New Twitter Follower

This afternoon at 2.22 PM my world expanded again when I received an email that Southeast Asia News is now following my tweets on myjourneytolaos Twitter feed.

Reflecting on the Journey So Far

The most astonishing thing about this journey so far is that I have already traveled such a great distance in such a short span of time. It was only in July that I met Mike, who first told me about Adopt a Village in Laos. Weeks later, I met Steve, the other driving force behind this grassroots organisation. To both of them, I am extremely grateful for having entered their orbit. My creativity has been stimulated. My sense of adventure has been rekindled. An incredible and inexorable sense of excitement has been ignited deep within me, which I am sharing with other people every chance I get to tell them about the work with which I am involved. Above all, it is the forging of connections with new people both near (and soon to be far) that is most enriching and rewarding for me.

At the beginning of October, I recorded one of their fundraising presentations, and then a week later I presented it to the world by uploading it to YouTube. In mid-October, this blog came into being, not only to expand awareness but to share the passion I feel for the work they are doing. With momentum unabated, November opened and saw the creation of a newsletter dedicated to Adopt a Village in Laos. The most recent milestone occurred this week when I started reading Greg Mortenson's book, Three Cups of Tea, which is the book that inspired (and continues to inspire) Steve in his work.

As Joseph Campbell so eloquently stated when one has found one's true passion in life, he said:

Follow your bliss.

If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track

that has been there all the while waiting for you,

and the life you ought to be living

is the one you are living.

When you can see that,

you begin to meet people

who are in the field of your bliss,

and they open the doors to you.

I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,

and doors will open

where you didn't know they were going to be.

If you follow your bliss,

doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for

anyone else.

I think this is the bliss which I was intended to follow.

Making Connections

Yesterday while I was checking the stats on my blog, I noticed that I had a visitor from Laos. I wondered if it might be Steve, so I emailed him. Later that same day, I received a reply in which he said that indeed it was him. He had been showing my blog to a colleague at one of his meetings.

Being the curious guy that I am, I replied to this email and asked Steve how did this person react to seeing my blog. A short time later he replied (and I quote):

Quite frankly, the guy was a bit overwhelmed - actually he was a lot overwhelmed.  He had no idea just how much work so many people are putting into making Laos a better place for its people.

Inside, I smiled. Even though I wasn't able to be there physically, I was still making an impression on and connecting with others.

Tuning in to Laos

While I was on the iTunes store last night, I decided to take a look to see if there was anything Laos-related. Well, lo and behold, there was. I discovered a small collection of apps for the iPhone. One which really caught my attention and which I subsequently downloaded is WR Laos Radio. Through this app you can listen to Laos-based radio stations. This provides an excellent way to educate oneself about, immerse oneself in, and become intimately acquainted with Laos culture.

This audio sample from Hmong Lao Radio, one of four default radio stations bundled with this app, is a morning intro announcing the start of this station's broadcasting day.

Three Cups of Tea: An Inspiration for Adopt a Village in Laos

Before Steve left for Laos earlier this week, he told me about one of the greatest inspirations for  Adopt a Village in Laos. It is this book, Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson. He suggested that I read it to gain a better perspective of the humanitarian work which he and Mike are doing. I will certainly do that.

Back to Laos: The Work Continues

In the wee hours of Monday, November 15, Steve Rutledge, one of the founders of Adopt a Village in Laos, departed from Pearson International Airport in Toronto on a 26-hour flight to Laos, where he will be based until April 2011. Ports of call on this long journey include Hong Kong, Bangkok, Hanoi, and finally, Luang Prabang.

On December 5, Mike Yap, the other founder, and three other Port Hope locals will join Steve in Laos. For these three people, who have never been to Laos before, it will certainly be an eye-opening, life-altering experience for them all. Jennifer Hawthorn will be teaching basic English to the villagers. Jennifer Mercer will be doing a dance exchange program with the hill tribe villagers. Lastly, Ted Amsden, a writer for Northumberland Today, the local newspaper in Port Hope, and professional photographer, will be documenting their journey through the lens.

Adopt a Village in Laos newsletter

On the morning of November 6, I created this beautiful little newsletter, which is drawn from the introductory text on Steve Rutledge's blog, Adopt a Village in Laos. It is a great icebreaker for people who are unfamiliar with what Adopt a Village in Laos is and what Adopt a Village in Laos does.

Since its creation, I have been distributing it via email or making actual copies and giving it to people.

A downloadable version of the newsletter can be found on the right sidebar on this blog.