TIL - This Is Laos

I have endless blog topics about living over here, just not a lot of time to sit and write.  But I must share at least a story or two about working in Laos to give you a feel for why I often say “TIL – This is Laos”.  Said with the similar shoulder shrug to the way Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Blood Diamond said “TIA” to explain the inexplicable … as if to say, this is the way “it” is because “this” is where we are.   In Laos, though, it’s said with a bit more of a chuckle because it’s often used to explain away simply funny, albeit sometimes frustrating, experiences. 

For instance, today I went with one of my Lao colleagues to a meeting at the office of the head of a government department to discuss a land lease for a hydropower project.  The sign on the door where we had to check in with the secretary said “Land Dispute Resolwtion” which reminded me of some funny signs I saw when I went to check out a gym last week (posted below).  I have no idea what the new promotion sign means.  As I have no idea why it’s apparently appropriate to watch TV while discussing an important agreement in a major project in your country.

 

We’d requested this particular meeting about 3 months ago and were informed finally last week that the meeting would be held at 9:00 this morning.  TIL.  When I arrived at work this morning, my Lao colleague said he received a call that the meeting would be postponed until 9:30.  Okie doke – TIL.  When we showed up at 9:30, we were told to come back at 11:00 a.m. because the department head with whom we were supposed to meet received an urgent phone call to handle something urgently.  Right-o - TIL.  When we arrived at 11:00, we were escorted into the department head’s office, where he was seated behind his desk and stayed right where he was … watching a computer monitor which had TV streaming onto it … Thai music videos nonetheless.  TIL.  Once his 3 staff were seated across from my Lao colleague and me at a small table arranged perpendicular to his desk, he continued to watch the music videos.  Wondering if he was going to turn it off, or at least turn the volume down, I noticed one of his staff members looking at him seemingly wondering the same … and then looking for a volume button himself.  Once the head guy noticed his staff member looking at the screen, he somewhat indifferently turned down the volume, as if our presence and this annoying meeting was really disrupting his day of catching up on the Thai Billboard top 40.  Shockingly, the meeting lasted until 1:00 p.m., which is unheard of in a country where people walk out of meetings at noon and no later than 12:30 p.m. as it is lunch time … no exceptions.  Maybe he felt as though he owed it to us to finish the discussion, or he didn’t want us to show up ANOTHER day and thereby interrupt his shows.  I’m thinking the “urgency” at 9:30 might have been that his favorite tune came on and he just couldn’t miss it.  After all, it was Monday morning and this might have been his first chance since he left on Friday to sit and catch up on the hits.  I asked my Lao colleague if it’s normal for the “boss” to watch TV during a meeting and he smiled, shrugged, and tilted his head to one side, as if to say without saying, “This Is Laos”.