Goodbye Luang Prabang

This is the view I've been waking up to all week. It's tranquil and so very beautiful. I've always had a soft spot for Luang Prabang. I fell in love with the little town then and am still in love with it now. Although I can't imagine how I survived those months without much internet access!

Service at the hotel might be a little lacking, but it's very earnest and sincere. We should relax a little and follow their way. I forgave every hiccup, even when they gave me the wrong keys to the 2 locks to my room. Be nice here even when complaining and they'll be more inclined to help. Especially when I need their kindness in dragging a bloody heavy yellow box to and fro the front porch without the aid of any trolleys.

At the end of the week, in spite of bruising the bum on a leap over the balcony, breaking my key in the lock to the door of my room; tripping rather badly over a random square pot which poked a hole in my foot and bled for an hour, I'm still feeling rather chirpy.

I found a very sweet isolated spot in the resort for my morning stretches. The cool and crispy morning air and lower temperatures meant a very conducive environment for longer and deeper stretches. This morning's session was just perfect. It's a Saturday and I've very little on my mind. This feels almost like a vacation. :)

Saturday Jaunt To Town

I really dunno how to appreciate Lao coffee. It's like, kopi-o which I don't fancy. Neither am I interested in the breakfast at the hotel. They don't really do it the way I like it. The hosts are too kind and reduced every meal to Chinese stir-fry style without many spices or chilli. As a result, the body had a terrible craving for chilli and a good cup of cappuccino.

My free morning of the week. There needn't be any work done for the day. Bright and early, I went out to town, climbed 300 steps up to Phousy Hill. Many locals were there too. I hopped into 2 temples just to take a look and see what had changed. Then I got hungry enough to eat brunch.

Off I went to Joma Bakery. It's my default eatery in Vientiane and Hanoi. So I'm thrilled to know it's in Luang Prabang too. The fruit and granola parfait of sorts was just lovely. I wanted just scrambled eggs. But they came with toast and bacon anyway. So I ignored the bacon and ate eggs on toast with butter and jam. I figured that lunch could be skipped. Airplane food would be eeky. So I stuffed a croissant down as well. Heh. I asked for a double-shot cappuccino. Oh man, that first mouthful of caffeine tasted like heaven!

I spent a good hour in solitude at the cafe with a coffee, iPod and a magazine. A perfect Saturday morning. I didn't stir till the driver came to remind me that it was time to go back to the hotel to sort out the check-out and head to the airport.

Huean Luang Prabang

Once the Meetings were done, there was one last Closing Dinner held at the Huean Luang Prabang. The grounds are expansive and the architecture is rather grand. Dining outdoors in the cool evening was such a refreshing change to all the indoor restaurants. The lower temperatures meant that there were almost no mozzies to hassle us.

I was deathly afraid that we would be made to go up and sing, like the last time in Vientiane. At least this time in Luang Prabang, they had a guitar and a keyboard. I could play something, like "My Way" or "Honesty", or that "half and half" 881 song. Heheheh. Luckily they ran out of time and had to scrap that idea. But they didn't let go of the dancing. There was PLENTY of dancing and they made all of us do it.

There were 3 kinds of traditional Lao dances! Of course I haven't done them before. Rather different from the ones I learnt in Vientiane. A variation and new ones. So I had to follow the young dancers whose steps weren't very precise or clear. That is the one annoying thing imbued in my dance education. I've always been told to execute precision, not blurred forms. But I picked out the clearest lines from a slightly older dancer and followed her. Tis was easy! I quite enjoyed it.

Since my colleague gleefully squirmed out of the dancing and cleverly took my camera to snap away, I got these fun shots. She also took a video of me doing this! Arrrrgh! Okay, I don't look too clumsy in these shots. Heh. You will excuse my dowdy clothes- I am on a work trip!

Seeing The Mekong Again

Strangely, I'm not particularly hungry or into the food by now. I've a serious craving for pasta, or sambal something. I've had quite enough of rice and chicken. Seeing both simply turns me off the food and I rather concentrate on the scenery, the conversation, the humans and all other interesting manner of stuff, and try to be very politically correct in viewpoints or opinions voiced aloud.

While the other colleagues can return home earlier or head out for some sightseeing, the Boss and I are stuck in meetings all day. The other night, the colleagues and I merrily abandoned him while he continued a lengthy discussion for an inexplicable 3 hours. Poor Boss has no stable wifi in his room. I almost considered offering him my room for a few hours just so he can get some proper time online. He's as fidgety as I am without internet access. Ha.

The meetings are punctuated by picturesque lunch breaks with tables overlooking the Mekong. These are definitely a good break to the monotony of negotiations, discussions and presentations. I was a little self-conscious about taking so many photos. But when the other members in the group were obviously using their cameras more, I also merrily followed suit.

So while my brain cells are dying from being under-utilized here on one level, they're fairly active on another level. Again, I remind Singaporeans to leave your friggin Singapore notions behind. As a group, we adhere to group wisdom, however unwise it might be. Once we can do that and stop comparing, then we can totally enjoy the now and learn the nuances of country-to-country relations that no protocol nor diplomacy classes could ever hope to impart. This is the wonderful facet of my job. This should be the final major work trip I undertake before I leave. There's no reason for me to go on another of these developmental trips again. I will miss this terribly.

I've had the opportunities to learn so many things, and through my interaction with counterparts, while I don't deny our little island's achievements, I try to play down the seeming arrogance. I leave no legacy, nor do I care to do so. But in these few years, I've tried to have show another side of Singaporeans and hope that they won't think too badly of us in general.

Banana Pancakes

The colleague was very enthusiastic about the street food. The weather was kind and cool. It made walking around and staring at hot plates and woks very fun. Many stalls were selling crepes and pancakes. She went off to buy a pancake banana thingy. Well, the sign said 'banana pancakes'. But one can never be sure that what it said would also be similar to our interpretation of it.

We watched the vendor make the 'pancake'. It's really like a roti prata with bananas drizzled with condensed milk and strange tasting honey (more like syrup). She made us try the snack too. As suspicious as we are about the hygiene of street food, we took 2 pieces each. It was so unhealthy I swear! But it was rather tasty.

It was kinda fun to munch something as we strolled along the streets. But naah, it didn't pave the way for more cravings for items from other stalls. We were contented to just stare and look like dumb tourists who didn't know anything. Heh.

Meal Times!

Food on this trip is slightly disappointing. I'm hoping to try more of Lao flavors. But so far, the food is distinctly not cooked in traditional Lao style. The food simply taste like Chinese stir-fry. Very little spices were put in it. I think the hosts are concerned about taste buds and kept the flavors lighter so as to suit everyone.

One evening, they served spaghetti with chicken sauce at the side. It boggled my mind. It was the last thing I expected to see on the dinner table! There's SO MUCH CHICKEN at meal times! It's the holiest of the politically correct meat. Every frigging dish is filled with chicken that would be either sliced, minced or done in a paste! UGH. At least there's one teeny plate of fish at dinner. So very little vegetarian options. :( Luckily the fresh raw vegetables and sticky rice remain a staple at meal times. That's nice. I've had the usual white, the brown and am waiting for the black to make its appearance.

There was wine at dinner tonight. It was a very young, tart and sharp dunno-what kind of wine. There was no obligation to drink it. So I ignored the glass and concentrated on chatting with my hosts and other counterparts.

At The Night Market

The colleagues wanted to go out to the night market at Sisavangvong Road. I was a little hesitant, but I went along anyway. Otherwise, I'd get serious cabin fever.

The stalls spilled out onto the streets. It's amazing how they can just close off the thoroughfare for the night market from 5.30 - 9.30pm. It was the thing to do at night in a sleepy town- buy some scarves, lanterns/lamps, trinkets and knick knacks.

I thought it'd be crazy crowded, but no, it was a surprisingly pleasant walk meandering through the stalls. It was certainly very colorful. I'd would term it bustling due to the sheer number of stalls, but the wares lacked variety. There wasn't a teeming mass of humans elbowing me. It's unlike the ridiculously crowded and hot markets in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. How very pleasant!

The silver jewelry was rather intriguing. But once I realized they were hollow, I wasn't interested in them anymore. I wanted solid silver. There were some very pretty necklaces and accessories made of semi-precious stones in some of the shops at the sides. Pricier, but of slightly better quality. But nope, I didn't fall in love with any.

The colleagues were serious shoppers. They bought so many items and made many stallowners very pleased with their lack of bargaining. Heh. There were 2 items that caught my eye- a traditional village knife and a Y-shaped slingshot. I loved that knife and its weight. It felt very good in my hands. But clearly, taking the knife home on board an aeroplane was out of the question. I considered buying the slingshot. Sadly, it was unbalanced and not very well-made. It wouldn't throw a stone very far. So I left that.

I wouldn't have minded picking out Lao silk tops and all, but this was the wrong area to look for those. There weren't any blouses! Only eeeky tacky tees. I was very happy to come away with a whole bunch of photos and not a single tangible purchase.

We Didn't Eat Like The Locals

There were a number of stalls lining the street peddling rice, noodles and whatnots. I went closer to peek at one. It was like an economical rice stall in Singapore which offered a selection of vegetables, meats and unknown brown thingies in gravy. One could have white rice or boiled white rice.

We passed by stalls which were quite full. The locals weren't exactly sitting down to eat. I suppose the prices at these stalls are not kind to them. But I knew for a fact that the locals were quoted one fair price and tourists were given a higher rate. Still, the stall owners were mainly the locals here, so most of them took packed meals. Looking at the number of non-locals and tourists squatting on tiny stools by the roadside and merrily eating, we were almost tempted to follow suit.

We retreated to some random expat-ish restaurant for an egg phad thai. I was kinda hoping to go to the Indian restaurant which was halal. I flipped through the menu and saw some good vegetarian options. But the colleagues and I guess are kinda strangers to one another, so we're still doing that dance of doing things where we can select fail-safe options. The colleague must had been really tempted by the street food, but seeing that the other two weren't interested, she didn't ask us. Heeeeee. Oh well. The egg phad thai was good, just not spicy enough. Got MSG in there for sure. Baaah.

Down The Mekong

We laughed and laughed, but we had to do it. No better place than in Luang Prabang. We took a cruise down a tiny part of the Mekong just to see the sunset. This portion of the Mekong is largely unspoilt and almost free of garbage afloat.

There were just 3 of us on the beautifully varnished wooden boat. I was thrilled about that. It felt all nice and exclusive. Work was not on the top of our minds. That could be left aside for a bit. We excitedly chatted about Discovery's 'River Monsters' and what might lurk beneath us today.

The weather is pleasant- not humid and not at all scorching. It'll turn cooler next month, but it's alright now. There were only sounds of nature and the engine of the boat on the river. At some points, they turned off the engine and drift gently, just so let us soak in the serenity. Unlike Vietnam's Halong Bay where like ten thousand boats are fighting for space, it was just us and a couple of fishing boats. Halong Bay looks so much better in photos than the actual experience of checking it out. Here in Luang Prabang, it's still so tranquil. Such a rarity to find a quiet spot like this.

We lingered for a good hour or so on the boat. We simply enjoyed absorbing the sights and sounds of the area. Somehow, today's sunset didn't seem mindblowingly magnificent. It was quietly dignified and elegant.

Out In Town Before Sunset!

I had spent a long 2 months in Luang Prabang some time back and well, basically roughed it out. It's a beautiful beautiful place, one of the few unspoilt travel destinations in Southeast Asia. It's such a lovely feeling to be striding along on the uncrowded streets again.

Getting around in English was a little difficult. Not that many speak the language, which isn't a bad thing. It simply means that they don't see that many obnoxious tourists. Heheh. Try speaking in French, you might have better luck. When I was here years ago, I didn't speak Thai fluently. I forgot if the people in Luang Prabang speak it, or use the Hmong dialects. I listened hard, and I realized that while I might not fully comprehend Laotian, they will understand me when I speak Thai. So I gave up speaking English and switched completely to Thai. We had ummm.....'chaperones' of sort who absolutely refused to let us out on our own and then take a tuk-tuk back to the hotel. To put it mildly, they were flabbergasted when we suggested that. I had to talk very fast to convince them to let us out on our own. :p

There's a thoroughfare in Luang Prabang- Sisavangvong Road. Everything is there- the eateries, restaurants, the night market, staircase to the vantage point up on the hill, access to the river, massage places, etc. It's become more bustling through the years. Luckily (for some of us), tourist arrivals haven't increased to an astronomical figure, yet.

We had a bit of time and stole away to town. We strolled by the grounds of the National Museum. Nothing much has changed since the last I visited. But I'd love to stroll through the buildings proper and look at its art collections again, perhaps on Saturday.

The colleagues have some time off to wander around tomorrow and the day after, but I'm kinda stuck in meetings all day. BOO. They're going to the Kuang Si Waterfall. I IS JEALOUS! I would love to tag along.

Hello Luang Prabang

Waking up at 4.30am and then hit Changi Airport by 6am for a flight out is one of the worst possible timings for work trips, next to flying the red-eye or to Africa and the other side of the world. I'm so not a morning person. But I suppose waking up at 6.30am daily in Brunei last week trained the body somewhat.

A double shot of caffeine from Starbucks before I got on the plane didn't help. The moment I slid into the seat, drowsiness overtook. Apparently, there was a toddler who did this high-pitch whine all the way when we landed in Bangkok. Yours truly had ear plugs and completely shut out all sounds and dozed. Hahahah. I slept all the way to Bangkok.

Delays were to be expected. I was muttering under my breath that if the connecting flight was delayed, it better be because they were checking to ensure all luggage had been loaded. The colleagues rolled their eyes at my obsession with the yellow box. Hey, for good reason okay. Those stuff aren't mine!

In spite of the noisy propellers, I conked out all the way from Bangkok to Luang Prabang. And realized I had missed all my meals. Hahaha. Oh well, there's dinner in a bit. Then I want to sleep early tonight. I feel more jetlagged than a London-SIN jaunt! I like this sleepy little town. It doesn't seem to have changed very much. But there're plenty of changes. Major additions, but nothing that has altered the essence of the place. Let's hope I've a chance to explore the surroundings.

This Is My Trolley

One would think that I'm off for a 2-week vacation in Europe and lugging a carton of goodies for the friends and family. No lor. I'm just going to Luang Prabang for meetings. And as far as work trips go, this is the sort where all of us lug like one thousand things in the luggage.

I still love yellow. It's such a happy color. But I'm beginning to dislike this yellow box. It's so cumbersome. It's 18.3kg by the way. I'm not sure exactly what came over the people who packed the gifts for me and think that I'll somehow teleport them over to the destination. Well, I somehow very cleverly teleported the box home. I can lift it quite easily, no issue. Just don't ask me to carry it and walk for like 1km. Anyway, it's all been sorted. Luckily, I won't have to carry the box or my suitcase upon arrival in Luang Prabang.

Such a scary thing to do transit flights. But it's only 1 transit. I must have faith in our national airline and Thailand's. My singular thought when I checked in the box and 1 suitcase- 'never mind if you're late, please arrive at some point in my room'. I think I might have said it out loud, much to the amusement of my colleagues. Contrary to their teasing, the contents in the suitcase and the box are not exactly expendable. :p Technicality, of course.

I'm not too thrilled at the idea of giving away the corporate gifts inside, because it also means that our counterparts will reciprocate. On the way home, I'll still get a yellow box tagging along after me. I hope that the attendees at the meetings won't be carrying this much weight. So please, for the love of sticky rice, don't give me porcelain or glassware as reciprocal items.

Checking Out The Local Eats

When I came back to the hotel after breakfast, I realized the other work associates were gathered at the lobby for a jaunt out to the Morning Market (Talaat Sao) and the adjacent mall. I followed them. It wasn't so much of the shopping I was interested in. I wanted to see the sights again. Anything would have been better than staying in the hotel. The malls were surprisingly alive with alot of people (not tourists) and a fair variety of goods on sale.

While the work colleague went off to shop for the traditional Lao jackets, I meandered to the food court to look at the offerings. So colorful! Of course the ventilation was horrible. The oils and the smoke got to my eyes after a while. But before they did, it was very fun to walk around the stalls and wonder what I could possibly eat from here. A lot of choices of noodle soup and salads for picks.

Right outside the food court, there was a stall selling these butter cake-thingies. It smelt so good! It was something I've eaten as a kid, but I've no idea what this is called. It's just a butter-flour mixture waffle-like thing. The stall owner was making it there and then. Piping hot! I wasn't exactly tempted to buy a pack to eat it. It was the heady smell of baking that was quite awesome!

A Morning To Myself

On the one free morning in the schedule, it didn't seem prudent to sleep in. There was plenty of time to do exciting stuff that didn't involve paperwork. The hotel breakfast, while decent, was a little sterile and almost boring. I ditched it and went out to find something else to eat and breathe in some fresh air instead of just staying in till it was time to head to the airport. The shoes weren't bothersome. I could still walk in them and figured that the plastic could hold for a bit.

There was this silver jewelry shop that all the ladies raved about and showed off their purchases at dinner the night before. My colleague and I didn't go on that trip. After the day's meetings, we scooted off to the room to clear our emails. I thought about checking out that particular silver shop, but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

I grabbed a hotel car and went to the National Museum. I had missed out on that the last round because the hosts thought it more appropriate to take us to other museums. The National Museum seemed alot like this huge messy, haphazard office that reminded you of its original usage as the office of the police commissioner, the photos on the wall re-told the country's struggle against its colonial masters and some cultural depictions and artifacts when it was known as the Lao Kingdom of Lan Xang.

My early morning jaunt was concluded with a breakfast of pastries at one of the expat cafes in the town area near the Nam Phou Fountain, watching the world go by in a whirl of accents, colors and business. Vientiane isn't exactly the sleepiest of towns anymore. It's waking up slowly, but surely. This is the sort of solitude I truly enjoy on a work trip.

River Weed & Sticky Rice

Have I already said it? Minus the meats, I enjoy Laotian food very much. The vegetables are juicy and lovely. Due to the country's slower rate of development, pesticides haven't invaded the agricultural lands in a huge way. The vegetables are as fresh as they come. I love those tomatoes and lettuce.

The dinners also featured a lot of sticky rice in its various versions. I loved them all. There was white and black sticky rice in a bamboo roll. I picked the black roll which also had bits of mushrooms in it. It was served along with river shrimp and river weed. I loved this combination so much that it was my main for dinner.

This is definitely NOT seaweed or nori. The dried river weed is called khai peen. It has a distinctly murky smell. But when dried and treated this way with seasame seeds and deep frying, it's fairly salty tasty. I'm sure that it will go perfectly with a cold glass of Beer Lao dark. A pity I didn't dare to ask for beer. :p Water would have to do.

What Useless Shoes

Since the programme schedule doesn't seem to indicate any sort of free time, I gave up on naughty ideas to walk around the city. So, I thought I was being smart by bringing and wearing just ONE pair of shoes.

Before the trip, I checked out the hotel and saw that it was pretty enough and didn't even bother to squeeze in a pair of bathing slippers. It is nice. There's a rather proper set of room slippers provided.

These black flats match everything. They can go formal or casual. I'm not interested in wearing pretty shoes. I'm here to do a job and not overly concerned about fashion. The flats are cheap and comfortable. It could be thrown away after the trip. No sweat. Or so I thought. And this is the FIRST and ONE time I bring only 1 pair of shoes on a work trip, well knowing that I don't have easy access to a mall to get another. I win.

I found some time to go run around in the city. Not literally of course, but quite a bit of a trek. The whole business of perspiration is quite welcome after staying in an air-conditioned room for 8 hours a day. What I didn't bargain for, is for the heels to disintegrate after 3 days. I was quite flabbergasted to discover it this evening. The corner cobbler couldn't put on a new sole immediately. He said to leave it overnight and he would have it ready the next day. Well, too bad that I only have this ONE pair of shoes. If I didn't have a dinner to attend, I would have just walked back barefoot and wore bunny slippers around or something. The cobbler sold men's shoes. Ah well. The other shops sold dumb-dumb looking rubber flip flops. No point.

Luckily these shoes are the flat sort and not the 2-inch heels I normally take along on trips. I'm heading to Bangkok tomorrow night and a pair of shoes will be waiting for me upon arrival at the airport. Meanwhile, I think the plastic parts can hold out for tomorrow. I'll just have to walk gingerly.

I HATE MURPHY. He must think this is very funny. Hmmmmpf.

Our Little Red Dot

As a guest, I'm very much at ease in Vientiane. I like the food and the generosity of the people whom I've met so far. I enjoy their stories, perspectives and conversation. There's so much to learn on these trips which I otherwise won't see as a normal tourist.

At these work meetings, I truly appreciate how a stronger command of languages could gently ease some of the barriers and baggages that our countries carry in the nature of politics. We could set those aside and genuinely try to understand one another better. We'll not agree on some issues, but we could try to 'get' where the other is coming from.

The main language used is English, of course. But to be able to speak a smattering or at least adequately, a second or third language is priceless. By now, I'm acquainted with my counterparts, but at the start, we were all strangers and it was difficult to carry on an awkward conversation in English at tea or lunch. We can, but it's just....lacking in depth. The last I want to do is to drive home any pre-conceptions or impressions of Singaporeans the counterparts might already have.

Understanding Bahasa (but terrible with the spoken) when our immediate neighbors speak it, clue me in on so many complexities across all levels. Being able to converse in Thai fluently, granted me consideration from my hosts in Vientiane and brought me closer to my Thai counterparts. I can't do Cambodian or Vietnamese beyond the level of greetings, food and directions, but it's enough to break the ice. Alternatively, depending on the age group and luck, I can do rather passable French or Mandarin to both Cambodians and Vietnamese. A pity about Burmese and Tagalog.

At a dinner, as always, we were made to sing a song. Again, we were at a complete loss as to what song to sing. The band, using classical traditional Lao musical instruments, obviously knew all the 'famous' songs of the region and played them well as the counterparts took the microphone. Each country had a noticeable song, i.e. Bengawan Solo, Rasa Sayang, Loy Krathong, etc. When it came to our turn, I was like, shit. The emcee was like, "Just sing! The band will follow!" Seriously? Die lah. Confirm they couldn't do all the songs that rushed to the mind in panic. I wanted to sing Kit Chan's 'Home'. But nobody would know it! I didn't know enough of Chan Mali Chan or Geylang Si Paku Geylang or Di Tanjung Katong; I didn't want to sing those anyway, lest I be embroiled in some battle about copyrights and ownership. I didn't know any other English songs that were non-offensive. I bet the band didn't know how to play John Mayer stuff, not that I could sing it! So like all those Singaporeans who have sung before us at these platforms and meetings, we- 2 Singaporeans, reluctantly siddled to the stage to belt out Teresa Teng's '月亮代表我的心' (The Moon Represents My Heart). *cue poker face

And so, this is my two cents' worth of one facet of the unique geo-political position of Singapore.

Being Friendly

You know I'm not the most sociable person. But on this trip, I must be, or at least come across as warm, engaging and friendly because I reflect my job. My opinions aren't necessarily mine. Words said are meant to be for common interest and in line with standard protocol. But the familiar faces in the meeting room also mean that I can smile alot more than usual.

I appreciate the relationships and links built up through the recent years. I'd have loved to nurture them a little more and see where they go. Any new partnership we crave isn't going to happen overnight or even in a matter of a year or two. It's based on trust, interpersonal relations and how comfortable we are in picking up the phone to speak with each other. I'm a little wistful at not being able to push through the completion of many exciting projects. Oh well. The cycle of work drones churns. It doesn't matter who the human is, so long there is a human.

I haven't gone out much. Not exactly hitting up cabin fever yet. I do have a rather noisy bear to talk to. :p I'm a hurry to churn out my notes, file them and do some housekeeping on the laptop. Not very inclined to go out for a bit of a stroll. Our hosts have arranged lunches and dinners which means that I'm mostly stuck within a building. Fine by me. I'm not hot about sneaking out at night in Vientiane where its bars about women are not for women.

Another Quaint Room

Upon arrival at the hotel, I was glad that the staff ushered us through a really quick check-in process. It helped to keep us calm after a long day of travelling. Well, not that tiring, but it was time spent on the plane and airline lounges twiddling thumbs. The upside of travelling economy this time- the planes weren't carrying a full load of passengers. I had plenty of empty seats next to me on both legs of the flights to Vientiane.

Obviously airplane food was horrendous and at this hour, I could only order food from the room service menu, which was better than nothing. Once I sorted that out, I got down to the business of checking out the surroundings, the staircases, etc and then back to the room to unpack and making sure the wifi was working fine as they had no option of cable access, which usually works better in terms of stability. The wifi signal drops every now and then. Annoying.

After the initial approval at the state of the room, again, I had a little bit of a shock when I saw the bathroom. From the angle, there seemed to be only a dreaded bathtub. But when I poked my head around the door to the left, I was very relieved to see a shower cubicle. Whew.

I brought only a cabin trolley on this trip. Gifts for my counterparts were all merrily stuffed within. Hey, we're all travelling, I'd assume that all of us would have brought nifty handy gifts instead of cumbersome and heavy items. Heavy isn't so bad. I just don't want to deal with a large and unwieldy painting or something.

Goodbye Vientiane

Going through the thick file of papers was tedious. But the content was substantial and they kept me awake through the long drawn meetings. Plenty of patience, tact and equablility was needed.

I was quite nervous about this trip because I didn't know what to expect. Plus the big big boss was around. That scared me.

The big big boss left Lao PDR a day earlier. When we sent her off, she turned around, wagged her finger at us and grinned, "Don't be naughty." I almost fainted. The colleagues poked my ribs, "That line's for you!" Grrrrrr. Hello, she meant it for all of us okay!

When I flipped through my trusty notebook, I realized how far I've come in this job- from a blubbering novice to one who wouldn't be too flustered in the face of negotiations. Not an expert by any means, but a little wiser certainly. I guess the demands of the job have shaped a corner of my personality. I only hope that when I leave, my contributions would have been somewhat concrete.

Importantly, I'm grateful to these work trips which allow me to revive languishing personal side projects, actively and aggressively pursue these projects to fruition. So far, there hasn't been a conflict of interest at all. Perfect.