Life in Laos: visiting this tiny country in Southeast Asia is like going back in time.* OBJECTIVE Students should understand * how life for young people in Laos compares with their own. * BACKGROUND From the 1970s until the mid-1990s, the Communist government of Laos wielded harsh control over its people. The news media and other civil liberties were stifled, and people suspected of dissent were imprisoned im·pris·on tr.v. im·pris·oned, im·pris·on·ing, im·pris·ons To put in or as if in prison; confine. [Middle English emprisonen, from Old French emprisoner : en- in "re-education camps." Hundreds of thousands of refugees fled from Laos; many came to the U.S. In recent years, however, the government has loosened control, closed the camps, and sought to improve the economy. Many refugees have returned, and tourists are welcome. * CRITICAL THINKING FORMING SUPPORTED OPINIONS: Does it seem to you that visiting Laos is "like going back in rime"? Support your opinion with examples from the text. (Answers will vary. Yes answers may include: Few paved roads, braking for animals, and/or schools with thatched thatch n. 1. Plant stalks or foliage, such as reeds or palm fronds, used for roofing. 2. Something, such as a thick growth of hair on the head, that resembles thatch. 3. Dead turf, as on a lawn. tr.v. roofs.) DETERMINING POINT OF VIEW: What clues in the text reveal this article's first-person point of view? Would the article have the same impact if the writer's presence were less apparent? Explain. (Clues: All statements referring to I, me, or we, including "I saw kids playing volleyball and badminton," "The mayor and elders invited me," and "We feasted on shrimp and fish soup
Fish Head Stew (Russian: уха "; answers and explanations will vary.) * ACTIVITY CULTURE SWAP: Have students point out examples of Lao hospitality in the article. How do such examples reveal culture? Ask students how they would display hospitality and reveal their own cultures if someone from Laos were to visit them. Sabaidee! That means "hello," "goodbye," and "welcome" in this landlocked landlocked adj. referring to a parcel of real property which has no access or egress (entry or exit) to a public street and cannot be reached except by crossing another's property. Southeast Asian country Noun 1. Asian country - any one of the nations occupying the Asian continent Asian nation country, land, state - the territory occupied by a nation; "he returned to the land of his birth"; "he visited several European countries" . If you take your time saying the last syllable, you are likely to bring a smile to your listener's face. Laos opened its doors to visitors just a decade ago, so a little friendliness still goes a long way. Only about 6 million people live here, bur they are a diverse group. Tribes in colorful, handwoven hand·wo·ven adj. 1. Woven on a hand-operated loom: handwoven rugs. 2. Woven by hand: handwoven baskets. Adj. 1. clothing live in the mountains. Buddhists have settled in the valleys and along the mighty Mekong River Mekong River Chinese Lancang Jiang or Lan-Ts'ang Chiang Longest river of Southeast Asia. Rising in southern Qinghai province, China, it flows south through eastern Tibet and across the highlands of Yunnan province. . The Hmong, whose ancestors probably originated in central China about 4,000 years ago, live along the edges of mountain ranges. Only a few paved roads connect Laos's largest cities. Traveling from place to place means bouncing along dusty trails Dusty Trails is an American music duo consisting of Vivian Trimble (formerly of Kostars and Luscious Jackson) and Josephine Wiggs (formerly of The Breeders). Trimble does lead vocals and Wiggs sings harmony vocals. and braking for piglets and roosters. In the rainy season, muddy water swallows the roads. Many Lao must then trade in their bikes and motorcycles for canoes. "My Home" Most tourists in Laos stop in Luang Prabang Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang, is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of Louangphrabang Province. The current population of the city is about 22,000. (lwahng pruh-BAHNG), a city of traditional red-and-gold rooted temples and modern bakeries. Luang Prabang is on a peninsula between the Mekong and Khan rivers. The sun rises over the Khan, where locals gather to watch boat races, and sets over the clay-colored Mekong, only a few blocks away. Riding over the mountains to reach the city, I saw kids playing volleyball and badminton in their dusty schoolyards. Along the way, I met Vongkham and Vanhada, both 16. The girls are classmates Classmates can refer to either:
Their classmate Deth, a serious looking 18-year-old, joined them on a bench. His face lit up when he heard I was from the United States. "The United States and its people are good," he said. The Lao have not always been fans of the U.S. From 1963 to 1975, Laos was caught in the violence of the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. . U.S. warplanes dropped so many explosives on Laos that it became one of the most bombed countries on Earth. In some towns, buildings are made of shrapnel. When the Vietnam War ended, a Communist group called the Pathet (PAH-tut) Lao took power. Communists still rule Laos, but many democratic reforms have taken place since 1975, including elections. New Schools Just outside Luang Prabang is a village called Aine Savanh (on sah-WAN). A single unpaved road snakes through the trees and past gray houses, some on stilts This article is about the poles. For the type of bird, see stilt. For other uses, see Stilts (disambiguation). Stilts are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person or structure to stand at a certain distance above the ground. . Two village elders met me to offer a snack of fizzy fizz intr.v. fizzed, fizz·ing, fizz·es To make a hissing or bubbling sound; effervesce. n. 1. A hissing or bubbling sound. 2. Effervescence. 3. An effervescent beverage. coconut juice and bananas, then took me to the town's new school. The school was built a few years ago by a U.S. organization called Give Children a Choice. All of Aine Savanh's 100 kids now have a school where they can study. When they do well, a local monk rewards them with pens, umbrellas, and other gifts. Another village, Nong Khiaw (non KYOO), is set amid hills of banana and papaya papaya (pəpī`ə), soft-stemmed tree (Carica papaya) of tropical America resembling a palm with a crown of palmately lobed leaves. trees. It lies a few hours north of Luang Prabang. On the day I visited, local officials and a representative from Give Children a Choice met to sign an agreement to build a new school there. The mayor and elders invited me to share their celebratory lunch. We feasted on shrimp and fish soup. We also had the Lao specialty of sticky rice hand-dipped in spicy orange sauce, fried fish, and beef. While we ate, rain pounded the thatched roof above our heads. It did not let up for three days. I was happy that the new school would be made of concrete instead of bamboo. WORDS to Know * Communist: based on a political and economic system in which a single party holds all of the power and means of production Means Of Production is a compilation of Aim's early 12" and EP releases, recorded between 1995 and 1998. Track listing
* shrapnel: fragments of ah exploded bomb, mine, or shell. STANDARDS SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 * Culture: The clothing, foods, and lifestyle of the people of Laos. * Global connections: How the Lao welcomed a visitor from the U.S., and that visitor's perceptions of the country. * Time, continuity, and change: How a country is emerging from a traumatic history. RESOURCES * Mansfield, Stephen, Laos (Marshall Cavendish, 1998). Grades 6 & up. * Zickgraf, Ralph, Laos (Chelsea House, 1997). Grades 6 & up. WEB SITES * Embassy of Laos laoembassy.com (Click on "Discovering Laos" link.) * Laos national anthem kids-online.net/world/laos.html |
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