Photo Montage: A day in the life of Francis in Vientiane

Greetings Capitalists!  I was feeling a bit bored recently and decided it was high time to update the blog again.  Since the last update, I've gotten Dengue, had tons of schoolwork to do and had my parents visit.  I will have blog updates shortly both Dengue and my parents visit.  I assume there is little interest in seeing pictures of me studying.  For now, a look at a day in the life of Francis in Vientiane.

Morning begins.  Standard wares on bed: laptop and Cognitive Psychology book with some withered palm trees outside the window as we're nearing the end of dry season.  

First sight out of the bedroom:  my beautiful wife.  Likely catching up on celebrity gossip on People.com

Head downstairs and greeted by Mit, our Mae Bon.  She is pretty much the sweetest person there is.

After getting ready and walking out the door, I am a greeted by the sounds of dog barking and  chicken shrieking.  Turns out the neighbors dog, Poppy (pictured)...

And Buddy...

Had cornered and were trying to kill our neighbors chicken...

Enter Muong, the gardener.  He saved the day.   Muong, like all Lao, is extraordinarily friendly.  Quick story:  He also takes care of the pool.  Trying to make a few extra bucks, he had sold all of the chemicals for said pool and rendered it both bright green and unusable for the month of February.  Upon hearing this, the people that own the house inexplicably gave him a raise.

Later, after putting on some of this...

So I don't get this again...

I hopped on this and made my way into town.  FYI, this is a Kolao Classic, joint venture company between Korea and Laos.  It's a 100cc scooter that we bought for 750 bucks brand new.  Life changer.  Awesomely fun to ride and allowed me to lean my around Vientiane.  Now, the route to kickboxing practice.

The dirt road we live on.  No idea what it's called.  To give directions to our house, we have to tell people to go to the closest embassy and give directions from there.

Our street from the opposite end.  Tin shack houses, stray dogs and chickens everywhere.



Turning right off our street you can see the local garbage burning area.  Who needs garbage pickup when you can massively pollute your own neighborhood for free?  The smell of this smoke is god awful and everywhere.  In a weird way, it is the thing I will always associate with and remember most vividly about this place.  Dusk is prime garbage burnin' time.




The greatest sign in the history of signs. 



Finally, I make it to kickboxing class.




My buddy Don (left) and our teacher Safaa.



Saf with your humble narrator.  Saf is an amazing teacher and has led an extraordinary life.  I should do a blog entry just on him.

So, I stopped here, Simuang, our local go-to Western food store which also has an ATM.  I pick up some cigarettes.  Carton of Marlboro Lights = $15.  Just about the price for a pack in NYC. 

Park across the street from Simuang.  This guy says hello.

  

  After hitting up the cash machine, I get a bunch of these.  The local currency here, the Lao kip, is 8000 to the dollar.  

Afterwards I invite my buddy Don to the house for some of this...




And we immediately negate our hour and a half workout with a lot of cigarette smoking and aforementioned coffee drinking.  Don displaying his Canadian roots via this killer Canada Rocks t-shirt.

After finishing coffee time with Don, I went to Joma Phonton cafe.  I eat here all the time while Alex is at work because I can't cook for shit.

I ate this.  It cost 3 dollars.

View from where I was sitting.  Even in Laos, there is always money in the banana stand.

By the time I finished eating, it was probably around 11:30am and I was sweating balls.  I checked my handy Samsung phone's Weather.com app.  95 degrees with heat index of 107.  It went up to 100 and 115 respectively by 5pm (which is the hottest part of the day).  Still not hot season.

After lunch, I stopped home.  Greeted by our UN mandated security guard, Khamount, and his daughter Liu.

After heading out again, I stop by the other Western food store by us to pick up a few things.

Stop by my buddy Steve's house to hang out for a bit.  This is the outside of his condo complex.

My man Steve.

 After hanging with Steve, I go back in attempt to study for a bit.  Doesn't happen.  Swim instead.

Afterwards, Alex and I grab dinner here - Aria.  Good pizza and pistachio ice cream were had.

End of the night, I treat my lady to a $1 DVD of Les Miserables.  I fall asleep.

THE END.