Laos Introduction
Welcome to the dust bowl – it’s hot, it’s sweaty and it’s dusty. It’s like entering a movie scene from the 80’s. It’s one of the largest cities in Laos, yet it’s small enough that you can get around everywhere by walking a few kilometres/30-40 minutes, from say, the hostel to the grocery store or the market. Everything is quite old and looks like it’s been worn down through the years. Motorbikes, songtaos or samblos are the main mode of public transportation. There are three markets that will sell you anything from clothing and jewelry, to notebooks and toiletries, to fresh fruit and fermented fish (a specialty here).
Upon arriving in Pakse Laos, we were picked up from the bus station and brought to our site where we had orientation. Here we learned about the Lao culture and the do’s and don’ts. The Lao culture is very secretive: they won’t tell you more than you need to know. But, it’s also such a small city that everyone knows what everyone else is doing, especially the white foreigners, and they will talk about where we are and what we are doing. It’s like having someone watch you at all times and reporting back to our hosts what we’ve been up to. That first evening we were only told what we’d be talking about that night, and as we were dropped off at our hostel, we were given a piece of paper informing and instructing us of our day tomorrow. We only knew one day at a time.
Laos is a quiet, reserved, and modest culture. They don’t raise their voices and they don’t show their emotions. You never blow up when you’re angry, and you always put on a smile facade. It is super disrespectful to walk in between people that are talking. If there is absolutely no way around them, you walk in between with your head bowed down. Feet are extremely offensive. You never point with your feet and you never step over someone. Not even the children step over each other as they lay on the ground colouring, they walk all the way around. The head is special and sacred, you don’t touch another person’s head unless it’s a child. In a girl-guy relationship you are not allowed to go out alone together, not even on a motorcycle. Clothing is modest. Women wear the traditional sinh skirt and a shirt that covers their shoulders.
Religion in the city is mainly Buddhism, while the villagers are animists and believe in spirits. There’s a big Buddha statue overlooking the city. One of the ways up is steep with rickety wooden stairs, and you take that route to gain more merit for yourself. Homes, restaurants, hotels and even fields have spirit houses in them. It’s a dark, spiritual world out there. Less than 1% is Christian. The name of Jesus is unheard of. And this is where God had us for a month, to be in daily prayer over the city and the people, and to be a help and encouragement to those we were in contact with and with the believers we met.
Psalm 135:15-18 ” The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.”
