All posts tagged: Leslie Chanthaphasouk

Recap: 3rd Lao Teachers Reunion

Published by Leslie

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Lao diaspora. And for some former Lao teachers, it took all 40 years to be able to reunite with past classmates and colleagues at the 3rd Lao Teachers Reunion. The biannual event took place from June 27th-June 29th, 2015 in Streamwood, Illinois and brought together nearly 700 guests from all over the world, including the U.S., France, Australia, Canada, and Laos. The attendees shared one common connection: they all spent their early teacher training days at the School of Pedagogy in Dongdok Village, Vientiane. The festivities kicked off on Saturday with a dinner reception and evening soiree at The Seville Banquet and Conference Center. The program began with opening remarks by past and present organizers, followed by an energetic performance of the song, “Dae Pheuan Kru,” (“For My Teacher Friends”). The song, written by esteemed Lao song writer Ajarn S. Sengsourivanh who was also in attendance, expressed the strong bonds of kinship among Lao teachers, eloquently capturing the emotions of the evening. The night continued with traditional Lao dance performances as well as a Lao band that encouraged guests to dance the night away.   Though the performances provided great entertainment throughout the …

Taste of home: Lao food faves

Published by Leslie

Since moving to Fort Worth, TX nearly two years ago, I have become more and more interested in cooking. It started off as way of passing time while adjusting to living in another city, but now has become a way to share a little bit about myself and my culture. I have always loved food. I will pretty much eat everything at least once, and have been blessed to have lived in diverse areas so that I have been able to try new foods all the time. When I cook, however, I tend to lean towards certain foods like spring rolls, different types of wraps, and noodle salads. The more I thought about it, I craved these foods of course for their taste, but also because they remind me of a time and place that has special meaning to me. Most importantly, they make me feel at home. For this article, I will highlight a few of my favorite foods and explain their special meanings. Getting hungry? Read on! 1. Vietnamese Spring Rolls & Peanut Sauce Spring rolls. They’re …