Notes: Photos from the Thai New year (Songkarn) at Wat Buddha Bucha in Decatur, Georgia. For those that don’t know, we share similar cultures, Lao and Thai people, especially when you see the food sold by the outdoor vendors. The biggest difference is of course the absence of alcohol at the Thai temple… Some of my favorites are the meatballs, papaya salad, and fried crullers. People always ask me where a Lao restaurant is in Atlanta. I have to tell them there are only 1 or 2 and that most Thai restaurants around here are owned and run by Lao people. I’ve always found that odd, a Lao restaurant in the metro Atlanta area would definitely be a big draw. One other funny thing, people have no problem saying “Tie-Land” and not “Thigh-Land,” but on the flip side “Louse” is always mistaken for “Lao.” Even from our own people. You’d think people with a history of having our unique names butchered for so long would be able to pronounce their own ethnicity, language, and country of origin. So with the month long Lao New Year celebrations coming up, please, everyone out there, young and old (Ova, I’m channeling you here), the “S” in “LAOS” is silent. You are not “Louse.” You don’t speak “Louse.” You don’t eat “Louse” food. Your parents and elders don’t refer to themselves as “Louse.” Your girlfriend/boyfriend is not “Louse.” He/She might be a thug, but they are not “Louse.” Kung Lao from Mortal Kombat, he’s fictional Chinese, but his name doesn’t have an “s.” He ain’t Lao, but you get the picture. You are Lao. Look up “Louse” in the dictionary, I don’t think you want to be that. Sorry for hijacking my own post to rant about stuff… Happy “Louse” New Year everyone! 
