@ Home in the city...

Aw, first off..."thanks for reading". I was feeling a little glum and posted last time about wondering if anyone reads this. The day after we got a phone call, then emails, and comments and OK.. I know you guys are still there. I know we connect with allot of you on FB.. if you know our email you can find us there. I was a little worried a few weeks ago because Vietnam has been limiting FB and Twitter.. I imagine someday that might happen here. I don't know.. hopefully not. I still read accounts of people stepping over 30 years ago and wonder how they emotionally did it. I mean I know "how" but .. ; )

So. Hopefully these photos post.. a few shots from our "home" here. We've had less work the past week so we've actually had a chance to do some things around here. This Saturday however we head north for a week. (20-27) Looking forward to that. Although, it will be a challenge. I am frustrated with my Lao not being better than it is.. I am vowing to concentrate more on it in the coming months.. J has learned more by teaching English. Somehow, my classes don't work that way. I really need to go back to Lao school somehow. Finding a tutor has proved impossible. As westerners, we tend to think we know a language we can teach it. Here, unless you are a teacher you feel you don't know it well enough to teach it. Reasoning that "you know more than I do" falls on deaf ears.

So, I digress. We are heading north. We haven't really been able to figure out accommodations or anything since none of our friends here have ever visited it. Going to do a big loop. It's a 16 hour bus ride north , then we will take a river boat back half way downstream and then the bus back. It will be good to get out of the city.

A preview photo.. thank you www for letting me glean. ; )

A young student is coming with us because his family lives in the northern city. He was "geng jai" (uncomfortable, embarrassed) but now OK because he thought his village will be too country for us. I always fall back on "I was born in the country, it's OK. My family had pigs when I was little.. we grew a big garden with corn and blueberries..and ..." and somehow that smooths out the "geng jai-ness" (See Mom + Dad, who would have thought my early years would prove so valuable halfway around the world?!) Actually, J started it.. he would say "she's from the country" and realized it elicited smiles.

So, if I don't blog again before we'll see you on the flip and post photos of our trip then! Lots of love. Great to hear all the things going on in RI and elsewhere.. Keep us posted on all your news too, we love reading! :)))

free wall art! window 'screen' found on our roof..

home is where the coffee maker is. our little maker from "da hill" back in RI

bedroom. yes. still sleeping on the floor. it probably won't change.

main room after painting.
kinda sorta have a kitchen now. still doing dishes in the shower room sink.