Sunshine, Sweat, and Sticky Rice

Liam Kirkpatrick's journey: Sunshine, Sweat, and Sticky Rice

In Laos every meal is accompanied by a serving of sticky rice, stray dogs roam the streets freely, and every beer is poured over ice. Buddhist temples dot the roads of Vientiane, signs and billboards are written in Sanskrit, and shopping at a market quickly becomes a high stakes negotiation. It is easy to compare living in Laos to my life in Ottawa and see nothing but difference, but that would not be the whole truth. Every day I cycle to work, in the evenings I share a meal with friends or play a sport, and on the weekend I visit a favourite cafe. In many ways the patterns of my daily life in Laos are the same as they are in Canada.

Life in Laos, however, is not without its challenges. As a tall Canadian man I stand out on the street or in a market. The language barrier, the cultural differences, and the climate—I break out in a full sweat as soon as I leave an air conditioned room—all make everyday life a little bit more challenging. At times this can be exasperating: when my bike encountered several problems and needed repairs I dreaded the notion of trying to communicate the issue at the shop. It frustrated me that a simple errand could take most of a day, especially when dealing with the task at hand would be a quick solve at home. While these small challenges can be frustrating, overcoming them is incredibly rewarding. Small, everyday successes that go overlooked at home—ordering at a restaurant or haggling for a fair price at the market—feel like great accomplishments.

Living here I have learned to embrace and appreciate what Lao people call bor pen yang. Directly translated the phrase means ‘no worries,’ but it is more than a turn of phrase—it embodies a lifestyle here in Laos. Bor pen yang means recognizing minor challenges for what they are, which helps bring what truly matters into sharper focus. It is a more relaxed and forgiving culture than I am used to, which has required that I be patient and rely on other people’s help; without the help of my Lao colleagues and the advice of fellow expats I would be walking rather than around Vientiane. This reliance on others can feel unnatural for someone who lives an independent lifestyle in Canada, but living in Vientiane has forced me introduce some changes to my lifestyle. Here it is best not to sweat the small stuff—they often work themselves out.

The past three months have been an intense learning experience in daily life and at work. At UNODC I am supporting a number of projects in the office, including activities related to Wildlife and Forest Crime, Border Management, Drug Treatment, and Cybercrime. I assist these programs by drafting communications materials, writing reports, and lending a hand at workshops outside the office. I have been learning about each program simultaneously, and it has been a steep learning curve. Learning the names of officials, experts, and key stakeholders from a variety of fields at once has been overwhelming at times, but after three months I am feeling comfortable in my role.

Capacity building is the central priority of UNODC’s programs in Laos. The country’s underdevelopment is reflected in the challenges it faces in dealing with organized crime, which carry serious consequences for people in Laos and around the world. Laos and the Mekong region offer favourable conditions for transnational organized crime. Weak enforcement, poor legislative regimes, and loose financial regulations allow various forms of criminality to flourish—UNODC estimates that the illicit drug trade in Southeast Asia was worth $60 Billion in 2018. If these conditions persist, markets for illicit wildlife products will grow, drug-producing syndicates will expand, and the consequences of these crimes—from environmental degradation to drug addiction—will affect more people in Laos and around the world.

To prevent organized crime in Laos, the government needs the support of the international community. As a JPC I have learned how UNODC works to mobilize this support, and I have seen first hand the importance of multilateral cooperation. It is exciting to work for an organization addressing diverse global challenges and to spend each day surrounded by motivated people with experience in development. The past three months have been the most valuable education and adventure of my lifetime. I cannot wait to see what the next three months in Laos will bring!