doing well.

 

The rate that this place is growing is astounding. I can’t imagine how confusing it must be for older locals. Then again, most older locals are probably living in much improved conditions with running water and electricity (most of the time) and access to good quality tobacco. ‘I no complain’.

But there are still beggars, poverty, disease, infection, cross-infection, poor grubby hospitals, doctor shortages, long waiting lists for blood from the Red Cross, poorly constructed drains, broken footpaths and food handling standards and OHS regulations either don’t exist, are not enforced or not known. And it’s mostly really hot.

I haven’t seen the rest of Laos for ages but I’m reliably informed that’s where the abject poverty, lack of education and infrastructure, desperation and the farming of fields rife with unexploded bombs still are. I have heard several times about areas of the country that can’t access enough food for a couple of months each year so they all go hungry. No wonder people eat moles and bats and grasshoppers.

Rivers that I once was lucky enough to slowly traverse in a small local boat, are being dammed and villages and mountainsides are being flooded. Chinese money (mostly) and lots of foreign workers are changing the landscape. Powers-that-be want to change the economy of the nation by becoming the “Battery of Asia” – creating electricity to sell to Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Cambodia. The Mekong is being depleted, the dolphins are nearly all gone (I heard there are 6 left) and elephants, tigers, rhinos and the Asian Unicorn (seriously! its called that) are endangered.

Unexploded bombs litter great tracts of land making it useless or dangerous. Limbs and lives are lost because of these little balls of horror.

Laos girls are sold into the sex industry and trafficked across the border. Access to young girls is promoted online by westerners seeking a Thai-beach-style experience for a few days. Women are generally seen as equal – equal pay, not-yet-equal-but-not-too-bad representation in government positions, power within the household – but held on tight leashes that control their behaviour, dress, looks and living arrangements. Mistresses are common, but a cheating wife is totally ostracized. Female sexuality is micro-managed so that they do not entice, infect or reduce protective charms or seduce boys, men and monks – unless they are supposed to (and then the skirts are very short and the bare shoulders shimmy).

I’ve heard people say they think the work ethic here is one of laziness. Sure, things work at a different pace, but I keep meeting really hard working people.  Many people have second jobs. Even third ones. My colleague Noy works all week and studies all weekend. She is doing a masters degree as well as raising two young kids, running the household and taking care of her husband and her widowed mother. She never has time off. She rushes home some lunch times to cook. Other lunch times, like right now as I write this, she is studying and finishing assignments at her desk. Her mother does a fair bit of the child minding. Noy says she is lucky because that means she can study.

Education is revered and getting a university degree is on the agenda for many, many kids – especially here in Vientiane, anyway. And overseas degree is even more desired. In the past , USSR and East Germany had scholarship arrangements and there are many Laos who speak German and some speak Russian. It’s that commie connection.

 

It’s SO BEAUTIFUL too.  After the heavy rains last night this morning was fresh and bright and clean. Flowering trees have enormous blossoms. Gold-painted eaves and gold leaf rubbings glint off temples, statues and pretty hanging things. Everyone smiles a lot. Barbecued banana for breakfast is the best. Pawpaw salad is tasty and fresh and delicious for lunch. Family is more important than work or career, work ethic is relaxed and if things can’t be done or take too much effort then maybe they aren’t that important after all. Individualism as we know it is unfamiliar  - why would anyone want to be alone when you can have love and support and friendship around you? People work to ensure strong emotions are not generated (not just quelled but not actually generated). Meditation and just sitting around are common pastimes. So is lying around in front of the TV. Internet access is everywhere in the city and cheap (albeit not always reliable). Many people have cable TV and watch a mix of Laos, Thai, Chinese and American TV shows. Usually bad ones in my opinion (Thai soaps have not improved in the years since I tried to follow one).

I’m rich here. Even just having a passport makes me rich (I can leave). I can afford to live alone. I work in an air conditioned office. I eat out as much as I want to. I can even afford to buy a 3 litre cask of gin (if I wanted to).

Life for me is good. I really hope in a year’s time I consider myself a small part of a solution rather than just a part of a problem. (And that I have lost a few kilos and have achieved an even tan on my feet.)