Vientiane

I've arrived at the capital and largest city of Laos last night - Vientiane. Its a sleepy place as far as cities go, everything closes down around 11pm and there are perhaps 2 main streets of interest - all part of the charm I suppose. I had an excellent baguette sandwich and iced coffee for breakfast at a place around the corner from my guesthouse - one of the few good things the French left behind (as well as a large number of restaurants). Watched CNN last night - same dispiriting situation in the middle east, Iraq and disingenous politics (esp. from the Carl Rove cabal) in the US.

Watching the latest news about terrorist bombings got me thinking about how culture and religion can often shape a people's response to historical injustices (percieved or otherwise). America has now unwillingly engendered new generations of jihadists eager to wage holy war because of, as the argument goes, its foreign policies in the region (biased support for Isreal, occupation in Iraq etc).

In Laos, the most heavily bombed country in history (by the US for that matter), I've encountered none (if any) bitterness, in the local people I've come across, towards Americans or people from former countries who were their colonial masters. They seem eager to move on, catch up, rise out of poverty and enjoy the fruits of their labor and peace. In Laos, where many men spend a good part of their youth in the sangha (monastic community) as a novice, perhaps Buddhism has endowed its people with a sense of peace that comes from understanding the value of letting go. There is a practical value to forgiveness and certainly, letting go doesn't mean forgetting. This is a common theme in Vietnam as well - which is in the midst of high economic growth.

A few things I've learned from chatting up locals recently:

-only the well-to-do can today afford to go to university, where teachers often demand bribes for grades and entrance. For many, service as a monk is often the only structured, free education they'll recieve.
-few opportunities exist for most young people. Most cannot go to school, or end up becoming disillusioned by the system and end up going back to work on the family farm or doing odd jobs.
-economic opportunity is heavily skewed towards people with government connections. One man in Vang Vieng pointed out that all the guesthouses and businesses there and elsewhere were started by members of government or people who have family/social connections with people in power.
-the police is corrupt and uneducated. They often stop people on motorbikes for reason, to demand bribes and browbeat to throw their power around. This has been my personal experience in Vietnam as well.
-it is widely held perception that a large percentage of foreign development aid is siphoned into pockets of local officials.
-many in the tourism business seem to share a common wariness for Isreali tourists (seems common in other countries I've travelled as well) - who strike them as rude and arrogant relative to all the others. One local man told a story of how one Isreali blurted out that he can act however he wanted because they had the most powerful country behind them (USA). [my tax money at work!]
-Thailand and Laos share many cultural and linguistic traits. In fact, Thai pop and TV are readily consumed by Laos. However, the Thais often look down on their Laotion neighbors. One man who went to find work across the border said that one lady remarked: "How can you speak english so well? You are from Laos!".
-People don't have a good sense of what is really going on in their own country (as there is no free press). My guidebook, printed less than a year ago, cited the exchange rate as 8000kip~1USD. Today the exchange rate is about 10800 to 1. Thats quite a change in a short period of time.

One man I encountered explained things from a local perspective. While things may be terribly wrong, and the political system was broken and authoritarian and there wasn't much they could do to change things (at the risk of being imprisoned), he sought to find contentment within, in the simple things like family, friendship, nature and to try to simply be happy.

One expat who lived in the region compared Thailand to Laos in this way, "In Thailand most simply pay lip service to Buddhism while some seem to still live it here".