Sao Darly

On the second day of our stay in Phone Thong District, we decided to visit Lipi and Khone Phapheng. We headed to Paske market to pick up fruits and snack for the long drive. There were some relatives from Pakse that wanted to go on the journey with us. I was very excited to go to Lipi for the first time in my life.

Traffic behind us.

Traffic jam along the way.

We made a stop to pick up more snack along the way. People would sell all sort of Lao dishes along the road near a bus stop.

Ping Kai anyone?

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Alexandra Bounxouei sings beautifully in the theme song of Pleng Ruk Rim Fang Khong or เพลงรักริมฝั่งโขง. The Thai drama was broadcast last Tuesday on Thai TV 7. The next episode will be aired on Monday, 02 April, 2007 at 20:25 hour (Thailand time).

Here is the video clip of Pleng Ruk Rim Fang Khong’s theme song for those of Alexandra’s fans out there that didn’t get a chance to see the first episode of the Thai drama.

We only slept in Pakse for one night. The next morning we loaded the truck after breakfast and headed toward Phone Thong District, in Champasak Province. My parents were having a craving for Lao Coffee, so we made a stop at a coffee place, next to Pakse Airport. We then went to Pakse market for some grocery shopping. By the time we get to Mair Ya’s house, we would have lunch there. I get to watch the truck while the others went shopping.

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Alexandra Bounxouei’s first episode of เพลงรักริมฝั่งโขง (Pleng Ruk Rim Fang Khong) is scheduled to be on Thai TV 7 tonight at 20:25 hour (Thailand time). After some adjustments to the soap have been made, it is ready to hit the air, right before Lao and Thai New Year.

One big major adjustment is the name of the soap. ”เพลงรักสองฝั่งโขง” (Pleng Ruk Song Fang Khong) has been changed to ”เพลงรักริมฝั่งโขง” (Pleng Ruk Rim Fang Khong).

Here is Pleng Ruk Rim Fung Kong teaser.

For those that can’t access videos at Youtube, here is the alternative link.

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I posted about education for Lao girls more than a year ago. I found this recent news to be somewhat uplifting.

ADB funds basic education

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide a loan and grant aid worth about 207 billion kip (US$21.56 million) to strengthen basic educational development in Laos and pave the way for educational reform.

An agreement signed on Wednesday at the Ministry of Finance specified that a loan of US$8.9 million and US$12.66 million in grant aid would help to raise the standard of education around the country.

The loan will be used to supplement the government’s education budget. The grant will enable the construction of schools and the introduction of new learning and teaching methods under the Basic Education Development plan.

The agreement was signed by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Ms Viengthong Siphandone, representing the Lao government, and ADB Country Director of the Lao Resident Mission, Mr James A. Nugent. The signing was witnessed by the Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Lytou Bouapao, ministry representatives and other officials.

The ADB has been providing loans and grant aid to Laos since 1991 for the development of various areas of education. These include Education Quality Improvement Phases I and II, the National University of Laos development project, and the Basic Education for Girls project.

The Lao government has declared education a priority in its current five-year socio-economic development plan.

The Basic Education Development plan constitutes the seventh priority plan devised by the Ministry of Education in its bid to increase the number of years spent by students in lower secondary schools from three years to four.

This latest assistance from the ADB in developing the education sector will serve to considerably enhance and strengthen cooperation between Laos and the ADB.

By Vientiane Times (Vientianetimes.org.la)
(Published on March 23, 2007

I read a very disturbing news about sex trade in Laos from Radio Free Asia. Of course the culprit of the problem is poverty. While I understand prostitution is the oldest form of profession, the Lao girls and women should have a choice on choosing this type of job. I don’t think the majority of them would freely select this line of work as a career if they have more options available to them.

Survey Shows Grim Reality of Lao Sex Trade
2007.02.08

BANGKOK—Lao women seeking to escape poverty and poor education are increasingly ending up as sex workers in Laos and neighboring Thailand, mainly to support their families and themselves, experts say.

Though many consider it “bad work,” they believe prostitution amounts to the best economic opportunity they have, according to a survey of sex workers conducted last year in the country’s capital, Vientiane.

Many are children when they start, trafficked or tricked into the sex trade.

“Every one of them said they don’t want to do it,” Thatsaphone Sombandith, a Lao researcher who conducted the survey, said in an interview. “They say it’s necessary because of poverty, because they have nothing to live on.”

With an estimated per capita income of U.S.$460 in 2005, Laos is one of the poorest countries in East Asia. Classified by the United Nations as a Least Developed Country in 2004, 71 percent of its population live on less than U.S.$2 a day, and 23 percent on less than U.S.$1 a day.

Lao women, many of whom work in bars called “little shops,” come from different provinces to work in Vientiane, Thatsaphone said. “They come from Luang Namtha, from Luang Prabang, from Sayaboury…from Khammouane.”

Vulnerable to disease

Many become infected with sexually transmitted diseases, Thatsaphone added. “Depending on the place, on the area of the shop, they get infected,” Thatsaphone said. “Almost the entire shop is infected.”

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I got up at 3:30 AM and took a nice cold shower and got ready for the airport. When my father saw me ironing my clothes, he asked me to also iron his clothes, which I did, along with my mother’s clothes. We waited until 5:00 AM for aunt A to come downstairs. When she didn’t my mother called upstairs to make sure aunt A is ready to go. I then asked the maid to lock up the dogs so I can load the truck with the suitcases. It was a nice drive to the Wattay International Airport. Many people were walking and jogging on the streets. Merchants are also pushing carts to the local market. Aunt A said it is a trend for people of Vientiane to get up at 4:30 or 5:00 AM and do their morning exercise by either walking or jogging on the streets before going to work.

When we arrived at the airport there were no one in front of us. It was a smooth process checking in. We were one of the few Lao people at the gate. There were so many farangs that they had to divide the passengers into two flights, with our flight leaving 15 to 20 minutes later. The flight to Pakse was comfortable. I was afraid of getting motion sickness since I forgot to take my motion sickness medicine with me.

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After a few hours of sleep I woke up early and got myself ready before my parents woke up. When the maid got up to put the dogs back in their cage my parents got up. We then walked back to aunt V’s villa. After a shower, I gathered all the dirty clothes so I can do laundry. The washing machine in the house was broken and I was prepared to wash my clothes along with my parents’ clothes my hands. After we all took a shower and ate breakfast, my parents went to meet some people, whether for a friendly visit or to deliver things and to meet my father’s uncle and his wife from the US. The couple went to Laos a couple of weeks before my parents. We were supposed to go to Pakse and to Wat Phu Festival together and a decision must be make whether or not we will take a bus or go fly to Pakse. Since there was only enough room in the truck for three people I was left all alone. It was not a big deal since one uncle lives next door and his wife is home during the day.

I was cleaning up around the house when aunt K showed up. She was checking in on me and brought fruits that I like for me. My uncle B and his wife also walked over to visit me. Later uncle X showed up as well to see if I want to check out his place and his business. It was around lunch time and we decided to go have Fer or Pho for lunch. Aunt K teased uncle X saying that he should be the one treating us for lunch. We then followed him and for some reason he just took off in the wrong direction. Uncle B and his wife saw us and said we were going to the wrong Fer restaurant.

When we got to the Fer restaurant, we waited for uncle X to appear. He was a no show and so uncle B called him up to see what was going on. As in turned out uncle X had something to do. I thought it was odd and rude to change a plan at the last minute without saying anything after an agreement was made. Aunt K and I would have gotten lost if uncle B didn’t see us on the road by accident.

After we got back from lunch, aunt K went home and I was left alone. My uncle B and his wife told his daughter to stay with me. But after a few minutes she went away to play with her friends. There was nothing much to do, except to wait for my parents to return and watching television. My aunt V had cable installed before she went back to the US so I was able to watch a few channels in English.

After an overnight bus ride from Pakse, we were back in Vientiane around 6:00 AM. I took a shower and packed my suitcase. I didn’t know where I will be sleeping that night. After breakfast aunt K took me to the airport to pick up my parents. I haven’t seen my parents for three months and was anxious to know what my mother would say when she sees my new hair cut.

An MV from one of my favorite Dutch band, Epica. This is from their first CD, The Phantom Agony Album (released in June 2003).