well the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry anymore

     It has been 100 days since my departure from Seattle and the western life I experienced the past fifty years. Almost everything is different, living in the eastern world. Renting a house in Ban Wat Luang Kao, Champasak Province, Lao, has been both effortless and challenging. Learning the Lao language has been both easy and difficult. Understanding village life with the locals has been both enjoyable and frustrating. I knew the transition to Lao life would be difficult, and I did a lot of research before my move, and that all helped. But, life on the ground, living the daily life in a small Lao village, has been a challenge. This blog is a bit different from the others, in that I begin to share some of the ups and downs of my life in Lao.

BUDDHA FACING THE RIVER, HE WAS HERE BEFORE THE ROAD BEHIND

     Renting a house has been effortless yet challenging. It was relatively easy to rent this house, paying one month at a time, and finding that the house was furnished. This is in a previous blog post. However, it took two months to sign the actual lease papers, and I found that I had to now pay six months in advance, no longer month-to-month. During the first two months of my living here, the house was not painted (as I was told it would be), and the yard was not being cared for (as I was told it would be). I’ve been told to now do these things myself, and I don’t want to paint a house or take care of the huge yard. I chose this house partly because this was going to be done by others. Seems like the owner is getting a lot from my effort, and this inexpensive house is not looking so inexpensive anymore.

WAT PHONE PHENG, CHAMPASAK

     Learning the Lao language has been easy yet difficult. The major problem I have found is the various dialects being used. For example, I will learn a word in Pakse, the city 40 km north, and the pronunciation will be different in my village and nobody can understand what I say. Same thing in reverse, I will learn a word in my village and it is pronounced differently in Pakse. I am able to count, which helps a great deal in the market, and I am able to say the words of various vegetables, fruit, meat, and prepared dishes, which helps a great deal when buying food. I am slowly learning the language and have found a few people willing to help me speak Lao. The Lao people speak slowly and repeat themselves, which makes it easier for me to learn. Repetition is a big help to me!

DRY SEASON RICE HARVESTING NEAR MY HOUSE

     Understanding village life with the locals, has been enjoyable yet frustrating. This has been my biggest ‘issue’ living in this particular house. My rental house was empty for years, as the owner was living in France. Some of the neighbors had been using the house and yard during this time, and once I moved in, they were no longer able to use ‘their’ space. This has been a HUGE clash for me, especially with the landlord’s family across the street. Now that I rent and live in the house, and lock the gates for my own safety and security, some of the neighbors are upset. There are three families, all across the street, that will not look at me, or even say hello. However, all is not lost, as the neighbors on my side of the street are all friendly and welcoming. The neighbors on my side of the street have made me feel part of the community. We don’t speak the same language, yet, but we smile, say hello, and acknowledge each others existence. Life in Ban Wat Luang Kao is bearable because of these families!

TOP OF THE TEMPLE AT WAT LUANG KAO

     My other challenge concerns location. I now live 4 km south of the town of Champasak. This is the place I originally wanted to live, but was unable to find a rental house. Champasak is made up of eight villages, each full of friendly and personable villagers. This is the town where foreigners come and stay while visiting Wat Phou, the UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are numerous guesthouses and restaurants in Champasak and the local villagers are used to seeing, talking, and interacting with foreigners. The village where I live, is halfway between Champasak and Wat Phou, which means that foreigners pass through my village, and do not stop. My village neighbors have little, if any, experience with foreigners. And here I am!

RICE HARVEST NEAR MY HOUSE

     Knowing and experiencing are two different things. Before I moved, I knew people were the same everywhere. But, I didn’t realize it would be so obvious, living in a place where I don’t speak the language or know the customs. Just as in America, there are people here I can get along with, and others I can not. There are people that are friendly, and there are others that are not. There are happy people and sad people, there are joyful people and angry people. We are all doing what is necessary to survive, to be comfortable, to love, and to live. Here in Lao, people just have themselves, family, and friends, to keep them going. And that looks to be enough to be happy!

SUNSET OVER THE MEKONG, CHAMPASAK