Shout it Out Lao - RICE!: Blog Post #23 - Family's Christmas Vacation through Southeast Asia (Part 1

I am back at the office after a fun-filled family vacation through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos! It would have been a pretty sad holiday season sitting around my Christmas palm tree crying and listening to Bing Cosby all alone. Despite the family bringing along the Christmas cheer, it was not the same in Asia. While the old white guys with beards and jolliness are still around, they are a little less chubby around here and lack the red costume. The Christmas carols were also drowned out by the roar of scooters (Vietnam has 90 million people and 70 million scooters!!!!)

Not Santa

Although the sticky rice industry crashed while I was away (HA!), the rice farmers sent regular update emails (HA!) and I am confident that we will make some great progress in 2017 (YES!). While we may be far away from organic certification or export, we have some business planning workshops scheduled to set the foundations for the LOPA business model. As I have been designing tools to support business decision-making and in the process developing my own set of recommendations in 2016, our objectives will be to connect as a team to review analysis and align on the organization's direction. Important questions for discussion will include where along the value chain LOPA will operate, how we can balance improving farmer livelihood with business profitability, and what roles and responsibilities the existing team will adopt.

BUT that detail is for another post. For now, enjoy some fun pictures from Vietnam. I will soon also post pictures for the Cambodia and Laos legs of the trip.

HANOI

Highlight: Apart from the family reunion in the hotel lobby, the sights, sounds, tastes and 'chaos' of Hanoi's old city did not disappoint. I could spend days wandering, finding local eating spots and people watching.

The reunion!!
I had such a big smile because my flight was only 1 hour to Hanoi versus 20+ hours of travelling by the others

Either I am growing or my mom is shrinking

Talk about a lazy way to see old Hanoi....not complaining though, sticky rice takes its toll on the cardio and legs

HA LONG BAY

Highlight: Being able to lay in bed and slowly float past the spectacular beauty of my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Calgary.

The classic Jesse pose. Not sure what I am trying to imitate

Wow so pensive....or just sleep standing

We know who does must of the hard work in this arrangement

I think I got lucky with that boat behind us

I want more of my coffees like this. It wouldn't even need caffeine for me to stay awake

HUE and HOIAN

We arrived a week after major flooding and left a week before major flooding. I'd call that a Christmas miracle. We would not want to have missed these ancient cities.

Highlight: The lanterns of Hoian were a more than satisfying replacement for our usual lights on Christmas Eve.

All hail the new emperor! Bringing back ancient styles with the aviators

Blending in with the locals

Careful looking up, you never know what you will walk into

When can we bring these to Calgary?! Maybe hanging off the +15s???

I am glad she was speeding away from us

Get lost in the lantern trance

HO CHI MINH / SAIGON and the MEKONG DELTA

Highlight: The War Remnants Museum is a MUST see in Vietnam. It gives an eye opening and heart wrenching perspective to our usually biased narrative of the Vietnam War. Extremely well made with lots to read and see, giving you a glimpse into the emotion and suffering of the innocent Vietnamese people still impacted by the war.