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Published: August 13th 2009
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Life here has continued to fascinate and challenge me.
My experience at a Lao disco-club the other night was strange yet interesting. I went with a few Lao friends. Upon entering, we were seated four-in-a-row at straight bench behind a table, with a view towards the central dance floor. It was pitch dark. Beer Lao, on ice, was the only drink being served. A live band, singing love songs and classic Lao ballads alternated with bizarre Lao dance music and a few American songs. Girls and boys do not touch on the dance floor. Popular dances include a Lao line-dance, a Lao Hawaiian-style dance, and casual fist shaking. The dance floor alone is lit up, so everyone at their booths can enjoy viewing the dancers. At odd times the waiters approach with a tiny flashlight, shining it on a full-page bill. They insist on immediate payment.
When it rains, people put shopping bags on their heads to avoid getting wet. The shopping bags are primarily small pink and clear striped ones, and they fit snugly on wearer's heads.
Kids here are very self-sufficient. Four-year olds can be seen with babies strapped to their backs, caring for younger siblings
while the parents are at work. Often, the baby is half the size of the caretaker! Little kids also stroll around town on their own; familiar enough with the streets to get around, capable of shopping for their parents or grabbing a bite to eat alone. Butcher knives and machetes are easily handled by children as well; they use them to cut up coconuts or papayas for snacks, or to help with chopping for meals. A gang of ten-year old kids roam the streets, selling bracelets and small dolls commissioned by their parents. These kids are feisty and witty salespeople; they work hard but play too, enjoying the company of their friends. They attend school, but are expected to work nights, weekends and vacations.
Soup, or pho as adopted from the Vietnamese, is a very popular food in Laos. On mainstreets and alleys, on the street and in shops at nearly any time of day or night, you can find a Lao eating pho. This delicious noodle soup is made fresh by hardworking men and women every day. Lightly seasoned broth, soft homemade noodles, bits of pork, chicken or beef, spices and herbs all go in to a big
painted bowl. A plate of fresh mint, lettuce, cabbage, string beans and lime is served on the side for you to add according to your liking. Then the condiment party begins. Fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, chili paste, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and msg are all provided for you to make the soup as hot, sweet, sour and tangy as you wish. The result is a steaming and delicious soup, completely handmade, and perfectly tailored to your tastes. One quickly learns to love this soup no matter the weather, be it a cold, rainy day or a hot, steamy morning.
Most of the sewers in town are open, running along the side of the road. The waste runs in to the Mekong River, which is very brown, and also used by many for bathing, washing and swimming. For some reason, the sewers don't smell at all.
The traditional Lao way of eating is on the floor, on a mat, with the food on a round, raised platform in the center. Sticky rice, khow niaw, is eaten with the hands from a small, woven bamboo container. Balled up, the sticky rice is dipped in to the various communal dishes.
Lao people will always invite those around them to eat with the words, kin khow, translatable as "eat rice". It would be considered incredibly rude to eat in front of others and not offer them to join. Food, no matter how little has been prepared, should always be shared.
Everywhere I go, I end up the teacher in spontaneous English classes and the pupil in unexpected Lao classes. Young local boys in their teens, especially novice monks who have the time to spare, are very friendly and eager to practice their English. Sometimes these chats end up lasting hours, telephone numbers are exchanged and future dates to meet are arranged. I am always delighted to talk to these kids, as they share their lives with me, teaching me about custom and culture in Lao, and are so curious about my life back in the US. And learning a new language has never been more fun; each Lao word I hear I record in my notebook in English, and I am gradually building up a vocabulary without ever having to open a book.
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