How has your life changed in Laos

My life did change when I came to Laos as I found the people to be friendly and accommodating and accepting even in adversity and trying times. So different from westerners.

My frame of mind is more relaxed when home with family and I find I am more accepting of things in the long term.

When home we have friends around and go out occasionally. Take kids out for a pizza or a meal.

My standard of living has not improved as against the western standards but  to me is still and improvement when compared to standard of living when away working overseas.

Transformation scale would be 8.

I'm a nomad and have been all my life. It started growing up as an Air Force brat. Then working at jobs which required travel: yacht delivery skipper, flight attendant

I left Canada in 2005 and moved to Korea. While there I visited Laos and fell in love with it. I had been to some 40 or 42 countries by then and Laos was unique among them. Much of the strangeness and beauty was intangible, some was surreal, all of it was fascinating and at times frustrating.

I moved here permanently in August 2006. I married a local girl and bought land and built a house in her village. We were surrounded by her family and I was the first falang ever to live there. Eleven years later and I am still the only falang in the village.

My standard of life is effectively the same as it was in Canada. I have most of the 'stuff' I had there.

The largest change in my life by far is much more esoteric. For the first time in my life I truly understand what it feels like to be loved, accepted, wanted and be surrounded by friendly people.

Don't get me wrong. I had all of that in Canada, but the typical Canadian version of the above mentioned emotions can't hold a candle to the depths to which the Lao live them.

Life transformation level: 10

Hey,

Great story i am in the process of moving back to Laos after being in Canada for 30 years. I feel the same way

Very nice, keep in touch.

Cereal wrote:

I'm a nomad and have been all my life. It started growing up as an Air Force brat. Then working at jobs which required travel: yacht delivery skipper, flight attendant

I left Canada in 2005 and moved to Korea. While there I visited Laos and fell in love with it. I had been to some 40 or 42 countries by then and Laos was unique among them. Much of the strangeness and beauty was intangible, some was surreal, all of it was fascinating and at times frustrating.

I moved here permanently in August 2006. I married a local girl and bought land and built a house in her village. We were surrounded by her family and I was the first falang ever to live there. Eleven years later and I am still the only falang in the village.

My standard of life is effectively the same as it was in Canada. I have most of the 'stuff' I had there.

The largest change in my life by far is much more esoteric. For the first time in my life I truly understand what it feels like to be loved, accepted, wanted and be surrounded by friendly people.

Don't get me wrong. I had all of that in Canada, but the typical Canadian version of the above mentioned emotions can't hold a candle to the depths to which the Lao live them.

Life transformation level: 10

i really like your post. very insightful. you kind of anwsered some of the things i was going to ask. you said that you were a nomad. were you in the army?

after living in canada for 30 years, what are the main reasons you want to move back to laos?

some coming from a western perspective would like to know the motivation. they might say, you're moving from a 1st world to a 3rd world and you might lose out on the "quality of life", etc etc. lol

i don't believe that that is true, but i'd like to here your thoughts

Hi Cereal

I'm Gregory. I am a dual South African American. My parents were career foreign civil servants. It was an interesting but stressful and somewhat lonely life. I was educated in several countries and worked in others. I learned smatterings of many languages because I have been to about 69 countries. Next, I need to learn some Lao and Chinese.
I also live in a small village in Xithany but keep a tiny apt in town to facilitate the completion of my book about Holistically Sustainable Design and job prospecting .
My Lao wife, Poy, of 10 yrs and I are developing a Tropical Forest Food Garden for self-sufficiency purposes. We hope to incorporate a solar herbal sauna, small detox retreat, a fresh additive-free food cafe with a salt water lap pool and a Gaudi-type sculpted edifice from plastic and glass bottles while converting our existing home nearby into a village guest house for people who wish to experience Lao Village life. I worked at a graduate school of design in Seoul and lived in ROK for 20 yrs. My background is in Architecture and Urban Design. Let's try to hook up sometime. Until then, cheers ~Greg

Sorry for the late reply.
How are you going with your project. Would it be suitable as a tourist attraction for the area.
Looking forward to an update.

Hi Greg,

Sorry for the late reply but I haven't checked this site for a long time. Yes, I think your idea is interesting. If you want to meet and have a coffee someday, let me know. You can find me on Facebook. Look for Phil ***. There are 2 pictures: 1 of me and a young soldier and 1 of me and a friend golfing in my profile.