Laos 1999: Mosquitoes, Lao Aviation

Stories of a Backpacking Addict

Subject: Mosquitoe KILLER

Hmm. Just killed my seventh mosquitoes of the day. I don’t know if it’s because I got bitten badly the night before, but suddenly they seem to be EVERYWHERE trying to get to my tender and tanned flesh. Grr. Kill
Kill Kill. Or maybe it’s because I just finished this completely insane but very beautiful SF book called “Vurt” by Jeff Noon, that made me into a vicious killer of mosquitoes. I don’t usually like SF books, but man this one got to me, and I just couldn’t put it down. BUY IT NOW..

Anyway here I am in the office, and Mr. Vilikan, my boss, said I could spend some time emailing to my hearts content because I have worked SO hard in the last few days. YAY!! He even offered to buy me chocolate chip cookies because the cleaning lady threw out my half eaten packet. I said it was okay, I bought some more for my kids in the afternoon class already. My god, this is the first time in ages I feel like
someone APRECIATES my work. What a feeling….

Right now I am working in Lao Aviation, the state owned airline of laos. It’s really small, and trying very hard to improve their safety standards and world standing. What I do is write all the ads, the letters, the press releases, re write their already existing announcements etc. They give me what they have already written and I just put it in better English, and add bits and pieces that I think is appropriate.

I also teach two classes a day. I teach the sales people how to deal with customers, and the flight attendants to do the same. I actually sit down and prepare lessons for them, and am running around with
this huge stack of paper all the time. Me?? It cracks me up when I think about it.

Mainly though I try to explain things like customer service to them, and try and tell them they can’t say “yes,” when they don’t understand what someone is saying, and have to pay attention when someone speaks to them. It happens a lot here, as some of you who have traveled south east asia. People always nod even if they have no idea what the hell you are saying, or they run away, and you have no idea if they heard you or not. Sometimes they run away and get everything right anyway, and sometimes you just wait and wait and wait until you realized they have gone and never to return.

I am also trying really hard to give them some confidence and explain they don’t have to speak perfect English, especially when a lot of travelers don’t speak much English anyway, and that the most important thing is to get the job done. I think I am getting through. Sometimes I actually see improvement.. arg… It scares me to like teaching so
much.

The worse part of the job, apart from I end up only having half an hour for lunch instead of the two hours a day I am supposed to get, is I start correcting everyone’s English and pronunciation. I mean I am having a normal conversation with someone and suddenly I will go, “no, Cash. C.. C.. ash, CASH. See easy?” Occupation hazard.

Today is Friday and this job ends in a day, I have so much more to do and so much more I want to teach my students. Mr. Vilikan offered me a three month stint, and he said they would provide me with an apartment and a car etc if I stay. I am thinking about it. Maybe.. But first I told them I want to go home first for a bit to sort out mail, taxes, bills, etc. I can’t expect poor Elaine to do all of that indefinitely while staying in my flat. Maybe.. who knows.

I really like Laos. It’s really mellow, and people are really nice. I mean REALLY nice. Like people always say “Oh and the people were really nice” when they travel and the truth is all those people are nice to them because they are getting over charged to hell, and that they want money from them i.e. closest memory to all this is VIET-Uky-Nam. Grrr.

EIGHTH Mosquitoe. No wait.. tenth.. Eleventh. Really no kidding.. A group of five mossies just descended on me just now. One more flying around but I can’t get to it. I think they must have all hatched this morning because the weather just got a little warmer. They are HUGE here.

Bummer I must go, I just got some changes to make on a letter.. thirteeth… before class starts.

I have so much more to tell.. like what is Vienchan like and my plans, the people I have met on this trip, and as requested some by some of you a little bit more about Laos ..fourteeth… and the people..

Ya? Talk to you soon.

Yan.

Few Days Later…..

Subject: I GOT A JOB!!!!!

I am starting to think if I kill any more I will be making irreparable damages to my karma. I was like one hour late for work, and man, was I glad to find my boss was also hung over and came an hour and a half late. Now this is my pace of life.

Sorry the last email was so long. I read it and it bored me to death. No more rambling.. or at least less.

I got the permanent job offer I was expecting. The deal is really good. Not too much money, but about 300 times the pay of the average person, and a 100 times more than the managers.

Free plane tickets anywhere in Laos. I think I might take it. They asked me to stay one year, but I said three months. Not too long. Maybe extend it if I want. What a thing to put on your resume, and what an experience to have. I fly home in about Jan 10 2000, and they fly me back. Still mulling over it. Bit shocked. My boss was going on about how my students love me and that they asked him to ask me to stay and I would break their hearts if I left. Pretty intense.

I have to go deal with the mossies!! But how can I complain? I even get free lunch and a DRIVER back to my hostel from the airport. I better run before my legs are eaten.

Yan

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