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By Ian Rowlands "Bring me sunshine, in your smile; bring me laughter, all the while." So go the lyrics to the theme tune of Morecambe & Wise*, arguably the UK's most popular ever comedy double-act. The song, entitled "Bring Me Sunshine", could easily have been written about the people of Laos, one of South East Asia's poorest countries. It is this poverty that makes their apparent happiness all the more remarkable. Before I ventured off on my 12-week trip around the countries of South East Asia, I had been told all about the wonders of Thailand and the majesty of Malaysia. But I really wasn't well informed about the landlocked country of Laos. My first impressions of the country were not helped by the rather uncomfortable, two-day long boat trip I took along the Mekong River, from Chiang Khong, in Thailand, to Luang Prabang, Laos's second biggest city. On arrival, my backside was more numb than if it had a local anesthetic injected into it (which I have experienced, but that's another story), and I was mentally exhausted due to lack of sleep. My first night in Luang Prabang was also spent having a date with a toilet seat due to a mutton curry, so all in all it wasn't the ideal introduction to the country. Apart from being damn uncomfortable, the boat journey along the Mekong River was a tremendous experience. The scenery along the banks of the river was sublime, with the various shades of green stretching right from the river to the mountains beyond. It was actually during this trip that I had my first view of the "Shining Happy People" (to use another song title) of Laos. Dotted along the river were numerous villages and communes. Without fail, every time the boat passed by one of these places the residents, both adults and children, would wave and show off their beaming smiles. One felt obliged to wave back and, by the end of the journey, I had an appreciation of how the Queen must feel at the end of any public engagement, with my hand ready to fall off due to waving so much. Not that I minded though. It was wonderful to see these people waving so enthusiastically and making one feel so welcome in their country. After recovering from my initial mental and physical problems, the next few days spent in Laung Prabang and the surrounding area were fantastic. I undertook the usual "watting" (tour of the various temples), spent time at some of the most stunningly beautiful waterfalls I've ever seen and enjoyed a full day walking and kayaking. During this tour, I had the chance to spend some time with some local village kids and show off my highly tuned teaching skills, which I had developed over 18 months spent in Taiwan. The children were very receptive and in no time at all they were saying "How are you?", "I'm fine, thank you" and also the most overly used word in South East Asia, "Beckham"!! After concluding my impromptu lesson, I was given a woven wristband and some bread as gifts, illustrating the generosity of these people. During the rest of my two-week stay in Laos, I was constantly greeted with those sunshine smiles. Whether it be in one of the small villages or one of the more developed towns, such as Van Vieng or Vientiane, the people all seemed to be in jovial mood. From a Western perspective, the conditions that the people lived in, particularly in the countryside, were terrible, with no electricity and very poor sanitation. There were no signs of TVs, DVD players or Play Stations. Despite this poor standard of living and lack of material possessions, I saw more happy, smiling faces in one tiny village then I ever did while working for two years in that city supposedly paved in gold (that's London, for anyone who hasn't read Dick Whittingham). Perhaps it's because these people don't know any different, having not been subjected to endless luxury product advertisements and glamorous television shows. Perhaps it is all an act for the tourists. Or perhaps it's just because they are happy to be alive. These Laos "Village People" (to continue the musical theme) have food to eat, water to drink and the love of their respective friends & families. In the end, this is all any human being really needs. They are also lucky enough to live in truly wondrous, peaceful country, where the sun shines brightly and which contains some of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. They could definitely teach a great number of Western visitors how to make the most of ones situation and how to achieve the Holy Grail of contentment. Sunshine, smiles and laughter. I think those comedy greats Eric and Ernie would have liked the country and people of Laos. *(Eric
Morecambe & Ernie Wise made up the British comedy duo "Morecambe
& Wise, who are arguably Britain's most famous comedy double act.)
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