Monks

Huffing and puffing my way up to Phu Si Wat on a hill high above Luang Prubang, I crossed paths with a girl and two boys, all around 15 years old, one of them a monk. The monk held a camera and smiled widely as I approached. "Would you like me to take a picture of you all?" I asked, stretching out my hand. "No, no." he replied. "Can we make a picture with you?" The young group giggled and the girl donned sunglasses for the picture, like I was wearing. First the girl and the monk flanked me. I was closer to the girl, but careful not to touch the monk, although he didnt seem too concerned that an accidental brush from me would make him spiritually "dirty" and in need of a ritual cleansing. He was just giggling along with the other two. In the next picture, the girl took my arm in hers and the boy stood a few inches to my other side, sunglasses in place. "Kap jai!" they said to me as I continued up the hill, happy that I was just as welcome a distraction on their walk as they were on mine.





I wandered into one of the 52 wats in Laung Prubang. "Hello. How are you?" reverberated on the stone walls and enormous golden Buddha in his alcove. I looked over to the voice. Under a jacaranda tree sat several young monks at a stone table, just hanging out. "Where are you from?" Some of the monks speak excellent English, better than many of the tourist oriented business people. "California" I say. "Ahhh... Welcome to..." I start to reply kap jai (thank you) but then realize he is not saying 'welcome to Laos,' he's saying "the Hotel California." I laugh with him. "Do you like Linkin Park?" he continues. I nod yes, even though if you asked me a song by that band, I really wouldnt know. "In Lao, Linkin Park means ........ eats vegetables." And he starts laughing. I ask him to repeat because I want to know who or what eats vegetables, but he's smiling too much for me to understand it the second or third time round. I decide just to laugh with him instead. Since then, I've asked a few Lao people, but no one quite knows what I'm talking about. But I'm on a mission, and I will find out what Laughing Monk was talking about. Hopefully I wont offend anyone with my Lao.