SABAAIDEE

On Monday, August 25, 2008 I arrived in Vientiane, Laos. Meeting new people; recovering from jet lag; adjusting to the hot humid conditions of Laos and immediately starting Lao language classes have been the focus for the past week. Needless to say, cohesive thoughts for a blog posting have not been a priority. However, as I reflect on the past week, many times I’ve thought, ‘Ah, yes! This is good!’ as I . . .
. . . road in a small Tuk Tuk (3 wheeled motorized vehicle) that puttered along
. . . sat at the Lao National circus on a Saturday evening (Entrance fee just $1.00)
. . . ate fresh, sweet pineapple
. . . purchased my first bowl of ‘foe’ (noodle soup)
. . . sipped on a Lao ice coffee from the "MCC Restaurant"
. . . met with an international group from Ireland, Germany, Madagascar, USA, Korea, and
Australia
. . . attended a workshop for a group of amazing youth preparing to work with elementary school-aged children (If you've ever been to a youth workshop at the
Edmonton Multicultural Health Brokers' Co-operative, you've shared a similar experience.)

plus many more delightful moments!

Next week I will begin a month stay with a host family, while I study the Lao language.