Laos Free

In the July newsletter of Legacies of War, there was an embedded link to a recently released animated short produced by Cory Sheldon. Just over 9 minutes in length, the story of the bombing of Laos by the United States during the Vietnam war and the consequences of the 80 million bombs still remaining in the country today is presented. Part narrative and part info-graphic, the film tells the story of what happened, what life is like today and possibilities for the future.

My Volunteer Business Card

This is my volunteer business card design which I completed today. By this time tomorrow, I will have a stack of these cards on hand to distribute when the situation presents itself.

COPE (Co-operative Orthotics and Prosthetics Enterprise)

This morning I received the May newsletter from COPE (Cooperative Orthotics and Prosthetics Enterprise), a local not-for-profit organization in Vientiane, Lao PDR, which I visited in December 2012. 

This particular organization provides services to people with disabilities (including victims maimed by unexploded bombs, the deadly remnants of the 'Secret War' which are scattered throughout Laos in the millions) to help them move on.

My Birthday at Sabai Sabai

On the evening of Saturday, May 4, a small group of us (including three of my Lao friends who live north of my home city of Toronto) dined at Sabai Sabai, the Lao-owned Thai restaurant, to celebrate my 51st birthday. When we arrived, there were already lots people. By the time we departed, the restaurant was packed with customers.

Shortly after arriving, I presented one of the owners, who is originally from Vientiane, a framed version of the water filter campaign poster for Adopt a Village in Laos and a small stack of water filter brochures. I explained that he should display them both in a prominent location in the restaurant, with the intention of generating awareness and excitement among his customers.

The following day I posted a message to Sabai Sabai's Facebook page to thank the owners and staff for making my special day such a truly wonderful and festive experience.

Explore Legacies of War Multimedia Interactive Centre

This morning I discovered a new, visually dynamic section on Legacies of War web site.

Called Legacies' MIC: giving the past a voice, this multimedia experience "serves to educate the public the U.S.-led secret war carried out in Laos from the mid 1960s through the 1970s."

Explore it today and learn. 

Water Filter Donations

The month of May has started off very well.

A couple of weeks ago I briefly visited Sabai Sabai, the Lao-owned Thai restaurant in my home city of Toronto, to deliver some water filter brochures and a display stand for them.

Yesterday I received a wonderful email from Steve Rutledge, Adopt a Village in Laos founder and president, in which he informed me that the restaurant had donated two water filters on the previous day. Later that same day, I posted a message to Sabai Sabai's Facebook page to thank them for their support.

This morning while having coffee with my friend Gary, who had recently donated a water filter, he shared some exciting news with me. Both his mother and sister had committed to donating one water filter each. Once the variety store, which is just around the corner from where we were having coffee, opened, he ventured there to withdraw the necessary funds from the ATM and presented me with the cash.

Later, I visited my bank and had a money order drawn up. Then on my way to work, I popped by the post office and mailed it XpressPost.

Finally, the funds which I had recently collected from the sale of some of the remaining Adopt a Village in Laos T-shirts (created for my Tees for Laos campaign in 2011) will be used in donating one water filter unit in memory of my mother.

Water Filter Campaign 2013

At the end of April, with the help of generous supporters, Adopt a Village in Laos achieved its target of 200 water filters, each one of which will soon provide a rural village family of up to eight people with clean water for drinking and washing.

This morning I received an email from Steve Rutledge, the founder and president of this small Canadian charity with which I volunteer, where he stated that he was venturing onto his next target for water filters. In this new campaign, he is hoping to secure 300 units.

To help him achieve his goal, I will be presenting one of the owners of Sabai Sabai with a beautifully framed version of the above poster on the evening of Saturday, May 4. On that particular night, I will be celebrating my fifty-first birthday with a small group of friends at this fabulous and busy Lao-owned Thai restaurant in the heart of my home city of Toronto. Along with the water filter brochures, this display will help raise awareness for the charity itself and hopefully encourage donations for this new campaign.

Celebrating Earth Day 2013

While visiting a poor village nestled in the mountains of northern Laos with the Canadian charity Adopt a Village in Laos in December 2012, I took this photograph of two hill tribe boys moments before sunset.

Yesterday afternoon I selected and submitted this image to The Face of Climate Change mosaic gallery in celebration of Earth Day 2013, which officially takes place all over the world on Monday, April 22.

Accompanying this image, I included this caption:

Hill tribe boys from a remote mountain village in northern Laos, Southeast Asia. How will climate change shape their future and the generations who follow them?

Happy Lao New Year 2556

Since today marks the start of Lao New Year (Boun Pi Mai), a big and colourful celebration in Laos, I decided to use this image of the lotus blossom, which I photographed while staying at a small guest house in Luang Prabang in December 2012, to honour this special time of year.

New Version of Water Filter Brochure

A couple of days ago at the request of Steve Rutledge, Adopt a Village in Laos president, I revised the water filter brochure, which I had originally created in 2011.

I must confess that this is the most beautiful iteration of the brochure to date, particularly with the choice of background colour. It simply ties everything together quite nicely and makes the presentation very visually appealing.

The above image shows the first panel of the international edition of this brochure, which only differs from the Canadian edition by incorporating the flags of Canada and Laos and a link to this blog.

Along with these revisions, I am hoping to have this publication translated into Lao this year.

Celebrating Lao New Year (Boun Pi Mai) 2556

 

From April 13 to April 15, 2013, Lao people the world over will be officially celebrating Boun Pi Mai (otherwise known as Lao New Year).
  
In my home city of Toronto, Sabai Sabai, a Lao-owned and operated Thai restaurant, which only opened its doors a few months ago, will be having festivities of its own to mark this special time of year.

On the evening of Saturday, April 13, this restaurant, according to its own web site, states that:

Sabai Sabai will be celebrating this occasion with great food and company. We invite you to indulge in some of the tastiest dishes from Thailand and Laos.

Chef Nuit will be creating a unique culinary experience with traditional Thai dishes and a very special tribute to Lao dishes.

The grand finale to the eight course dinner will be a spectacular dessert buffet featuring classic favourites. 

Since I have never experienced Boun Pi Mai, this will be a tasty introduction. However, I am hoping that one day soon I will have the opportunity to experience the real thing in Laos.

Love Laos Project

Logo and mobile gallery display mockup

Shortly after attending the GET LAO'd FOR LAOS fundraiser in February, a wonderful idea began to coalesce in my mind. Basically, it was the creation of a special project to educate the general public about several organizations, specifically ADOPT A VILLAGE IN LAOS (for which I volunteer), LEGACIES OF WAR, UXO LAO and MAG, and COPE,  each of which is striving to make life better for the people of Laos. After some deep reflection, I decided that this project would be best conceived as a traveling exhibition. In this form, it could make a greater impact because it could exist in a variety of locations and thus reach out to a larger audience. Photo galleries, brochure displays, maps, slideshows and videos would all contribute to making the experience rich, dynamic and engaging.

Once this idea has been transformed into a full-fledged reality, the LOVE LAOS PROJECT, as it has been so named, will be officially announced and then begin its first tours in my home city of Toronto.

(Note: Click on the above image to enlarge it. In doing so, you will be able to see LOVE LAOS PROJECT written in Lao just above the letter E in love.)

Legacies of War Newsletters

Since November 2012 I have been keeping current with Legacies of War through an online subscription to its monthly newsletters.

Yesterday I received the February issue which focuses on two basic themes:

1. The inspiration for Legacies of War, titled Bombs from above, Voices from below.
2. The forthcoming speakers tour, The Voices from Laos.

To find out more about why this organization exists and what it does, please read their brochure and visit their web site.

Thank You from TTRC

On February 24 I sent an email to Toronto Twilight Rotary to inform them that the videos I had captured during Get Lao'd for Laos fundraiser last Friday night were now available online.

This morning I received a personal thank you from Steve Hayward, Public Relations Director for Toronto Twilight Rotary Club, for sharing these videos. He said that he had already shared these videos with fellow Rotary members.

Get Lao'd for Laos Highlights 2

Myself and Mike Yap, Adopt a Village in Laos co-founder.

See a collection of still images from Toronto Twilight Rotary Club's successful Get Lao'd for Laos fundraiser for Adopt a Village in Laos.

Get Lao'd for Laos Highlights

Posing with two Rotarians (couple at centre), Mike Yap (second
 on left and Adopt a Village in Laos co-founder), and members
 of Toronto's Lao community

On the evening of Friday, February 22, 2013, I visited TWIST GALLERY in Toronto's artsy west end and attended Toronto Twilight Rotary Club's Get LAO'd for Laos fundraiser for Adopt a Village in Laos. As reported on Twilight Rotary Club's Twitter feed yesterday, "It was an amazing success!"

The major highlight of the evening happened midway through this well-attended event. Steve Rutledge, president of Adopt a Village in Laos, transmitted live via Skype from a small village in Laos. While the transmission only lasted for a few minutes before the connection was lost, it was a simply wonderful experience to behold.

The second highlight of the evening included guest speaker, Mike Yap, co-founder of Adopt a Village in Laos and a good friend of mine with whom I have volunteered, who had only returned from Laos a few days before.

The third highlight of the evening included another guest speaker, Tounie Keopraseuth, a member of Toronto's Lao community and my friend, who thanked everyone for their support of Adopt a Village in Laos. Later she introduced the traditional Lao dance performance.

The fourth highlight of the evening was a traditional Lao dance performance which provided guests with an opportunity to glimpse an aspect of Lao culture. The three dancers, Tex Cold, Bev Korasack and Khamkeut Keovongsa, are all members of Toronto's Lao community and personal friends of mine. Both Bev and Khamkeut are also hosts for Lao Voice, which broadcasts through Fairchild Radio to the Lao community locally and worldwide every Sunday morning between 9.00 am and 10.00 am. 

Buying Back the Bombs: a peaceBOMB documentary

From the depths of destruction to the cauldron of creation, learn how this project is transforming the bombing legacy.

Sabai Sabai Restaurant

On the day of that heavy snowfall a week ago last Friday, I finally ventured to Sabai Sabai, a newly opened, Lao-owned Thai restaurant located in the heart of downtown Toronto. I had initially heard about this restaurant from a friend on LinkedIn.

My purpose for visiting the restaurant that day was two-fold. First, it was to sample some of their cuisine. Second, I wanted to talk with one or both of the owners about Adopt a Village in Laos.

I began my trek from home. After twenty minutes of walking through the snow strewn streets, I arrived at my destination.

Because of the weather conditions, the restaurant was not that busy. Behind the bar was one of the owners, whom I immediately greeted in Lao by simply saying, "Sabaidee". I added that a Lao acquaintance by the name of Anne had recommended the restaurant. Filled with enthusiasm, he immediately introduced himself as Jason, whom I later discovered was born in Laos. I, in turn, introduced myself and briefly explained that I would like to chat with him for a short while. He was thrilled and said that he would be with me shortly.

After sitting down it didn't take me long to place my order. I started with a BeerLao. For my appetizer, I ordered the Green Papaya Salad. This was followed by the Green Curry Chicken with Rice Noodle for my main course. I must confess that both of these dishes were absolutely delicious.

Within minutes of finishing my lunch, Jason sat down at my table and we began to talk. I opened the black binder I had pulled out from my backpack earlier. As I talked, I went through the binder's contents, which is essentially a collection of information related to Adopt a Village in Laos, which includes published articles, a sample water filter donation email with recipient photo, and posters, newsletters and a water filter brochure which I had created. On my HP TouchPad I showed him a couple of short videos which I had captured in one of the villages I had visited in December 2012.

He was very moved and inspired about doing some sort of collaboration to help raise awareness for Adopt a Village in Laos. We briefly touched on a couple of scenarios to help do that. It will be most interesting to see how this association unfolds.

Before parting company I gave Jason a hard copy of 'The lure of Laos' article, which had appeared online at Xtra.ca. I wrote my contact information on the back of this copy. I also gave him two of the posters I had created to advertise the upcoming Toronto Twilight Rotary club 'Get LAO'd for Laos' fundraiser for Adopt a Village in Laos. He promised that he would post them in his restaurant.

After paying my bill at the cash and almost as an afterthought, I pulled out one of the Adopt a Village in Laos T-shirts I had stowed in my backpack and presented it to him. He accepted it graciously and we said our good-byes.

The next day I sent an email to Jason to say thank you.

Ban Cluster Bombs. Please.

This is the T-shirt I purchased when I visited COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane, Laos. Proceeds from the sale of this shirt went to support this organization's rehabilitation projects, which assist victims who have been injured by the many unexploded bombs which remain scattered throughout Laos.

Channapha Khamvongsa Replies

Channapha Khamvongsa, Legacies of War Executive Director

On the afternoon of Saturday, February 9, 2013, I sent an email to Legacies of War to inform them about my own small efforts to raise awareness for their organization. Below is the contents of the email which I sent and the response which followed.

Dear Legacies of War: 

I simply wanted to share with you my own efforts in helping to raise awareness for your organization. 

I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and volunteer with a Canadian charity called Adopt a Village in Laos, which through its various humanitarian projects improves and empowers the lives of the villagers of rural Laos. 

In the latter half of 2012, I created a little blog called The Laos Experience, which you can visit at http://thelaosexperience.blogspot.com/. This blog contains direct references to your organization or talks about the bombing legacy in some way. 

Yours sincerely,
Roland Drake

When I checked my INBOX the following morning, I was delighted to discover an email from the Executive Director of Legacies of War, Channapha Khamvongsa. The message had been delivered only a few hours after I had sent my message that Saturday afternoon.

Her reply reads as follows:

Dear Roland, 

Thank you so much for your note. I'm glad to learn about your work in Laos and support of Legacies of War. 

I look forward to connecting more in the future. Please include us in your future updates. I'm also cc'ing my colleagues so they can check out the blog. 

Best wishes,Channapha

Poor Remote Mountain Village

Shortly before sunset on Friday, December 21, 2012, I arrived with Steve Rutledge and Mike Yap, the founders of Adopt a Village in Laos, Art Quickenton, who was visiting Laos for the second time from the U.S., Neil Disney, who was visiting from Scotland, Boun, a Laotian man and translator, and Phany Joy, another translator, at this small village isolated deep in the rugged and beautiful mountainous countryside of northern Laos.


On the way to this village we passed through Phonsavanh, another remote mountain village where Adopt a Village in Laos distributed some 50 water filters in December 2011.

This particular village is very poor and will need a new water source, water filters, a new school, and solar panels for generating electricity to service a couple of lights.

Toronto Twilight Rotary Club Fundraiser 2013

Hosted by Toronto Twilight Rotary Club on Friday, February 22, 2013, I will be attending this fundraiser for Adopt a Village in Laos to build a school in the village of Na Lae, which is one of the villages I visited when I was in Laos in December 2012. Complete details about this event can be found by visiting the Toronto Twilight Rotary Club web site.

Water Filter 101

On December 22, 2012, a small group of us visited the village of Na Lae, where Steve Rutledge emphasized in the first chief's own home how simple and very important it is to use a water filter. The week before Adopt a Village in Laos distributed water filters to this village. 

The Lure of Laos in Xtra!

In November 2010, I first approached this magazine about doing a story on Adopt a Village in Laos. The initial reception was one of disinterest. Disappointed, I put this idea on the back burner and forgot about it.

In the summer of 2012, I was conversing with a friend about this Canadian charity for which I volunteer and the struggles I was experiencing in trying to raise awareness. I explained what had happened with Xtra! the first time. He suggested that I make another attempt, but to get in touch with a very specific person at Pink Triangle Press, Xtra's umbrella organization, to set the ball in motion. A day later I fired off an email and within hours received a resoundingly positive reply.

Not long after that email Serafin LaRiviere, a freelance writer for this magazine, got in touch with me, whereupon I directed him to talk with Steve Rutledge, the founder of the organization, for the full story. Serafin LaRiviere interviewed both of us over the phone.

On December 3, 2012, while I was (ironically enough) on my way to Southeast Asia, a story called The lure of Laos finally appeared in Xtra! I learned of the story's existence upon receiving an email from someone who had read the article and who lives in Laos for part of the year. I immediately shared this fantastic news with Steve Rutledge, close friends, and my Facebook friends.

Meeting Phongsavath Souliyalath

Phongsavath Souliyalath and Roland Drake at COPE Visitor Centre

On December 11, 2012, I posted this message to Facebook. I have reproduced it here for you to read and have included the photo which accompanied this message.

After being blinded and having his hands blown off by a cluster bomb, Phongsavath Souliyalath became an advocate for survivors of unexploded bombs and helped to draw the world's attention to the dark and deadly legacy which haunts Laos by the millions (referring to unexploded bombs).

When I visited the COPE Centre in Vientiane, Laos this afternoon, Phongsavath Souliyalath, whom I had only seen in a photo with Hilary Clinton earlier this year, was sitting behind a desk poised over a laptop. I introduced myself and then had the pleasure of conversing with him. During our brief exchange, I related the work of Adopt a Village in Laos and my volunteer work with this Canadian charity.

Before we parted company, I respectfully asked him if it was possible to have a photo taken with him. He was most accommodating.