Brita Is Empty Once Again in the Fridge

Lately I haven't climbed any high mountains, haven't ventured out to any  lost cities, I haven't seen exotic animals (well, except for the occasional mega-Gekko)  or exciting rituals. So if you look for a actually exciting story and then keep looking.

This posting is about everything and nothing. About this and that. About everyday life in Lao people's democratic republic.

Some days I wake upwardly and retrieve that I am the luckiest person in the globe -and some days I am saying to myself "are you lot crazy to do that or what?". Life is so different hither from Western Europe and at the same time it isn't. Y'all have to bargain with the aforementioned challenges and issues such every bit abrasive neighbors who take nerve-wrecking construction work going on vi days a calendar week 10 hours a day, apartment tires on your motorbike, an empty fridge in the evening and two lazy legs that are refusing to go to the side by side street nutrient place to take hold of a take-away. And so at that place are the challenges which I haven't encountered so far withal in my life such as staff who are impossible to motivate and get them to do their job and a slowness in everyday life that sometimes drives me up the wall (I need to add though that this slowness DOES take its skilful sides too: when you are late somewhere or yous need someone to wait for you and then this is nooooo problem at all!).

On the other paw I have highlights every day that I would never be able to feel in Austria: my palm- and banana trees-view every morning I step exterior (seriously, I never thought that banana trees tin brand y'all then damn happy!), very often brilliant blue skies and sunshine and a wonderfully empty main street where y'all most oft the just pedestrian for a couple of hundred meters.

This morning time when I walked to work I saw this woman carrying about 10 huge baskets attached to a wooden pole which she carries on her shoulders (discover how empty the primary street is at 8.30 am!?!?!). People hither (especially women) are and so tough, no matter how former they are they still walk effectually carrying heavy numberless of rice, woods or other things.

By the manner: I withal haven't screened my 6.500 photos that i have taken since I came back to Laos (90 % of them accept to be  deleted!), That volition be another "interesting" challenge.

In this fiddling town I crash-land into friends a couple times a mean solar day and there is Ever time for a prissy chat. Nobody is as well rushed. I actually like that.

my students at Wat Sene temple

I find teaching my novices in the temples everyday for 2 hours  however enjoyable. Although I sometimes struggle with them being likewise noisy and to slack during grade (no comparing to our school systems any). When I had my altogether a couple of weeks ago the novices from i of the temples handed me wonderfully wrapped presents at the end of our class and I was really moved by their thoughtfulness. And at my other temple one of the novices still makes me grin every time when he says "teacher, I am very happy today". "Why?", I inquire. "Because  I run across you. I want to run into you every day". OOOOOOOOOOhhhhhh, and so sweeet!

Nutrient is another neverending subject field hither. All the expats here have certain cravings after a while. Although you can get quite a lot of things here every now and and then nosotros all have a craving for "western" things you can sink your teeth into. And as the selection of cheese (or by and large milk products) is limited and extremely pricey I was all the more than excited to get close to two kilos of wonderful Austrian mountain cheese sent straight from my father to Luang Prabang (cheers, dad!). The next day I invited some of my friends to enjoy this rare delicacy together. Makes you lot capeesh the "everyday-things" from the western world all the more than.

prissy view over the peninsula and the many spectators

soe of my hotel staff and me watchng the race

..somehow reminds me of the little dwarfs in Snow White..

2 of the 32 paticipating boats racing confronting each other

view from the Old Bridge down on one of the racing boats (looks like a huge insect)

view from the Old Bridge towards the town center

On the 4th of September the big annual boat race took place. This event is THE event of the year and there were 32 longtail boats competing against each other on the Nam Khan river. The sportive aspect of the result is non the most important thing though for the spetcators. The master thing is incredibly loud music, drinking beer Lao and betting coin on the teams. Around apex pretty much the whole of Luang Prabang was drunk and watching the boats became less important. The boats themselves are stunning though I accept to say. Massive wood, heavy, very long and elegant – and manifestly quite unstable due to its narrow built. Ane gunkhole sunk during the race.

o-ohh- elephan on a swoop-mission!

where is he?? (actually he is RIGHT underneath me!)

yesss, I CAN stand on the elephant (at least for a few seconds)

elephant ooooooove

maybe I could take him home?

Tad Sae waterfall bursting with water!

cool fold-up plants close to the waterfall

Today I went to Tad Sae Waterfall with a friend of mine. I love this place. Information technology is in the middle of a lush jungle and it has water just in rainy season. Nosotros went there quite belatedly and most of the few remaining visitors left when it started to rain heavily. I was contemplating to breast-stroke an elephant in the water- one of the things you tin do at the waterfall. Equally I was going to get wet anyhow I decided to practice it today as I prefer to have less tourists staring at you while you enjoy this wonderful feel. My elephant was called Moun and she is 10 years old. Subsequently I got onto her back (I forgot how bow-legged you take to sit to Not fall off) she walked to the path leading to the h2o and inside seconds she was in the waterfall-pool. Although this is my 3rd fourth dimension riding/bathing elephants I once again realized that even if it was the 10.000th fourth dimension I would be just as exited and happy. For me elephants are one of the near astonishing, impressive and wonderful animals on this planet and being able to spend time with them in nature rather than seeing them in a zoo or circus is a existent privilege. It is such a blast when the elephants fully submerge in the water underneath you and when they come upward you lot are lucky if you still sit down on them. Those xv minutes with my wonerful elephant made me feel similar a little kid again. Happy happy happy.

I am ready for many more wonderful experiences here in Laos.

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Source: https://britagraser.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/a-story-about-everything-and-nothing/

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