What’s for dinner?

Lao comestibles are truly a mix of good foods as they share many dishes with neighboring countries while having a few specialties. We have yet to try the more bizarre delicacies that are sold, such as ant egg soup, barbecued bat and duck blood, but we have tasted our fair share of peculiar dishes. Unfortunately, we don’t have pictures of the many meals described below, but maybe for those with sensitive stomachs, words are enough.

It is commonly said that the Lao people eat everything…thus far that statement has proven correct. Our experience with food began soon after we arrived in Lao, which was good since we were rather hungry after the trip! Lao victuals are best described as a conglomeration of Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. It does have its own unique dishes, but usually when we ask if a dish is Lao or not people will say that it originates from one of the aforementioned countries.

We wet our pallets when Brennan and Kristina visited us on their whirlwind-world-honeymoon-tour. Some of you may have heard their colorful account of an afternoon snack of barbecued dog (entrails and tails included). I maintain that the sauce was excellent and the meat was tasty, but the extras didn’t have much going for them apart from turning our stomachs.

Spending time with a host family in our first two months here was not only extremely helpful in broadening our understanding of language, but also introduced our taste buds to a variety of foods. While with them we ate fish gill soup, buffalo skin (which is a delicacy even here in Tha Thom where it is deep fried), marinated chicken feet and snails. To our chagrin we missed out on eating the 2-inch-long grubs, frogs, and song birds that we saw gracing the counter top of the kitchen.

Dragon Fruit

Eating Seaweed Soup with Bounpheng

Close-up of Slimy Goodness!

Little did we know that our lips had only been moistened for the culinary experience of rural Lao in Tha Thom! Here, roasted duck feet, embryotic eggs, iguana, sparrow, monkey, mouse deer, seaweed soup, many new fruits (mak kho, mak ko, mak tao) that sound the same, pickled garlic, innards soup (very common in the office), stir-fried cucumbers (one of my favorites) and a type of  "jay-o" (a dipping sauce) made from a cows fecal matter, are some of the special items on the menu.

As you might expect, rice is the staple in our diet and just as there are hundreds of varieties and flavors of potatoes in America so there are many varieties of rice here…and they all have a name! The most common and enjoyed rice in South East Asia is sticky rice (gluttonous rice). It is steamed in a basket, not immerses in water and cooked as normal rice is, and is eaten with other food by forming a ball in the hand and then using this ball to pick up veggies and/or meat. Interestingly, just as potatoes come in many colors, rice comes in a variety of hues! One of our favorites is purple (or black as the locals label it) sticky rice. Most commonly this is sweetened, stuffed into a piece of bamboo and then roasted over the fire. The bamboo is them pealed back and the rice column can be enjoyed.

White and Purple Sticky Rice in the Traditional Rice Basket

For the most part we enjoy the wide variety of foods we are served, but the normal meal in Lao isn’t all that foreign. Noodle soup is available at almost every shop and fried rice, omelets, fried eggs, wai-wai, steamed veggies and corn on the cob are some of the foods that remind us of ‘home.’
Posted by Jeffrey

Taste of Home

As our friends and family in America joined together in the spirit of Thanksgiving, celebrating with good company and good food, Jeffrey and I also joined in to give thanks. But things are different here in SE Asia, and we realized that it would be just as difficult to fly all our loved ones here to celebrate with us as it would be to try make a whole thanksgiving meal. So what could we feasibly do? After scratching our brains and talking things through, we decided to fore go turkeys and mashed potatoes this year, and try our hands at making – pancakes!

Making the mix

On Friday, November 26, 2010, MCC Tha Thom staff and district partners were hosting a farewell party for our Project Manager. Even though it was the day after Thanksgiving, we decided to contribute our pancakes to the mix of traditional Lao dishes. We weren’t sure at first if the pancakes would turn out as we were missing milk, but we decided that sweetened condensed milk is close enough as long it is watered down thoroughly. We started cooking them over a fire with our cast iron skillet (the most awesome find during our shopping for kitchen accessories). The pancakes drew quite a crowd. Our district partners even asked to try their hand at cooking them.

Help from District partner

Our 'Thanksgiving' feast

In the end we had enough small pancakes for forty people, who apparently, enjoyed them greatly because there were none left over for breakfast! Next year we may try to make the more traditional Thanksgiving dishes, but we also might just keep pancakes in the back of our mind.
(Thank you to Wendy Martin for the pictures.)
Posted by Kaarina

Tuk-tuks and Log Trucks

So this blog entry is for all of you who are wondering, might be wondering or haven’t even asked yourself, “So what kind of vehicles do you have in Lao?” That is a great question! Hopefully, this blog will give you a pictorial experience that will answer that question.

First we have the infamous ‘tuk-tuk’ famous in many Asian countries and known by various names. This three wheeled machine buzzes the streets of Vientiane and is available for hire. They come in different sizes, but all are put together with miss-matched parts from cannibalized motorcycles and other vehicles.

Tuk-tuk

The second is similar to the ‘tuk-tuk’ in name and use. The ‘dtek-dtek’ is the primary work horse in rural farms and the modern version of a water buffalo (minus the milk). However, it's use extends to local hire, putting down the street to Tha Thom and to neighboring villages. Farmers take these ‘powerhouses’ anywhere, including crossing rather deep rivers. It is interesting to note that they are started by a hand crank!

Dtek-dtek

Washing the Dtek-dtek

The next vehicle is the bamboo raft! Although they are simple they are used to ferry goods and motorcycles that are too small across deep rivers.

Bamboo Rafts

“But what if the river is too deep for a larger vehicle?” Well I am glad you asked because now we bring in the big guns; the grader ferry!

Grader Ferry

Another mode of transportation we have become accustomed to is the long boat. They come in various sizes and with different sized engines. The down side: they aren’t incredibly comfortable so for long trips we recommend a pillow and be sure to wear long sleeves lest you tempt the UV rays to turn you into a beet! These contraptions may also find themselves literally grounded in the dry season.

Long River Boat

Another Boat

We move now to larger beasts of burden. The first I throw in for interests sake…the commercial truck with dual steering axles! These machines negotiate the narrow roadways of Vientiane delivering many supplies, mostly from Thailand.

Dual Steering Axles!

The next heavy-weight is the log truck converted from an old army frame. These are seen frequenting Tha Thom and neighboring villages, picking up logs and delivering them to the mill north of town.

Log Truck

“So how do you get around when you visit project villages?” Another good question! We have several options: walking, running, riding bike, dtek-dtek, small motorcycle (100cc), large motorcycle (250cc) or by pickup. The larger motorcycles seem to be one of the staff favorites if they can manage the starts and stops! The average Lao stature is short, so many staff start by using a step and try to stop somewhere else in the same manner.

250cc Kawasaki

On longer trips the pickup up is nice ride. It traverses rivers and mountains with relative ease and it’s AC is a blessing in the hot and dust season. The current road situation in Tha Thom and the surrounding towns makes a truck with brush guard, snorkel and winch a good option.

Toyota Helix Vigo

Road Construction

Finally, “How do you get around Tha Thom?” The answer is simple: by bike!

Posted by Jeffrey

Khmu Village

Kaarina and I have been blessed these past two weeks to have Bounpheng help us in our work. Bounpheng is a former IVEP’er and has done translation work for MCC in the past. He will help us as we begin our work as our Lao is still in its infancy. He is an immense help, teaching us more technical Lao words and couching our sentence structure. In addition to Lao, Thai and English, Bounpheng also speaks Khmu.

Studying with Bounpheng

 Work in Tha Thom recently brought us to Thitnoon, a Khmu village roughly 21km to the south. 103 families call the village home and all the structures are built in the traditional stilted style with bamboo walls. The village does not yet have electricity, but running water is present provided by the first development organization that worked in the area.

Thitnoon Village

A Traditional Home

   After arriving to the village in the afternoon, bathing in the river, learning a few key Khmu words and eating chicken soup we retired to bed in one of the homes. Bed consisted of a mat, blanket and pillow. Morning began early (3:00am) when the roosters began to stir and some farmers started getting ready for the day. We decided to wait stay in bed till 6:30am.

Evening in the Village

Morning Sun

The reason for our trip to Thitnoon was to observe the agricultural team’s workshop about animal raising and vaccines. About 107 villagers attended, plus the MCC agricultural team, several government officials and us, all crammed into a small classroom.
Topics of the day included:
1. A recent law stating that all farmers must keep their animals contained during the night and work harder to keep them from destroying crops. Farmer’s heard the new law and agreed that it is good to start following.
2. Basic needs of animals.
3. Importance of vaccinations.
4. Breeding.

Village Farmers at the Animal Training

We are eager to get to know the other villages in which MCC works.

Posted by Jeffrey

A day in the village (thus far)

Already November and we’re into our second week in Tha Thom. Wow! It’s wild to think about sometimes, but life is starting to feel kind of normal… waking in the morning and looking out the window to the beautiful mountain ridge and rice fields. Reading, getting dressed in my sihn and blouse and then heading down to the guesthouse restaurant for some breakfast. Breakfast usually consists of sticky rice, soup, jeyo (Lao ‘salsa’ usually made from chilies) and some other vegetable or meat dish. Then Jeffrey and I ride across town on our bikes. We usually join a number of other villagers and school children heading to the office or school. Today Jeffrey and I decided that Tha Thom does not have the local ‘rush hour,’ but ‘dust hour.’ And we hear it only gets worse in the dry season! Uffda!

Down the road from the office

Main Street

 A normal office day starts at about 8am, and Jeffrey and I try to arrive to the office with enough time to drink a warm cup of tea/coffee and chat with co-workers before work is started. I should mention here that we’ve entered the Lao cool season (November-January). With sunshine I would consider the weather absolutely perfect, but nights and mornings can get a bit chilly. Imagine my surprise though when I realized a few days ago that ‘chilly’ for me has now started at 21°C (70°F!). I'm afraid my tough Minnesotan skin is already becoming accustomed to the warm tropics and I may soon join the locals with their coats, gloves and stocking caps!

During the work day, Jeffrey and I are not very busy… mostly due to our lack of being able to communicate with the other staff about work topics. We have been trying to keep busy though, with whatever we can find helpful. Jeffrey has been battling the viruses on the office computers and trying to make them run a bit faster. He had a great victory yesterday (finding and destroying a virus before it was able to attack) and he was pretty pumped! He also will join the nutrition team soon, learning about their planning and presentation strategies and joining them as they visit target villages. My main daily activity has been ‘het ahan Lao’ (making Lao food) with the MCC cook/housekeeper. She is from a nearby village and is two years younger than me, but can sure cook up a storm. There is not much food variety here in Tha Thom, sticky rice or white rice, vegetables are mainly leafy greens though occasionally we have eggplant, sweet potatoes or squash, and a choice of meat from water buffalo, pork, beef or fish. I am amazed that even from a limited variety of food, we eat a wonderful variety of dishes. I hope I can learn much from her!

MCC Office

 The office day comes to an end at about 4:30pm. After work is a perfect time to go walking or riding bike on the road as a number of other villagers do the same thing. As people pass by you will hear the common greeting “Bai sai?” (‘Where are you going?’) to which the response generally is “Bai lin!” (the best English translation would probably be ‘Just cruisin’!’).

After supper anywhere from 6 to 7pm, I’m pretty much worn out, so after a chilling bike ride back across town, a quick visit and cup of tea with our guest house family, Jeffrey and I head to our room for a shower (no such thing as a ‘hot’ shower, but if the water is too freezing we’ll try boil some water to take the chill off) and then bed.

So life goes in the village.

Posted by Kaarina

Hello from Tha Thom!

We have finally made it and are writing our first blog entry from the MCC office in Tha Thom. After a 4 hour boat ride we arrived last Thursday (21st) with all of our belongings plus three bikes. I would include a picture of the loaded boat, but with the excitement of loading and unloading our baggage there was not much time for picture taking. We are currently living in a guest house near the edge of town with a breathtaking view of a mountain ridge. It is a little hike to the office every morning so we are thankful for the bikes we picked up second hand.

Rice Fields behind the Guest House

There are only two of the nine staff here since the country-wide Lao boat racing festival is underway. Even in this small town they hold boat racing in the Nam San (river). We have enjoyed our first taste of Lao festivities. The Lao sure know how to celebrate. Some of the more unique foods we have eaten include: Job’s tear (a steamed grain), embryonic eggs (hardboiled semi-mature fertilized eggs), grilled goat and fish, and khaulam (sweetened purple sticky rice steamed in bamboo). We have watched two days of boat racing, danced the traditional Lao dance, and enjoyed the food offered by the street vendors.

Boat Racing!

The coming few weeks will entail continuing to learn new Lao vocabulary, visiting project villages, adjusting to life in Tha Thom and figuring out long term housing. We are very excited to finally be here even though life and work will be challenging.

Happy Thanksgiving!

...well at least to those from Canada! This past Saturday our director, who is Canadian, held a thanksgiving meal at her house. It was an evening full of traditional thanksgiving food complete with stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, salad, bread, chicken, corn, and much to Kaarina's delight, pickles and olives! I believe it was one of the few meals where we have not eaten rice since coming to Lao. Needless to say it sure did feel like thanksgiving as we returned home with the typical 'stuffed' bellies.

Host Famly's Home

Host Mother and Father

'Home' for us has recently changed again as we just said our goodbyes to our host family of two months. They blessed us with a farewell bacci done with Christian flair. Apart from the traditional string tyeing and blessings we sung a few Christian songs and recited the Lord's prayer as our host family is Catholic. We are now living in the MCC guest house as we prepare for our move to Tha Thom in just over a week's time. Finishing up language study this week and purchasing various household items are on our list of things to do.

MCC Office (Vientiane)

MCC Guest House (Vientiane)

We are excited as we enter this new time of transition and are eager to settle into a new home in Tha Thom.

A Visit To Tha Thom

“Bo High Vao,” Is a Lao saying which very roughly conveys the same meaning as the Scandinavian expression: “Uffda!” It is used when a person has just experienced something this is either very good or very bad and they do not have words to express that experience.

We left early from the MCC office after a quick breakfast of ‘Lao Hamburger’ (various kinds of pork with sauce and vegies in a baguette). Traveling in the comfort of an MCC vehicle with AC and a soft seat was certainly a good way to start the long trip! We left the city limits of Vientiane for the first time heading south east following the Mekong river to a city named Paxan. From here we turned north toward a small town were we would eat lunch and collect some supplies and secure a vessel for our journey up a river to Tha Thom. Several river taxis were waiting, but it seemed that only one wanted to make the long voyage all the way to Tha Thom. After lunch and some negotiating the MCC country program administrator, two people from the ministry of agriculture, Kaarina and I boarded the 25ft long wooden boat and made ourselves comfortable. The engine roared to life (and I mean roared! Next time we will bring ear plugs) and we headed up-river.

Heading Up River

 It seemed from the very start that the 3 cylinder engine was having trouble as it skipped sporadically. Sure enough as we rounded the next bend, under some overhanging bamboo, it died. We drifted down stream as the captain tried the starter with little success, then whipping out his cellphone he dialed a local AAA riverside assistance service. A few minutes later another man (I assume a relative) walks up the bank to help. A fuel pump is swiped from the relative’s boat and after some priming the engine comes back to life! 45 minutes into our trip we had traveled roughly ¼ mile. However, the rest of the trip went very smoothly and we were blessed by mostly cloudy skies keeping the UV rays partially at bay. We wound our way through bamboo draped hills sporting exotic looking ferns, orchids and towering trees. Small villages dotted the river bank and evidence of the Tha Thom road construction became more prevalent as we traveled. (Many sections of the road are incomplete and as this is the rainy season many segments have been washed into the river. The road is supposed to be completed in two more years. However, even now it is passable during the dry season).

Our Boat Captain

 After a total of 6 hours in the boat we arrived in Tha Thom! The first thing I noticed were the stunning rocky cliffs that thrust into the sky on one side of the town. Rice patties run along the foot of the hill with the road, town and river running parallel to them. Jungle still covers the hills sides on either side of the town. The homes range from modern concrete construction, to wood, to traditional bamboo homes. Several restaurants, guesthouses, government buildings and shops dot the town. New electric lines supply the town and surrounding area with fairly consistent power! The picture we had in our heads was fairly accurate…but at least for me, the real Tha Thom is far more beautiful.

Looking Up the Tha Thom Valley

We spent three full days in Tha Thom attending a six month district meeting, visiting two of the 8 villages MCC works in, and looking for a home. At the meeting we learned more about what MCC is doing in Tha Thom and afterward discussed with our country program administrator what we will actually be doing to help! There is so much to be done, researched, and learned! The villages we visited were much more remote than Tha Thom with the general population living off of what they produce in the rice fields from year to year.
Our quest for a home has been a story in itself! As we walked down the street to look at various homes the Tha Thom team had selected for us, even more people came out offering their homes to us to rent! All in all we looked at 8 homes! In Laos, if plans haven’t changed at least 5 times, then they will. So right now we are considering a raised traditional bamboo home with a beautiful yard for raising a garden and hopefully some animals. The road borders one end of the yard and river the other. At this time we don’t know exactly where we will live, but this is our tentative plan that has already changed twice.

The trip back to Vientiane also lasted an entire day even though we traveled with the river current! In Paxan we took public transportation which added an hour onto the 2 hour trip to the capital. (I have a challenge for anyone possessing a truck with a 10ft bed. We managed to pack 30 people into this rig for roughly an hour of the trip! Hint: 4 people in the cab and 4 hanging on to the tailgate). Needless to say we treated ourselves to some western food that night to ease our sore behinds. We shared chili in a bread bowl and a BLT! All-in-all, we are eager to return to the cool jungle and rugged beauty of Tha Thom. We are pumped to continue language learning so that we can communicate better (and do our job) and consider ourselves extremely blessed by the Lord since we feel as though our place in Tha Thom was tailor-made for the two of us. “Bo High Vao!”

Posted by Jeffrey

Bacci

It is said that you will not be in Laos long before you experience your first bacci and that you will be part of many more during your stay. It held true for us! In our very first week in Vientiane we joined MCC in a farewell bacci for one of the staff returning to the USA. Then three weeks ago we experienced another– a welcome bacci for us and all the new MCC staff (in all there are 5 new service workers and 2 new SALTers)!

A bacci ceremony (pronounced ‘ba-see’) is the traditional way in which Lao people celebrate milestones in life as well as welcome and say farewell to people close to them. During the ceremony people gather together, sitting cross-legged on the floor, as a leader speaks blessings over the special person or persons. Gifts of sticky rice, eggs and sweet treats are presented and dry rice is thrown. My favorite part of the ceremony is at the end, when all everyone gathers together to tie strings on each other’s wrists. While you are tying the string, you take time to speak blessings and good wishes on the person.

While this ceremony has its roots in Buddhism, many non-practicing Buddhists, MCC, and other Christians view this tradition as an important way to connect with the Lao culture and simply a time dedicated to bless the people close to them. As Christians we engaged in this cultural practice by offering simple prayers for each other and asking the Lord to pour out His blessings.

We enjoyed taking part in this tradition and were thrilled that Kristina and Brennan were able to join us for our welcome bacci. They visited us shortly on the last leg of their ‘world adventure.’

Posted By Kaarina

“Bye-bye Bombies”

Before coming to Lao we had heard stories of unexploded bombs in the rural areas and had read some of the countries’ history. Little did we know about the real extent concerning the war which was fought here. Lao is the most bombed nation (tons per person) in the history of the world. 2,093,100 tons of ordinances were dropped on the country during a 9 year period, roughly 1 plane worth of bombs emptied every 8 minutes! In 1962 the US signed the Geneva Agreement, pledging not to engage militarily in Lao. However, through primarily the use of CIA operatives and re-routing bombing missions from Vietnam they continued to heavily bombard Lao. This time, now known as the ‘Secret War,’ has left a deadly legacy of unexploded ordinances (UXO). UXO’s are scattered throughout Laos and because of them 30-60 people die per year.

We have heard countless stories of UXO’s (commonly called ‘bombies’ by nationals) found in rice fields, under homes, high above the ground in bamboo groves and in school playgrounds. Laos with the assistance of other countries continues the clearing process, but it is very slow going. Here in Vientiane we have visited several places that document the stories and history surrounding the ‘secret war’ and the people affected by it. One of the MCC staff members even shared with us his stories and pictures of growing up in Xieng Khouang Province (one of the most heavily bombed provinces). As a child he and his friends used to play with bombies since some are bright yellow, others look similar to pineapples while still others make excellent balls (all very appealing to children). Some will explode immediately and some may never at all. Many people make a living off of salvaging the metal from bombies… that is if they can open them without a detonation. Apparently it is a common sight in the villages to see families using parts of bombies as cooking tripods and in other household application!

"Pineapple" Bombie

 More recently we visited the COPE center (in Vientiane), an organization that has documented many stories and put together an interactive museum concerning the bombie legacy and their efforts to rehabilitate individuals who have lost limbs to explosions.

It is a strange feeling to be in a country that has been so devastated by something my country has caused. It is even stranger still to see and learn firsthand about a history that I was never told by US history books. This was certainly a difficult time in history and it was a privilege to learn from a different perspective. As we are heading to Tha Thom we will encounter people who have been directly affected by this “Secret War.” Despite our past we are eager to work with the Lao people.

Posted by Jeffrey (*Statistics from Lonely Planet, “Laos”*)

Paasaa Lao

Our days are now quite full as we dive into the wonderful world of ‘Paasaa Lao’ (Lao language)! We study together with sixteen other students for three hours a day at Candle Light Language and Vocational Training Center (Called Xieng Tian in paasaa Lao).

Interesting fact: It has been found that many couples will experience marriage turmoil while learning a new language together. Due to this fact, Jeffrey and I are divided up into separate classes – We’ve been good up to this point! :-)

Our language learning is divided into two separate classes: Conversational Lao and Reading/Writing. After a week and half of class, we can now greet one another, form and ask simple questions, name common objects/food, barter and order food. We found the Lao alphabet to be a bit overwhelming at the beginning, but after learning 27 consonants and 28 vowels (as well as a number of mixed vowels and consonant combinations) we’re starting to have a handle on reading and writing. We now like to sit down with our children’s alphabet book, try sound out the words and understand what we’re saying (the pictures are a big help).

The Lao Consonants

Laughter has been our good companion these days, and we’re trying to keep good attitudes as we learn a language which is so…well, foreign! I enjoy joining the women in our home while they make dinner. It’s been a good chance to spend time with them, learn food items as well as some tips on cooking Lao style! I’m excited to try my hand at it when we reach Tha Thom. Jeffrey has made friends with one of the young boys in our home. While watching cartoons together yesterday – Jeffrey was picking up some new words, and I think the young boy was getting a kick out watching Jeffrey! I would also like to share Jeffrey’s new favorite Lao joke with you: Our family owns a beautiful mama cat which we both enjoy hanging out with. So if you talk with him one of these days he may just ask you, “Jao vao paasaa Meow?” Translation, “Do you speak cat language?’”

Posted by Kaarina

Getting Around Town

The buzz of two-cycle motorbike engines filled the MCC office compound this week as all five of us new service workers began practicing. Behind the office is a large warehouse with a sheltered open-air parking area, ideal for learning how to ride. The 100cc Honda’s would technically be considered scooters in the US, but here in Lao they are synonymous with motorcycles. Kaarina was terrified to drive on the roads and thus slightly reluctant to get her license, but after riding around a few laps she has warmed up to the idea and is progressing very well! She and the other four new Service Workers will take the Lao test once their permanent work visas are in their hands and they feel ready. The test consists of a series of maneuvering skills in a roughly 3m by 9m rectangle. First, you drive two circuits around the perimeter, then ride two figure eights and finally travel one time around one of the smaller circles that make up the ‘eight.’ A candidate has two attempts without putting a foot down or crossing the outer or inner boundaries. In our chalk-drawn practice space Kaarina, after only three days, putts around the circuit in relative control and comfort! Since I already obtained a motorcycle license in the US, I needed to perform the Lao test (in our chalk rectangle) for one of the MCC Staff instead of going to the official testing facility. After some practice I passed the MCC bar today! Driving on the roads is a different story! I am learning to drive the Lao way, mainly driving with the flow and learning to know which stop signs are optional. There are many things to watch out for, but the driving is a lot more laid back than what we observed in Vietnam. The highlights for this coming week are moving in with our host family and beginning language classes. Kaarina and I are both excited to be able to ride around the city on our own.

Posted by Jeffrey

Lao is still very Lao

A week after arriving in Laos (the 4th of August) we packed our bags again for a four day excursion to Da Nang, Vietnam to join in the annual South East Asia MCC Retreat. We took a series of two flights before arriving at our destination. The trip began with an unfortunate episode, which turned into a window sheading light onto Lao culture.

A realization came to me just after passing through emigration while standing in front of the metal detectors that I had not put my Leatherman in the checked luggage and it was still on my belt! I ended up leaving the multitool with one of the Lao security officers before proceeding through security. One of the MCC staff helped figure the whole thing out, in Lao of course, and took down the man’s name and phone number. The officer would hang on to my Leatherman until we returned from Vietnam in 4 days. I asked the staff member later what he thought the chances were of finding the officer again and picking the Leatherman up. He smiled and replied, “Lao is still very Lao. Everything will be ok.” Sure enough after a wonderful time in Da Nang, meeting the MCC staff, attending sessions and enjoying the South China Sea we returned to Vientiane to have my Leatherman waiting for us at the airport.

Posted by Jeffrey

Fruit and sand Castles

Here are a few random pictures to share. The first is an example of the wonderful fruit we have been enjoying! The ‘hairy’ things are rambutans, similar to lychees. The purple ones with white flesh are mangosteens. They are juicy and delicious but hard to judge good fruit by the outside. Finally the pummelo is similar to grapefruit except that it is sweet, not sour, and is not as juicy.

The sand castle is something we built on one of our free afternoons in Da Nang Vietnam at the MCC retreat.

The adventure of the Sinh!

On Friday (July 30th) we experienced our first taste of a Lao market. Weaving our way through small shops and vendors we purchased a few essential items: raincoats, Lao/English dictionary and finally the search for my first sinh!

A sinh (pronounced ‘sin’) is the traditional skirt worn by Lao women. It is quite simple in design, but proves to be more difficult to explain in words so I will not attempt it here.

Our adventure begins in the narrow, crowded, dimly lit Lao market. The first step in acquiring a sinh is to choose and purchase a piece of cloth (measuring about 2 yards). This can be quite a task because every small shop has choices in every color under the sun. We dug through piles of fabric, some with intricate embroidery or woven patterns as well as your choice in cotton, silk or a mix of the two. My choice was to find a simple cotton fabric, and I did find one at a great deal, 30,000 kip ($3.60)!

After you have chosen your fabric, the next step is to head to your tailor to be measured. What a store! The walls are lined with sinh after sinh on hangers, and women working at tables in the center of the room sewing. It took the seamstress about 30 seconds to measure me up, and then said to come back in three days to pick it up. The picture tells the rest!

I absolutely love my new sinh! It cost only 45,000 kip (Under $5.00), is cool and comfortable. I think it will be my new favorite piece of clothing, and I’m wondering when I can get out to the market to start the process all over again!

Posted by Kaarina

Welcome to Laos

Sabidee from Laos! We arrived safe and sound on Wednesday and are now adjusting to a new place and culture. Our luggage, unfortunately, arrived two days later. Culture shock began as soon as we boarded Thai airways in Los Angeles where we, even in economy class, were treated like kings. In comparison to US airlines where we were only served drinks on our 5 hour cross country flight, we were given a full lunch on our hour long flight into Vientiane, Laos.

Vientiane has quite a small town feeling to it even though it is the capital. The traffic is mostly motorcycles and scooters which can be quite hectic especially since the roads are very narrow. The MCC office and Guest house are on a one lane paved road but many of the surrounding streets are gravel. The weather brings rain almost every afternoon and evening, breaking the heat until morning. Thankfully it is not quite as hot as we thought being in the 80’s-90’s. Even in these three days we have seen and done much. We have visited two temples, been to a market twice, ate at various small street-side food vendors and participated in two Lao ceremonies. We are currently staying in the MCC guest house right behind the office for the time being, though we are looking forward to traveling to Vietnam for a brief area conference and moving in with a local Laotian family soon after.

Orientation

We have now completed the first week of orientation here in Akron, PA and are enjoying a weekend of relaxing and celebrating our first wedding anniversary! It is crazy to think that this time last year we were in the flurry of activity that surrounded our wedding. In the spirit of reminiscing we recently travelled to Chambersburg, PA to visit a small farm where Kaarina interned. Visiting with the farm manager, seeing the changes that have taken place on the farm and stopping by the local farmer market for Jamaican Jerk Chicken were among the highlights.

There are 36 other new service workers living in the small village behind the MCC Akron Headquarters. All except three are traveling overseas and the majority are young married couples like ourselves! The days are filled with group discussions, lecture type seminars (concerning peace, justice, computer safety, culture shock, MCC policies, history etc.) and plenty of food combined with meeting new people. There are three others traveling to Laos with us to take up new roles. Although they won’t be working in the same project as us we will be flying on the same airplane into the country and most likely orienting and studying the language together.

We are excited for another week of MCC orientation and then several busy days of packing at home. For our next update we will most likely be in the beautiful country of Laos!

Announcment

We are so excited to announce that we received an invitation from MCC this week, inviting us to join their team in Laos… and we accepted! We will be based in the small, rural, mountainous community of Tha Thom, Laos. Jeffrey working as a Community Health promotion position focusing on improving nutrition in the area. Kaarina will focus more on improving health and nutrition through sustainable agriculture, demonstration gardens and some organic rice production. We are now planning on a July orientation in Akron, PA and departure as soon thereafter (depending on how soon we get our visas). It is a burst of activity as we rewrite resumes, get copies of important documents and try to realize that, “Yes! We are going overseas!” We are very excited as we move into this new season from these past few months of waiting on the Lord.
We will be sure to keep you updated as we hear more and plans solidify. Thank you again for your help, prayers and support in getting us here!
Blessings,
Jeffrey and Kaarina Knisely