CultureShock! Laos

Robert Cooper

Description

CultureShock! Laos points you on the right path to appreciating the culture and customs of this land-locked nation. Discover the impact of its five immediate neighbours on the land and see how Laos' wartime history and the time spent as a French protectorate in the late 19th century have influenced the people's way of life. This book covers everything-from the difference between the 132 officially recognised ethnic groups to the reverence accorded to Buddhist monks-to provide a shortcut to understanding the Lao. Practical information on settling down, engaging domestic help as well as how to behave in various business scenarios make CultureShock! Laos essential reading for anyone going there for the long haul. Last but not least, kick back and enjoy as we highlight the best of the country's arts, heritage and cultural offerings and recreational activities.

Sujets

• Laos

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International
• Date de parution: 01 août 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814398640
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

This 2nd edition published in 2011 by:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
99 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591-9001
www.marshallcavendish.us
First published in 2008.
Copyright Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: [phone], fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no events be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited. 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 Marshall Cavendish International. PO Box 65829, London EC1P 1NY, UK Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
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eISBN: 978 981 4398 64 0
Please contact the publisher for the Library of Congress catalogue number
Printed in Singapore by Times Printing Pte Ltd
Photo Credits:
All black and white photos by the author. All colour photos from Photolibrary except pages a, f-g, l-m (Getty Images).
Cover photo: Photolibrary.
All illustrations by TRIGG
ABOUT THE SERIES
Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.
Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people-where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.
Then on with the practical aspects-how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.
CONTENTS
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Map of Laos
Chapter 1
First Impressions
Chapter 2
An Overview
Geography
Climate
Environment
Pre-History
History
The Struggle for Power
Religion
The Economy
Chapter 3
People
Identity
Education and Literacy
The Three Categories of Lao
Culture
Lao Ways of Thinking
To Sin or Not to Sin?
Traditional Buddhist Values
The Secret Life of the Lao
Merit-Making
The Lao Family
Khatoeys and Toms
Names
Status and Flattery
Cool Hearts
Diasters
Spirits
Chapter 4
The Lao and You
Body Image
Touching Hellos
Smiling
Laughter
Excuse Me
Body Language
Slowness
Lao English
Telephones
Speech Habits
Development
Time
Age
Visiting a Lao
Paying
Sex and Marriage
Taking Photos
Chapter 5
Practicalities
Touchdown
Fixer
Corruption and the Law
Home
Toilets
Servants
Utilities and Services
Schools
Books
Money
Shopping
Transport
Death and Birth in Laos
Legal Advice
Chapter 6
Eating in Laos
Lao Food
Lao Restaurants
Going Out to Eat
Pa Dek
Fish
Meals
Seven for Heaven: Popular and Traditional Dishes
Drinking Alcohol
Eating Habits
Chapter 7
Enjoying the Culture
Ceremonies and Festivals
Calender
Life-cycle Ceremonies
Games Lao Play
The Arts
Chapter 8
Learning Lao
Starting Up and Taking Off
Lao Dialects
Culture Through Language
Characteristics of the Language
Freedom of Expression
Chapter 9
Lao Business
The Background
Industries
Foreign Companies
Lao Working in Thailand
Working with Lao
The Work Ethic
Chapter 10
Fast Facts at Your Fingertips
System of Government
Culture Quiz
Do s and Don ts
Glossary
Resource Guide
Further Reading
About the Author
Index
FOREWORD
What is a Lao? Who are we talking about? In a way, this whole book is a definition of Lao . I use Lao in the broadest cultural sense to mean a species of Man sharing common attributes and a common self-identity and in the geopolitical sense as an inhabitant or citizen of the country known, among other names, as Laos. When precision is necessary to differentiate between ethnic groups of Lao citizens, I provide it by adding a qualifier: Lao Loum (Lowland Lao), Lao Hmong, Lao Khmu, etc.
I use Laos to refer to the country where most Lao live or originated. The country s official name is The Lao PDR, which is itself short for The Lao People s Democratic Republic. I use the alternative Laos , as a convenient shorthand, to make things easier for the reader and the writer. I am aware that the Lao in daily conversation call their country Lao , with no s , and I am aware that foreigners visiting Laos often refer to it in English as Lao rather than Laos . While the s was added by French colonialists, the word Laos, with a pronounced s , avoids the possible confusion of referring to the country, people and language by a single word: Lao. The term Laos is also the term most often found in literature on the country written in English, and the term for the country used by all current guides to Laos. Nowhere in this book do I refer to a plurality of Lao by adding an s to the ethnic or political term.
As will become evident in the section on People, not all citizens of Laos are Lao in the sense of being Lao Loum, and not all Lao citizens speak Lao as their mother tongue or share many common attributes with the Lao Loum. This book makes occasional mention of Lao citizens of minority ethnicities and languages, who together make up perhaps 30-40 per cent of the population (depending how you count), but is concerned principally with the culture of the Lao Loum, and how the foreigner in Laos can best co-exist with that culture, and how s/he can best do certain things, and best not do certain things in Laos. Things being actions that might have required very little thought in the visitor s country of origin, but could require a search for information and advice in Laos. This book provides that information and advice, but because not all Lao are the same and not all foreigners are the same, it cannot be exhaustive. It aims to set the foreigner in situations and enhance skills of interaction.
This book is at one and the same time a guide to the Lao and to those aspects of Laos of which a foreigner staying awhile should be aware. It is an advisory, not a Bible, and like all advisories will be updated from time to time as Lao and Laos change. It offers non-Lao a shortcut to understanding the Lao and a fast-track to functioning within slow-track Laos. It is not simply a list of do s and don ts: the non-Lao visitor is a foreign guest and should first and foremost enjoy Laos and the Lao. The best way of doing that is to allow that the Lao are going to do many things differently to the way you are used to and avoid providing Lao with any reason not to respect you. At the same time, do not become overly-preoccupied with details of daily life that would not worry the Lao themselves.
Robert Cooper
NOTES
Any book written in English and dealing with Laos is going to use transliteration of Lao names and common words. Since there is no standard system in use, writers tend to pick and choose and make up depending on what they think best represents the sound as it would be made by a Lao. So do I.
I do not change transliterations of place names that have become established: thus I keep Vientiane, knowing that a reader is likely to pronounce it Vi-en-ti-arn, rather than Wien-jan, which is closer to a Lao pronunciation of the capital city. Similarly, I keep Luang Prabang, which probably was pronounced almost like that a few hundred years ago but is today pronounced Louang Pha-bang by most Lao. Where transliterations have changed, I use the new version which usually comes closest to actual pronunciation-thus Sanyabouli, not Xayaburi. I am aware that most English readers will mispronounce Lane Xang and that it would be better rendered Lan Sang, but I keep Lane Xang for the name of the Avenue and hotel in Vientiane and the original name of the