Sleeping in the villages...

[cdnmatt]

Was thinking, and realized, I've never slept in a village before. I've been out to the villages lots with Kim, but they were always just day trips, and we never actually slept there. However, I'm going to have to in the near future. Will need to get to know Leo's family, he wants to do a wedding / celebration of life type of thing in his village, plus I want to hang out with his nephews while they're in the comfort of their home so I can observe how big of shitheads they are, if at all.

Although quite disrespectful, I think I'm just going to buy a tent, air matress, some little office fans, and if I can find it, one of those small coolers with built-in fan that utilize the ice packs to blow cold air. That's quite rude, but I don't care... I don't want to sleep on his mother's floor on one of those little straw mats, while having cockroaches, ants, and mice crawl all over me while I sleep. No thanks, I'll go hang out in my tend with my comfortable air mattress.

Anyway, who here has slept out at the villages? Did you grab a hotel? Did you maybe end up in a decent house with a proper bedroom with mattress, and everything? Was there a bathroom? Or did you sleep on the cement floor with everyone, and have to shit in the jungle?

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[joe552]

When I went to visit my friend's family in Si Saket, I stayed in a local,,very basic,, hotel. His parents would come every morning to pick me up, and we'd head out for that day's tour to wherever.

I think your idea of pitching a tent would be more insulting than if you stayed in a local hotel. They'll understand you're a farang and not comfortable with village life. It will also show a bit of "status", you have money to look after their son.

[cdnmatt]

Nah, I think the closest decent hotel is about 70km away in Savannahkey, so that's out. Plus, I want to spend a decent amount of time in that village to get to know his nephews and their parents. We'll take the kids to Savannahkey for a trip and everything, but they'll be on their best behavior. I want to see them at home, when they're comfortable enough to their true selves, warts and all.

It should be fine though. I was never insulted when Kim's family slept at our house, and instead of using one of the spare bedrooms, just sprawled themselves out over the living room floor. I didn't care, and whatever makes you comfortable, kind of thing.

We'll just make up a story that Canadians love to camp, and I haven't been camping in almost a decade. It should be fine.

Besides, what are people going to do? Give me dirty looks? I don't care, I can't see them. Plus I'm sure they will appreciate if anything. This way, I can be up bright and early in the morning, helping get breakfast going, do the dishes, help clean the house, etc.

[sglad]

Will need to get to know Leo's family, he wants to do a wedding / celebration of life type of thing in his village, plus I want to hang out with his nephews while they're in the comfort of their home so I can observe how big of shitheads they are, if at all.

Besides, what are people going to do? Give me dirty looks? I don't care, I can't see them.

How are you going to reconcile the above sentiments? How will you "observe" the shithead nephews being unable to see and in an unfamiliar environment where people speak a language you don't understand? From your posts, it seems that you barely understand Thai despite having lived full time in a Thai suburb for several years so how are you going to understand Lao - and probably a dialect of Lao peculiar to that region?

You don't know whether they have toilets in village houses despite having made "lots of day trips"? Never had the urge to go while you were there?

And you're going there for your own wedding? Rim, Pim or Ole never told you that the family always sets up a special bedroom for the happy couple no matter how modest their circumstances (you'll be footing the bill anyway)? Gin wouldn't be able to advise his family as to what would be comfortable for you? Doesn't he know you well enough - I mean this is a guy who understands different types of pasta that I've never even heard of.

[cdnmatt]

Well, it's not hard. I'll be able to tell if the brothers love each other, or hate each other and are constantly fighting with each other. I'll be able to tell if the mother has a good relationship with them, or is constantly screaming at them to settle down and quit being shitheads. When I need to go to the store, I'll be able to tell if they're respectful to help me get there and back, or if there's a huge sigh with an ensuing argument that basically amounts to, "what the fuck? why do I have to help the stupid farang get to the store?". You don't need eye sight to pick up on that type of thing...

Oh, and finally managed to peel Leo away from his computer game. He also thinks turning our village trips into camping trips is an excellent idea. I guess we'd be staying at his father's house, not his mother's place, and he literally lives in a small 1 bedroom tin shack without even a toilet. There's no way I'd be comfortable there, but let me bring a tend and air mattress, and I'll be good to go for 4 or 5 days if needed.

[sglad]

You don't need eye sight to pick up on that type of thing...

Telepathy? Sixth sense?

And you're going to "pick up on (all) that" in a matter of a few days? You assume that people will behave naturally around a total stranger, one with a disability at that, who's also their guest-of-honour for a few days?

What about the toilets? The wedding boudoir? Never heard of those? I see you've deleted the claim that you will be staying in a tin shack belonging to his father. Why not a big shoe?

[colmx]

From my experience there is a "resort" within a few miles of every village

Its not the kind of resort that you would find in Vegas... Basically its a small guesthouse with 4-5 bungalows

Not much in the way of furnishings, double bed, giant towel like duvet, Aircon and a Thai style wet room

The rooms are very often rented out by the hour and used by Husbands & wives to get some private time, Husbands & Giks for their affairs or the local bike/hooker and her customers... But they also rent out by the night.

I'm sure that there is one Near Leos village too... after all how else to the Laos people have those 15 child families!

[francois]

Weirder and weirder! Now they are going "camping" when visiting Leo and family.
Just how absurd are Matt's posting going to be ? And then there are those who post responses as if he were to be believed!

[cdnmatt]

From my experience there is a "resort" within a few miles of every village

Its not the kind of resort that you would find in Vegas... Basically its a small guesthouse with 4-5 bungalows

Not much in the way of furnishings, double bed, giant towel like duvet, Aircon and a Thai style wet room

The rooms are very often rented out by the hour and used by Husbands & wives to get some private time, Husbands & Giks for their affairs or the local bike/hooker and her customers... But they also rent out by the night.

I'm sure that there is one Near Leos village too... after all how else to the Laos people have those 15 child families!

Probably is some basic hotel somewhere close by, but it'd be without A/C, etc. Not to mention, we're talking about rural Laos, not rural Thailand. From the stories Leo has told me, it's far poorer out there than in the villages of Thailand.

That, and I would actually want to stay in the village if I could. Heading out to a hotel at 5pm every day I'd say is quite disrespectful as well. However, let me have my tent with air mattreess, and I'm good for 4 - 5 days. After that, I'll want to get home to have a nice hot shower, and sleep in my own bed again, but I'd be totally find for a handful of days like that.

Plus it'd be awesome just to hang out, start a small fire, cook up some smores with the kids, etc. I'd love doing that.

[joe552]

colmx, I think you're exactly right. That's just the kind of place I stayed in up at Si Saket.

Matt/s idea of camping out is just ridiculous.