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Tag: laos

  • The jobs after work

    If your full-time job can’t support your basic living costs, what would you do?

    Today, my colleague told me she has two part-time jobs outside of her regular work. I was surprised for a moment, but I immediately understood her situation. Salaries here are simply too low. Many people can’t survive on their daytime job alone.

    How Lao people bridge the income gap?

    Her words made me reflect on something I had overlooked. Although Laos is often described as a place with a low cost of living, inflation has quietly become a real burden. With the average salary staying low, one full-time job is rarely enough to cover everything.

    To stay afloat, many people turn to a second income stream. Some start small businesses of their own. Others offer services to the community after office hours. And some simply work every weekend, treating their second job as part of their normal routine.

    In my office, it feels like almost everyone has two jobs at the same time. Not because they want extra luxury — but because it’s the only way to build a stable life.

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  • Laos’ Unique Maternity Leave Policy: A Story Worth Sharing

    Last week, I shared my discovery on the maternal leave policy in Lao. To my surprise, the view was higher than I expected🤯.

    1500 views? As a small account with only 118 followers😀, it is great to see over 1500 people clicked my post.

    For a small account with just 118 followers, that was huge! It showed me something important: people value content that sparks thought, not just attention.

    At first, I assumed that posts about the UN and its agencies would be the main draw. And yes, those topics do interest people. But what really caught readers’ attention was something closer to daily life, such as maternity leave.

    A Policy That Stands Out

    In Laos, maternity leave depends on the type of delivery:

    • Natural birth → 4 months paid leave
    • Cesarean section → 4.5 months paid leave

    The difference comes from the level of recovery required.

    “After the cesarean method, women need more time to rest,” my colleague explained.

    This taught me something about content creation:

    • People don’t only want big, global stories.
    • They want stories that connect to their own experiences and make them think.

    By sharing something relatable yet unique, I opened up a conversation that mattered to more than just policy experts.

    I don’t want to only create “eye-catching👀 but meaningless” content. My goal is to become a storyteller, or a content creator who shows people another side of the world.

    Not just “how to make money💰” guides, but meaningful reflections that spark curiosity✨.

    This post feels like one step closer to that goal. 📈

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  • The waterfall💦 in Luang Prabang is the paradise on earth

    Am I living in the reality? Yes, or No?

    Kuang Si Falls, located in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR

    “Have you not seen that the waters of the Yellow River come from upon Heaven, surging into the ocean, never to return again;”

    From Translation of Li Bai, Bring in the Wine

    Although the poem above was describing the yellow river in China, I found its home in a authentic country in Southeast Asia. The breathtaking scene reminded me of the poem I read 6 years ago. I couldn’t imagine myself seeing the world depicted by a dreamy poet like Li Bai.

    Unlike the waterfall I saw, Kuang Si fall is surrounded by mountains and the beautiful animals in the area. There are bears (but they were sleeping😴 most of the time), snake and squirrel everywhere. You will never be alone, even if you are a solo traveler.

    Apart from the waterfall that catches everyone’s attention, a small lake nestled in the foliage is another must-visit spot. The sunlight filters through the leaves, creating a beautiful scene with patches of light hopping on the earthly surface of the rushing water.

    Visitors can jump into the lake and feel the coolness of the water.

    Unfortunately, even though I wasn’t at work👩‍💻, I still couldn’t stop worrying the process of my work and preparation for the grant even that was happening very soon.

    “While my companion was soaking his legs 🦵 in the cool, crisp water, I found myself worrying about the deadline for my photo book. What a fool I was!”

    Maybe I still have to learn about work-life balance.

    Hope everyone can come and visit this amazing waterfall. I can guarantee you will not regret about it. 😁

    Source: 085 李白 將進酒 Translation: Bring in the Wine, by Li Bai | East Asia Student https://share.google/FKkmIvjhmhL5DIa6f

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  • My first city bike experience

    This little grasshopper gave me a whole new driving experience.

    My first unofficial ride in my life.

    After arriving in Luang Prabang, a province in Lao PDR, I saw a green object that aroused my interest. On first glance👀, I thought it was a bike. However, when I saw the slingshot and metal engine, I soon realized it was a city bike, 🚴🏻.

    When I first turned on the engine, I nearly lost my footing. The city bike thrashed forward before I could pull it backward. It hit the back of a car, and I was frightened to death. 💀💀💀

    Fortunately, no damage was done to the innocent car🚙

    At the same time, the receptionist from the hotel witnessed the whole incident. He walked out of the entrance, and asked,

    “Do you know how to use it?”

    I said no, and he showed me how to use it.

    “The left handler is the brake, and the right one is for starting the engine.”, he said.

    And I soon understood his meanings. I hopped on the back of the grasshopper and began my exciting journey. Since it was my first ride, I drove very slowly to avoid losing my balance.

    I could feel the air whipping my face tenderly. These experiences gave me confidence. Images of me driving different cars bloomed in my mind. I saw myself driving a jeep in a desert, or riding a motorcycle on a deserted highway located in a verdant mountain⛰️. pictured my free, amazing future in my mind.

    But my imagination was crushed by the reality within ten minutes. 🤣🤣🤣

    When I reached the highway, there were more vehicles heading towards my opposite direction. Although most drivers were behaving well, I was overwhelmed by the flux of cars and noise. Only at this time that i suddenly realized driving is more exhausting and riskier than I thought. Thus, I nearly forgot that I was driving in Luang Prabang, a place without any traffic light.🚦

    At last, I ended my journey and proceeded to my hotel. Somehow it made me realize I don’t want to drive in Lao. Even though I acquired the skills to control the city bike, I lack the courage to traverse the highway in Laos.

    PS: When I sent told my friend that I learned how to ride a city bike, she said I can get one. 💵 But now I changed my mind. I would rather spent money to catch a cab.

    What do you think of this experience? Feel free to leave your comment and share it with your friends!💖🍡💖

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  • The 32 th day in Laos: Visiting the Lao Textile Museum

    The garden

    The Lao Textile Museum is located in Ban Nongtha Thai, Vientiane, Laos.

    “Are you interested in textile?”

    “A bit.”

    Then my friend and I hopped on the journey to Lao Textile Museum. It took us 30 minutes get to this tiny museum. On the outside, this museum was made up of several wooden cottages standing on a verdant garden that rarely existed in a city. We dropped off at the entrance and headed to the reception desk.

    Each ticket costed 30,000 kip (1.39 USD) for all visitors. Does it worth our money? The answer is YES!

    The Lao Textile Museum is located in Ban Nongtha Thai, Vientiane, Laos. This is a museum that showcases the female clothes worn by Laos women during the 20th century.

    The textile looms
    The silkworm cycle shows us how silkworm is sacrificed for our needs-we can’t forget these responsible cocoons!

    When my friend and I entered the first station of the museum, we saw some local women weaving textiles with their weaving looms. It was the first time I saw people maneuvering the clumsy and intricate machine in my real life, and I was fascinated by their skills and professionalism. There was a placard on the wall, stating that they did it for better demonstration of how people in the past created textile through the weaving looms. The person who came up with this idea must be a genius, for I had never seen a museum that would “hire” real person to showcase their exhibition. Now I saw the real-life experience, and I found it admirable.

    The upper floor of the main building was a collection of tools, dress and gowns in Laos in different time periods. Unsurprisingly, the room adopted the modest design from the entrance to the exit. Visitors couldn’t find any air conditioner or electronic monitor in here. Although there were no fancy technologies presenting the history of the dress or textile in the past, its design did not affect our understanding about Laos textile and dress.

    To be honest, I’m not a fashion enthusiast, so I wasn’t familiar with the patterns and styles of this vintage design. However, most of them were created for special events and festivals. For example, some dresses could only be worn on a specific day of the year, which meant women couldn’t wear them on ordinary days. I was surprised by the similarities between Chinese and Laotian cultures. Although they are quite different from each other, rituals still hold an important position in their lives. But what I didn’t expect was the function of the dresses. Apart from being worn for celebrations, they also served as the “uniform” of witch doctors during the 20th century.

    The tea provided by the shop owner

    When our tour was over, we visited a shop that sold handmade textile products. The goods were very unique, but they were expensive. We decided to rest and waited for the taxi inside the shop. At that moment, the shop owner prepared two cups of chamomile tea for us. When the afternoon sunlight filtered through the window, the tea was as bright as purple crystal. When I took the first sip, the unique taste of the chamomile melted in my mouth. The flavor was mixed with the taste of the herb and dried flowers. It lingered in my mouth for a long time, even though I had finished it a while ago.

    Hope you guys will visit it in the future!!!

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