Jewels of The Mekong For Sale

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The Kid that works at the Guesthouse took me out to watch a Manchester United game. It was fun. The Kid, as I shall refer to him, was a curious looking one. He had the look of amazement as he saw my American passport. His eyes widened like I'd came from the sky. In this part of the world Westerners are like celebrities and Americans are rockstars. No wonder why so many men love coming to this part of the world. It strokes our ego. Soccer is as much an escape as it is an opportunity to escape poverty for the people of Laos. Soccer or futball as the people of Laos refer to it, is big in Laos. The Kid told me his dream was to come to America. I drew a blank. Should I tell him to continue to follow his dream and see where it would take him or should I tell him the reality of things? I didn't have a response for him. I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth. He is after all a very bright kid. 20 years old Laos kid with a German accent. He'd been learning English from German volunteers for the last couple of years. The longer I stay in Vientiane, the clearer I see the state, which the people of Laos are in. There aren't that many opportunities for a better future here for these young and bright. They have to scratch and claw for what they have. Putting a price on their jewels for a better life. It saddens me to see the Jewels of The Mekong in such a state...

Update: 1-2-2017

I am Facebook friends with The Kid. Recently I found out he made it to somewhere in Europe. I was extremely happy for this kid. He made it out...Hopefully, America will be his next destination.

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