ビエンチャンの空の下

Under the Vientiane sky

Siimee is based in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

When you go abroad, the capital city is usually the place to start.

When I traveled to Laos for the first time, and when I started living in Laos as a member of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, it always started in Vientiane.

However, the place where I actually lived for two years as a volunteer was Bolikhamxay Province, 150km east of Vientiane.

When going to the capital, we always used the expression "going up to Tokyo."

So when I started manufacturing Siimee again in Vientiane, I felt like I was "moving to Tokyo" and making a fresh start in this place, the heart of Laos.

Vientiane is currently undergoing large-scale development with foreign capital, with the number of large shopping malls and hotels increasing.

The scenery of Vientiane, which had no tall buildings, is gradually changing.

The number of supermarkets has also increased, making it easier to obtain condiments and other ingredients from all over the world.

On the other hand, if you go to the market, you will see freshly butchered meat, vegetables lined up in neat rows with their skin on, still-living fish and insects, and the lively voices of people buying and selling all of these items.

If you go a little way down the street, you will see people relaxing on their porches and drinking beer.

Being in this place where I can experience the casual daily lives of the Laotian people makes me feel like I want to stay here forever.

I am constantly caught between my everyday life and a different culture.

This place is home to some trusted and respected Laotian friends.

I recently heard the phrase "Lao people don't work," but there are also Lao people who continue to act with dreams and goals.
I too would like to follow in their footsteps, stand shoulder to shoulder with them and hold my own in this place.

I am happy to be able to walk forward again today under the Vientiane sky.

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