More from Laos

I'm on my 6th week of my trip with only about 16 more to go. Both numbers overwhelm me. I can't believe I have been gone only 6 weeks, it feels like so many more... and 16 more weeks to go feels like forever. I still have two and a half more months of teaching and then my parents are planning to come out for three weeks. I knew this before I left but really having the people I care about with me is more important than where I am. I am still so excited to experience the other places on my trip I am feeling the sadness of not being with the people who I care about.

The weather is starting to get a little warmer... of course I went out and bought myself a BeerLao sweatshirt because I was too cold. One morning I woke up and it was 56 degrees! I am happy to report that I now don't need the sweatshirt I just bought. However, I am sure at some point it will be helpful again. Most people over here are saying that this is quite cold compared to last year. In terms of what is happening in Bangkok I really don't feel the effect of it. I am hearing about people not getting to leave, but in Laos it really isn't a problem. Cara and I walked into town this morning only to find at least two or three places decorated for Christmas. We were very surprised to see that. I still am having problems remembering that it is December.

Me and Tania on our motorcycle adventure exploring the Blue Lagoon Cave.

Teaching has been okay here. It is very different from Thailand. It's hard to explain in what ways... in some ways I would say the children aren't as excited to learn or they are just quieter about it. My mind may change but in this last month and a half I think I have figured out that teaching won't be my life long career. I don't hate what I am doing but I am not as enthusiastic about it as I thought I would be. Last week I was teaching grammar and I found that really hard. Everyone I have talked to agrees with me about how hard English is to learn, and to teach. Next week I am taking the week off and will go traveling with Nina and Valerie, both from T2T Nong Khai, in Laos.

Me inside the cave.

I have noticed that I don't look at my surrounds too closely some times... mostly that is because I am afraid of what I will see... this has to do with bugs, how clean or safe something isn't... but I wonder what else I am missing because of it. I start inspecting something only to freak myself out because I am peeing in a hut covered with bugs or something else like that.

Last week at the end of one of my classes I had a bird fly into the class. I thought the students were all trying to be helpful by trying to catch it. Once one of the students caught it I told him to put it outside. The kid threw the bird outside and I was then told by another volunteer that I just made the kid throw his dinner outside. The poor bird was already dead at that point and I'm sure the student went around the building and picked it up. Talk about culture difference, I thought the kids were being helpful by getting the bird outside... but found out that it was someones dinner. Oops.














Vang Vieng.

I know there is more I meant to write about. I wrote a small list but I don't think that that covers it all. Laos is more expensive that Thailand and Vang Vieng seems like it is more expensive than the rest of the country. As always I love getting e-mails. I hope you are all doing well.

More Vang Vieng and if you weren't able to see the smiley face with the planets and moon... I was!