Yesterday we went to the That Luang Festival with our friend Mina and her two boys. The That Luang festival is celebrated among monks and laypeople all over Laos. It is a time when the Buddhists burn incense and give alms to gain merit for the afterlife. It lasts for several days. It was similar to a fair in the states. There was lots of food and other vendors selling all different kinds of things.
When we first arrived, everyone was making a big fuss over something we couldn't understand, but it turned out that the president of Laos was passing a few meters away from us. How exciting:)
We walked around, Inom on Michael's shoulders, checking it all out. Then the boys rode bumper cars - which Michael compared to an actual head-on collision, and he has the bruises to prove it. We ate dinner together, which consisted of lots of sticky rice, grilled chicken, and some other dishes I can't say. Mina and the boys ate one of the foods we read about before we came that we said we'd rather not partake of. It is an egg with a somehow cooked baby chicken inside of it. Isaac seemed to enjoy it. Mina ordered one for us, but she sent them back when she correctly read our body language and facial expressions.
It was a fun night to top off a pretty hectic day. We relocated to a hotel yesterday, which involved repacking and unpacking a lot of stuff. Baw pen yang..... Lao for no problem:) The place is very nice, but we already miss our surrogate family.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Our first week
We've gotten settled in to our temporary home for language study. Our host family has been very welcoming and hospitable. We're learning to do things the Lao way:) One new thing we're learning to do is take dip bathes. You use a scoop and a barrel of water to take your shower. We're also learning to eat the Lao way, which is to use your fingers and dip in community bowls.
Our language study has been great. We have class every day from 1:30 to 4:45. We've learned all of the consonants and next week we'll study the vowels. We've also learned to introduce ourselves and say some basic conversation phrases. It's still difficult for us to order food or ask for things at the store. Yesterday, Michael thought he was asking for water and they offered him milk.
Last night, Michael made chocolate covered pecans and we took them to our neighbors. The kids loved them. The little boy had chocolate all over his face. The children there are helping us with our Lao. They get a real kick out of us. The man of the house gave us Lao names. Michael is Sai and I am Duan. Sai means winner and Duan means moon.
Michael has gotten pretty good as driving the motorbike. The traffic near our house has been crazy!! We're making it in one piece from home to school to the one coffee place we know how to get to. It has been a real adventure.
Our language study has been great. We have class every day from 1:30 to 4:45. We've learned all of the consonants and next week we'll study the vowels. We've also learned to introduce ourselves and say some basic conversation phrases. It's still difficult for us to order food or ask for things at the store. Yesterday, Michael thought he was asking for water and they offered him milk.
Last night, Michael made chocolate covered pecans and we took them to our neighbors. The kids loved them. The little boy had chocolate all over his face. The children there are helping us with our Lao. They get a real kick out of us. The man of the house gave us Lao names. Michael is Sai and I am Duan. Sai means winner and Duan means moon.
Michael has gotten pretty good as driving the motorbike. The traffic near our house has been crazy!! We're making it in one piece from home to school to the one coffee place we know how to get to. It has been a real adventure.
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