Going to Laos... For Dummies (Like Me)

[AOZ]

@LHG, well put bro.    And I can totally relate to the story you've told.  It's that kindness and generosity that is attractive about the women there.  Not just to Hmong Mekas, but to their parents, siblings and peers.  Some traits that most of the Hmong ladies in Mekas have lost over our time here.  But I have a feeling that @maivpovci has already made up her mind and there will be no changing her opinion.  Like you've said, everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but don't make generalization s and keep an open mind.


@NceegVaj, you hit the nail right on the head.    A lot of the hluas nkauj hmoob mekas was brought up in a society where its all about, ME ME ME and no one else.  I think its important to be independent & successful, taking care and loving oneself first.  But, there's a fine line between that and being completly egocentric.
   

why is it that the blame is put on just the hmoob mekas girls?  we all know hmoob mekas guys cannot compare to those in laos as well regarding paub kevcai... txawj hais lus.. txawj dab qhua... and kev nquag. 

so in conclusion... all hmoob mekas men and women swb hmoob plog lawm not just hmoob mekas women ok. 

kuv los pom zoo kuv cov ntxhais mus yuav hmoob nplog thiab... vim tias vauv hmoob nplog tsi khib oom.. thiab vauv hmoob plog yuav txawj paab/hlub neeb ntsa dua.   

[MenyuamHmoob]

why is it that the blame is put on just the hmoob mekas girls?  we all know hmoob mekas guys cannot compare to those in laos as well regarding paub kevcai... txawj hais lus.. txawj dab qhua... and kev nquag. 

so in conclusion... all hmoob mekas men and women swb hmoob plog lawm not just hmoob mekas women ok. 

kuv los pom zoo kuv cov ntxhais mus yuav hmoob nplog thiab... vim tias vauv hmoob nplog tsi khib oom.. thiab vauv hmoob plog yuav txawj paab/hlub neeb ntsa dua.   

@AOZ, I agree with you.  But I didnt intend to say ALL Hmoob Mekas Guys & Girls are like that.  Its just that MOST are like that.  There's still those good ones here in the USA too.  They're just hard to find these days. 

[MenyuamHmoob]

Believe it or not, some are even on PH. 

I'm not so sure on that..lol

[MenyuamHmoob]

LHG, sorry to have turned your thread into a debate about Hmong Girls in Laos vs. USA.  As we know, everytime this topic comes up, its garaunteed to be a heated debate.      So lets touchbase on some other topics regarding Laos shall we? 

*****FOOD*******

Street Vendors: Almost all street vendors will have the usual stuff.  This includes BBQ chicken, fish, chicken feet, chicken hearts, gizzards, PHO, Kho-Poon, etc.  When you first see the dust and flies roaming around, you cant seem to eat any of it.  But after a few days, you become used to it.  However, eating this stuff, i got tired of it and just couldnt eat the same thing anymore.  5,000-15,000 kip will get you any of the above without any problem.

Cooking Nqaij Nploos @ Relatives  If you're lucky like i am, you have relatives who you can cook and share food with.  Turned out, there were people selling a whole "Nploos" (I dont know the english name for this animal, if one does, let me know) at the Phonsavan Supermarket. This is considered a delicacy among the Hmong people and the meat is very hard to find these days.  I wanted to try it, since it was a dish thats been mentioned/praised by my father, uncles, and every OG i've come across.  Turns out, it was pretty good.  It seems the meat itself, along with the animal's poop has a very bitter taste to it.  This, i believe is the greatest reason for its popularity.  The Nploos itself cost me around $60 USD, herbs, scallons & green onions, etc cost around 20,000-50,000 kip.

Eating Nqaij Aub @ Street Vendors: I dont recommend doing this without first consulting relatives who knows where to go.  It all depends on how the meat is prepared and cooked.  In my case, i had relatives in KM52 and they recommended a local street vendor who specialized in cooking this type of meat.  We had it BBQ & Stewed.  Overall, Nqaij Aub was pretty good.  It has this GOAT/Sheep taste to it. One plate of BBQ/stew Nqaij Aub was around 10,000 kip     

   

[MenyuamHmoob]

You know.. I guard this thread with my life!   So, dont' say anything bad to LHG.

I've never said anything bad to LHG.  You should talk to maivpovci, she's talkin' smack. LMFAO. 

[MenyuamHmoob]

Some of you need to have some respect for the poster who is posting this thread. He is taking his time in sharing his experiences and knowledge with some of you. If you got nothing good to contribute, than I suggest you do not post in this thread. Thank you.

Yog lawm yog lawm!!!    *Ahem Ahem* @maivpovci ntag lo!!! 

[LonelyHmgGuy]

Some of you need to have some respect for the poster who is posting this thread. He is taking his time in sharing his experiences and knowledge with some of you. If you got nothing good to contribute, than I suggest you do not post in this thread. Thank you.

@Sweet Tears...

Thanks for defending me... LOL. I need a good women like you... If I have someone like you all the time, maybe then I can drop the LONELY part off my name.

@Everyone Else... seriously, continue to contribute if you wish, all I ask is that you keep it civil and clean. I enjoy the debates and welcome them... regardless of your point of view and if you agree with me or not.

@MenyuamHmoob...

Food in Laos... Honestly, I did not want to eat, NOT because I did not like the food or because of the conditions with the dusts and flies. I HONESTLY did not want to eat because I did not want to use the bathrooms there. Seriously, I hated everytime I have to take a $hit... the thought of having to squat over that hole, even for a few minutes just hurts too much. I am a big guy, about 165 lbs and squating over a 5 in hole was not very pleasant, painful even!!! Five minutes and my legs go numb and I start to worry, I was afraid I might miss and get $hit all over my shoes or pants. Dam! That would not be good. 

*** For those that have not been to Laos... the toilet is a 5 inch hole on a cement slab. Basically a hole in the ground without a seat to support your butt!. You have to stand over the hole (have a good aim) and squat!*** 

Am I the only one to have this fear of bathrooms in Laos???  I saw some pretty large Hmong Mekas, larger than me and I often wonder how they deal with the bathrooms there? fudge!

Ok... so on the issues of eating food. I tried just about everything from fried grasshoppers, deep fried swallows, to rice in cooked in bamboo, papaya salads, bbq pork, bbq chicken, bbq fish, wild boar, steam bums, corns... but I did not try Nqaij Nploos or Nqaij Aub... I think Nqaij Aub is (dog) right? I can't read hmong that well.  My cousin offered to cook Nqaij Nploos for me, but I passed.

I did however eat the fruits and veges (ALL of them)... Lychee, Rambutans, Durians, Jack Fruits, Mangos (green and yellow), papayas, pineapples, sugarcanes, mangosteens, (cow horn) fruit, passion fruit, guavas, oranges and something called the MaKaiTain... very sour fruit. I ate yams, water lillies, all kinds of roots I could not name, weeds we picked from the rice patties and large tree flowers stuff with ground pork.

Seriously... I ate 2 Kg of lychee in one sitting once. Love that stuff and it was so cheap. 15,000 kips for 1 KG or 2 dollars for 2Lbs (1 dollar a pound).

Pho was disappointing. .. not as good as the American version. They also don't have sriracha sauce or hoisin sauce and the broth is not as good... but at 5000 to 10000 kips  or about 1 dollar a bowl, who's going to complain!

Soo... there you have it. Probably more information than what you wanted to know!

LHG

[maipovci]

I've never said anything bad to LHG.  You should talk to maivpovci, she's talkin' smack. LMFAO. 

wth! lmao.... just different perspective, that's all.

[blablablablabla]

 

[LonelyHmgGuy]

*** I am going back ***

I miss Laos too much, so I have decided to go back for another visit... this time, to celebrate Lao New Year (Pi Mai).

This time, I will start an online Journal... will let you guys know!

LHG

[LonelyHmgGuy]

Would love to go with you.

TitaniumHeart and all,

Not sure what your situation is (finance and relationship wise)... but we (all of us) really do only live once. This is not to say, you should abandon all common sense with reckless decisions, but do take time off for yourself and your family. Take that vacation... go to Laos. What's stopping you? LOL.

My ex-father in law for example, saved money all his life... to be blunt, he was a really frugal man. He was a hmong shaman and did jingle bell all the time, he would save up all the loose change he got from doing jingle bells to buy cigarettes. The thought of opening his wallet to spend a dollar was horrifying. We bought him new shirts and shoes and he left them in their original packages and never worn them. He never took any trips and never ate out. I doubt he ever traveled pass the borders of California. A few years back, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, I am sure it was because of his smoking... he died 5 months later, just like the doctors predicted.

Rumor surfaced that he had 20,000 dollars saved... which I am sure he had, stuffed under the mattress somewhere. Most of that money I also heard went towards his funeral because he did not have any sons of his own. He lived with his nephew and by all accounts, his nephew loved him, but as you know, it is not the same as his own son.

My point is, this man, who lived a life without ever taking a step away from his front door... never ever got to enjoy life or see the world. This is an extreme case, I will have to admit, but none the less... it proves a point I am trying to make. What good is money, wealth, stuff, material things... if you never enjoyed life??? Ask yourself a few questions... in 20-30 years or just 5 years from now, am I going to have this opportunity again and if so, will I enjoy it as much? I am sure the answer for most of us is a NO.

Sorry if I sound like I am preaching today, don't be offened. The answer is YES,  IF you are single and available, you're welcome to come with me! HEHEHE...

BTW - if you are on the West Coast, Ticket to Vientiane right now for April, May travel is about 900.00, depending on where you shop. Good luck and PM me if you want more details.

LHG

[MenyuamHmoob]

LHG...i miss Laos just like you too.  I hear you about living once and being able to enjoy life at this moment.  LIke the saying, You ONly Live Once (YOLO)!!!  And what's the point of saving everything and enjoying it when you're old.  Shoot, i wouldnt know if i'll be able to freakin walk or see by that time.  lol.  But unfortunately, work is going to prevent me from being able to visit until November/December time frame again.  If you do visit, share your experienced on here or your online blog. 

[MenyuamHmoob]

BTW, how do you find all this time off from work? I need to find myself that kind of job. 

[yoursunrise4ever]

LonelyHmongGuy,
 
I wish the sunrise to always rise for you where ever you travel to. Take care and be safe on your trip. Perhaps, fate is calling you home. 

[LonelyHmgGuy]

BTW, how do you find all this time off from work? I need to find myself that kind of job. 

MenyuamHmoob -

Really do wish you could go with me... wish everyone on PH for that matter, wish we all could go as one big group!

I have been at my current job for awhile now and accrue a good amount of PTO each pay period... being that I don't ever take any sick days, or take any personal time off, I still have a lot of vacation left. Also keep in mind that I have not taken a vacation, until my last trip, in 3 years... so yea, I am pretty lucky. PTO I have plenty, just not the cash to do anything with it.

Soo... to continue on my EX-Father In Law. I was just thinking about his life. He never got to see the inside of a Mall, never got to see the buffet line at the RIO in Vegas, he never got jet lag, or know the joys and frustrations of losing his luggage, he will never know what it is to have a sunburn, he's never been to a hotel, he never got to see mickey mouse, he will never experience what it is like to ride the ferry from San Francisco to Berkley. He will never see the insides of a casino or hike the Grand Canyon. He has never felt the heat of a midwestern summer or the humidity that comes with it. He will never know what a torando watch is or where to hide when one does come. He has never soak his feet in the Pacific Ocean or touch a coconut tree, and he will never ever know the sweet smell of the sea air.

Looking back on your life, looking back at my life, many many many years from now, I doubt anyone will say "DAM, I wish I was at work again, typing away at my PC." I doubt that very much. And you will probably NOT hear anyone say, "Darn, wish I had another report to complete for my boss."  Instead... I bet that most of us would wish that we had taken the long way home, to drive that weird road that drove along the coast, where we found that awesome view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I bet most of us would wish we could have spent an extra day at Disneyland or out camping with our kids. And I can certain that most of us would rather spend an extra hour on a sandy beach somewhere with our honey...

Just some thoughts...