Laos v. China (Updated with Photos)
With the exception of the heat, Laos has been a very welcome change from China. First, people here smile. When you smile at them, they return the smile and sometimes offer an unsolicited suh-bai-dee (aka hello); in China no one, albeit one nice old lady on public bus No. 5, seemed to be smiling and rarely would a Chinese person return a smile.
Second, the food is amazing -- e.g., not floating in oil, not overly sweetened with sugar and not fried! In the Yunnan Province it seemed that all of the food was fried and served in a pool of oil. Also, everything was very sweet, even the microwave popcorn (which, if labeled "American Style Popcorn" is a very popular bar snack) was glazed with sugar. In Lao, not only are there really good Laotian dishes, but they have salads which are washed in bottled water for less than a dollar! There is nothing better than a crisp Greek salad to satisfy a raw veggie craving.
Third, the lack of desire to be 'American' is a welcome refreshment. In China, it seems that everything is advertised as being 'American' or is comparable to some Western brand. For example, many of the trademarks for products seem to tip toe the line of infringement.
One of the car companies is named B Y D which is written in black letters below a black outlined circle, the top half of which is royal blue and the bottom half of which is white...sound familiar? The new model is called the F3!
Also, a few sports companies have various swoosh or checkmark-like designs. Hmmm...
One final example...anyone think they know which clothing manufacturer Kalomani Apparel is imitating?
In Lao, people seem to be very content with their Laotian identities and I have yet to see Laotian businesses or companies imitating Western brands.
Fourth, people don't seem to be talking about you in front of you, as they did in China. In China, most Chinese assume that Westerners do not understand Mandarin, which is true. However, when a group of Chinese women point at you, say something in Chinese and then laugh you get a little suspicious. My roommate in China was a Brit who had spent seven months volunteering in a Chinese orphanage and she confirmed that most of these people were in fact speaking about us. We had much fun walking about the markets and when she would hear people saying something like, "stupid westerners don't speak Mandarin" or "I bet her blond hair is fake" she would respond back in perfect Mandarin, "how much does this cost?" or "no, actually my hair is not dyed." Here, people might be more used to tourists such that they don't feel a need to discuss your presence.
However, the heat here is truly oppressive. You have to come to terms with the fact that even if you walk slowly with an umbrella for shade in the morning or evening, you will constantly be sweating. My body will probably adapt as I spend more time here, but the breeze at the cafes along the Mekong River or air-conditioning seems necessary from 1-3pm for everyone.
Second, the food is amazing -- e.g., not floating in oil, not overly sweetened with sugar and not fried! In the Yunnan Province it seemed that all of the food was fried and served in a pool of oil. Also, everything was very sweet, even the microwave popcorn (which, if labeled "American Style Popcorn" is a very popular bar snack) was glazed with sugar. In Lao, not only are there really good Laotian dishes, but they have salads which are washed in bottled water for less than a dollar! There is nothing better than a crisp Greek salad to satisfy a raw veggie craving.
Third, the lack of desire to be 'American' is a welcome refreshment. In China, it seems that everything is advertised as being 'American' or is comparable to some Western brand. For example, many of the trademarks for products seem to tip toe the line of infringement.
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One of the car companies is named B Y D which is written in black letters below a black outlined circle, the top half of which is royal blue and the bottom half of which is white...sound familiar? The new model is called the F3!.0.jpg)
Also, a few sports companies have various swoosh or checkmark-like designs. Hmmm...
One final example...anyone think they know which clothing manufacturer Kalomani Apparel is imitating?
In Lao, people seem to be very content with their Laotian identities and I have yet to see Laotian businesses or companies imitating Western brands.
Fourth, people don't seem to be talking about you in front of you, as they did in China. In China, most Chinese assume that Westerners do not understand Mandarin, which is true. However, when a group of Chinese women point at you, say something in Chinese and then laugh you get a little suspicious. My roommate in China was a Brit who had spent seven months volunteering in a Chinese orphanage and she confirmed that most of these people were in fact speaking about us. We had much fun walking about the markets and when she would hear people saying something like, "stupid westerners don't speak Mandarin" or "I bet her blond hair is fake" she would respond back in perfect Mandarin, "how much does this cost?" or "no, actually my hair is not dyed." Here, people might be more used to tourists such that they don't feel a need to discuss your presence.
However, the heat here is truly oppressive. You have to come to terms with the fact that even if you walk slowly with an umbrella for shade in the morning or evening, you will constantly be sweating. My body will probably adapt as I spend more time here, but the breeze at the cafes along the Mekong River or air-conditioning seems necessary from 1-3pm for everyone.
posted by Amy at 1:41 AM
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