Life of a Miner

I am now at our mine site up in the mountain, about 4 hours by car from the head office. I have been living like a miner: sleeping in a dormitory-style room, eating in dining hall, getting up at 5 am in the morning, and wearing hard hats and boots to the office. It was sure different than the work in Hong Kong and Singapore, but I think it is quite refreshing!

Most of the colleagues I met work on a "roster" basis. They would fly in from Australia and work something like 20 days straight, then they would go home for 10 days. I met several guys who are so excited to go back home on the eve of their leave. I was presented with a more palatable option: 5 days on and 2 days off with the family based in Bangkok. But I pleaded with Yumi to come to Vientiane with me because I wouldn't be able to handle the separation from her...oh, and the kids. I owed her a great deal.

On our way to the mine site: we have to wait for some pedestrians.

People actually wash their clothes and bath in this river. The water is very clear.

This is the scene just outside my dorm room at sunset.

This is certainly not the Shangri-La Hotel!!

At least there is a cable TV, and I am watching Wimbledon in the middle of nowhere.

The mountain at 5:30 am. Time for breakfast!

First Visitor to Laos

My first visitor to Vientiane just happens to be my ex-boss. Tod came to Vientiane to attend the ASEAN Director General Meeting (that's a good one, Tod). Although Tod is a big city, American expat, he is gamed for everything. We went to a local restaurant and had some genuine Lao dishes, including fried frog skins, beef tongues and what Tod thought was a big jerky!

We also went around town to look at the landmarks in Vientiane. That took us all of 10 minutes!

I had great experience working with Tod the past 18 months. He is the type of boss who gives you a lot of autonomy and who makes sure that his people are treated fairly while also having fun. I was also able to develop some of the leadership skills that I lack, especially the art of office politics. Tod is the MASTER of that!

Tod promised to come visit Vientiane again with his beautiful wife, Sophia. We'll be ready for you!

Tod learning how to eat local style: with his hands!

Fried frog skins and Beer Lao are always a good starter!

Tod and other participants unwinding after a hard day at work in Vientiane...if you can believe that!

First Week in Vientiane

My first week in Vientiane was wet and pretty much uneventful: went to work, did some laundry and had some simple dinner. Lunch is served at the office so I am pretty much in the office from 8 to 6. 

I am hoping I get to hit some tennis balls today if it stays dry. I hit once this past week against a youngster who just won an Open tournament. Let's just say that there is a new sheriff in town!

The best thing is that I am in touch with Yumi by phone and email all the time. The kids sound like they are having a blast because now Yumi can totally focus on them instead of me and them. Not sure how big the phone bill will be, but it was all worth it! 

The view outside my 5th floor temporary apartment

My laundromat. It costs me about USD7 for a week of laundry!

My fine dining restaurant is the best noodle soup in town. Yumi ate here as well!

Pho has most of the basic food groups and then some: vegie, meat, carbs, salt and fat! All this for USD2.

A great by-product of this former French colony is that there are a lot of great coffee and bakery places. This was my dessert back in my room.

A Lonely Start in Laos

I write this entry with a heavy heart. Today is my first day in Laos with the new company. I miss my family who are still in Singapore. I already talked to Yumi several times today. I miss her and worry about her because she came down with some virus. Two more weeks will be hard.

Well, we already packed our stuff in Singapore. Yumi is waiting for Leilani and Kaili to finish their school. I will pick them up in Singapore on June 29. Can't wait to see them.

My first day on the new job went without much fanfare, met and greeted many people. I hope I can remember their name the next time I see them!

This is half of what we have!

Desmond was especially helpful with the movers.

We deserve an ice cream after a hard day's work!

My troops saying good bye to me (temporarily) at the airport.

I am counting each day until I see them again.

Outside of my office window in Laos

There will be no more high rise for sure!

Back to Farewell Parties (2)

Despite our nomadic lifestyle, it is always hard to say goodbye, especially to great friends. This group of friends falls in that category. We can go on and on about them. 

For sure, they are very good tennis players, fierce competitors, fair sportsman, but more importantly, they are truly great people and friends!

Two guys are the heart of this group: Ochi and Ueno-san. We already told a little story about Ueno-san a few posting ago, so let's now talk about Ochi.

Ochi is a great tennis player and a frequent hitting partner of Ai Sugiyama, who won several Grand Slam doubles titles and is a touring tennis player on the WTA. Ochi is a ball of energy during tennis practice who loves to trash talk much like basketball players. He is also a fierce competitor, almost never let up on his 200km/hr serves on us amateurs, of course followed by a few words. 

But Ochi is also a great friend to many people. He is very caring and would give a shirt off his back if a friend ever needs one. He is the guy who always organize get-together and farewell parties for departing tennis cafe warriors, with some parting words (of course) and interesting gifts. Ochi used to be a corporate warrior before becoming following his true passion as a tennis coach/trainer/motivator. We will miss his energy and passion, but we know we will see him again.  I have put out a challenge to him to come to Laos and play golf. This is one area I have a good shot to get back at all of his trash talking on the tennis court.

Ochi and Yumi know each other a long time, before he married Aya-san, who can beat many men in tennis.

Only a few of us left when the bar closed.

We play hard and party just a little!

This team can beat any Singaporean team any day.

Ochi gave us used French Open tennis balls, all the way from Roland Garros. He said the used shoes are too smelly!

Ueno-san presented us with his own CD. This will be worth millions some day!

The wives and girlfriends want to talk about other subjects besides tennis

We are debating who will win the French Open. Nadal later killed Federer.

Back To Farewell Parties

We had our share of farewell parties this past weekend. Let's look at the first one on Friday night (June 6).


We were invited to a dinner at our good friends and mixed tennis nemesis from the American Club. Mark and Stephanie have an amazing story. Mark was a former partner of a major accounting/consulting company who walked away from it all to follow his passion of owning his own business. He and Stephanie are now very successful, living in a beautiful home with four great kids, one of whom is adopted from Cambodia. We always see them together around the club, smiling and having fun, which I must say almost reminded me of Yumi and I. I say "almost" because Mark will mix it up with the boys on the tennis court from time to time without Stephanie. I never did or dare do!!


Other couples who came to the party also have an amazing story. One couple is from Pakistan and has 3 beautiful and well-mannered daughters. One couple runs their own business while also homeschooling their 3 children. We also have one couple who almost always have lunch together at home because he has a 3-hour lunch break. The last couple is leaving Singapore for a posting in New York. Talk about going in the opposite direction from Laos.


But we all have one common thread. We are all tennis fanatics. I won't name names but I have seen many of these guys pounding away on a tennis court on weekdays during the working hours. And these guys are working for big banks and other MNCs!! Of course I saw them during my vacation:-)


Thanks a lot, Mark and Stephanie, for a wonderful evening.

This beautiful house must be about 10,000 sq feet.

This is one of the few times we all saw each other not wearing tennis attires!

The guys were watching the French Open semi-final, Nadal vs. Djokovic.

High Heel Shoes!

A lot to share this week. Let's start with Lani, aka the "Bossy" one first.

We had a small party for her 5th birthday at the American Club, simply because she wanted that way. Lani is that way: she has a lot of self-confident and usually doesn't follow the norm.

What she wants for her birthday is a pair of high heel shoes. I will leave it up to Yumi and Lani to determine what these shoes look like. Hopefully there will be something during the Great Singapore Sales that is going on now.

She wanted only a few friends

Lani and Yuki

My four beautiful girls

I wish for high heel shoes...Ai Ya!

Waiting to open the presents

On Sunday, we had our last poolside bbq at the American Club. We love the bbq because Desmond usually eat more than the adults, but at the kid's price.

Behind is Lani's old hangout, Kid's Club. Now she only wants to go to the Kid's Zone for 5 years and above.

Kaili is still a bit under the weather

Desmond mid-way through his meal...

Busy Night

It was a busy night last night. This usually means balancing between work, kids and our #1 hobby, tennis.

First, we rushed home from work and found the Feisty One, Noelani, showing off her potential as a future tennis star. She sprinted around the house (with her walker) with passion and gusto, two key ingredients to succeed as a tennis pro. If you watch how Novak Djokovic plays, you know what I am talking about!

Yumi then read to the older kids, Desmond and Lani, and put them to bed at 7 pm.

10-month old and already on the go!

Then we went off to join our regular Thursday night tennis competition. I say competition because all of these guys are excellent tennis players and these sessions are quite competitive. How good? I played tennis in college in the States and I am currently only at #7 in our ladder tournament.

After tennis, the guys organized a small farewell party for us at the Newton Circus food center. We had some great spicy food and beers, and even better conversations. All of these guys have interesting life experiences to share.

A good example is Ueno-san. A long time ago, he walked away from his expat job to start his own business, all the while trying to put 5 kids in a very prestigious (and very expensive!) private school in Singapore. Now, his children are all grown up and became a successful banker, trader, actor, doctor and fashion designer. He still has his own business, but is devoting 80% of his time pursuing his many passions, as a musician, concert performer, tourism ambassador, tennis captain.

Now that’s passion and gusto!

All of these guys are quite successful in our eyes, finding the right balance between work, family and what moves them as an individual. Yumi and I have each other, and that is already a good place to start.

I hope the rain comes now to stop this slaughter!

It is not unusual that we play until the lights go out

Quality of tennis is high, quality of people is even higher

Looking Forward: But Why Laos?

A big weekend is coming up! Leilani will have her 5th birthday party and our tennis friends are putting on two farewell parties for us.

Many people have been asking us why we are relocating to Laos? That’s a fair question since we both have been living and working in big cities like Tokyo (Yumi), Hong Kong and Singapore for several years now.

Before we give you our answer, take a few minutes to follow this link and see what NBC Today Show, which is a very popular morning show in the US, has to say about Laos. The show was done on location just a few months ago.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24383713#24385604

Here are a few pictures from our own camera. The main “business district” skyline is four-story high!


Certainly, there will be no skyline, mega shopping malls, picturesque harbors, theme parks, etc as we had experienced in Hong Kong and Singapore.

We debated long and hard, and our answers always circled back to one simple theme. As long as Yumi and I are together, we can just well be anywhere. We know that Laos will give us more time with each other, and of course with our kids. There certainly will be less time spent in traffic, shopping malls and the likes!

There is a famous saying that “life is about the opportunity you take and the one you didn’t take.” For us, every opportunity not spent with each other is a lost one!