Pi Mai-Two weeks of Lao Party

The Pi Mai holiday kicked off Friday night with our COPE work party. We started with a Basi to rid ourselves of bad things from the previous year and invite in good things in the new year. It involves striking the pose, as I am above. Not quite sure why but that's the way it's done in Laos.

Luckily I left before they broke out the Lao dancing and karaoke. I'm not sure my feelings toward Lao music will change much over the next year.

Pi Mai party number two kicks off Wednesday but truly very little seems to get done over the entire two weeks. Today was a going away party for Conny, an expat who works at the visitor's center. The combination of alcohol and extreme heat (only 94 degrees today) has sent me into a downwad spiral. It feels like nap time despite the fact it's two in the afternoon. I guess if you want to be at all productive in Laos you have to learn to function after throwing back some drinks with lunch. Back to work I suppose...