~ JULY 15 2005

Just curious about how Laotians enjoy their mangos. I've seen people eat and enjoy the less ripe mangos.

Unlike in the West where mangos are only eaten when fully ripe, orange, and sweet, in Laos they eat mangos at every level of ripeness. There is a fondess for the more harder, sour, less ripe mango. In Laos, the unrippened mango is often dipped in a Lao-style sauce of crushed cooked rice, fish sauce, dried onions, hot peppers, and garlic.

Do people still learn French in Laos?

Some of them do. As recent as a generation or two ago French was still taught in Lao schools. English has now replaced that. Many of the very older generation from when the French occupied Laos can also still speak French. There are also a small number of current Lao students who have studied in France or are study French in Vientiane. Additionally, there are Lao-Canadians and Lao-French who also speak it. It is also still noticed that on Lao currency both Lao and French writing can be found.

The number of English language classes and schools clearly outnumber French ones. Many Lao students do not find it particularly necessary to learn French. They know that English is more widely used around the world. Therefore they also acknowledge that English will be much more useful for them in traveling, school, business, etc.

There are only less than half a dozen French language schools in all of Laos.

Similarly, with the former Soviet languages like Russian, Bulgarian and Polish. They used to be quite common in Laos. Now they are not and most who once knew those languages have forgotten it. There used to be a Russian Cultural Center also. But even this no longer exists (however the Russian embassy still does though).