Returning to Laos
I first went to Laos whilst being on exchange in Thailand. I had a week off for the exam study period and thought it would be a good idea to go to see my mother land and do a bit of study whilst there. It was a scary thought at first as my surname is very common in Laos, like Jones or Smith in English, and I was returning to the Communist state since I fled 20 years earlier. I was persuaded by my traveling companion in a last minute decision and we raced to Banglamphu train station in Bangkok to go and I'm pretty sure that they didn't know how I felt at the time, which was one of concern. But I had an urge to see Laos, I really needed to see what it was like.
As I crossed the Mekong along the Friendship Bridge, I felt an overwhelming feeling of awe come over me and I kept saying "I'm returning, I'm actually going to see where I was born." When we got to the other side of the bridge, I say the officials in their dark green uniforms which is so symbolic of the communist uniforms. As I hand over my passport I'm terrified at what the response is when they see my surname and the fact that on the Australian passport it states your birth place. The official raises his eyebrow and gives me a good look over, then looks at my friends passport and looks her over. I imagine a siren going off, red lights flashing and green uniformed officials converging upon me moving in unison brandishing Ak-47's to take me away to the re-education camps in the hills up north.
"Where you stay" the official asks.
"Guesthouse, um...; Pangkham Guest House, near the water fountain, here..." I fumble my LP guide book to him.
"Ok, so you write it down" and with that he let me through. I was wondering if my friend was not traveling with me, what would've happened. For certain I would not have gone on my own, and even now I probably woouldn't go on my own.
Local Lao's who remained in Laos have different views on those who fled. Some people say that those who fled are lucky, it was their chance to go to a better life and are envious of this fact. Others who are also envious take a more aggressive approach and say what are they doing back here, they are traitors who left when times were tough and now are back, whilst they had stayed in Laos and endured the takeover. This though played in the back of my mind all along and didn't want to speak Lao to anyone just in case.
