In Sweden we often talk about personal space and that we have this comfort zone made up of a private bubble. Still, there exists a lot of physical contact between people when communicating, that not exist in for example Laos. When introducing ourself we shake hands. The Laotians however put their palms together and bow/nod. No touching. This is the normal ritual for saying hello as well, or Sabaidee as they say. In Sweden we have different degree of physical contact when greeting each other, all depending on the people’s relationship. Now of course, I am only talking of my own generation.
When you run into someone in the city by accident or meet someone at a party, someone who’s only an acquaintance and not in the category of “Friend” you do the awkward “lets not touch each other too much”-hug. The hug when you only use your arms. Then there is the “real friend hug”, an actual hug that is not only using limbs as communication, but also expresses some emotion and warmth. We then have the baby hug. Example being me hugging my smaller siblings, mostly my soon 4 year old brother but also my 8-year old sister and my kinda new-born baby brother. I hug and kiss and snuggle them like teddybears even if they want to or not. And I do it a lot. Lastly we have the love-hug. Not only the hug between two lovers, but between two people who deeply cares about each other, being a parent and a child or two very close friends. The hug that lasts a little longer than normal, and is much more charged with emotion than any of the other hugs.
Well, let me tell you. Since I arrived more than two weeks ago the only hug I had was the “family-I haven’t seen you in a while-hug” which is somewhere in the middle-to-top of the hug-emotion-scale I just made up. Of the things I miss since I left home, I truly miss the physical contact Swedes have when communicating (and I’m not talking about sex now you dirty-minded bastards). Just shaking hands. Some personal contact that tells me we’re human beings and not robots or plague-infected corpses. This means I am saying hello to every other kid I see, often stopping to talk to them. I am also on the verge to adopting one of the adorable kittens that are running around town, being so skinny my heart breaks every time I see one.
Do not be lead to believe that I’m not having a good time in Luang Prabang. I really love it here and the Laotian people are just so kind and are genuinely interested in talking to you. I will tomorrow go and borrow the boy who lives on our street so I can hug him. I’ll bribe him with strawberry yogurt.
onsdag 12 oktober 2011
tisdag 11 oktober 2011
Flipper's Guide through the Cafés in Luang Prabang
I have now been in Luang Prabang for two weeks and I have tried a lot of the cafés in town. I thought therefor I should share some of my thoughts. There is one major difference between Stockholm and Luang Prabang and that is the tempo. I am not saying Stockholm is hectic but Luang Prabang is very laid back. Very laid back. Ordering a coffee in Stockholm takes you a minute, and your latte is finished and ready to be served. In Luang Prabang it takes the same amount of time to order a can of soda as it takes in Stockholm to order a grilled sandwich. Luckily, most people who go to cafés and restaurants are tourists and have all the time in the world.
Scandinavian Bakery: This café you find on Main Street and serves everything from Coffee to fruit shakes to pizzas. As the terrace is a meter above the street level it gives a nice view over the street. They serve Scandinavian-style cookies which is a real treat when being homesick.
Ancient Bon Café: Ancient Bon Cafés has both a guesthouse and a café, the guesthouse you find in the center of town across the street from the Hmong Market and the Café is out on the peninsula, just a block from where I live. They have a wide variety of coffee shakes and drinks, but also teas and smoothies. Their Frappes can compare to Starbucks's Frappucinos. Maybe even better since they're much cheaper and the drinks are topped with an Oreo Cookie. I tend to go here alot because of their coffee and free wifi. However, the small café is better than the guesthouse as the service is mush better and has a more personal touch.
JoMa Café and Bakery: Just a block away from Ancient Bon Café and Guesthouse. This café is very west-inspired, and has a Starbucks/Espresso House-feel over it. Drinks are good, especially their fresh passion fruit juice. The Iced Latte was a little too strong for me. They also have a lot of sandwiches, non which I've tested though. They should take it easier with the AC, last time I was there it was freezing. It's OK, but if you're only in Luang Prabang for couple of days you can skip it. I also heard the owners are religious fanatics, forcing their staff to read the bible. JoMa=Josef and Mary/Maria
Saffron: This café you find on the riverside by the Mekong. They have an excellent location, having an outside seating just by the river. Nice atmosphere and they always play good music. This is the most expensive option, but their sandwiches looks really good, and their coffee is great. Also free wifi.
Well, I am not a professional reviewer so this is what you get really. When in Luang Prabang, I recommend having lunch at Saffron or another restaurant by the Mekong, and maybe have a fruit shake in the afternoon at the Scandinavian Bakery. Then take a stroll at the Night Market which start at five in the evening before going to one of the restaurants on Main Street trying some delicious Lao food, maybe the set menu at Coconut Garden. Finish your evening at one of the vine bars in town.
Scandinavian Bakery: This café you find on Main Street and serves everything from Coffee to fruit shakes to pizzas. As the terrace is a meter above the street level it gives a nice view over the street. They serve Scandinavian-style cookies which is a real treat when being homesick.
Ancient Bon Café: Ancient Bon Cafés has both a guesthouse and a café, the guesthouse you find in the center of town across the street from the Hmong Market and the Café is out on the peninsula, just a block from where I live. They have a wide variety of coffee shakes and drinks, but also teas and smoothies. Their Frappes can compare to Starbucks's Frappucinos. Maybe even better since they're much cheaper and the drinks are topped with an Oreo Cookie. I tend to go here alot because of their coffee and free wifi. However, the small café is better than the guesthouse as the service is mush better and has a more personal touch.
JoMa Café and Bakery: Just a block away from Ancient Bon Café and Guesthouse. This café is very west-inspired, and has a Starbucks/Espresso House-feel over it. Drinks are good, especially their fresh passion fruit juice. The Iced Latte was a little too strong for me. They also have a lot of sandwiches, non which I've tested though. They should take it easier with the AC, last time I was there it was freezing. It's OK, but if you're only in Luang Prabang for couple of days you can skip it. I also heard the owners are religious fanatics, forcing their staff to read the bible. JoMa=Josef and Mary/Maria
Saffron: This café you find on the riverside by the Mekong. They have an excellent location, having an outside seating just by the river. Nice atmosphere and they always play good music. This is the most expensive option, but their sandwiches looks really good, and their coffee is great. Also free wifi.
Well, I am not a professional reviewer so this is what you get really. When in Luang Prabang, I recommend having lunch at Saffron or another restaurant by the Mekong, and maybe have a fruit shake in the afternoon at the Scandinavian Bakery. Then take a stroll at the Night Market which start at five in the evening before going to one of the restaurants on Main Street trying some delicious Lao food, maybe the set menu at Coconut Garden. Finish your evening at one of the vine bars in town.
söndag 9 oktober 2011
A Regular Day That Didn't Turn Out to be Very Regular
Today I had no special plans, but the afternoon ended up being much more interesting than I though. At lunch I had a conversation with the only female in the hotel reception for the first time. Laotians are very shy, especially girls and rarely speak to westerners. Today, though, we managed to break the ice and spoke about the usual, age, birthdays, siblings. Then as I went to have my afternoon coffee another rare thing happened. I wore my 1982-Rose Bowl shirt today and as I sat slurping on my Iced Latte a voice said to me: "You are too young to have been to the 1982 Rose Bowl!"
The voice belonged to an older gentleman, he in turn belonged to a large group of men and women all in their 60s. As I explained the shirt's origin, he commented on me not even being from the US, and I defended myself by saying that I actually used to live in New York and therefor have the right to wear the shirt. And I also comment on the story of how this 100% American shirt managed to end up in a second-hand store in Sweden must be fascinating. The gentleman and his ladyfriend left the café together with the rest of a group with a smile and I returned to my coffee.
I then stumble upon my Step-grandfather having an afternoon beer at a local café and with nothing better to do I join him. A while later we split up, he going one way on the bike and me going the other to visit a local shop. On my way home as I walk down Main Street I meet the group from the café and the ladyfriend recognizes me.
"You are the Swedish girl from the café!"
I stop and we talk for about ten minutes, discussing how she is from California but is of Swedish heritage and have been to Stockholm several times and how her daughter spent a high-school year in Stockholm. I tell again the story of how I ended up in Luang Prabang and what I'm doing here. We then go our separate ways, wishing each other good luck and an enjoyable stay in Luang Prabang.
The voice belonged to an older gentleman, he in turn belonged to a large group of men and women all in their 60s. As I explained the shirt's origin, he commented on me not even being from the US, and I defended myself by saying that I actually used to live in New York and therefor have the right to wear the shirt. And I also comment on the story of how this 100% American shirt managed to end up in a second-hand store in Sweden must be fascinating. The gentleman and his ladyfriend left the café together with the rest of a group with a smile and I returned to my coffee.
I then stumble upon my Step-grandfather having an afternoon beer at a local café and with nothing better to do I join him. A while later we split up, he going one way on the bike and me going the other to visit a local shop. On my way home as I walk down Main Street I meet the group from the café and the ladyfriend recognizes me.
"You are the Swedish girl from the café!"
I stop and we talk for about ten minutes, discussing how she is from California but is of Swedish heritage and have been to Stockholm several times and how her daughter spent a high-school year in Stockholm. I tell again the story of how I ended up in Luang Prabang and what I'm doing here. We then go our separate ways, wishing each other good luck and an enjoyable stay in Luang Prabang.
lördag 8 oktober 2011
Brake
After a rather uneventful week I am back writing again. This is of course mainly my fault, as I have adopted a very bad routine. These past days I have slept until noon, then after lunch visited a café I know has wifi and spend my afternoon in front of the computer. In my defense, the computer time have not been a waste of time as I am preparing for November and NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, a writing project that have been introduced to me by some friends.
Well, today the I managed to break the curse and got out of bed before 9.30 am. Today we drove up to the Elephant Village, an elephant camp where you can go elephant riding and go through Mahout Training, a Mahout in short being the elephant's personal trainer. From there we went up the Nam Kahn River to the Tad Sae Waterfall by boat. We didn't go elephant riding or took a swim in the waterfall, as we (or, well, they) only had a short amount of so the time was mostly spent watching everything. However, now I know what I really need to do before I leave Luang Prabang, I have to take my time and do it.
Well, today the I managed to break the curse and got out of bed before 9.30 am. Today we drove up to the Elephant Village, an elephant camp where you can go elephant riding and go through Mahout Training, a Mahout in short being the elephant's personal trainer. From there we went up the Nam Kahn River to the Tad Sae Waterfall by boat. We didn't go elephant riding or took a swim in the waterfall, as we (or, well, they) only had a short amount of so the time was mostly spent watching everything. However, now I know what I really need to do before I leave Luang Prabang, I have to take my time and do it.
måndag 3 oktober 2011
A Book Thief and A Nanny
A have read two novels parallel to each other this last week, one being The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and the other The Nanny by Melissa Nathan. These two are very different from each other, one focusing on a little German girl in Nazigermany, the other on how being a nanny in a posh suburb of London. While the chicklit was an easy read, very inside the comfort zone the Novel by Markus Zusak goes much deeper.
The Book Thief could be described as poetic, with an unusual narrator and a unusual story. This is not on how it was to be Jewish in Hitler's Germany but about the normal people, the ones going either with the flow or against the current. I won't tell you more about the book, but more about the my reaction at the end.
Even if you are told how the story will end, it always comes as a shock. It happens in The Book Thief, but for me it is often the same throughout literature and even movies. Well, I also have to add that I am very sensible when it comes to these artforms. I open up my heart to let characters in and then they are suddenly taken from me by cruel writers (get the hint JK). Also, it doesn't matter if I am already aware what's going to happen or if I read or seen it before. I cry and I cry and I cry. Every time Uncle Ben is killed after he and Peter had a fight. Every time Mufasa is betrayed by Scar and falls to his death. And of course when Snape kills Dumbledore, even though I by now know it was a necessity. It's especially easy when I'm alone and no one's there to judge. That is probably why I managed not to cry waterfalls when we saw the Deathly Hollows but only a few tears. Next time tough. Expect oceans.
To get to the point, yes I cried to the end of "The Book Thief". Most people won't though but it doesn't mean the novel won't leave a mark.
The Book Thief could be described as poetic, with an unusual narrator and a unusual story. This is not on how it was to be Jewish in Hitler's Germany but about the normal people, the ones going either with the flow or against the current. I won't tell you more about the book, but more about the my reaction at the end.
Even if you are told how the story will end, it always comes as a shock. It happens in The Book Thief, but for me it is often the same throughout literature and even movies. Well, I also have to add that I am very sensible when it comes to these artforms. I open up my heart to let characters in and then they are suddenly taken from me by cruel writers (get the hint JK). Also, it doesn't matter if I am already aware what's going to happen or if I read or seen it before. I cry and I cry and I cry. Every time Uncle Ben is killed after he and Peter had a fight. Every time Mufasa is betrayed by Scar and falls to his death. And of course when Snape kills Dumbledore, even though I by now know it was a necessity. It's especially easy when I'm alone and no one's there to judge. That is probably why I managed not to cry waterfalls when we saw the Deathly Hollows but only a few tears. Next time tough. Expect oceans.
To get to the point, yes I cried to the end of "The Book Thief". Most people won't though but it doesn't mean the novel won't leave a mark.
söndag 2 oktober 2011
Birth Party
When a child is born in Laos, the celebration is not held until a couple of months after the birth. In Enhlish it called a Birth Party, but I don’t know what its called in Lao. To one of these celebrations was I invited to today through my step-grandfather. It says on the invitation that it starts at 10 in the morning and then having lunch. We arrive 10.45 and are the first ones to be there. Not until 11.30-12.00 more people start to drop in. I could write a lot about this occasion, but I will focus on the dance. When most people where at the end of their meal, the host couple/parents to the child start off the dance, dancing the traditional Lao Dance but are soon joined by others. Mostly women in their fifties and above. The dance is simple, just swing to the music and moving your hands in a wave-like fashion as you walk around the dance floor. Despite the dance’s simplicity I am somehow fascinated by it. My belief is that what makes it such an enchanting sight is the older women. While they dance they give a sense of elegance and pride. I also think it is because of the seriousness in what they’re doing. In Sweden people would have laughed and might have danced as if they were joking, but these people danced just to enjoy the dance in itself.
Mount Phousi and Midnight Noodles
Having again slept until noon I spend the day finishing what I had started the day before. I return to Dala Market to do my shopping and I had my afternoon reading time at JoMa Café, slurping on passion fruit juice. I then decide to do the climb up Mount Phousi. The way up to the top is actually a little challenging, 350 steps i definitely more than it sounds. The reward however makes the climb absolutely worth it. The view is stunning with Luang Prabang down below, surrounded by green soft mountains with their peaks hidden in the clouds and Mekong River making its way down south. After standing on the peak of the mountain for a while absorbing the view I make my way down on the opposite side of the mountain from which I came. Here the path is steeper and it is less crowded. It is also surrounded by statues of Buddha and I pass some Laotier praying while I secretly vomit on the tourist taking a picture of their sacred moment. When I’m almost at the end of the climb down, I meet a group of tourists going up exhausted by their climb so far, I want to tell them that they still have a long long long way to go.
The rest of the evening took a rather unexpected turn. My relative and host gives me a call earlier in the day and tells me that the boys at the hotel is going out clubbing tonight and that I am welcome to join. Of course I can’t say no and at 10.00 pm that night I find myself at a local bar, Star Pub, where I and another Swedish newcomer are the only westerners and they only play Lao or Thai music, first on the stereo but later live. The alcohol for sale is BeerLao and Carlsberg, which just recently just bought Beerlao. We hang out for a while and then move on to a nightclub which actually plays music I recognize. We go by car with a sober driver, but the rest of Luang Prabang go by vespas or motorbikes and when we exit the nightclub we have a sea of auto-bikes in front of us. I do not need to tell you that most accidents on the road happen on a Friday or Saturday night.
We end the evening by introducing “fyllekäk”, or drunk-food, to our new Laotian friends but since there is no McDonalds in Luang Prabang (Thank God) we end up a the night open noodle place wolfing down Yellow Chicken Noodle Soup. Everything closes early in Luang Prabang and by 1 o'clock in the morning I am back home after a surprisingly fun night.
The rest of the evening took a rather unexpected turn. My relative and host gives me a call earlier in the day and tells me that the boys at the hotel is going out clubbing tonight and that I am welcome to join. Of course I can’t say no and at 10.00 pm that night I find myself at a local bar, Star Pub, where I and another Swedish newcomer are the only westerners and they only play Lao or Thai music, first on the stereo but later live. The alcohol for sale is BeerLao and Carlsberg, which just recently just bought Beerlao. We hang out for a while and then move on to a nightclub which actually plays music I recognize. We go by car with a sober driver, but the rest of Luang Prabang go by vespas or motorbikes and when we exit the nightclub we have a sea of auto-bikes in front of us. I do not need to tell you that most accidents on the road happen on a Friday or Saturday night.
We end the evening by introducing “fyllekäk”, or drunk-food, to our new Laotian friends but since there is no McDonalds in Luang Prabang (Thank God) we end up a the night open noodle place wolfing down Yellow Chicken Noodle Soup. Everything closes early in Luang Prabang and by 1 o'clock in the morning I am back home after a surprisingly fun night.
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