expat

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The area east of the Mekong, however, was soon wrenched back from Siam by the French expat. the Communist Pathet Lao took control of Vientiane and ended a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, an easing of foreign investment laws, and admission into ASEAN in 1997.

Foreign Expat Blogs in Laos

Above is a screen shot from a brand new blog about Laos called "Stuff Falang Like wich not so subtly pokes fun at the foreign scene in primarily Vientiane from the sounds of it.

The blog does an outstanding job of skewering the typical expat experience in Laos, but maybe the most fun parts are where it makes me cringe in places where I too might be a little guilty. The casual dropping of Lao expressions for instance. The blog rips the Joma frequenting, English only speaking, expat experience.

So far there are only six posts, but the blog was only begun in this month. Obviously living in Laos allows one plenty of time for blogging. It's hard to see how this theme could last for say... a hundred posts, but I'm a follower as long as it lasts.

Another blog about Laos which is kind of the antithesis is the aptly named Falang Prabang
Which gives helpful info about yoga classes, swimming pools, specialty food stores for foreigners and yes, even about Joma. Great film about monks sweeping, monks praying, monks monking, etc,  "the light, the people, the je ne sais quoi" yeah! I have to give the writer credit for the blog title. Forever more that will be how I know the place.

Despite having spent months at a time and visiting over years I can't think of a foreigner who lives in Laos that I could point to on the street. Not of one world or the other I've always felt uneasy with the falang world of coolness and one upsmanship, yet I won't even attempt to be the Lao person I am not. I wonder what the foreign population of Falang Prabang and Vientiane is these days?

Key: expat

the Communist Pathet Lao took control of Vientiane and ended a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, an easing of foreign investment laws, and admission into ASEAN in 1997. expat expat
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