A month feels like a week. It isn't as scorchingly hot as it was in April, but the temperature still skyrockets to 38 degrees in the early afternoon. Last week, it rained continuously during the day, which is quite a rare occurrence in Laos, since it usually only rains at night. The rainy season is approaching, and people must brace themselves for the drought of thinning wallets. It is now the off-season. People have to somehow tough it out using what they earned during the peak season. Many have returned to their home countries, and those who remain are the real deal, adapted right down to the bone. Yet, tourists are still trickling in. These are the people who have finally figured out that the rainy season is actually the best time to be here, especially if you play golf. I remember playing golf like crazy in the rain last year. The golf course wasn't crowded, the intermittent light drizzle cooled my sweat, and a pleasant breeze blew that made me feel like royalty. As people caught on to this charm, the golf courses are now packed even during the off-season. Knowing this, the golf course management went ahead and raised their green fees. During the off-season, no less! I am so glad I lost interest in golf. A golf boom has started among the local Laotians as well, regardless of age or gender. It used to be only older, wealthy men who played, but now their siblings and children have grown up and started picking up golf clubs. In the late afternoons when they get off work, you have to wait a long time at the driving range. Regardless, having nothing much else to do, I go to the driving range every Sunday with a friend. Hitting 80 balls leaves me utterly exhausted. Eighty also happened to be my average score. My goal was to break into the 70s, but I realized that was never going to happen given my temper and physical condition. It wasn't so much that I gave up; rather, my body simply wasn't built for golf. I am relatively short, have a bit of a potbelly, my arms are short resulting in a small swing arc, and my back doesn't bend flexibly. A driver might not secure a par, but distance is still everything! Watching a ball struck by a driver fly in a perfect trajectory makes my entire day. Whenever my drive reaches 200 yards, I feel like some kind of monster! Hahaha. That is why I practiced my short game so much. The short game is the true key to saving par and making birdies. Because my drives were so short, I always had to grab my 3-wood for my second shot. That's why people used to call me 'Woodal' [Translator's Note: A Korean portmanteau meaning 'Master of the Wood']. Golf seems like such a foolish sport. Grown adults pour exorbitant amounts of money into buying golf gear, wake up before dawn, and spend even more money just to play the game. But it is a captivating sport! Playing golf teaches you about yourself. It cultivates your ability to take on challenges. If you are someone who shoots over 100, you will want to break into the 90s. Once you hit the 90s, you want to get into the 80s, and it continues like that. Even if your score for the day was terrible, that too becomes a challenge. Because there is always a 'next time.' That is why you keep playing. This sport teaches a person persistence.

And so, in the last week of May, I transformed into a better person. I just taught my Canadian and British friends how to drink Somaek (a soju and beer bomb) and how to toast Chinese-style. I mostly listened to their realistic stories about life. It was an absolutely fantastic time! They wanted to go for a second round, but I figured that where there are crowds, incidents are bound to happen. I just want to enjoy this current solitude. They were two of my first 'Laos-expat' friends with whom I shared a cheerful toast. I hope this leads to a lasting friendship. I have a feeling this is going to be the most highly anticipated rainy season ever!