A New Adventure

As always with things in Laos nothing is ever how it was planned.  Today I found out that the team was leaving on a different date then I had thought and that I would not be joining them.  The Sports Committee had told Sumlat that I would not be allowed to join because the bus could wreck and then the US Embassy would have to look after saving my life.  Although I do appreciate their concern I would have loved to know about this prior to my making plans about the trip to Savannakhet.  As it turns out I will be leaving 2 days before the team and arriving a day after so that is a few days of coaching that will be completely missed.  Tom left for Vientiane this morning so I was the lonely falang.  This was fine with me but truly showed how much influence and respect that Tom has gained.  I have written all of the workouts but Tom has taken control over the distance team and adjusts workouts as he see fit.  Every time practice is about to begin the distance team looks at Tom and the sprinters(the respective assistant coaches included) look at me.  This caused quite a stir when Tom didnt show. I basically had to look over the entire team so as can be expected I failed personally but felt that I delegated well. 

After an exciting practice with the weather getting back to its normal 90 feels like 100000 degrees, I was invited to a good luck ceremony at one of the girls houses in Chompet.  I had no idea what I was invited to until I arrived (if I had I would have brought my camera).  Mr. No and I drove down to the water front and wait for a boat to take us to Chompet.  As we wait a large portion of the team arrives and now I have some sense of what is about to take shape.  We dont get dropped of at the typical landing spot.  We hike up some mudd steps and into a house.  I sit down in a large comfy chair, one of 4 in the room, and the rest of the team sits on the floor.  It is joked that I am a king.  Mr. No luckily translates most of the night for me. I am given a scarf type cloth and told how a man should wrap it around.  An older woman brings in a table of sorts(this  table is about a foot high and it is metal with a flower statue on top of it that is about 3 feet high.  The base of the statue is in a bowl which people put money before the beginning of the ceremony.) and which is covered with candles and sticks with white cloth around them.  We all sit on the floor then the few closest to the table touch it while the others farther back touch them.  I was lucky enough to be able to touch the table.  A prayer, of sorts, is said by an older man, we sit and listen.  A few prayers are spoken and then the sticks with the white cloth are distributed.  I take two because No tells me to.  The rest are taken by the contingent of older people who sat in on the ceremony.  They distribute the cloth two per person, one per handm telling a prayer of good luck with each one.  The right hand of the receiver, palm up, first then the left.  Some people choose three knots others choose two.  Some like to rub the knots before finishing others just knot and tuck under the other bracelets.  I received five bracelets per arm, to be worn I am told for three days.  I got my five bands, then went to my athletes whose house it was and wrapped the bands around her wrists.  As I was trying my best to mimic the others No yells at me to speak Lao.  I respond by saying "I dont speak Lao but good luck for your races" in Lao.  This got a good chuckle out of the people around me.  I tried to take it seriously and although my Lao got a few laughs people saw that I was trying not mocking it.  After the bands were handed out we all touched the table again and another prayer was spoken.  We broke for dinner shortly there after.  The older men passed around a glass they filled with some Lao Lao and I took part before No (luckily) started to say no more and moved onto beer.  We ate fish laap and drank beer.  I was particularly pleased that the assistant coach and one who works with me most of the time, drank some beer, albeit begrudgingly.  We had jokes and I spoke some(some may be generous but a random visitor could not have said what I did, I think) Lao.  It was a nice that I will always remember even though nothing spectacular happened.  We boated back and on a clear night the view of Orion's Belt and the Big Dipper were a sight to be seen(they were in the wrong part of the sky though).

I realized tonight that however large the impact I have on them they will always have made a bigger one on me.  I truly felt lucky to be in the situation I am and thank you all for helping me get here.  I just hope we win some damn medals to justify it all.

I took a picture after I got back sorry I have none of the event.

Tomorrow I follow to Tom to Vientiane and hope that the team practices while I am gone.  Today was also a big day because the team all got a new pair of spikes and running uniform.  Tom and I got shirts also.  This was not CLI, so I had no prior knowledge, but we will look like a team down there and they deserve it.  For all the time I rag on them this team fits my personality perfectly, a great sense of humor and try hard when they try.  Plus those of you who know me know I am super lazy. Haha.