SIMPLER TIMES

I posted my last blog on January 19… the day before the inauguration.  I haven’t posted since then because it hasn’t seemed like the right time.  Programs I’d been working on have been canceled.  Amazing people I’d been working with have been laid off.  Everything is different, and to carry on posting blog updates about our travels and experiences seemed like it could be tone deaf.  But... we are carrying on.  Every day.  Trying to continue doing good, important, meaningful work.  And trying to take advantage of the incredible opportunity we’ve been given to experience other cultures and to share those experiences with you.  So with that in mind, here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to.

In my last post, I mentioned our trip to Laos in December to visit friends from Harare who are posted in Vientiane now.  And yet other friends from Harare, now posted in Nigeria, met us there for a pre-Christmas reunion.  This is one of the truly miraculous, wonderful things about this job.  We have made incredible friends at each post where we’ve served – and we get to reunite with them in amazing locations around the globe!

Rooftop drinks and sunset views on our first evening in Vientiane.

Trying our hands at some carnival-type games set up on the street on our walk back to the hotel.  They didn't score a stuffed animal... but did end up winning a bottle of coconut water.  Always important to hydrate!

The full Harare friends reunion.

We only had a few days, so we only got to see Vientiane – the Laos capital – but we were enchanted.  It’s like stepping back in time.  And compared to the traffic, and noise, and bustle of Jakarta, Vientiane was a welcome change of pace. 

This overgrown Buddhist temple called That Dam (or Black Stupa) was in the middle of a roundabout.  As good of place as any, I guess.

These colorful tuk-tuk-meets-motorcycle were everywhere.

I hope electricians are getting paid overtime.

Pro-recycling and tree planting street art.

Our friends organized a day trip for us to take in many of the local attractions – including the Victory Gate (known locally as Patuxay), a monument built in the 1960s to commemorate Laos’ independence from France – but that ironically resembles the Arc de Triomphe.   

Our transportation for the day.  Everyone on the bus!

All aboard!

The Victory Gate.  A little bit of Paris in the middle of SE Asia.

A view of the intricate artwork inside.

And views across Vientiane from the top.  

Look at that sky!  So nice to see clouds instead of smog!

We also visited Buddha Park, a local tourist attraction with over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues, and Pha That Luang (or Great Stupa), a huge gold-covered Buddhist temple in the center of the city. 

The Mekong River had recently flooded and several statues in the adjacent Buddha Park had been damaged.  But this one in particular spoke to me.  I feel you, Buddha. 

The reclining Buddha was the flagship statue in Buddha Park.

Also spotted this reclining Buddha at another stop during our day trip.

Laos tapestries, which have vibrant colors and intricate designs, are a part of their culture. We stopped at a local workshop and glimpsed how they are made.

The impressive golden Pha That Luang, complete with Buddhist monk.

One of the other beautiful temples we visited.  I loved the colors and wood carvings.

I'm going to remember this "stop fighting of relatives posture" - it could come in handy.

They also arranged for us to participate in a Baci ceremony, a Laos national custom, at their house.  Local staff from the embassy organized and led the ceremony.  It is often performed to celebrate major life events, like births and marriages, or, in our case, to welcome someone and wish them well.  It was deeply moving to participate in such a unique cultural experience.

We were all presented with traditional sashes to wear as part of the ceremony.  We encircled a central offering tray decorated with banana leaves, flowers, and other items symbolizing love and longevity.  The man in the blue shirt recited Buddhist chants to invoke deities and spirits to help restore harmony. I think we could all use more of that. 

During the ceremony, white cotton strings are tied around a person's wrists as a symbol of good luck and peace, and the strings are typically worn for a few days after the ceremony.  We wore ours for the duration of the trip, and mine are still on my nightstand.  

Our trip to Laos provided an opportunity to enjoy one of the things I continue to love most about this job - a chance to appreciate a new culture... and simpler times.