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The Young Mother: The Story of an Arranged Marriage

The sun was getting real low and there was nothing whatsoever to do in my dingy room at the guesthouse. I was stuck. Viengthong District, a small, rural town deep in the mountainous heart of Bolikhamxay Province, is a town with absolutely no single point of interest. Surrounded on all sides by mountains and lush, green forests; the main road cuts through the heart of the town, a point that originates from an intersection that diverts to Lak Sao. Lak Sao, a logging hub once bustling with commuting traffic in and out of Vietnam, remains the destination of the road. Lak Sao, located in the the northern reaches of Laos, not Viengthong District, is why you might encounter another human being. I was bored. Pulling the cobwebs from my mind, I let my natural search for adventure guide me. I slipped on my running shoes and stepped out for a walk. Walking around, you’d see what you’d typically see in a lightly developed, rural town in Laos: cattle roaming freely on the road, the occasional …

Invasion! Inserting “Lao” into Everyday Words

There are often many ways to show off national pride: waving flags and getting decked out in the country’s colors comes to mind, but we Lao have become rather…creative in our endeavors. In fact, you might have noticed our collective creativity on this very bLAOg! See what I did there? In one of our late-night brainstorm sessions, we noticed just how easy it is, to insert “LAO” into common English words. Follow along for some fun! 1. Our most LAO’ved: We’re all about getting LAO’d and amplifying our voices here! 2. Globetrotting: From the US to Africa and all around the world and back again, we are taking over it all! LAOs Vegas LAOs Angeles LAOgos Sau PauLAO GuatemaLAO City 3. Special occasions: No matter how you celebrate, we bet there’s tons of food involved. HalLAOween Hol-LAO-days VaLAOntine’s Day 4. Getting creative: Have you ever noticed how talented our community is? MythoLAOgical LAOmagination 5. Fashion: Your go-to places for looking fresh. BLAOtique SaLAOn 6. Staying woke: It’s all about raising awareness! PoLAOtical SoLAOdarity 7. Subject …