Vientiane Day 45. The Day Project Inspire 2012 is launched.

I gave my heart and soul to launch the first Project Inspire in 2011. I'm happy that we get to launch it again this year.

We're searching for the young and young at heart between 18 to 35 yrs old who are looking to improve the lives of women and girs with US$25,000 grant. Please LIKE Project Inspire on Facebook.

Vientiane Day 43. It is a small world after all

Me : So you're from Normandy right?

Yubi: Yes.And where in Jakarta are you from?

Me : The south.

Yubi:Which part?

Me : Near Plaza Senayan.

Yubi: Aah..Kebayoran Baru?

Me : Yes.you know the area?

Yubi: Jalan Hanglekir....

Me  : What??

Yubi: Jalan Hanglekir delapan or Hanglekir tujuh. I can't remember...

Me : My house is at Hanglekir delapan.

Yubi: My office was there. I stayed there on weekends from February to April last year when I'm not on the field. It might have been Hanglekir tujuh.

Me : Do you remember there's this house that tries to look like Ghaudy with ugly dragon head sticking out of it's gate? I always pretend the dragon tries to eat my head.

Yubi : Yes, that's the street. My office is accross this big house with palm trees on the corner.

Me : That's the street where I live. We were probably 50 meters away from each other at some point.  

Yubi: Yeah. I must have passed by your house many times.

Me : Ha.what a small world.

And then he sent me a pix of his office. A house 5 doors down from my home.It's a tiny planet after all.

Jedi Camilla met her match

After roaming the galaxy for decades, Jedi Camilla met her match up in a northern Thailand town called Mae Sot. One evening after fighting for justice to the human kind, Jedi Camilla met the perfect compatriot for her crusade : The Firesaber Warrior. 

Je suis une Jedi

WISHFUL THINGKING JEDI WAS.

Firesaber Warrior is actually a circus performer from SPARK! Circus.A group of international volunteer circus performers who come together to entertain disadvantaged children (And NGO workers) in refugee camps, migrant schools, hospitals and orphanages along the Thai Burmese border. Their fire shows were awesome.

What was I doing at the border? It was for work. Check out more photos on my Facebook

When I met a group of Burmese migrants involved in Financial literacy training that UN Women Singapore funded through Project Inspire, I realized that our national motto of 'Unity in Diversity' is not a total bullcrap. The ethnic minority in Burma fled the country because they are intimidated by the authority, ousted from their village or simply had to leave to make some living. In Thailand, many of them live in the dump, constantly in risk being arrested by the Thai police and thrown back into Burma due to the absence of legal documents(how do you process documents in these circumstances?). Where again, they will be opressed and likely forced to leave their home.again. 
Dating back since the colonial times, the ethnic communities have lived segregated lives, speak different languages (and not necessarily speak the national language either) and bind by different rules and policies. 
If your ethnic group defines your rights, Indonesia and its over 300 ethnic groups will be a big messy country. Well, we are one big mess right now. But at least we speak one language and my family and friends were never forced to leave their homes because we're not from the 'right' ethnic group.
I guess pledging Sumpah Pemuda and Bhineka Tunggal Ika are some of the smartest things that our previous leaders ever did.



  

Vientiane Day 37. Camilla's Country Development Index

Just like the UN and the Millenium Development Goals, I too have developed a set of country development indicators. I measure:

1. The availability of good quality tampons at reasonable price.

Period is a messy business when you don't have a good measure. Many girls in Africa miss at least 7 days of school in a month because they don't have proper sanitary pads, if at all.

Women should always have the options. Wings, maxi, light flow, heavy flow, over night, regular absorbency or super absorbency. It is our basic rights as consumers. Tell that to supermarkets in Lao. They only carry lame tampon brands, without applicators. And I'm not putting anything lame inside me. I'd rather fly to Thailand to stock up. Which I did. Well, I actually flew there for a meeting. But I make visit to Boots a highlight of the trip. I'm now well absorbed till end of April.

That's the plane I took for tampon shopping.

2. The quality of the local KFC chicken.

It's the first junk food I ever ate. So full of memories, just like home. KFC chicken in the Middle East is the best, it's huge - over the top. Just like everything there. KFC China is too oily. Singapore is rather dry, because the meat is frozen and imported.But I love the breakfast menu.

If there isn't any KFC outlet, that country better have beautiful beaches, mountains, great bakeries and lots of good looking people to make it up. I forgive you Laos.

KFC breakfast waffle. LOVE.

3. The number of people who recognize these images

 

I'm an addict. I'm just offended if people don't recognize my life lines.

4. The quality of the aerobridge

Aerobridge is the first thing that greets you when you landed in a country. If it shows any sign that it will cause you harm instead of getting you safe to the next destination, you must be in a LDC. Or that place should be in the list. If it's one of those airports where you step off an international flight uncovered then you climb 2 sets of stairs to get to the terminal, then you must be on your way to visit me in Vientiane. 

Vientiane Day 32. I did the nasty.

I ate this today. Roasted.

Apparently roasted honey comb is a popular food in Laos. I took a piece when my colleague offered, saying that it is sweet. Well, you think the place where the bees put all the honey will be sweet, right. WRONG. It's savoury, bordering salty and nasty. Partly because the dead baby bees are trapped inside the combs when it's put on fire.

 If you se the dark-ish color inside the combs - that's where dead babies are. Some of them are in my stomach, in form of unidentified mashed.

30 Days of Vientiane.

Happy Valentine's Day. I went to a beautiful spot in Vientiane with the whole UN Communications group.very romantic. The whole day meeting isn't. But the place is.

Vientiane Day 28. La Chandeleur

A thing that I like about the French, they have a festival dedicated to eating crepes. LIKE.

La Chandeleur was actually celebrated on 2nd February, it is a feast to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the baby Jesus. But since we went away for my birthday, we have a belated La Chandeleur and a small housewarming today. 

Crepes are easy to make. Flour, eggs, milk. That's all you need. The topping is where the magic happens. We had an impressive line-up today. Tuna, cream cheese, tomato, nutella, banana, mango, lemon, pineapple-orange-passion fruit jams, coffee & green tea Haagen Dazs....and the list goes on.

We're crepes over dosed.

Vientiane Day 27. See and be seen in VTE.

After four weeks being surrounded by fellow foreign workers and tourists whenever I hang out, I asked my friend, who's been here for over a year, where do the hip and happening Vientianese go. The canteen TV always screens Laotian pop music videos and they're not bad at all. So I want to see where the cool people on TV hang out in real life.


My friend Anf threw a farewell party last night, starting with dinner at "Moon the Night", a restaurant with a great sunset view and delicious local food, followed by a karaoke session and spontaneous decision to dance the night away at the "Marina" - a popular entertainment center where the Vientianese go to see and be seen. 


I spotted a modest use of hair products among the guys. Dark pants and long sleeve shirts seem to be the trend. The petite-figured Laotian girls flaunt it all in tight mini dress.And they're blond. Thai pop songs reign the music scene as well as Pitbull, Usher and the Oyo-yo dance number which I don't bother to search for the title.  Two butches was about to fight before the bouncer stepped in and pulled them apart. Drunk American tourist came on too strong to a pretty Laotian girl who doesn't speak English. And Anf break it down in his robot dance moves. All is good in VTE.

The best part was when the sprained-neck Sarah and I had to cycle 5km back home in the middle of the night.POSH.

Vientiane Day 25. Happiness that new pedals bring

My trustee bike, Franso, got a pair of new pedals today. Never thought new bike pedals can make me happy. Franso's old left pedal was broken . Just imagine driving a car with the accelerator pedal split in two. 

Franso is named after Francois Ngin, one of the most happening streets in VTE, where I stayed during my first week. The street is lined with rows of hostel, restaurants, bars, cafes and in the earlier part of the day, messages and spas. Next to Francois Ngin, there's Nokkeokoumane street, where I go for one of my favorite things made of flour : bread and pastries. Freshly baked every morning. Bonjour!

My friend Soulivan is so kind to lend me Franso throughout my stay. She doesn't know her bike is now called Franso,though.

Without Franso in top condition,my exploration won't be as fun.

Franso has a cousin, Kolao Gonzales. Kolao is away on a trip and will be back on Monday.

Vientiane Day 23. Mon Petit Cochon.

Three supermarkerts, NO beef. I can't believe how hard it is to find fresh beef in this city. They sell it in the wet markets for sure which close before office hours end. Supermarkets seem to sell everything but. Even the Carefour of Vientiane. Mon petit cochon keeps staring back at me everytime I'm looking for my meat. 

Mon petit cochon comes in all forms : sausage, salami, smoked, roasted, rib...rows and rows of them.

I'm looking for the day when ma petit vache is smiling at me.In form of meat.

Vientiane Day 21. A $38 birthday trip

I'm proud to say we made an excellent choice to visit Nam Lik Eco-village for my birthday trip.2,5 hours tuk-tuk ride from Vientiane, it's a really nice change from the city. Kayaking,trekking,mountain biking, home-made bread and apple pie - all for $38. I'm lovin' this country.

Highlights include: 

• Sleeping on a hammock (first time ever)
• Home-made bread and apple pie (this worth mentioning twice)
• Being appreciative of decent intercity bus transporations (after 5 hours bumpy ride on a non-AC tuk-tuk)  
• Saw a collection of dead snakes belonging to the resort manager.And saw a real one slithering about the resort ground
• Did I mention it's $38?

More photos here

 

Vientiane Day 20. The start of my fertile year.

It rained for nearly 20 hours on my birthday. I tell myself it's a sign of abundant fortune and blessings for the next year. Though a friend said it's a sign of a 'fertile' year. Hmmm....I'll categorize that under 'blessings'. I do feel blessed. Receiving over 100 wishes while I'm away from familiar faces had made my day. On my 19th day in VTE, new friends have gone out of their way to make my day special. Birthday dinner-checked; Birthday present-checked; Birthday night out-checked; Birthday candle-checked; saw a half-naked French guy in a curly blond wig-checked.

Here's to my new friends...*clink*

A tuk-tuk will pick us up to go to Nam Lik eco-village in less than 7 hours. Wohoo. Birthday mode continues.

Vientiane Day 18. Planning my birthday weekend.

I never thought there would be an episode of "a birthday in Lao". Now it's here, I will make the most of it. It's going to be great. We watched a flamenco guitar performance under the star on the eve of my b'day. Somehow, I'll take it as a sign. The monsieur guitarist was great.

I set a place for birthday b'fast, b'day lunch, b'day sunset, b'day dinner, b'day night and b'day trip. 

It's 12:02 am. Happy Birthday to me.

I love flamenco guitar