email #1 from laos

hi friends!

i hope this email finds you all in good spirits. i'm not really sure what time it is over in the US, but its 10 am here in Vangvieng, Laos. If you've never heard of this city, don't worry neither have I, but we had dinner here last night by the Song River and I honestly saw God in the clouds. The scenery here is beautiful

Aside from seeing God in the clouds during dinner, I also saw Him when I was in the bathroom afterwards because damn, the food here is spicy as heck! (mind you, I don't want to use God, damn, and h-e-double hockey sticks in the same sentence - part of my new found spirituality, more to come later). It's funny because I know some of you didn't even know that a country called Laos existed, but I have to say the culture is so rich.

being here in laos is amazing. i really didn't know what to expect from this country, but i have to say the people AND THE FOOD are amazing! we spent a week in the capital interviewing various people from the ministries of education and health about their services for children under age 5. if you didn't know, i'm working on a UNICEF project looking at how 4 countries (cambodia, laos, zambia, and kenya) are developed their education and health systems for early childhood (under age 5). my main work is interviewing officials at the central, provincial and district level, then village people (haha).

anyway, the vientiane capital is pretty much a shitty tourist trap so there was nothing really special. one awesome thing though was when i went to a buddhist temple with my professor, pia, and we made a food offering to the buddhist monks. (remember monks live off of the donations and alms that people give, so at 5am, they walk up and down the streets and people make food offerings). the religious reverence in the temples is inspiring. just to sit and close your eyes for 10 minutes then open them to a beautiful temple is something you never experience in the US.

for the past week, we've been in a middle to low developed district, in which what they lack in development, they make up for in natural beauty. the mountains, the clouds, the river, the trees - i've never seen colors this vibrant in nature. as you can imagine i've been taking pictures like crazy.

pia has now left and i'm the sole US team member, accompanied by a translator, the UNICEF rep, and a Ministry of Education rep. we're traveling to the least developed province today and luckily they have this site called the Plain of Jars in the Xienghuang province - I'm super excited to see it.

What I do have to say to you all though is what i've learned from meeting with these schools and parents and administrators from the local villages. we visited a primary school which was literally half completed - dirt floors, broken shutters, old chalkboards donated from korea, NO BATHROOM - i can't imagine kids going to school in this. we later learned that with 24 million kip ( EQUIVALENT TO $3000) the entire school can be built. $3000 - this is my macbook - it has really made me rethink a lot, so i'm hoping my email shows that. i'm starting to sound like a commercial, but seriously the lack of resources these people have is astounding and the fact that they still smile is beyond me.

anyways, i'm not sure what type of internet access i'll have in the province when we get there tonight, but if i have service i'll email again.

i miss everyone terribly and i hope you are all doing well at home or at work or wherever you all are.

kap chai! ( i think this means thank you, but lets just use it as goodbye)