It’s Tuesday night here. I leave in less than 48 hours. The last week has been unusual, to say the least. With the closure of the Bangkok airports, much time was spent trying to get a handle on what was happening there and sorting out whether there were any options for leaving Laos. I managed to find flights out via Hanoi and then onto Seoul, where I can join my original itinerary, which was L.P. Bangkok, Seoul. It sounds so easy now, just one little paragraph summarizing a change in travel plans, but it was so very fretful and stressful at the time...how long can the situation in Bangkok go on? are there options out of L.P.? when should I spend the money and rebook the flights?? With things settled, these questions no longer seem ... read more

My little friend Thong had his bike stolen. New bikes cost about $100-the equivalent of just over two months salary. He was just devastated. He admitted he had not locked his bike, but theft is a relatively new thing here, and folks are just getting used to the idea that they can’t leave anything of value lying around-sad, but true. The assistant manager at the place I’m staying had his motorbike helmet stolen in the two minutes it took him to dash into a store. Anyway, I ended up buying Thong a new bike. Just thought it was the right thing to do. He was very, very surprised and very grateful, and kept saying how I had given him so much and he had nothing to give me. I told him he could give me ... read more

wonderful change in the weather. after a week of hot, rainy, humid weather with dull gray skies, Saturday dawned with a blue, blue sky and much cooler temperatures. During the day were are still talking hot, but hot that is bearable, actually, more than bearable, it is actually pleasant. Early mornings and evening are cool-I have not had my fan on for three days now, and actually had a blanket on my bed last night. I wore my hair down today-for the first time ever. I have three things to tell you: 1. I thought I had seen everything in the morning market-while I go to purchase my onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower (yes, sometimes even cauliflower) I have become used to large toads, all manner of meat bits and parts-unfridgerated, of course-, fish, ... read more

It’s November 5. I leave Bangkok and arrive home a month today (the international date line is a wonderous thing). Knowing that my time here more than half over is an odd feeling-I’ve started thinking of all the things I still want to do, and my mind turns sometimes to what awaits me at home. I know it will be just wonderful to see my babies and my friends again. However, the economic situation has me somewhat frightened. I’m hoping it is not as bad as it seems from out here. In the last week, I have heard that Korea is or will soon be bankrupt. I do know there is an incredible push to acquire and hold onto US dollars. When I arrived here, no one cared if you paid in kip or $US. ... read more

I left Ottawa September 28, so I have been away almost a month. Sometimes it feels like I left yesterday, and other times it feels like I have been here longer than 3+ weeks. Suppose that is always the way with new places and experiences. Internet has finally arrived at my apartment. So happy I no longer have to trek up to the cafe, with my computer and power cord. The guy who installed the wifi is a Lao, who lived in Montreal and did internet stuff there. He has come back to Laos and opened his own company-very successful, as you can imagine. All the hotels and high end guest houses use him. The power was out several times this week, but only for short periods of time, so not really a problem. This ... read more