Since I’ve been in Laos for almost 10 months, I thought that I should document what a normal day looks like for me. I only have a little over a month left before I return home.

Just Another Day

I start the day by getting on the 29 or 31 bus to Dong Duk. It takes me about 30-45 minutes depending when I leave. (My classes start at all different times on different days of the week, so the time that I leave for school varies each day.) I pay 8,000 K to ride the bus one way. (The bus one-way rate used to be 6,000 K one way, but inflation hit hard across all of Laos, causing the price of most things to increase slightly. But anyways, documenting the increase does, however, make me sound like a verified geezer.)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2024)

I get off the bus either at the dirt road stop or at the Sok Dee café stop. (I greatly prefer the Sok Dee stop.)

I very rarely see dead scorpions, but I thought I’d include a picture. Scorpions in Laos get huge! I always stay far away from the dead ones though. You can’t be too careful!

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2024)

This is a dead scorpion I saw at CARE. They look exactly the same on the side of the dirt road at school.

There are cows by the Sok Dee café stop. They are far behind the bench. I have seen them close to the intersection a few times for some mysterious reason.

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2024)

Cows at school

In the Classroom & Cafeteria

Here is a copy of my schedule to answer all your burning questions! As a reminder, I don’t have school on Wednesday. (I work at CARE on Wednesday.)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2024)

In order: Pavina, Malio (Mit), Novice Outhai (ft. the random dog that comes into our classroom to sleep sometimes)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2024)

I usually eat lunch by myself since students rarely sit with teachers. However, this was a special day where my students asked me to have lunch with them, and I gave a wholehearted yes! Left: Beauty, Mani Right: Li Xue, me

Read about the amazing cafeteria food at NUOL

Some of my favorite things to eat are:

1. khao min gai (chicken & a spicy Lao sauce served with rice & cucumber slices)
2. pad gap pao moo (ground pork with chilis, Thai basil, & a soy-based sauce served with cucumbers & cucumber slices)
3. pad thai gai (rice noodles with egg, peanuts, bean sprouts, chicken, & a tamarind sauce served with chili powder)
4. khao na gai (Lao teriyaki chicken served with cabbage, half a boiled egg, & rice)
5. fried rice (rice with carrots, green onions, egg, onions, a soy-based sauce, & chicken served with cucumber slices)
6. pad see ew gai (wide rice noodles with chicken, spinach, carrots, & a soy-based sauce)
7. mee vai vai gai (spicy ramen noodles with carrots, cabbage, & egg served with a soy-based sauce & a vinegar garlic & chili sauce)

Sitting at the Dock of the Bay? No, at the Bus Stop

I walk to the bus stop immediately after class so that I can catch the bus as soon as possible. There is a special website you can use to see where the bus is on its route. However, some buses don’t appear on the map. Therefore, you have to wait at the bus stop to be sure that you don’t miss your ride. I’m pleased with the bus website overall. Pleasantly surprised even!

See where the Vientiane buses are as we speak!

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2024)

Malio (nickname: Mit), Novice Sy, and Novice Outhai walking to the Sok Dee bus stop. Notice that Outhai has a monk parasol!

I usually wait for the bus by Sok Dee café for 20 minutes to 1 hour. Sometimes I get lucky, and the bus shows up 5 minutes after I get to the bus stop. Key word: sometimes. Occasionally, I get to talk to monks or other students and ask questions. Monks Sy and Outhai wait with me 2 days a week. They stand to the left of the bus stop under a tree since they can’t sit next to women. I have sat in a single chair by myself, but they won’t take the bench! They are determined to stand.

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

I see lots of traffic pass me by at the bus stop. I see monks on bicycles and scooters pretty frequently.

Interesting Tidbits

I don’t have a specific place to put these things, but I thought I’d include them because I enjoy them.

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2024)

I pass this Cannon ball flower every day on the way to school. It’s beautiful! I’d never seen one before Laos.

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2024)

I frequently see misspellings around town in Vientiane. I don’t blame them because English spelling is hard. Sometimes, they’re pretty funny mistakes. This is my all-time favorite! Soulless grapes? I really hope you mean seedless!