Ben and Alisa in Laos

The last blog post

2007-07-07T12:41:00.001+07:00

Last Baci
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith

We are leaving Laos this afternoon so this will be our last post. We spent the last few days spending time with the MCC team in Vientiane. We enjoyed dinners with friends, drinks on the Mekong and a going away baci on Friday. We are going to take our time on the trip home with some stops in Thailand and a visit to Switzerland before arriving home.

So Goodbye blog readers, thanks for reading.

Ben and Alisa

Did you just get married?

2007-07-04T15:28:00.000+07:00

The other day Alisa and I took some of the MCC kids swiming so that we could all escape the heat. While we were at the pool a man came up to us to ask if we had just gotten married. We were surprised by his question until we looked at our wrists and saw the many baci strings from the goodbye parties from the week before. The Baci ceremony is a traditional Lao ceremony used for many, many occasions, including: weddings, farewells, welcoming people, for sick people, for new houses and more. As part of the cermony people tie white strings around your wrists and wish your many things, like good luck, lots of money, lots of children, lots of wives (said as a joke). We told the man that we didn't just get married but that we were leaving to go back to Canada. He wished us good luck on trip and reminded us that we'd always be welcome back in Laos and then he went on his way.

Ben

Goodbye Houay Khoun Village!

2007-07-01T09:02:00.001+07:00

Last Friday, after a really fun party with Alisa's co-workers and many people from the villages in which she works, we loaded up the truck and we left our village for the last time. We'll spend one more week in the capital, Vientiane and we'll leave Laos on the seventh. I don't think that it's really hit us that we've left yet. It hasn't always been easy but we've liked our time here and we're sad to go. These past few weeks have been emotional with lots of goodbyes and doing things for the last time. However, these weeks have also been fun, with lots of parties and good times spent with friends.

---
Ben

PS. Happy Canada Day!!

Three Patient Patients

2007-06-28T09:20:00.000+07:00

Earlier this week a doctor and traditional birth attendant from MCC’s other health project in another part of Laos visited us. They came to conduct a workshop about pre and post natal care, as well as labour and delivery for the 14 village health volunteers in this area. As you can imagine, it was a full couple of days! After a morning of learning about visiting and examining a pregnant women, we all headed out to try out our skills. In a nearby village the pregnant women had been assembled to meet us. There were three of them, and with the village health workers, trainers, and clinic staff we numbered twenty. It was an incredible hot afternoon, the type that makes you want to have a nap by a fan and wait for the cooler evening. These women were incredibly patient with us as we took turns in groups of two or three, examining them and asking the same questions about their pregnancy over and over. It was valuable experience for the village health workers, putting into practice skills that they had just learned.

- Alisa

Goodbye Parties!

2007-06-27T20:11:00.001+07:00

Goodbye Parties!
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith

Hi. This is our last week in the village and our second last week in Laos and we've been busy saying lots of goodbye and having lots of parties! On Monday there was a big going away party for Alisa and I at the school. Lots of teachers, students and other special guests were there and we had a really good time. The party began with a traditional Lao Baci ceremony and then we ate lots of my favourite Lao foods, listen to people sing songs and there was even some dancing.. Then last night Khao, the women who runs the local restaurant in our village through another party for us. We were very surprised that she would throw a party for us and very touched. Both of the parties were a lot fun and they made us feel happy to be part of such a great welcoming community but also sad to be leaving.

Only ten more days in Laos,

Ben

packing up

2007-06-24T19:36:00.000+07:00

Last week our TV broke. We returned from a few days away, and it just stopped working. It isn't the first thing to break the past few weeks. In fact, our last month here seems to be filled with the non essential objects in our home quitting, one by one. It started with our toaster, and our washing machine is making noises that I can only assume is a death rattle. My watch band snapped- the plastic just gave out- in 5 places! Cups are breaking, we are down to 4, none of them match. So far nothing that has broken has been essential, so we just have to shrug and think, well, it is almost time to go.

It turned out to be a good thing our tv died. We often like to watch movies on weekends, and this weekend we just didn't have the time. Instead this weekend was spent packing. Actually, not packing exactly, more pre packing. We sorted through parts of our house, amazed at all we have collected over our time here. Much of it is junk and I wonder why we kept it around. Some is precious, like Ben's well worn stone chess set and my hand woven rice basket. A lot is useful, like reference books we don't want to part with. And of course there is our clothes. With an allowance to two bags each to take home, we will need to make some decisions about what to bring.

This is our last week in our village and it promises to be quite busy. There is a training at the clinic for village health workers on Monday and Tuesday, and I am happy we will have one more time to all gather together. We also have reports to write, bags to pack, and gatherings with friends to say goodbye. It will be sad to say goodbye to our friends here. This has been a good home for us these past years.

- Alisa

Exam Day

2007-06-21T18:54:00.000+07:00

Today was final exam day and with it I've completed my last official function as a teacher at this school. I still have some reports to write and a few more things like that but I'm almost finished. Next week is our last week at the college. We have a few goodbye parties planned and I'm looking forward to them. I haven't heard anything more about having to sing a song so maybe I won't have to after all. I would have made good memories but I already have some many good memories and I'm sure the teachers do to.

Ben

The End of Classess

2007-06-10T17:42:00.000+07:00

I can't believe that it's June already. The end is coming quickly. Last week I taught my last classes at this school. I finished my English courses for the teachers and the week before I finished my classes with the first year students. I've been teaching the same group of teachers for quite a while now and it's strange to think that it's over. Exams start this week and the school term is over at the end of this month. At the end of the term we'll head to Vientiane for a final week before we leave Laos in early July.

Ben

jogging in a downpour

2007-06-06T15:56:00.000+07:00

When I left my house for a jog yesterday the sky was blue. There were a few clouds, but nothing alarming. I jogged through the village, out into the countryside and into the community garden. During this brief time a storm started brewing, and when I turned around to go home, there was a cloud hanging low in the sky. It was a deep gray blue colour and there was no doubt it was heavy with rain. I really had no options other then to jog home, so I did, admiring the cloud. Then all at once the song on my mp3 player got really exciting and it started to pour! The dirt road running through the village emptied of people and became an orange dirt river. The sky was dark and I was soaked in seconds. I kept on jogging, and soon the streets were no longer deserted as three kids came out to play. They were about five or six, wearing only underwear, and clearly found the rain as delightful as I did. Their giggles added to my music, the thunder, and the rain to create a perfect soundtrack.

- Alisa

gecko watching

2007-06-05T10:47:00.000+07:00

In previous blogs we have mentioned our housemates- the spiders, scorpions, termites, geckos, ants and other critters that live at our place with us. Some of these housemates scare me, some irritate me, and some amuse me. I love watching the geckos, running around the walls and ceilings, chirping away (or laughing at us as one of our guests believed). We usually stay out of each others way, they control the ceilings and upper walls, we have the ground. The other day I was laying in bed, watching a gecko on the ceiling. He was really little, just a baby, and I thought he was cute. I looked away for a minute, and when I looked back he was gone. At this exact moment, I felt the slightest smack on my arm. I looked at the baby gecko, now frozen on my arm, smiled, and had a few seconds to look closely at him before he scurried away. Another encounter with our geckos happened this past weekend when we were eating dinner. We were eating by candlelight, not for the romance, although it did somehow make the dinner more special. On this night we had lit candles because there were thousands of flying termites outside, and we didn’t want to have any extra light to attract them in. Anyway, with the low light, we noticed a pulsing glow from our electrical box, which was right beside my head. I thought this was probably normal for electricity with our haphazard wiring, but Ben thought it might be something more. So, we turned off the power, opened the box, and a gecko dropped out. It had tragically crawled into the spot and been electrocuted.

- Alisa

receiving baci strings

2007-05-29T21:05:00.001+07:00

receiving baci strings
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith

I find both the tying and receiving of a Baci strings to be very special. Taking part in this ceremony with my coworkers was quite memorable.

Welcome to my Baci

2007-05-29T20:53:00.001+07:00

Welcome to my Baci
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith

This post is a little bit out of sequence, but I was looking at some pictures today and thought I'd share a few.

The week before we went to Vietnam there was a party at the clinic. The staff at the clinic and the village health volunteers that I work with had a traditional Lao Baci. It was partly for to celebrate the new year, and partly as a goodbye for me. The day was incredibly touching and a lot of fun.

- Alisa

tying baci strings

2007-05-29T20:45:00.001+07:00

tying baci strings
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith

At a Baci the participants take turns tying strings on eachothers wrists while wishing that person well. Candy, eggs, chicken, and drinks are often put in the recipients hand, and those around may place a hand on their arm or shoulder.

Don't worry...They all going to laugh at you.

2007-05-21T19:12:00.000+07:00

Our time here is getting close to the end. We now have less than two months left before we return to Canada. Last week I was talking to the other English teacher about going home. She told me that she thought there might be a going away party for me at the school before I go. Then she suggested that I should sing a Lao song at the party because it would leave the other teachers with fond memories of me. Then she went on to explain that it was somewhat of a tradition for a person going away to sing a song before they go. In Laos (or at least at this school) many people like to sing. There are many folk songs and they are well known. At parties many different people will take turn singing accompanied by someone playing a keyboard and sometimes other instruments. I told my the other teacher that I was nervous to sing and that I was shy. She told me not to worry about it and that I should not be shy because if I make a mistake in the song people won't be upset, instead they just laugh at me. Somehow the thought of everyone laughing at me doesn't calm my nerves. I'll let you know if I sing a song or not.

Funny Coloured Fruit

2007-05-09T11:38:00.001+07:00

Funny Coloured Fruit
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hello,

We returned from Hanoi last weekend. Our last few days were spent wandering the busy streets of Hanoi, taking in the sights, sounds and smells. We enjoyed noodles on a little plastic chair in the market for lunch one day, and later that evening had cheesecake and chocolate mousse on the plush seats of a cafe. We visited with friends, got soaked in the rain, and even took in a show of Hanoi's water puppets. We returned refreshed and rejuvenated from the retreat and minibreak following.

On Monday I went to the market in our village to get some fresh fruits and veggies. I was delighted to see something new- red bananas! The vendor assured me that you eat them just like any other banana, and another shopper piped in to say that they are great for your health. Of course I bought some. I also got some green oranges. Green oranges are the norm here, but I love the way the orange fruit contrasts with the green skin.

- Alisa

Hanoi

2007-05-03T17:09:00.001+07:00

IMG_2345
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We've arrived in Hanoi! We have spent the past couple of days exploring the city and seeing the sights with fellow MCC volunteer, Eric. We are staying the Old Quarter of the city and there lots of action. We're here for one more day and then it's back to work. We've really been enjoying the pace of the city. It's busy and crowded, the complete opposite of where we live.

---
Ben

Alisa in the Temple of Literature

2007-05-03T17:01:00.001+07:00

IMG_2350
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Here is Alisa in the Temple of Literature in Hanoi. The temple was built about one thousand years ago and is Vietnam's first national university.

Teacher at the Temple of Literature

2007-05-03T16:58:00.001+07:00

IMG_2348
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Here are Eric and I in front of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi

Hanoi City Street

2007-05-03T16:56:00.001+07:00

IMG_2347
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

MCC South Asia Retreat

2007-05-01T17:02:00.000+07:00

Hello from Vietnam! We're here for the annual MCC South Asia Retreat. This year the retreat is in Halong Bay, a very scenic destination. The retreat theme was storytelling, so we had a great time hearing stories from other MCCers and meeting other volunteers working in the region. The retreat ended today and now we're going to spend a few days holidays in Hanoi.

---

Ben

Swimming in Halong Bay

2007-05-01T16:59:00.001+07:00

Swimming in Halong Bay
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Part way through the boat trip the boat stopped and everybody got out for a swim. The water was great and scenery was amazing. If you look close you can see Alisa waving to the camera.

Halong Bay

2007-05-01T16:57:00.001+07:00

Halong Bay
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

On the last day of the retreat we all went out on a boat ride in Halong Bay. Here some info about the Bay from wikipedia.

"Halong Bay is a body of water of approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north Vietnam with a 120 kilometre coastline, in the Gulf of Tonkin near the border with China, and 170 kilometres east of Hanoi.

The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves"

South Asia Retreat

2007-05-01T16:53:00.001+07:00

South Asia Retreat
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

This is the meeting room where the retreat took place. It was a very nice room. When we all first arrived the room was set up very formally, much like like for a wedding.

lazy days

2007-04-25T13:05:00.001+07:00

lazy days
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

After the fun and busy Pi Mai weekend, we had a few days around the house to relax. Here is a picture of Ben on a lazy morning sipping coffee.

- Alisa

Banana Leaf Hat

2007-04-16T11:20:00.001+07:00

Banana Leaf Hat
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

At the Pi Mai party there were some fashionistas. Here is a creative hat woven out of a banana leaf

not a very quiet (but very fun) weekend at home

2007-04-16T10:26:00.001+07:00

not a very quiet (but very fun) weekend at home
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hello,

After the party at the school on Friday, we thought we would have a quiet weekend at home, relaxing, reading, eating good food and watching DVDs. Our weekend went very differently.

On Saturday, some of the teachers that Ben works with dropped by and invited us to join them in going to the temple. During this time of year many people visit the temples in their area and wash the Buddha images with water. At the temple our friends poured a small amount of water and flower petals on each Buddha statue. Children ran around playing and spraying eachother with water, and loud music played. It was quite a festive atmosphere.

On Sunday another teacher and her husband invited us to join them for the afternoon. We visited a close by temple that we had never been to before. It was a beautiful setting on a hill, and the buildings and monuments were very impressive. We were told that this temple has a lot of support from Lao people living in North America. There was a statue of a large reclining Buddha.

Afterwards we went to Bolikan (also called Mouang Kao, or old city). Here there was a huge party on the banks of the river. There was a band and dancers, and people were dancing. Others were sitting at tables, some of which were half in the water! After a couple of hours we left and went another village called Mouang Mai (or new city). Many of my coworkers live in this village and they enthusiastically pulled us into the party and up on to the dance floor.

- Alisa

Reclining Buddha

2007-04-16T10:18:00.001+07:00

Reclining Buddha
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

A large reclining Buddha at a nearby temple. People came to pour water on the image as a part of the Pi Mai celebrations.

Happy Pi Mai!

2007-04-14T10:17:00.001+07:00

Happy Pi Mai!
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Here are some pictures from the New Years party at the school yesterday. This picture is of the Baci ceremony. After the ceremony there was lunch, water pouring, dancing and more.

Pouring Water

2007-04-14T10:15:00.001+07:00

Pouring Water
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Throughout the party people would go around the room pouring water on people and covering their faces with powder.

all wet

2007-04-14T10:13:00.001+07:00

all wet
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Happy Lao New Year!

Happy New Year!

2007-04-12T15:30:00.000+07:00

In Laos it sometimes feels like there is always a New Years party just around the corner. Hmong New Year is celebrated in November or December. In Hmong villages throughout the country men and women in tradition clothing can be seen tossing a tennis ball back and forth as a courting game played during the New Year celebration. On December 31, hotels and restaurants in tourist areas have large banners wishing all a Happy New Year. Many have parties and dinners to celebrate the international new year. In January or February there is Chinese New Year and Vietnamese Tet. Lao families of Chinese or Vietnamese origin have parties, play with fireworks, and exchange special candy. I particularly like the strips of dried coconut, dyed in a range of colours and dusted with sugar that comes out during this time of year.

The biggest celebration of all is reserved for Pi Mai, Lao New Year. It falls in mid April, and there are three days of national holidays. All over Laos people celebrate. Water is a big part of the celebrations. People clean there homes, Buddhists wash images of Buddha with water from the temple, and everyone takes part in water games, throwing water at friends and strangers with glee. As it is the hottest month of the year, nobody minds getting soaked!

There will also be lots of parties, and as with most events in Laos, many Baci ceremonies. Tomorrow the celebrations begin and we are planning to kick off the new year by attending a party and Baci at the school.

Happy New Year to you all!

- Alisa

Playing in Laos

2007-04-10T17:18:00.000+07:00

The word for play in Laos is lin, but this word is used with far greater frequency and with greater meaning. Adults talk about playing in a way that I usually think of as being reserved for kids, for example inviting friends to come over to play, or in response to weekend plans, one might say 'I played with my friends'. Next week is Lao New Year, and one phrase we are hearing a lot of lately is 'play New Year', meaning celebrate the New Year.

I particularly like attaching 'lin', or play, to a verb. The meaning is for fun. For example, to say 'walk play' in Lao means walking for fun, no particular destination. Eat play is used when snacking on something with friends, not cause you are all that hungry but just cause it is fun to eat a yummy snack with friends. Today I heard a new use. We are having a training for village health workers at the clinic. When I came back after lunch I found all the women lying on mats in the waiting area of the clinic. Some were sleeping, others chatting quietly. It was like a big adult midday at work slumber party. One of the women looked at me and said 'sleep play', in other words, they were all napping for fun. Naturally I joined them, lying down and dozing for half an hour before we started the afternoon session. And yes, it was fun to play sleep.

- Alisa

The saddest day of the school year

2007-04-02T19:26:00.000+07:00

Perhaps the title of this blog is a bit over dramatic but nonetheless today was a sad school day for me. Today the school changes the time that classes start from 8:00am to 7:30am. It's just 30 minutes earlier but it feels like a lot more (approximately 2 hours). The reason for the change is the hot weather. The weather has gotten quite hot so classes now start earlier and the lunch break is longer, so people can rest at the hottest part of the day. It's a good idea but I'd rather sleep late.

---

Ben

thunder and lightning

2007-03-30T13:04:00.001+07:00

thunder and lightning
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hello,

Seems that the weather is changing once again, to the time of year that brings us majestic sound and light shows. Last night after a lovely curry dinner Ben made we went into our back room to watch a movie, and more importantly to escape the heat because we have air conditioning in this room. It was a hot day, with very humid, heavy air. After the movie, we went back into the front room to wash up dishes. The air was much cooler and there was a storm to watch. So, we headed out to the front porch and sat on a rattan bench and watched the show. Thunder was grumbling and rolling away, and the sky was lighting up with sheets and bolts of lightning, turning the dark night world a little bit purple for a few moments. After awhile, it starting to rain lightly. In the next couple of months the storms will become more dramatic, with high winds and frightening rain. When that happens, it will be impossible to sit on the porch without getting soaked and we will have to enjoy these storms from the safety of our house.

- Alisa

A Weekend Wedding

2007-03-27T18:37:00.001+07:00

A Weekend Wedding
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

This past Saturday we had the chance to go to the wedding of our co-worker, Hien's, son. It was a great day! We went to a basi ceremony in the morning, followed by a delicious lunch. Then that night there was reception held in a large hall in town. Everyone in the wedding party looked very good and Phout and Zung (the newlyweds) looked particularly happy and at ease. We are pleased to have been included in this special day.

Ben & Alisa

There is fruit in our tree!

2007-03-27T18:35:00.001+07:00

There is fruit in our tree!
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

For two years people have told us that the tree in our backyard is a mango tree. We had our doubts, as it never seemed to have any fruit, but living at an agriculture college we kept our doubts to ourselves. This year, however, the mango tree has fruit, lots of it! I am hoping that one day we'll get to eat the fruit but that may be a dream for several reasons. First of all, it's not our tree (it's a communal school tree). It just happens to be near our house. Second, the tree is situated very near to a path that children take to school everyday. Finally, we enjoy a ripe mango while most others in our village are happy to eat them green. Still, I am hopeful that we'll get to eat one mango right off the tree.

---

Ben

Nothing much

2007-03-17T19:18:00.000+07:00

A while ago I wrote about one of the principles of blogging. The principle stated that whenever life is more exiciting people tend to blog less. Well, today I would like to add another principle, whenever life is less exicting people also tend to blog less.

We haven't written anything for a while so here's what we've been up to. I been busy at work teaching English. Classes are going good and lots of students are using the library. Alisa has been
home sick with the flu (the ordinary flu not the bird flu) and has been resting at home and watching the geckos. (she has learned there is a mean gecko in our house who attack the others)

---Ben

Three wedding and a boxing match

2007-03-04T16:49:00.001+07:00

Three wedding and a boxing match
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

This past week there has been lots of excitement in our village. Weddings: This is wedding season in Laos. This is the 3rd wedding season in Laos for Alisa and I, and it is also our busiest. This past week alone we went to three different weddings. The first was a week ago today and was a day time affair. We arrived just in time for the ceremony and then stayed for lunch afterwards. Then on Thursday, we woke up went to work in the morning, then we went to a wedding at lunch. We returned to work in the afternoon and then went to a different wedding in the evening. It has been a fun time going to lots of weddings! On Wednesday night we had another interesting experience. Boxing: Kickboxing is quite popular in Laos and many time when travelling I've seen boxing rings set-up and I thought that it would be fun to go and see a match. As luck would have this week a boxing ring showed up in our village and then on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night there were boxing matches in our very own village. On Wednesday Alisa went a run after work when a young man came up to her and ran along side her for a while. They started chatting and soon Alisa learned that she was running with a medal winning boxing in town for the fights. So we went to see the boxing that night. I thought it was pretty fun. There were 10 matches that night but Alisa and I didn't stay for them all. The first matches where between kids. It was pretty gentle and the referee made sure things didn't get out of hand. It reminded me of play fighting but only with gloves and an audience. As the night progressed the boxers got older, the boxers seemed to have more of an idea of what they were doing and it got more interesting. After we left the match I was in a good mood and I was excited to be outside of the school grounds at night (it isn't that we cannot leave the school grounds it's just that there usually isn't anywhere to go) so I decided to buy a bright red hotdog from a women selling grilled meats outside of the match. Ever since coming to Laos I have seen women selling these hotdogs and I have had to good sense to avoid eating them. But on this night I was in a good mood and I thought maybe I was wrong and these hotdogs were really good so I bought one. It wasn't very good, it wasn't the flavor, it seemed almost flavorless. The consistency was off, I was never sure when I was chewing it or not. So the hotdog was bad but the week was good.

---

Ben

If you...

2007-02-27T18:57:00.000+07:00

Hello, last week I was teaching my students about making sentences using if. Here are some of their examples:

If you dream about mushrooms, you will get money.
If a black dog crosses your path, you will die.
If a fly hits your mouth, you will eat meat.
If you dream about rain or swimming, you will have a cold.
If you dream about tigers, you will drink beer.
If you walk in the center of the road, you will be dangerous.

---Ben

A Popular Game!

2007-02-27T18:03:00.003+07:00

A Popular Game!
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hi, here are some photos of a popular game in Laos, Petanque!

A Popular Game!

2007-02-27T18:03:00.001+07:00

A Popular Game!
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hi, here are some photos of a popular game in Laos, Petanque!

if you...

2007-02-26T21:39:00.000+07:00

Hello, last week I was teaching my students about making sentences using if. Here are some of their examples:

If you dream about mushrooms, you will get money.
If a black dog crosses your path, you will die.
If a fly hits your mouth, you will eat meat.
If you dream about rain or swimming, you will have a cold.
If you dream about tigers, you will drink beer.
If you walk in the center of the road, you will be dangerous.

---Ben

If you...

2007-02-25T16:30:00.000+07:00

Hello, last week I was teaching my students about making sentences using if. Here are some of their examples:

If you dream about mushrooms, you will get money.
If a black dog crosses your path, you will die.
If a fly hits your mouth, you will eat meat.
If you dream about rain or swimming, you will have a cold.
If you dream about tigers, you will drink beer.
If you walk in the center of the road, you will be dangerous.

---Ben

You've read the stories, now live the life.

2007-02-16T18:30:00.000+07:00

Hello, as you already know, for the past few years Alisa and I have been working and living in Laos and using this site to share some of our stories and experiences with you. If you have ever read such a story and thought "I'd like to do that", well, now you can! Alisa and I will be returning to Canada this summer but MCC's work at the college will continue and MCC has begun looking for a new English teacher to work at the college. So, if you interested in living and working in beautiful Bolikhamsay province, Lao PDR (the jewel of the Mekong River), visit the link below and send in your application!

Job Description:

http://domino-18.prominic.com/A5584F/SOLtoWeb.nsf/d0b0a8838c88417885256aa1005a5f52/3bb384cec727573b8525726f00271e75!OpenDocument

MCC Main Page

http://www.mcc.org

---

Ben

Double Festival Fun Friday

2007-02-11T20:48:00.000+07:00

It feels like a long time since Alisa and I have spent a weekend alone at home. Ever since Christmas it feels as if life has been busy and it's nice that it is settling down again. We picked a good weekend to stay at home because there was lot of stuff going on. Alisa already posted about today but I want to tell you about Friday.

We started with an event at the school, the opening ceremony for the School's Condensed Agriculture and Forestry program. More interesting than the ceremony was the party that followed. There was a big party at the school for the new students and the teachers. There was lots of food, music and dancing. The party was a lot of fun, but after a few hours Alisa and I had to leave, there was another party to go to and this one was even bigger.

Our second party was a village-wide party in our neighboring village. This is the village where all of Alisa's co-workers live so we had a lot of places to visit. I won't admit to understanding much about village festivals in Laos but I can tell you want I know from my limited experience. It seems that the festivals are all day events (to illustrate this one person we met told us he'd been partying since 6am) and during the day people visit other people's houses in the village, then at night there is a big party in a shared space in the village (often a temple) At every house you visit people serve you food and drinks and have a chance to visit before heading off to the next house. Alisa and I visited the houses of all Alisa's co-workers (except for the one staff person who had to work) as well as the houses of some other people (including a women we met that day who told us her house is small but her heart is big - both things were true). I had a great time and was sad to leave knowing that it might possibly be the last village-wide festival we attend before we return to Canada.

---Ben

my very own cooking school

2007-02-11T14:56:00.000+07:00

my very own cooking school
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

When I moved to Laos I discovered something about myself- I really like making homemade bread. The kneading, that magic of it rising, the bread baking smell that fills the house. I find it all quite enjoyable. Anyway, as a result I often bring bread or pizza to parties, and when some teachers at the school made plans to buy an oven (which is not usually used in cooking in Laos) they asked if I could teach them how to make bread.

So today my friends arrived promptly at 10am and we went to work making french bread. We took turns adding ingredients and kneading the dough. When the dough was rising we made some banana muffins, which we ate while the bread was baking. Time passed quickly and soon our bread was ready. We recently received a package with some fancy little jars of jam so we sampled the jam on our warm from the oven bread.

- Alisa

mini retreat

2007-02-07T18:14:00.000+07:00

mini retreat
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to take part in an MCC Laos mini retreat. Ben and I went into Vientiane were we met the rest of the MCC team and we left for the town of Vang Vieng.

Vang Vieng is a beautiful town. OK, maybe that isn't 100 percent true. The town is packed with places for tourists to eat, most of these places playing movies or sitcoms and all the tables facing the TV. In between these shops are places to buy tourist t-shirts or souvenirs. So it is a tourist town, you get the point. But it is surrounded by such natural beauty, you understand why so many people travelling in the area make a stop here. It is set on the river and there are dramatic limestone karsts to gaze at. Activities include caving, biking, floating down the river in a tube (which we did and enjoyed!), kayaking, and eating roti- like a crepe made on the streets. I like the lime and sugar one, Ben is partial to the banana chocolate variety.

Rinus, a MCC volunteer based in Indonesia joined us and led sessions. He spoke a lot about slowing down, and one activity that he suggested we try is to contemplate our day. Taking time each day to reflect on what moment we are most grateful, or gives us the most life, and what moment we are least grateful, or we found life draining. He suggests that becoming attentive to ordinary moments can, over time, provide direction. I think that there is wisdom in this practice.

We also had time to play together. We tie dyed shirts, had a women's night of a lovely dinner (me) and a men's night of going out to eat and watching the Simpson's (Ben). Ben, Renee and I went tubing down the river while others biked to a cave and explored it, and others stayed back that the hotel and relaxed. We spent evenings discussing many things.

On the drive home the tire fell off our truck. This is the second time in a month this happened to us (different truck though), which makes me think it isn't such a random occurrence afterall.

It was great to spend time with the team. To play together, worship together, and discuss together. But it left me completely exhausted. We returned home yesterday morning and went to work in the afternoon. When we got home we had a quiet night and early bedtime so that we could rest up after our weekend away.

- Alisa

Stolen Blog- Road Trip to Northern Laos

2007-01-30T21:27:00.000+07:00

Hello,

Earlier this month Ben and I, along with Ben's brother Ryan and Renee, our friend and fellow MCCer went on a road trip to Northern Laos. I just read Renee's blog post from this trip and I thought she did a great job of bringing all that we saw to life. So I have stolen her post (reneeziemann.blogspot.com) and posted it here (she did say it was ok!).

- Alisa

We drove north to Sam Neua, the capital of Hua Phan province (everyone's got their Lao maps handy, I hope)-- the poorest province in Laos, I have read. It was an eight hour drive (12 by bus, which we luckily were not in) through twisty mountain roads. We stopped for lunch in a village, for fresh air, for views, for scenic bathroom breaks. We listened to the two tapes that Ben and Alisa had copied (alas, our truck, for all its wonder, did not have a CD player), chatted, and played some silly car games.

My favorite game was "Car Bingo" which wasn't Bingo-like, really, but merely involved trying to spot various agreed upon items before others did. These items included: bomb casings used in fencing or housing, terraced rice fields, a woman carrying a baby in a sling on the front, same but in a holder on the back, someone fishing in a river, someone bathing in a river, a happy old man riding on the back of a motorbike (Waking Ned Divine-style but clothed, of course), kids riding a homemade skateboard down the road, a woman with a baby tied on her back washing a water buffalo at the mountaintop village's water spigot (seen once, before it was a winning item, then placed on this list), an elephant, a monkey, and a poppy field (the latter three were never spotted).

Other sights that we saw that weren't part of the game included men carrying babies, group showers at the town spigot (everyone older than three bathes with a sihn wrapped around them so it's by no means indecent to all bathe together by the roadside like this), Hmong houses with their distinctive sun design above the door, the Hmong teenage courting game (the women dress up in their traditional clothes-- black with bright colored thread and silver coins-- and folk toss a ball back and forth, getting to know each other), women weaving, waterfalls, a pig tied to the back of a small bus, whole villages out making brooms from grasses along the road, homemade hydroelectric set-ups, beautiful mountains and valleys and forests... the list goes on. Since much of the trip was spent driving, I'm grateful that the drive was as full of things to see as it was.

In Sam Neua, we enjoyed our guesthouse and the riverside market. From there, we drove to Vieng Xai where the Lao Communist party worked and lived in hidden caves for 11 years, during the Indochina War. We toured the caves where the leaders stayed (from 1964 to 1975) and saw their meeting rooms, bedrooms, restrooms, kitchens, and emergency rooms (to go in if the caves were gassed). Beyond the four caves we saw are about a hundred more in which there were schools, hospitals, factories. Remarkable.

We ended our trip with a visit to the old capital of the district and a memorable 12 hour drive home on an unpaved road, on which we got lost, delivered a note from one village to another, lost our tire (retrieved and put it back on, happily enough), asked in almost every town to make sure we weren't getting lost again, and exclaimed excitedly at the site of less than 10 lights on a hillside, "Oh, that looks like the city [that we're looking for]." Funny how your ideas of what is city is can change in the course of a week.

Back from Vietnam!

2007-01-28T18:42:00.000+07:00

Back from Vietnam!
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hello. Alisa and I are back from Vietnam after a wonderful holiday in Hoi An! It was a nice chance to get away and get refreshed before starting the new school term. Hoi An is a really nice place to visit. We explored many of the old houses and building in the old part of the city, we went to cooking school and learned how to make some Vietnamese food. We ate in markets, cafes and even had crab and shrimp on the beach.

I've posted a few pictures from the trip, I hope you like them.

Ben

The streets of Hoi An

2007-01-28T18:17:00.000+07:00

The streets of Hoi An
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Happy Fisherman

2007-01-28T18:15:00.000+07:00

Happy Fisherman
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Dinner out in Hoi An

2007-01-28T18:13:00.000+07:00

Dinner out in Hoi An
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Cooking School with Tara

2007-01-28T18:12:00.000+07:00

Cooking School with Tara
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Alisa on the Japanese Bridge

2007-01-28T18:11:00.000+07:00

Alisa on the Japanese Bridge
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hello from Hoi An

2007-01-23T07:22:00.000+07:00

Hello!

Ben and I are in the enchanting city of Hoi An in Vietnam. We are enjoying a week of vacation in this lovely town, seeing, doing, tasting and buying many, many things! Tara, Ben's friend from highschool and her husband Nathan happen to be here in Hoi An as a part of an around the world trip and we are having fun spending time with them here.

We came by bus. It looks really close on the map. It isn't. We left our house on Thursday morning at 9am and arrived 35 hours later. We'd heard this bus trip isn't great, comments from 'nightmare' and '24 hours on a bus you wouldn't want to spend an hour on' as one guidebook puts it to a more generous 'it is certainly an experience' as my friends who took the trip last summer put it. Our particular bus seemed to be more of a charcoal delivery truck, filled with mostly cargo and stopping freqantly to deliver the black dusty stuff at homes along the route. But there are no reasonably direct flights and like I said, it looks so close on the map! In the end we arrived safe and at little expense other then time and are happy to be in this charming town.

One of the first things we did (after a nights sleep and shower) is wander around the old town. Hoi An was an important port town from the 17th to 19th century. It has been called a living museum. UNESCO sure thought so, making it a world heritage site. We wander the lovely streets, exporing some old chinese shophouses and homes where a family has lived for generations and continue to today. There are silk lanterns hanging, lively markets, and a riverfront you could spend many hours watching the excitment.

Every now and then we get hungry and the city accomadates us in that regard also. There are some nice coffee shops on old streets where you can count on a good crepe of croissant to accompany your coffee. We had a wonderful vietnamese meal along the river and noodles in the market. I am enjoying the Vietnamese food. Tomorrow we are going to take a cooking class and learn to make some Vietnamese food.

We took a day trip to My Son, ruins from the Champa people who ruled this area from the 4th to 13th century. My Son was the most important religious and intellectual centre of the kingdom of Champa. The complex itself was interesting, but I was more struck by the damage. Like many places we have visited in this part of the world, much was destroyed as a result of bombing during the Vietnam war.

Hoi An has a reputation for having abundant cloth and tailors willing to sew it for you. Yesterday we went a little crazy shopping. We went with Tara and Nathan and all bought some beautiful clothes. We picked our designs and fabric, and after being measured in every way imaginable, we left and will go back today to pick up our clothes.

I am hoping to go to the beach. It isn't too far, a short bike ride. Unfortuatly the weather is overcast and so we haven't gone yet. We have a few more days of vacation, so I am hoping for a sunny day.

- Alisa

School Break!

2007-01-18T17:19:00.000+07:00

Hello everyone, today is the beginning of school holidays! Yesterday I gave my exam and then and I corrected it and handed in my marks as fast as I could and now Alisa and I are on Holidays! The school break is a week long and Alisa and I are going to travel to Hoi An in Vietnam. We plan to take it easy and enjoy the sights. We have been wanting to visit Hoi An since before we came to Laos. We read about it in a guide book once we heard we were moving to the region and by this time tomorrow we should be there. Unfortunately the time between now and then doesn't look as if it will be as enjoyable as there is still quite a long bus ride between us and are destination. I think there is free internet where we are staying so I will write again in a couple of days and let you know how are holiday is going.

Ben

Bomb Crater at the Plain of Jars

2007-01-12T18:23:00.000+07:00

Bomb Crater at the Plain of Jars
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hello, my brother Ryan has now returned to Canada and we had a good visit together. It was sad to see him go. I have posted a few pictures from the trip on the flickr site so feel free to visit.

Guest Blog - Ryan!!!

2007-01-10T14:27:00.000+07:00

Hello Blog readers. This is Ben's brother, Ryan, with an update on my time in Laos visiting with Ben and Alisa. It's been a great trip so far, and I am sad that it's coming to it's end. As Ben already posted we explored Northern Laos last week, and this week I've been at their house Houay Khoun seeing how they live and meeting their colleagues. Both the teachers at the college, and the people at the clinic have lots of wonderful things to say about Ben and Alisa's work here, and you can tell they have made Ben and Alisa life here comfortable and fun. Last night many teachers and faculty came to Ben and Alisa's house for a Basi (party) in celebration of my visit in Laos (and apparently because a teacher was retiring, and cuz it's the end of the school year..but we all know the real reason). In the afternoon Alisa and I moved all the furniture out of the living room (while Ben was at work) so that many people could gather inside for to he bassi ceremony. The ceremony was performed by the town chanter (apparently he does them all), and was very formal in tradition (why are they throwing rice?) but also very loose and fun in spirit. It got a bit overwhelming at the string part of the ceremony (people will tie strings around your wrists for good lucks and to wish you well) but it was all very nice. After the ceremony we all went outside for a delicious meal of Lao food and Alisa's Pizza ( a very popular item), and when food was consumed the tables were moved for some singing and dancing. I even made my Lao debut by performing my new hit single "Age of Ideals". The crowd was very supportive of the song, and Ben tells me that one of the teachers was even humming along. I did a lot of Laos dancing (forget the hips, it's all in the hands) as did Ben and Alisa which was um.. different. All in all the party was a big success, and everyone left with a big smile, having had a great time. Well we are all packing up here and heading to Vientiane as my plane leave tomorrow. It sucks to be leaving (and returning to the snow) but all in all it has been fantastic coming to visit Ben and Alisa, (and revisiting my and Ben's bunk bed days sharing rooms in the guest houses) enjoying a vacation with them, and getting a little taste of their life out here. Oh if anyone interested in a slide show, I know guy with a couple hundred pictures. :)

-Ry

Ryan has Arrived!

2007-01-06T18:29:00.000+07:00

Ryan has Arrived!
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hello, I wanted to write and let you all know that my younger brother has come to visit! He arrived last week and we have been traveling together throughout north-eastern Laos. We arrived back at my house last night and we will stay here for the remainder of the visit.

The trip up north was fun and exciting. We visited many places that it is hard to remember everything but

I'll try and share some highlights. So, last Saturday the four of us (Ryan, Alisa, Renee (another MCC volunteer), and me) began our trip and drove all day until we reached Phonsavanh in Xieng Khoung Province in North-Eastern Laos. This place is famous because it is the site of the mysterious Plain of Jars. These jars are very, very old and their purpose and origin remains unknown. Xieng Khoung was also a location that received heavy bombing and fighting during the 60s and 70s in the Indo-China (Vietnam) war. There is still a lot of evidence of the war remaining in this area including unexploded bombs (called bombies) scattered throughout the landscape. Still now, over 30 years after the end of the war, people are injured and killed because of the bombies and a lot of land remains unusable.

After visiting Xieng Khoung we headed further north to the province of Houa Phan. This is a very mountainous province with winding roads and a colder climate. This province is also the birthplace of the modern Lao PDR. During the war this region was a stronghold of the current government . In Vieng Sai district there are many caves and several that housed leaders and soldiers during the war. The system of caves was very complex. The caves have many rooms, tunnels and chambers. For over ten years the war was waged from these caves. Our guide told us that at one time there were over one million people housed in the caves. Those are my highlights from the trip although we did much more. It was a really fun trip and now I'm looking forward to relaxing a little with my brother at home.

Ben

Christmas Day

2006-12-25T10:41:00.000+07:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

Ben

It's Almost Christmas!

2006-12-20T16:04:00.000+07:00

The weather has started to get cold (I had to wear socks and long sleeves today!), Bing Crosby is singing in my living room and in every direction I look I can see frosty the snowman. Christmas is almost here! This year Alisa and I will be spending Christmas in Vientiane. We have a MCC Christmas party this Saturday and then on Monday many of the volunteers will get on Christmas Afternoon. It looks like it will be a fun Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Ben

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village

2006-12-18T20:39:00.005+07:00

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village

2006-12-18T20:39:00.004+07:00

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village

2006-12-18T20:39:00.003+07:00

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village

2006-12-18T20:39:00.002+07:00

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village

2006-12-18T20:39:00.001+07:00

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village

2006-12-18T20:39:00.000+07:00

Christmas in Houay Khoun Village
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Work Party Photo - 2nd try

2006-12-17T13:42:00.000+07:00

Work Party Photo - 2nd try
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Hi, it seems the photo from the party didn't work the first time. Hopefully it will this time.

Ben

Work Party

2006-12-15T14:20:00.000+07:00

Yesterday the staff at the clinic along with Ben and I went out for lunch. We had many reasons to celebrate. It all all started in November when we distributed the MCC health kits to the final school. It had been a very busy month, heading out to schools weighed down with kits and puppets and posters, giving out the kits and teaching about health. We all felt good about our visits, and I suggested that we go out for lunch to celebrate. We agreed to go that week. But then Myken (the man giving the peace sign in the picture) was sent away for a month of training, and we wanted to wait to do it all together. Well, this week MyKen is back and it also happened to be Keopanee's birthday (she is the women in pink), giving us another reason to celebrate. It also felt fitting to have a work party so close to Christmas! So we ordered some food and I baked a cake and we had our celebration lunch at the local restaurant.

- Alisa

This weekend at our place- French film festival and lounging on the beach

2006-12-10T14:58:00.000+07:00

Hello,

Well, I could just say we have had a quiet weekend around home, watching DVDs and going for walks, but that wouldn't sounds nearly as exciting. So instead I'll tell you about a French film festival and our time on the beach that we have enjoyed this weekend.

Often on weekends we like to watch DVDs, and this weekend we decided to have a film festival. A number of years ago a friend of mine recommended the French movie trilogy three colours. I filed this recommendation away in my brain somewhere, and it popped up a few weeks ago when I was in a movie store and saw the three movies for sale. On Friday we watched the first one, Blue. Yesterday we watched White, and tonight we will have the finale, Red. The movies are certainly more artsy then the Hollywood romantic comedies I seem to have been choosing to watch lately, but I think there is room for both types of films in my life. The festival also included a matinee of C.R.A.Z.Y, a movie from Quebec that we both enjoyed.

As for our time lounging on the beach, perhaps beach is a bit of a stretch. We went for a hike to a nearby river (with lovely sandy banks, really quite beachy) and played in the water. The path is flooded for much of the year, making the river only accessible during the dry season, so we hadn't been for awhile. It was nice to go for a walk, enjoy the stunning sights of the mountains, the river, and fields taken over by pretty blue flowers. Even though we went early we were hot by the time we got there, and a swim in the cool river water was refreshing.

I hope all of you are also enjoying the weekend.

- Alisa

Visitors from a faraway land

2006-12-09T07:47:00.000+07:00

Hello,

This week we had some visitors from North America come to the college. Karina and Amos, from MCC headquarters in Akron, as well as Arthur and his aunt and uncle Vic and Elise from Manitoba. Although their visit was brief, we managed to do, see, and visit together quite a bit. They arrived Wednesday afternoon and immediately went to see some of the agriculture activities that are part of MCC's work at the college. After seeing rice plots, fish ponds, mushroom houses and gardens, they popped over to our house for a drink of water before the next event. Their visit came at the same time as David's farewell here, and so in the evening the school had a Baci- a traditional Lao ceremony that involves tying strings on the wrists of each other and offering kind words and wishing each other well. After the ceremony we went out to the yard and had a feast of Lao food under an almost full moon and impromptu florescent lighting. It was a nice sendoff for David who will return to Canada. David plans to come back to Laos in the spring so we hope to see him again soon.

In the morning we got up early and went out to eat noodle soup for breakfast. After breakfast we went to the clinic were I work and met the staff. Our guests came along to a very pretty village called Pyndee and the clinic staff and I conducted one of out health education visits in the primary school. After the show we visited with some of the village elders and teachers in the shade of a tree.

We made it back to the college for the last hour of Ben's class. He was teaching a class of teachers and led some activities that gave us the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the teachers. After class ended we headed over to the English center, which was bustling! Students were listening to English tapes, playing games, looking through and signing out books. It was good to see the Centre in action. After a tour of the classrooms we went out for lunch at Khao's restaurant, which was delicious as always.

After lunch out guests left. It was a brief but good visit. We enjoy making connections with people from MCC's head office and having the opportunity to show people from North America the work we do here.

- Alisa

The Story of the Tape Players

2006-11-24T16:29:00.000+07:00

Hello Blog Readers, It’s Friday afternoon and work is now finished for the week. I'm looking forward to a quiet, relaxing weekend. This weekend should be even more quiet than usual. Alisa is away for the next week working as part of an evaluation team for an MCC health project located in a different part of the country.

Today was an exciting day at work. For the first time since I've been here, the listening stations have been used as a part of the class teaching time. I realize that this might not sound like a large accomplishment but it really is. It was one of the original goals for things to happen when I arrived. When I got here, the school already had ten cassette players and a wide assortment of tapes. Unfortunately the cassettes players were not in good working order and therefore they were not being used. So shortly after my arrival at the school the cassette players were sent off to be fixed. Once they came back I thought that perhaps now their use could be integrated into the Student's English work. This was not case. The school had acquired the cassette players in the 1990s while a volunteer from VSO was working here. Since that time the number of students had increased and now we did not have enough players to use with any large groups of students. But students did however begin to come to the English Library and use the cassettes for self-study, which was great. So for the past three school terms this is how the cassette players have been being used. But we still wanted the students to be able to use the listening equipment as part of their English learning. So MCC bought some more equipment (tables, tape players, headphones, and head phone splitters), with the additional equipment the Listening Stations could now accommodate about 30 people. This is enough capacity to handle about one quarter of the first year students. So we thought if the first year students were split into four groups we could now accommodate them in the library.

Encouraged, one day close to the end of the last school year I, along with some of the other teachers, looked through the school English tapes to try and find some tape that would work well with the lessons. We looked and found many good tapes but we could find anything that we could integrate with the new curriculum easily. (A few months earlier we had begun to use a new curriculum designed by the International Rice Research Institute). It was decided that new tapes should be made to go with the new curriculum. This summer I enlisted my parents (who were here visited) to help me record the new tapes. We worked hard and after many hours and a few days we completed the tapes for 3 of the 4 books (6 tapes). Just last week Alisa and I completed the tape for the last book (2 more tapes). Now I am in the process of copying the tapes so we have enough for all the tape players.

So, as I said earlier in the Blog, today we had our first group of students to come in and use these new tapes as part of regular class time. There was lots of confusion as there always in with new activities but all in all I think it went pretty good. Today was a test run. There are still lots of things to be worked out (scheduling and other things) but I pretty sure the students will be back to listen again soon and that's why today was an exciting day.

---

Ben

Novices and Coconuts

2006-11-14T17:56:00.000+07:00

Quite often whenever Alisa goes to visit a village, the villagers will send something home with her for me to eat. Sometimes it's homemade treats but more recently it's been coconuts. One day last week Alisa was given ten coconuts to bring home for me to eat, fortunately though, after she left the village, Alisa was able to convince the clinic staff that they should take the coconuts home to their families as I was still working on the coconuts from previous visits.

So, lately I have been trying to find ways to use these coconuts. One way that I have been enjoying them is to hack them open with a machete and then use the coconut water to cook the rice. This give the rice a sweeter taste then usual and is very nice.

Last night, I was preparing rice and stir-fried chicken for dinner and I thought I should use the coconut water to make the rice even better. So, I took the coconut and my machete and headed to the backyard to open the coconut. I began to hack it open when I noticed I had attracted a crowd of children who had decided that it would be great fun to watch the foreigner hack open a coconut. It wasn't just any children who came to watch but it was a group of novice monks from the neighboring temple. As I worked at cutting the coconut the novices asked me, "Can you open a coconut?", "Have you ever cut open a coconut before?" , "Do you want me to cut it open?" (the novices spoke Lao) I tried to assure the novices that I had opened lots of coconuts (this is true if you think 3-4 coconuts is a lot) and that I would be finished shortly. As I continued chopping they continued to give advice and finally I cut deep enough into the coconut and poured the coconut water in a bowl for my cooking.

I gave the rest of the coconut to the novices to enjoy and watched as the hacked it open. The novices were all quite young (the oldest may be 12) and I must admit I was quite nervous watching them use the machete to cut open the coconut. I imagined myself, my head hung low, walking to the temple to tell the senior monk that unfortunately his novices had cut off their hands with my machete while trying to open a coconut. But fortunately they had previously open many coconuts (probably more than 3-4) and had no problems. After the coconut was cut into two they began to eat the meat and we said goodbye.

---

Ben

New Pictures

2006-11-11T10:42:00.000+07:00

Hello,

I just posted a few new pictures of my recent school visits and health kit delivery. Click on the picture on the right hand side to get to our flikr page and you will see a few snapshots of my working life- happy kids washing their hands, puppet shows, boat rides, and reading books in the clinic. Enjoy!

- Alisa

Nampa waterfall

2006-11-06T16:15:00.000+07:00

Nampa waterfall
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

boatride to Nampa waterfall

2006-11-06T16:13:00.000+07:00

boatride to Nampa waterfall
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Guess who was on TV?

2006-11-05T11:01:00.000+07:00

Guess who was on TV?
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Last night at around 8:00pm Alisa made her Television debut!! She was on the local news to talk about MCC's health work in this area as well the current distribution of Health Kits to local schools.

Tune it to Bolikamsai Local News!

2006-10-31T13:30:00.000+07:00

Hello,

Today a newscrew from the local station came to the clinic to do a piece about MCC's recent donation of health kits, school kits, and newborn kits to this community. The clinic and hospital arranged for the newscrew to come, we displayed the kits and I made said a few words about MCC and the kits. Dr Vanh from the clinic spoke about how we are bringing the health kits and school kits to school children in the area and the newborn kits will go to new mothers. The materials in the kits will be well used and work really well to support the health teaching we have been doing in the schools. Our TV debut is a great way to tell the community about the work the clinic and MCC is doing in the area. Ben and I will certainly we tuning into the local news tonight!

MCC kits are purchased and assembled by individuals and groups in North America and organized and sent from MCC material resource centers. If you want to know more about MCC kits, you can go to http://www.mcc.org/kits/.

- Alisa

10-0507

2006-10-29T18:40:00.000+07:00

10-0507
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Vientiane Road Race

2006-10-29T18:38:00.000+07:00

Vientiane Road Race
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

The 9th annual Vientiane half marathon began quite early on Saturday morning. Our group arrived at the starting point around 5:30am to find large crowds and loud music. There were 3 different runs that day, a 5K, 10K and a half marathon.

There were many runners that day, the number I heard was close to 2000. MCC was well represented at the race with staff, volunteers and partners, participating in all events. Alisa, who recently completed the internet famous couch to 5K running program, decided to test her limits and participated in the 10K event.

Alisa successfully completed her run and we all very proud and happy.

---Ben

Teaching the first class

2006-10-23T18:25:00.000+07:00

Hello, teaching is getting busier again. I've resumed my teaching of the first year students. (Since the end of the summer break I had only been teaching the teachers - the first year students only arrived at the school recently) First days are always interesting. I think it's safe to say I'm the first foreign teacher most of the students have had. So everyone is very curious and interested but also very confused by my unorthodox western style teaching methods.

---Ben

The last couple of weeks...

2006-10-20T11:49:00.000+07:00

Hello,

Again it seems that the more we do, the less we update our blog. The last couple of weeks have been busy and full. Here is a bit of an update.

Work is going very well. Last week I went the clinic staff to the college where Ben teaches. It was our first time visiting the college for health education and we were all a bit nervous about talking to adults- we usually visit primary schools. When we arrived all 300 students were waiting, and the deputy director of the school was at the front, walking around with the microphone, working the crowd. He did a great job getting everyone excited and the mood in the room was great. The doctor I work with was up next and he talked a bit about what we were going to do. We gave the students MCC health kits- kits from north America with materials for basic hygiene (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, nail clippers, and a face cloth). We reviewed how and when and why to use the objects. After that, we had a puppet show. The topic was tuberculosis. It is a problem in this area, and the students all sleep in multibed dormitories, so it is important that they know the signs so that cases can be identified and treated quickly. The puppet show was hilarious, students were laughing to the point of tears at some parts! It was a fun day for all. Now we will take our show on the road, visiting the local schools with the health kits and puppet shows. At the primary schools we will have the students practice brushing their teeth and washing their hands together. This is always fun, or maybe funny, brushing your teeth with a couple hundred small children!

This week we hosted Red Cross and they taught representatives from the local schools about how to use and maintain biofilters. MCC helped the schools to buy biofilters for each school. This allows the well water to be filtered into drinkable water. Clean drinking water is always a good idea and I am thrilled that we could help this happen in the schools.

Our life outside of work has been full also. Last weekend we went to Bangkok. Our friends and fellow MCCers Heidi and Micah just welcomed their first child into the world. Her name is Frances and she is lovely. It was great to spend time with her and her parents this past weekend.

While in Bangkok we picked up our new passports. The picture is slightly less scary, but more importantly we have empty pages to stamp- our old ones were full. I enjoyed being in Bangkok. It is a big and busy city, and I find that energizing. I loved walking around in the bustle, eating street food, indulging in Starbucks, taking in the skyline. After my first day I felt a little over caffinated and over stimulated, but I was able to pace myself better the next couple of days.

We returned home to a bit of a mess. Anyone who has spent any time at our place knows that it needs a lot of upkeep. While we were away a fuse blew and our fridge stopped working. It was pretty gross and we had to throw out everything in our freezer. Now that it is clean and Ben has the fridge working again, I can say I am happy to be home!

- Alisa

Boat Racing # 1

2006-10-09T18:05:00.000+07:00

Boat Racing # 1
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Every year around now, there are boat racing festivals held all across the country. The provincial festival for Bolikhamxay was held in Paksan this past weekend. Alisa and I went along with our friends from MCC in Vientiane (Larry, Jane, Zak & Renee). We walked up and down the riverside promenade enjoying the carnival like atmosphere and found a table beside the river to watch the races and enjoy some food. Two boats raced in each heat. There were different classes of boats, bigger boats with teams of about 50 people and smaller boats with about 20 people per boat. It was impressive and exciting.

Later that night we watched as many people launched small, candle lit, banana leave boats into the river. That night is where our story takes place...

Boat Racing # 2

2006-10-09T17:22:00.000+07:00

Boat Racing # 2
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

There are many cultural and religious reasons why people launch small, banana leaf, candle lit boats in to river during this festival but that's not what this story is about. Last week we went out to dinner with some friends and we were told about a different tradition that had to do with the small , banana leaf, candle lit boats. In Laos, young couples like to send two boats down the river together. If the couple's boats travel together, this is a good sign. It means the couple will stay together and have many happy years. But if their boats separate, it is taken as a bad sign.

Boat Racing # 3

2006-10-09T17:21:00.001+07:00

Boat Racing # 3
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

So we decided to play the game and see what our future held.

Boat Racing #4

2006-10-09T17:21:00.000+07:00

Boat Racing #4
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We each bought boats and then headed down to riverside to launch them and to see what our future held.

Boat Racing # 5

2006-10-09T17:20:00.000+07:00

Boat Racing # 5
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We launched our boats and were very happy as we watched them float down the river together. But then something terrible happened. Our boats separated. My boat floated away and was soon traveling along with a different boat. Alisa's boat traveled alone until it found a nice stick to keep it company. A little bit later both our boats were alone again and then they floated out into the night.

-Ben

Teachers Day

2006-10-06T08:12:00.000+07:00

Yesterday was teachers day! Every year a day is set aside for students to celebrate and honour their teachers. The college that Ben works at was no exception and a lovely day was planned. I was invited to join in the festivities, and here is how the day went...

After finishing up some work at the clinic I went over to the school. Ben was sitting with some other teachers in front of the office, and I joined them. Nearby in the school's hall, students were setting up and getting ready. After about an hour of sitting around and chatting with the teachers, we were told it was time. We went into the large hall and sat at the front. On the stage the director and a government representative sat. First there were speeches, including one speech from a student who closed with a few sentences in English. This received a lot of cheers from students! After the speeches the teachers were invited up to the front and they were given flowers and gifts from the students. After that there was singing and dancing. Groups of students performed traditional dances, other students sang heartfelt songs as they were giving flowers from supporting fans and classmates. There were some group dances where Ben and I were invited up to dance along with many other people. After a final song and a final dance, the morning program was over.

After a rest in the afternoon, we went to the second event of the day. The hall I mentioned before is new, and it doubles as a badminton court. This was the grand opening of the badminton court. Many district and provincial officials came to play some of the schools teachers. Badminton is popular, and we watched some great games. Around 7 food was served- fabulous chicken, sticky rice, veggies, and my favourite spicy tomato dipping sauce. We ate, watched the games, and chatted.

Today is a holiday and we don't have much planned. Tomorrow we will go to Paksan for the annual boatracing festival. I am looking forward to sitting on the banks of the Mekong to watch the festivities. More on that later.

- Alisa

Sunday Afternoon #1 of 8

2006-09-24T17:13:00.000+07:00

ben walking
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

This Sunday afternoon we decided to go for a walk in our village.

Sunday Afternoon #2

2006-09-24T17:05:00.000+07:00

the field
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We walked past the field.

Sunday Afternoon #3

2006-09-24T16:56:00.000+07:00

Our School
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We went through the gate.

Sunday Afternoon #3b

2006-09-24T16:48:00.000+07:00

the pepsi store
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We walked past the pepsi store.

Sunday Afternoon # 4

2006-09-24T16:37:00.000+07:00

road 4b
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We crossed road 4B.

Sunday Afternoon # 5

2006-09-24T16:31:00.000+07:00

Alisa and Khao
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We went to our friend's restaurant.

Sunday Afternoon # 6

2006-09-24T16:25:00.000+07:00

ben eating bug
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Ben ate a bug.

Sunday Afternoon # 7

2006-09-24T16:21:00.000+07:00

alisa eating bug
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Alisa also ate a bug.

Sunday Afternoon #8

2006-09-24T16:15:00.000+07:00

bowl of bugs
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

We ate a lot of bugs.

The Bus

2006-09-23T07:54:00.000+07:00

Hello,

Last week when I was going into Vientiane, I had a great bus ride in. I normally consider a good bus ride one where I get a seat and the bus doesn't break down, so my expectations aren't too high, but on this particular day, the bar was raised.

When I flagged the bus down, it was crowded. There were people in every seat, plus plastic stools down the isle to create an additional row. I got the last plastic stool, and the bus was off! Most of the people on the bus were travelling from Savannaket, a city further south, and had been on the bus for several hours. The mood on the bus was almost partylike, Thai pop music playing, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. After about an hour, the women selling food came on. On the bus in Laos, food is normally sold by vendors who get on the bus with their food, ride for about 20km selling to whoever wants food on the bus, and getting off. Then they catch a bus going to opposite direction and do the same thing. I hadn't had lunch yet so I happily bought some BBQ pork and sticky rice. The women to the left of me bought green mango, and the women to the right of me bought some sweet sticky rice steamed in bamboo. I tasted some of her sticky rice, but she declined my offer of meat, pointing to the pork she had already bought from a earlier vendor. For awhile everyone ate and chatted. At some point somebody left, and the women selling food pushed me into the vacant seat, a nice change from the plastic stool. After that, many people on the bus had a nap, and before long, we arrived in Vientiane.

- Alisa

The Graduation Party

2006-09-19T15:04:00.000+07:00

The Graduation Party
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.

Ben with some Graduates

2006-09-19T14:59:00.000+07:00

Ben with some Graduates
Originally uploaded by macbridesmith.