Some Reflections on My First Pay in Over a Year and Some Anniversaries.

 

 Many notable dates in the past few weeks.

12 months since I left work at MASC (Mount Alexander Shire Council)  and therefor 12 months since I had a pay cheque?......and I’ve survived.

In that same week I started paid work teaching English at Villa Maly in Luang Prabang.  It’s only 8 hours a week but hey it counts – and it’s paid in US Dollars.

Almost 12 months since I started the CELTA course and lived in Melbourne for 5 weeks. .  And wasn’t that hard work!!!!!

10 months since I left Australia and came to Laos

This week was also the first time in my life that the words “past participle” came out of my mouth without me having to think about it and plan to use them. 

And 14 years since I had surgery for breast cancer.   What a wonderful anniversary to celebrate. 

Another first is that I lost my glasses this week.  Real nuisance.  I’m gong to venture into the world of buying glasses online.  There are firms in Britian, Canada and America with excellent reviews online. 

You can’t buy glasses here.  When I consider that I’ve worn glasses for reading, driving  and work since I was about 14 and this is the first time I’ve ever lost a pair, I’m not doing too badly really.

That’s the summary of this post.  If you want to read the detail, read on.  

Here are 2 things that made me smile in the last few days.  Wat Visoun is one of the oldest temples in town.  When I was walking through the grounds the other day, there was a Monk mowing the lawn with a huge old mower.  He was wearing gumboots and a motor bike helmet for protection…. And why wouldn’t you??

And hearing a 3 year old Lao child singing “Old MacDonald Had a farm.  Ee ii ee ii oh>  He only had those 2 lines and I’m sure he didn’t know what they meant, but he repeated them over and over and over and over.

So it’s a year since I left paid work.  In some ways, MASC and my life in Australia feel like a life-time away.  But the internet  and instant contact with family and friends make it so much easier than it might have been.

How’s this for a bit of Serendipity - In the same week that was the anniversary of leaving MASC (and the regular pay cheque,) I started my first paid job in Laos, teaching English to Lao staff at Villa Maly in Luang Prabang.  The students are just lovely, and Lao people have the biggest smiles and use them a lot.  Sometimes you can’t help but walk around smiling.

             

Temple cats.  Mum and little one.

10 months since I arrived in Laos, and therefore 10 months since I left Australia.  It just came around without me realising. 

With paid work comes a work visa after 3 months, which means I can legally stay and work in Laos.  This is quite a significant thing.  My passport has pages and pages of Laos visa’s and extensions.  Because until now I have only had a tourist visa. I have had to leave the country each 3 months and then return.  I have also had to go to immigration each month to renew my visa.  Us “falang” (foreigners)  in this position know the anxiety when the immigration staff ask questions such as “where are you working?’  There is always the risk that they will say – “Sorry, no visa”, so no return to Laos.  

             

And with a job and prospect of a work visa, I can now say “I live in Laos.” Quite a foreign term to me.  I sure haven’t been living in Australia, but I wouldn’t have thought of saying I was living in Laos.  I’d been “staying here for a while”, “doing some volunteer teaching here” and “been here since last August”, but certainly not “living here”.  Now when people ask how long I’ve been here  - and it’s asked a lot, (especially by young Lao practising their English) if I choose, I can say “I live here.”  For how long I may not know. Will it ever feel like I live here?  I think maybe I’m just staying here right now.

14 years since breast cancer.  Cancer is not something I think of often, thankfully.  And when another anniversary sneaks around, I note it and smile and say thankyou.  This life is a very precious thing.

                 

 Ros and Jenny came to visit, 

and this is them crossing the bamboo bridge.

Sand stupas at Wat Visoun for Pi Mia Lao (Lao New Year)

What a wonderful afternoon.

Pi Mai Lao (Lao New Year), is probably the most sacred of the buddhist celebrations.  Sometimes it feels like it has been overtaken by the city wide water fight.  For about 5 days it isn't possible to leave home without being drenched by the enthusiastic revellers.  Laos people generally seem to be pretty quiet and reserved, (apart from the dreaded Karaoke) so it is quite fun to see them out there and having such a noisy good time. 

In search of the more gentle buddhist experience of Pi am Lao, I spent an afternoon at Wat Visoun with the people who live in the village (ban) associated with that temple.  People of all ages come together to build sand stupas.  The belief is that every grain of sand you put into the stupa washes away a sin from the previous year. (what a relief that was)!  Being the only falang (foreigner) present, it was very special to be part of this.  

People of all ages are involved.  Parents and grandparents teach their very small children what to do. A true family experience.  Many of these people seem to have known each other for a long time.  I imagine many people would be born, live and die in the same ban.  

The stupas are built of sand.  A hose is used to wet the sand to make it easier to work with. In true Pi Mai style, one grandmother had a great time hosing anyone who came within a few metres of her.  An entrance to the stupa is built, a banana palm planted in the top and sand decorations are made.  The stupa is dusted with flour.  Incense, flowers, drawings on paper of animals and other decorations are added.

Novice Yong, proud of the beautiful creation

At the back of Wat Visoun

The issue of hair:  One thing I only just realised is how much "the same" Lao people are in terms of hair: everyone has black straight hair. And most women have long  hair and choose not to go grey.  By comparison, in Australia , hair is so varied: black, brown, blond, auburn, brunette, straight, wavy, curly, you name it.   Here it is the fashion to dye your hair, pink, green, blue, any un-natural colour,, especially amongst teenagers.   As they have almost a week off school they can enjoy it for that time before having to cut it all off and go back to school.  

I only live around the corner, but was drenched by the time I got to Wat Visoun.

Novices and monks build their own stupa under the Banyan tree.

After the stupa's are completed,  a service with Monks chanting was held.  At intervals a gong was rung and people threw lollies and folded money and everyone scrambles for it.

               

The Wat Visoun float ready for the P Mai procession.  A buddha statue will sit in the gold structure and monks will sit around it.

Two days on a slow boat down the Mekong

After a visa run to Chiang Mai, I headed off back to Luang Prabang via a slow boat down the Mekong.  It was great fun.
Sooooo relaxing.  Had a huge thick book and just sat there reading and looking at the scenery for two days.  Spent a night in Pakbeng along the way.

Local bus from Chaing Rai to the Thai side of the border

Thai border - Laos here we come

One of these will be our transport for the next 2 days

Good way to see the world

Pakbeng.  Spent the night at DP guesthouse

This is about 7am at Pakbeng, before we start off for the 2nd day

Photo shy???

Lots of villages along the way

It's the dry season so the Mekong is low and there are huge sandy beaches

The teak trees have lost their leaves

People have been harvesting grasses to make brooms.

The grasses were lying out to dry.  This lady is getting rid of the seeds.

Getting close to Luang Prabang

This is Pak Ou caves, where all the Buddhas are

End of the journey -Luang Prabang.  Just a 20,000 kip tuk tuk ride away from town