Work

28-3-7
I visited my workplace. I was picked up on the back of motorbike. I wish they had told me and I would have brought my own helmet along so I wouldn’t have had to use one that would do more harm than good in an accident. It seems like a nice workplace. It’s a big house with views of rice paddies and cows out the back. There are about 12 people in the office. People generally speak English well there so it might be a bit more challenging for me to learn Lao.

Last night I met up with a guy I had studied with whom I hadn’t seen for a few years. It was really good to see him, he looked much more mature than when I last saw him in business clothes and all. He looked a bit surprised when he saw me- I must look older and different too. It was really good to see that he had done something worthwhile with the degree. Coming to Laos, I can start to appreciate how hard it must have been for him to come to Australia, from a small town to a much bigger city. Hopefully I’ll see him regularly this year.

I’ve been trying to get into a bit more of a healthy lifestyle. I have access to the Australian Recreation Club pool, which is a really nice pool on the Mekong River. I do notice the disparity though, as right beyond the fence there is a farmer working hard tending to his crops. I’ve also had a go at soccer, although I did inhale a lot of dirt due to the grassless pitch. I’ve also had a go of aerobics on the Mekong where dozens of women and a few men dress up in fluoro clothes and jump up and down along to loud music.