Sao Lao

On her way home from Wat Nongbone, Aunt Kian made one last stop for me. She went by my former house to take some photos for me. She didn’t know whether or not she had the right house and asked a couple of people and they still remember my mother and also the death of my sister. The old house is gone but the new owner built a new house on the same spot. I can still see the coconut trees that my parents grew for us. We each had a coconut tree to take care of and now they are all bearing fruits. I don’t know if the owner of the house is still the same one that my parents sold the house to before we moved to stay with my grandmother in Phon Tong.

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Laos is the top destination in Asia for ecotourism. There is plenty to do at the World Heritage Town of Luang Prabang as well as Wat Phu in Champassak province. Check out the two promotional clips from the Lao National Tourism Administration. You just might want to head down to the land of a million elephants.

Matt Lauer and team made their way to Laos for the third day of Where in the World is Matt Lauer 2008. Here are a few clips from the Today show featuring the natural beauty of Laos, food and music, and culture. If you have never been to Laos, then this is a good time to make your plan before the country becomes too crowded with tourists. Laos is the number one destination for travel this year!

Laos on Today Show 1

Laos on Today Show 2

Laos on Today Show 3

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On January 29, 2008 my aunt Kian went to Wat That Luang to take some photos for me. During my visit to Laos last year I didn’t get a chance to visit the place during the day time because my parents didn’t want to go there and didn’t make time for us to be in the area either. I had to beg for my aunt to make a stop at Wat That Luang on our way back from Tha Ngon in the early evening. Wat That Luang is very special to me because I grew up in the area and my former house was a few minutes walk down the street from the 4-ways intersection. My elementary school was right across from Wat That Luang as well.

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On January 28th of last month, my relatives in Vientiane got up extra early for a special Morning Alms Giving. On that day Buddhist Monks from the nearby temples would travel beyond the usual routes. There would be around 40 Buddhist Monks that would make a procession pass a short and tiny street where Aunt Kian’s house is located. Aunt Kian is very religious if I compare her to other relatives for the fact that she takes part in the rituals of Morning Alms Giving daily and often attend religious events at her local temple. Some other relatives that I visited in Laos would not even take part in the Morning Alms Giving, not even once a week or once every two weeks.

Even though I am not a Buddhist anymore Aunt Kian always tell me that she tum boun and thuk badt for me as well because of the money I sent on a regular basis, which she used part of it for merit making. She told me that if we tum boun together and the next life we would see each other again. I told her that I don’t mind at all to see her and the other relatives again in the next life if there is such a thing.

A few weeks ago my relatives in Vientiane were invited for a visit at a papaya garden at K50 or Lak 50. It was a day full of fun for the kids and adults. My cousins were having fun feeding and playing with the animals. They got to ride on the the wagon and helping with collecting papayas. All the relatives that went for the visit all got enough papayas and bananas home and for the next two weeks they were eating green papaya salad and riped papaya.

This green papaya salad became part of a lunch that day.

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For the last couple of weeks I’ve been looking at the photos from my trip to Laos a year ago. I woke up this morning and realized that on this day a year ago I was running around Pakse, trying to take some pictures of Champasak Palace Hotel and Wat Louang before dashing to the Pakse airport to get on the flight to Vientiane on time.

One month in Laos was too short for me. For now I can only look at the photos and remember my time there until I can be back at my birth country again. I don’t remember feeling this homesick since the first couple of years we relocated to the US. After the death of my great-grandmother and then my grandmother a year after, there was no strong tides to Laos for me. Now I have my Grand-Mama, she is almost 90 years old and I want to see her as much as possible while I can.

On our third day in Vientiane, we did the same thing, walked back to aunt V’s villa to take a shower and have breakfast. After a shower I told my parents that I wanted to do a white wash later in the afternoon. My father told me not to go next door to do laundry. He said I shouldn’t “lop kuan” my uncle and his wife. I can wait till I get to Pakse and there will be dek noi (kids) to wash my clothes for me. I told him I don’t want to do such thing and do not expect my relatives to do my laundry for me. If it is a problem with using the washing machine next door, then I can compensate with money to pay for the water and electricity. My father then told me to wash my clothes by hands in the bathroom. He said I can also wash his clothes and my mother’s clothes as well. Being a stubborn daughter that I am, I told him no. I have a back pain and there is no stool for me to sit on I told him. I would have to sit on the floor or bend down to wash the clothes.

Of course being the proud man that he is, my father decided to wash his own whites. There was no laundry detergent around and I had to be the one to go next door asking for some. I washed my clothes that needed to be hand wash along with my mother’s delicates. My parents told me to hang the clothes inside the house, which was very difficult to do since there is no rope or anything. They told me to go ask for a rope next door so I can make a clothes line. There is no rope that I can use from my uncle’s house. His wife asked me why we can’t hang the clothes on the clothes drying rack like I did yesterday. I laughed and told her to ask my parents. I found it funny when my parents decided to hang their clothes in the kitchen on the window. I asked my parents what would the guests to the house think when they come in the kitchen, through the back door, and their eyes will meet the undergarments.

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Aunt A took us to a Pho (Fer) shop for lunch. Afterward we went to a market near by our town. I bought a pair of blue flip flop for Pakse since I only have one pair of sandals. We later went by my cousin’s shop to visit her. I was very happy to see her. She is about the same age as my youngest brother. I used to watch her and her brother (Bee), along with my youngest brother on the weekend. It was more like watching each other since we were kids. I bought a couple of outfits for myself and for my youngest sister from my cousin’s shop.

My cousin told me that she thought I was going to be staying at her house and how they made a room for me. I told her that I’ve been in Pakse for a week. Apparently there was a misunderstanding and my mother didn’t tell either of my aunts that I was going to be in Pakse. Why my mother didn’t tell them that I was going to be with aunt K and my Grand-mama? I called my mother before I went to Laos telling her to not tell my two aunts to not pick me up at the airport and that I will only be in Vientiane for just one day. I didn’t think it would be proper for me to show up for just one day and leave and not stay with aunt K and my cousin Bay since we were going to Pakse together. Besides I wanted to meet all my mother’s relatives at once with my parents. Who would have thought going to Laos will create so much family politics?

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A short clip from Lao TV about the Pasad Pheung Procession at Boun That Luang Festival in Vientiane, Laos.