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Hi guys - lack of updates: have been travelling through rural southern villages where electricity, water and telephones are a luxury, let alone internet. For now, feast on this:

"Sawadee". "Sawadee". We responded to the huge friendly smile characteristic of this region. It turns out that he is Laotian, and an epitomy of everything that is rumoured about Laotian people. Warm, friendly, highly-loveable and so laid back he'd almost fall over. Traversing and experiencing such beautiful people, one is a far cry from the familiarity of fear and unrest of the West, that it is difficult to believe the world is in certain parts, in turmoil. Ironically, the Democratic Republic of Laos is considered to be one of those countries. And for sure, it has its share of political instability, under-development and economic struggles, but, a certain flame of happiness dances in the eyes of the locals with whom I have interacted - a flame whose light is often missed in the West.

In Laos. In Love.

Asha Patel
2006-08-23 10:48:48

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they waved goodbye, their eyes filled with joy, and hope. I for one, would certainly be back tomorrow. My next student Houa - was extremely bright and fluent as we conversed for the next hour in English. She was lacking in confidence rather than ability and I hoped to have remedied that I my short time with her. That evening, exhausted as I was, I had not the heart to leave and so I stayed, and stayed, until the students themselves tired of the teaching. That brought my working day to a total of twelve hours. As we fought
the flying ants and locked up the building, we found ourselves in pitch blackness. I didn't have my flashlight with me. Surrounded by mountainside and rocky village roads, we stepped, slowly, foot by foot through the village attempting to navigate out way home. Eventually found our way back to the farm ate dinner. Thoroughly exhausted, I lay in bed that night, eyes heavy and unable to sleep. Moreover, with half a wall missing on the side of my hut I had wind and light flooding in to keep me awake.

Day Three: woke at 06:30 for more self work and a slow breakfast. It wasn't enough to compensate for the lack of sleep. Replanted and restabilized the hibiscus, watered and mulshed the plants with rice pods. Every minute of work seemed like an hour. I laboured til I could stand no longer. During lunch break I lay on my bed and... fell asleep. Three hours later I woke to go work some more on the asparagus patch before showering and preparing for class. Like the Pied Piper, I walked through the village, a growing group of enthusiastic young followers accumulating behind me as I walked. Each of them competing to hold onto my hands or my clothes, they sang out my name in different tones as they jubilantly skipped or ran along behind me. It was overwhelming. As we unlocked the community centre door, once more there were screams of delight at the prospect of class. Contrast this to the groans of disappointment that often accompany Western ...