The Best Beer in the World, Isaan Thailand.

My friend here in Ubon Ratchathani has been off to Laos for various reasons and he is writing about his adventures over at his blog, Life in Rural Thailand. He had an interesting trip and is putting pictures up. Laos is a beautiful country; even though many are poor the people are amazing.

Laos is well known for its really good coffee, but probably more famous to many of us here in Thailand is its beer. Beer Lao has been getting smuggled across the river for a long time. Anytime I go to Mukdahan I will pay a man on the Thai side who is going across to Savanakhet in Laos to bring a few cases of beer back with him. He makes a few hundred Baht and I get a few cases of beer to ration over time.

My mate had picked up a few beers in Laos for myself and a few other expats. Today I made my way to his shop, Peppers and had an ice coffee and a slice of really good banana cake and of course pick up the beer.

This is Beer Lao Dark. It is one of the best beers I have had the best beer I have had. A great tasting beer with punch at 6.5%. There is a rumour that Beer Laos is meant to be allowed to be imported into Thailand, it’s a rumour but many have heard the same thing. Usually at border crossings, you buy your cases of beer and an extra one for the people who allow you to cross back into Thailand.

The good thing about this beer is, two bottles are more than enough for me. I am more than happy after two ice cold Beer Lao Dark from the freezer. I just wish I had more for Friday night, Saturday night and so forth.

Apart from this, not a lot has been happening. Work is work and we have well and truly hit the ‘silly season’ where moneymaking, dancing and shows take precedent over education.

This school year (May 2009 to March 2010) I have lost 26 days of classes with one of my classes. That is 5 weeks of classes and I can never make up the syllabus and they will sadly miss out on some chapters of their book because of this. And this week they are missing more as they are preparing for a national test. I do not teach them at all this week.

I remember when I used to complain and get angry but it was always to no avail and strange looks with the Thais thinking, ‘what’s wrong with the farang? Why is he angry?

And I would be saying, ‘The dancing isn’t important (In Thailand it is) their schooling is No 1 to me. So after many years now I just sit back and not bash my head against the wall anymore.

We have a ACU Family Night Spectacular next Friday and Saturday nights. The secondary kids dance and god knows what else on the Friday night and then on Saturday night the primary school kids will shake and wiggle to music to the chaos of video cameras and cameras of parents.

I will be well in the background for a few hours one Friday night and will slip away from sight as soon as the chance arrives. There is a bowling alley a floor down, so maybe a few of us teachers will make our way there for a game or two, even a few beers could be drunk.

Next week will be virtually all dancing as all classes must put a show on, sometimes you arrive at a class and there are maybe 5 students there who are not attending the night.

Then the weekend after on Saturday the 13th we have Parent’s Meeting Day, where we don’t meet parents but put on shows, showcasing the English ability of our students. This day I detest and would rather be pulling my teeth out with pliers.

The end of our year is so near, March the 5th is the last day of school. Then a long break until the second week of May 10th or around then. This I am so looking forward to. Playing some golf and travelling and just getting well away from the students and the school to recharge the batteries.

So that is about it. But tomorrow is a new day and anything is possible, especially in Thailand and even more so teaching in a Thai school.

Brunty