After breakfast this morning, we hopped on bicycles and went for a cruise in Luang Prabang. We ended up at the library, where kids and teens can show up to practice English with tourist volunteers every afternoon. We were just kind of checking it out before lunch where a young guy struck up a conversation with us on the front steps to practice his English. Then the volunteer coordinator walked by and asked if we’d like to go have lunch.
being meta (we’re explaining what a candid photograph is)
We all hopped into the back of a songthaew and were driven to a random noodle shop. We got out an sat down with a guy already eating, a young artist turned librarian, and a young Malaysian woman who had been volunteering at the library the past few days. Without ordering, we were served bowls of noodle soup – many small shops only have one menu option. We ate and chatted, then paid and got back in the songthaew for a return trip to the library (and our bikes!).
random lunch date
We got back and decided to hang out and help out for a while. Our friend from before was practicing French (!), so we were sat in front of this 18 year old boy. We thought it’d be the same easy kind of chatting as before, but it was a little different – the kid had only been learning English for the past three months. We tried to chat, but mostly he asked us to write down words and he looked them up. Still, he was fun and tried hard. Then I was asked to chat with a fourteen year old boy who had just shown up. His dad was a soldier, and he wants to be a policeman. He asked me about words like barracks, military and, randomly, dowry. Methinks he has his eye on someone!
We were about to leave when two more teenage boys sat down. We chatted with the them for a few minutes more, and they were so funny – just being boys. We showed them a video of me eating a scorpion, and they were suitably impressed slash grossed out. There were several other little groups like ours, many with young monks. There was also a group of 4-6 year olds having a quick lesson. Besides the little kids, there weren’t too many girls practicing their English. This place also sponsored a book boat, sort of like a floating library. It’s hard to get rural children and schools books, so donations go to buying books.
We had some time to kill the next day, so we went back. This time, I talked to a soft spoken boy who was staying in school for the summer to study and practice English, even though all his friends had gone home for the break. Mom chatted with a group of girls and a young monk, who was incredibly smart. I was glad to see some young women there! Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a couple of monks facebooking – which made me chuckle.
he couldn’t lean into the girls’ pic (no touching!), so he got his own picture
As we were leaving, the volunteer coordinator asked me if I know the word polyglot. Being the arrogant English-degree-holder I am, I assured him that was not an English word. He didn’t buy it, but he moved on to the word molting, which I pronounced for him but then told him I was pretty sure it was exclusively used for feathers. Then Mom showed up and told us yes, polyglot was a word, but she wasn’t sure what it meant. We googled it, and told the guy we would use multi-lingual to describe somebody instead. Then he asked Mom to say and spell both words several times while he recorded her. Later, we found out that Australians use the word molting quite a bit, and a Dutch woman assured us that polyglot is taught to those for whom English is a second language. I guess there aren’t too many polyglots in America.
It was fun, interesting to chat with these boys, and great to meet some people who were so passionate about teaching and reading. Many of the kids are from rural towns who have come to Luang Prabang for school. The volunteer coordinator told us that most are hoping for jobs with American companies in Laos or the tourism industry.
Meredith R. Allen 