Vientiane fun fact part 2.

• Most places close for lunch including museums, temples, travel agents, tourist office, and sometimes... restaurants.
• There are too many French around.Trop beaucoup. Even the French think so.I picked up more French words than Lao.
• Fruit drinks stalls are everywhere.They use the term fruits shake and fruit juice interchangeably
• This is not a fun fact: The Discovery Channel is dubbed in Lao. Pfft. 

 

Vientiane Day 15. A Visa Run

My heart goes out to those who need to regularly do a visa run. I need to get out of the country and back to day. What a hassle. Apparently the immigration did not give me the correct visa when I arrived. Only a stamp for a tourist from fellow ASEAN countries. I remember the immigration officer handed back the reference letter, which I know now, which supposed to grant me the correct visa. WHY oh WHY?

Khem from the office toook me to the immigration checkpoint bordering Nongkhai, Thailand. I had to board a bus that took me to Thailand, queue to get my entry stamp into Thailand, then cross the street to queue and exit Thailand.   

The point is to re-enter Lao in order to get the right visa on arrival, which then my office uses as a base to get a reference letter from the Department of Consular to ask for extended stay permit from the Immigration Departmen. If all goes well. It should be ready in 6 days.Fingers crossed.Or I need to remain in the country till it's done.

Immigration checkpoints, bus ride and King Bhumibol.

Vientiane Day 13. The man under the tree

Riverside,where the Swedish buffoon passed out.

I was taking pictures of the neighborhood when someone with a foreign accent called out "Sabaidee".I turned to see a caucasian in his late 30/early 40 smoking under the tree. He asked me where I come from and he turned out to be Swedish. He just arrived from Bangkok the day before and had too much to drink the previous  night and passed out at the riverside. He woke up and found his belongings were stolen, including the passport and money. Well, he's a buffoon for passing out by himself in a foreign country. But then I remembered my horrendous experience being stranded for 5 days in shitty Kuala Lumpur because my passport, wallet, handphone,BB were stolen.

Back to the Swedish guy, Since it's a Saturday he can't really do anything to process his passport. He asked me if I can give him 20,000 Kip ($2.5) to call his mother, which I did. He had a pretty expensive looking glasses on and looked quite pittiful asking people for money. I just hope he learned his lesson like I did. You can never be too careful.

Vientiane Day 10. Words I never typed until 5 days ago.

Political commitment.Political space.National Assembly workshop.

National Strategy Plan. Results-based management.Women machinery.

Inclusion of gender-responsive budgeting.State budget procedures.
Legal review of provision for domestic violence. Conation.

Putain. I'll get my bike and meet you there.

Prince Chao Anou

Vientiane Day 8. Things I will never take for granted. ever again.

1. A good mop (and a matching bucket)
As Vientiane sits on the bank of Mekong River, and the fact that my apartment is 7 mins away from the riverside, the wind continuously blowing dirts and sands into the city. And VTE city is in a dry and windy climate this time of the year. Spaces and items accumulate dusts easily. When I first stepped into my room, it felt like Rolland Garos. I borrowed a mop and a regular round bucket from the flat's owner on the day I moved. God knows where the mop had been and what kinds of liquid the bucket had carried. The amount of dusts made me change the rinse water every 2 dips and I have to squeeze the mop with my own hands.Yukk.

So we decided to get a more 'modern' mopping tool set, the one that won't require you to put your hand in the murky water. The big traditional market near the house doesn't have it. Nor others that commonly found around VTE.We spent nearly an hour on foot to find THE mop at the one-and-only "Home Ideal", the Carrefour of Vientiane. It's pink. Yay.

2. A proper junk food.
You know how the Pope kisses the ground whenever he visits a foreign country? Well I honour the ground I walk on by visiting its local KFC chain. So far, I found KFC in the Middle East countries the best. But that's not the point. 
We decided to go for a junk food dinner at "MCK -  A Happy New Choice", a fried chicken chain from Guangzhou. I got the chicken burger and Sarah got the fish burger. You can't go wrong with a burger, so I thought. Well, my chicken was on steroid and Sarah's fish burger was...just wrong.

Why a Guangzhou joint? Well, it promises absolutely delicious mouthwatering experiences. Plus, there's no Coloner Sanders chicken or McD here.

3. Hairmet
Watch Scrub season 3 episode 4:My Lucky Night. John Dorian's Hairmet is a genious invention. It is a helmet that prevents his hair from being mussed.

I can't let my investment of time and energy to work on my hair wasted within 10 mins bike ride to work. Now I know why most people at work have messy hair.

Vientiane Day 7. Sarah Gonzales the Imogen Heap

I was trying to remember who Sarah looks like. Now I do. Imogen!. Even Sarah thinks so.  

Vientiane Day 6. The day we cycled 10km to buy cutleries and can opener.

My new flatmate wanted to check out a garage sale for some household stuff. As usual, in the absence of an exact address, we follow the direction given to the place. Go along this road until you see a shop that sells swimming pool (?), turn left follow the street until you see a neighborhood shop, turn left and you see a house painted in light blue. Very Clear.

We cycled forever under the sun on what looks like a highway to Vietnam.And passed a signage that says KM4.(Whaaa...t). We got lost. We just have to.

We got there around 2pm and everything almost gone. "People came here early", the lady said. In the spirit of shopping, and the fact that we have cycled accross Vientiane, we got ourselves drinking glasses, butter knives, spoon and can opener. Significant.


The best thing we got is a Budha embroidery that the seller used to wrap our glasses.

Clockwise:4km sign!, Sarah asking for directions, passed Singapore embassy on the way.

The loot.

Vientiane Day 5. People that I met.

Janet.Khemphet.Ting.Mit.Kikou.Laura

Sarah.Sarah.Julia.Julia.Renu.Nganh.Nina

Patricia.Mathilde.Diego.Toby.Allison.Kelley.

Diego.Hannah.Anna.Martha.Iwone.

Rob.Shane.Soulivan.Delphine.Sophie

Vientiane Fun Facts Part 1.

• People go home for lunch.
• Most places don't have address.They'd indicate location by the closest landmark ie.temple,market,hotel, clinic.
• It's such as small place that I bumped in to the same people in different places for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks.

Vientiane Day 4. Four ways of going to work.

Day 1: Got conned by Tuk-Tuk driver and I agreed to pay 30,000 Kip (less than $4) for a trip to Patuxai,where UNDP building located. Travel time: a little over 10 mins.
Pros: convenient, shaded, fast

Cons: 30,000 kip is pretty costly for Vientiane (a good meal in a fancy cafe cost 25,000 kip)

Day 2: Bargain for 20,000 kip of tuk-tuk ride (less than $3). 

Pros: convenient and cheaper than 1st day.

Cons:Another person ride on the same tuk-tuk and the driver dropped him off elsewhere first before me. I was 10 mins late for work.  Never say one hor uncle!

Day 3: Walk to work. Travel time: a little over 20 mins

Pros: I get to know the streets, it's a nice scenic walk, I get some excercise, it's free
Cons: I have to leave earlier and shed some sweat

Day 4: Rent a bike for 10,000 kip (a little over $1 for 24 hrs) and cycle to work. Travel time: 10 mins
Pros: it's fast, cheap, I get to excercise and can keep the bike for the rest of the day

Cons: It's hot and I smell of car exhaust afterward.

Day 4 is my favorite.

Thank you for today!

Vientiane Day 3. The Bachelorette's Pad

This city is full of hidden property gems and the ultimate bachelors' and bachelorettes' pads. If I come back to this city for a longer term, I'm gonna stay in one of these houses: http://uniquelaos.com/projects.htm.

Vientiane Day 2. Workplace in a country where some friends thought has no internet

Vientiane Day 1. You Never Try,You never Know.

After a week full of packing, moving and farewell night outs in Singapore - Vientiane Day 1 followed by numerous dusty tuk-tuk rides to view apartments, a 30 mins walk  in the scorching heat to find a telco company only to be told that Lao network doesn't support BB with a local number.

Spent 30 minutes surrounded by 3 people who wanted to help me view an apartment. None of them speak English. Then I found out it's not the right building.

Dragged myself out to eat. Nearly fell asleep by the street side.

I heard a loud drunk Australian said the men in his family get to live to 100 years.

A ride to work

I overheard a tranny whispered "You never try, you never know", to convince a middle-aged white guy in a rasta hat.

I haven't even been here for 24 hours.

A (Temporary) Goodbye Kiss to the place where I pay my taxes

Fitting a life into a suitcase

I tweeted "Packing is much like moving on.You need to leave unnecessary things behind to make space for the more important things in your life". I felt so smart for 1 hour after that.
With 23kg allowance, I'm left with many decision-making tasks;
- The black palazzo or the navy blue baggy?
- The boy cut or the skinny jeans?
- Hair dryer or straightening iron?
- The mustard or the black backpack? the beige sling bag? 
- Grey sneakers or the brown Gola?


There's no such things as 'travel light'.

They said it's my work visa. I believe them.