ຖາມຫຍັງກໍໄດ້ - Relationships

Question:  Do people ask about relationship questions?

Answer:  Absolutely, they do.  Some of the funniest questions I've received on Lao culture are related to personal relationships. Those questions became the impetus to creating the Lao Dating 101 - Impressions Parts 1 and 2 posts that appeared here on the blog.  Both posts are among some of the most visited posts.

Mind you, I say funny but I don't mean it in a belittling way.  It's just intriguing some of the questions people ask, especially the ones that made me think "where did they ever hear about this?"

An example of what I'm talking about was when a guy wrote in asking about what to do when first meeting his Lao girlfriend's parents and if a gift was suitable and if so what kind of gift.

Seems like simple enough questions. However as I continued to read the email, this is when it became quite interesting.

His very serious question that he wanted to ask was "is it true I have to kiss the parent's feet when I meet them?"

I couldn't help but burst out in laughter.  For the record, this practice does not exist in Lao culture.  You don't have to kiss anyone's feet.  Perhaps he heard something that was meant to be figurative and instead took it literally - I'll never know for sure.  But those are some of the questions people send in.

In a way, I suppose one shouldn't be too surprised to get such questions.  For Lao expats, the chances of cross-cultural relationships is higher than if one lived in Laos.  Those non-Lao people who they're dating are the ones who are sending in these inquiries.  Certainly, we're happy to help answer and provide cultural insight.

---

This is a part of the new ຖາມຫຍັງກໍໄດ້ Ask Anything Series here on Laoconnection.com where we're sharing the many questions people have asked us over the years from in-person conversations, email, Facebook, and the blog. 

For those wanting to add to the conversation, your comments below the posts are welcome. Feel free to make contact in Facebook to ask questions.  Most people don't want their names published and that wish will be respected.