Wednesday 3 August 2005

knives......an endangered species!

Just a minor issue with Lao tradition (alongside the use of condensed milk in coffee) is the cultural allergy Laos' residents have towards knives. Every meal you order, from fried rice to steak, is presented alongside a fork and a spoon. Lao culture dictates that you eat an entire meal with a spoon because placing a fork in your mouth is considered extremely rude. That may be the case, but have you ever tried cutting meat with a fork and spoon? It is a unique experience, often resulting in flecks of meal populating your clothing in an unsightly manner. It is possible that the use of knives at meal times may be the one western tradition that should be encouraged over here -that, and an import of Jersey cows to produce half decent fresh milk for coffee!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Em

    Your da's ex-hod writes: I understand and sympathise with your reflections re little bro's intention to join the RAF. I'm afraid that too mny computer games lead some to think they are a potential Tom Cruise and that it's all top gun. But as you say it's his life. You seem to be enjoying yours! Best wishes pfm@nomade.fr

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  2. Hi Peter,

    I hope you like the blog. It’s quite amusing to think that people are actually reading it.

    Living in a country that was decimated by the American air force during the Vietnam War and still bares the scars, it is very difficult for me to feel particularly enthusiastic about the military. In terms of weight, Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world. What’s more worrying is that few people know that it was ever affected by the war as the media forgot to mention it. As a result vast swathes of the country remain out of bounds due to mines.

    Anyways, must go. Friday drinks and i'm being hassled by my boss to quit blogging

    Em

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