Lao Word of the Day: A Camera

The Ubiquitous Drink in a Bag

It is very common in Laos to find that when you order drinks (with the exception of alcoholic drinks) from street side shops and vendors that many of them are poured into plastic bags and filled with ice.

Photo Credit:  TastingTravels.com

Craving Lao Baguette Sandwich

I'm having a dire hankering for kow jee patay.  It's a Lao baguette sandwich filled with all sorts of meats, sauces and veggies.  The baguette itself is made from rice flour (great for those wanting gluten free!).  The closest thing that resembles this is the Vietnamese sub sandwiches which are called banh mi.  Since there's no Lao version of this in my own city, I'll have to check out the Viet places in Chinatown...

Photo Credit:  Asiawheeling.com

P.S.  This is also one of the easiest and best street food items you can find in Laos.  It's cheap, filling and delish!

Lao Word of the Day: A Worm

Mekong: The River of Nine Dragons

Wonderful documentary on not just the Mekong River but really a profile on the countries that the river flows through.

The first 16 minutes of the documentary are on Laos.  It begins in northern Laos near the border with China with a look at the ethnic minority group called the Ekor.  It's a fascinating look into their lives and customs. 

Bienvenue à Festival Lao 2014

The Lao community in Quebec spearheaded by Lao Buddhist temple, Wat Thepbandol, organize one of Canada's largest Lao festivals.  One that brings people from not only Quebec but from other parts of Canada and even visitors from America.  This year it was held in July in Sainte-Julienne, Quebec, about an hour north of Montreal.  Here are a couple of videos from LaoTVCanada covering the event.  C'est une bonne fête!

Lao Phrases of the Day: It's raining outside. Use an umbrella.