Sabaidi!

So what is life like in Lao P.D.R., you might ask?

The other day I was on my way to visit our potter Noukham on the outskirts of town. After riding through the usual assortment of bicycles, motorbikes, cars, trucks and buses – all of whom seem intent on making a journey on the road as interesting as possible – I was amused to find myself behind two guys on a motorbike, the passenger facing backwards and holding on tightly to a wheelbarrow full of dirt! They were cruising along at a leisurely 20 km/h on the national highway without a worry in the world.

Turning off the main road I noticed someone had decided to “resurface” the road to Noukham’s house. This entailed dumping an assortment of loose gravel and pieces of building materials into potholes and turning the road into an obstacle course.

At Noukham’s house some workers were installing new power lines along the street. Observing them over a period of time, I saw them manage to get their truck stuck in some bushes, insert the power lines in the wrong place at least three times, climb up a pole only to realise they had left their tools on the ground which they then asked a fellow worker throw up to them which took about five attempts. I was rather amused by all this, but realised they were all very happy cracking jokes and singing along to music blaring from their truck.

In Laos it often seems like things are done poorly the first time so they have to be redone again and again or that there is a lack of planning when approaching a task. But despite this, everyone makes a point of enjoying themselves and knows how to be happy. And really – isn’t this is the most important thing of all?