yeah, i heard that during the "Boun Ntov Dej" its pretty fun too. Some even say its more fun than the Hmong new year becuase its a nationwide celebration and everyone is off from work and school. But i think i prefer the old school courting girls and seeing all my Hmong people at a new year. BTW, do you speak any lick of Laos? I was lucky to have been traveling with a buddy of mine who knew Laotian, but this year, i was planning on traveling there with/without someone who actually speaks Laos this year, but wasn't sure how the experience would be like.
MenyuamHmoob -
I don't know how much of the Lao New Year is celebrated by the HMONG people in Laos. My guess is that it is like 4th of July, Labor Day or Thanksgiving here for us... Some Hmongs celebrate it and for others it may just be another day in Laos.
I enjoy everything about Laos... maybe because my short life has taken so many paths. You see, I was born in Laos, migrated to Thailand when I was 3 and then moved to the US when I was 6. My family and I landed in the Midwest, Bible Belt country... for the first 10 years of my life in the US, my sister and I were the only 2 asians at school, probably the only 2 asians in the county. Life was tough and so we had to learn English fast...
Long story... short. I can not speak Lao, other than to say hi, where's the bathbroom and a few other words. I also can not read or write Hmong... Not very efficiently anyways. I don't understand Hmong culture very well either. It is sad, but I am almost 40 and I don't know how to say thank you at funerals or weddings. I fall into that weird generation, where I don't fit in with the older Hmong people and I have a hard time associating with the younger Hmongs that are born here. I probably have a hand full of Hmong friends... everyone else is meka.
I will be travelling alone this time. My cousin has agreed to meet me at the air port... he will then take me to my hotel in Vientiane... but that's about it. The rest of my time there will be up to me.
LHG