Farewell to Laos

I returned to Laos from Myanmar on the last Tuesday of March to help prepare for our departure one week later.  Thipp and Alex had been staying fairly quiet during by absence as the hot temperatures discouraged much activity.  Thipp had befriended the ladies and boy-ladies at a nearby beauty salon where she would go to get her hair washed and was spending more and more time there, sharing meals and letting Alex nap there.  She would visit her family most evenings when the kids were home from  school.

There was a flurry of social engagements over the final few days of our stay.  One morning Thipp and her family went to their local temple with an offering of food for the monks, who would then hold a memorial service for Thipp's recently departed Father and brother.  The big event was an event at Thipp's mother's house that was a combination of a blessing service for Alex and farewell dinner featuring goat and beer.  This gathered quite the crowd, including the party ladies I met early after my arrival in Vientiane.  This time I kept a safe distance.

With Thipp serving as interpreter, I had a number of comical conversations, as one often does over beers.  One fellow asked me if Canadian beer was better than Laotian beer, and when I answered in the affirmative he shook his head in disbelief and added a couple more ice cubes to his glass of beer.  Someone asked if white people have larger penises, given that we are much taller.  This I quickly confirmed with a proud smile.  Finally, a woman instructed me that when I next return to Laos that I must bring her a Canadian husband who is exactly like me.  I told her that I would do my best, but that it would not be easy.

Our last night in Laos was spent with Thipp's family.  Thipp gathered them together and gave them a pep talk on how they needed to work together and strive to better themselves.  Despite Thipp's best hopes this won't be easy, especially given the giant gap left behind by the death last year of the man of the house, Thipp's brother Suk.  Thipp also said a tearful farewell to her elderly mother, not knowing whether she will ever see her again.

The next morning we left Vientiane for Thailand.  We had cleaned-out our apartment, giving away various odds and ends to family members.  Thipp's niece Annie wouldn't put down the pink cushion that she had received.  Everyone agreed that they would desperately miss Alex.  However, the time had come for us to leave and we were all ready to go.