Life in a Factory Yard (2012)
The noisy Cockerels, chickens and grand children have gone from the family-house compound where my house is located (See #2 Life in Laos) as, when Grandpa suddenly died in the Spring, (See #3 Life in Laos -“Funerals can be Fun”), grandma moved out with her children, their wives, grand children, cats, dogs, chickens and furniture to live on a farm in the country.
She gave the big family house to one of her sons… who promptly rented it out to a garment manufacturer …who turned it into a cutting factory on the ground floor… and a dormitory on the first floor for about 20 young men and girls aged from 18 to 25 years old!
Fortunately my house is next to the double entry-gate, so I keep half of it closed most of the time to avoid any vehicles bigger than a tuk, tuk from entering.
She gave the big family house to one of her sons… who promptly rented it out to a garment manufacturer …who turned it into a cutting factory on the ground floor… and a dormitory on the first floor for about 20 young men and girls aged from 18 to 25 years old!
Fortunately my house is next to the double entry-gate, so I keep half of it closed most of the time to avoid any vehicles bigger than a tuk, tuk from entering.
The family-house had only one bathroom and shower…….and it still has only one bathroom and shower mostly used by the parents of a family of 5 who sort-of oversee the young workers.
Fortunately for the 20 young workers, there’s a water tap outside in the garden attached to the wall of the house. The children and the workers take their showers outside in the garden with pans of water from barrels situated under the outside tap, starting at 6:30am through to 8am, then again from 6pm to 10pm.
The Lao are very timid so the girls wear big, wide & roomy, barrel-like-dresses, struggling to wash themselves from head to tail without letting the “dress” fall to the ground......it looks like they're fighting someone inside.....they usually win and finish toweling their hair with a big victorious smile!
All this goes on more or less under my windows only 20 meters away. Quite a show!
Fortunately for the 20 young workers, there’s a water tap outside in the garden attached to the wall of the house. The children and the workers take their showers outside in the garden with pans of water from barrels situated under the outside tap, starting at 6:30am through to 8am, then again from 6pm to 10pm.
The Lao are very timid so the girls wear big, wide & roomy, barrel-like-dresses, struggling to wash themselves from head to tail without letting the “dress” fall to the ground......it looks like they're fighting someone inside.....they usually win and finish toweling their hair with a big victorious smile!
All this goes on more or less under my windows only 20 meters away. Quite a show!
My house, unfortunately, is on the same water supply-line as the big house, so I have to take my showers when the kids are not around or juggle wetting, soaping-up then rinsing between their consecutive washing, toweling, washing, toweling routines.
On Sundays, with 20 kids showering morning and night, plus washing clothes and a dozen motorbikes, I often have a water problem. But usually I escape to play golf so miss the worst.
On Sundays, with 20 kids showering morning and night, plus washing clothes and a dozen motorbikes, I often have a water problem. But usually I escape to play golf so miss the worst.
The big garden became full of trash, plastic bags smelling of waste food, strewn around during my absence in Europe during the summer. On my return I managed to explain what I wanted, so they picked up all the trash and swept the drive and parking. It's better now.
They're ok, polite and find it amusing having a foreigner around just as I find it amusing having them around, it’s a young, happy crowd, like being back at Lao -American College!
It’s a friendly atmosphere amongst them, cooking food together outside in their parking area and playing the Lao equivalent of volley ball, with a wicker ball, about three times the size of a tennis ball, using heads, feet and knees with great skill to pass it over the net.
They earn probably $50 to $100 per month, working 50 hours per week. Already I see two new motorbikes, so their disposable income is being well spent.
They're ok, polite and find it amusing having a foreigner around just as I find it amusing having them around, it’s a young, happy crowd, like being back at Lao -American College!
It’s a friendly atmosphere amongst them, cooking food together outside in their parking area and playing the Lao equivalent of volley ball, with a wicker ball, about three times the size of a tennis ball, using heads, feet and knees with great skill to pass it over the net.
They earn probably $50 to $100 per month, working 50 hours per week. Already I see two new motorbikes, so their disposable income is being well spent.
