Sitting here in my apartment listening to a mix of pouring rain and Down the Line by José Gonzalez. I keep thinking about the fact that I’ve been here for four weeks already! I’m torn between feeling like I’ve been here forever and feeling like I got here just yesterday. You get into this routine that just becomes normal and you kind of forget what your life was like before. I’ve learned so much already from my time working in the national office and my brief visit to the field. There’s so much room for innovation and creativity in communications, and I’m excited to see how everyone in my department can combine their ideas together!
Our office sets up soccer games every other week and Friday night we had another game! So nice to see a girls team play and have all the guys be super supportive. And of course we cheer for them too.(Learned a few cheers in Lao…nbd) After the game we all met up at a restaurant and had such an amazing night; it was perfect. Getting to spend time with everyone in a setting other than work was fun and hilarious. Oh and I was on the verge of tears many times…not of happiness or anger….of pure inability to deal with the spiciness of some dishes. I was queen of eating ice cubes. At least I provided mild entertainment for some who thought my pain was funny. I love how the eating culture is based on sharing. You order dozens of dishes and pick what you want and voilà! I don’t want to tell you everything that is available to eat here (in case some of you end up visiting Laos), but let me just tell you that duck fetus’ were on the menu that night, and on the table. So yea…let that just sink in for a bit.
For those of you reading, I can’t guarantee that my posts will be about much else than food. I just love food, eat a lot, and so frequently you know… Gotta fuel up the ferrari. Also, I bought ketchup today so all is good in the world again. And….I FOUND A STORE THAT SELLS CHEETOS. YUP. After minor heart palpitations I came to my senses and resisted the urge to buy the bag. I’ll keep the purchase for when I’m really craving it.
I’ll work on my blog posts, promise. I’ll be posting more frequently, so come back!
A few photos below!
Adios amigos,
-Marielle
Red Wax Seals 