Twitter and Facebook

I've made a Facebook page for myself at www.facebook.com/livinglaos. Everyone is welcome to become my friend (or "friend").

I generally hate Twitter and think it's a moronic tool for narcisists. However, after much inner grappling, I've decided to create an account. I think it's neat that I can post via SMS whenever I have some kind of insight or observation that doesn't warrant its own article. Or when I'm drunk or bored. Anyway, I promise not to write about any of the trivial bullshit that gives twitter a bad name. I realize that no one gives a shit what kind of salad dressing I'm using or if I'm going to buy a new DVD player. If I've configured everything correctly, you should be able to see my tweets (god, I hate that word) over here>>>
or you can subscribe directly at twitter.com/LivingLaos. I should start sending messages within a few days once I get my phone set up and everything configured.

PS, why are all my adsense ads for fucking dog training? What the hell keywords are making Google do that? (Yes, I realize I probably just made the problem worse)

Frequently Asked Questions

Ok, I haven't been updating the site as much as I'd like. To make up for it here's a FAQ I was saving for the new site but I guess it wouldn't hurt to put it up now.

Can you describe yourself?
I'm a 28 y/o Canadian with a liberal arts degree from an American public college. Physically I am Caucasian, decent looking, and a little short.

Why did you start the site?
As a creative outlet, to educate people, and to make a couple bucks.

Can you post a picture of yourself, your name, etc.
No, I'm interested in preserving my anonymity for a variety of reasons.

What do you do for work? Do you teach English?
I work in finance, though not for a Lao company or foreign company in Laos. I won't go into detail on this except to say that what I do is completely legal.

Can you show me around/would you be interested in having a beer with me?
No offense but probably not. I'm not interested in being your personal tour guide and you probably aren't as fascinating as you think you are. I would possibly be interested if:
*You are friends with someone I know or I've met
*We've corresponded and I find you interesting
*You live here or will be staying here for a while. I'm always interested in making new friends here as long as you promise not to be creepy and call me all the time.
*You are willing to give me items I can't get here like good bourbon or beer. Contact me for more details.
*You are willing to pay me a ludicrous amount of money. I'm not wanting for cash, so if you want to employ me as a tour guide or conversation partner I will charge way, way above what would normally be considered rational or fair.

How much money do you make?
I make enough to live comfortably in Laos.

Can you get me pot or hook me up with a reliable source?
No.

I completely disagree with you about [pretty much any fucking thing I've ever written]
I don't care. Everything I write is my subjective opinion. You're certainly entitled to yours, just don't waste my time with it. If I've made a factual error somewhere feel free to contact me.

Why the hate for backpackers? Backpackers are wonderful people blah blah blah
I don't actually hate them but as a group they tend to annoy me. Hatred is funnier than annoyance so I tend to exaggerate a bit.

Where should I stay? What flight should I take? How should I get to Luang Prabang?
Get a fucking travel agent.

What sights should I see? How much time should I spend in Vientiane, etc.
Buy some guidebooks and check out Laos-related travel sites. I've been getting a lot of emails about this stuff so I'll try to write some articles about this in the coming months under the assumption it will increase traffic.

You don't write anything about the political situation.
I keep this site apolitical for reasons that should be obvious.

I think I'm moving to Laos. Can you help me rent a house, car, etc?
I might be able to give you some phone numbers and basic info but I won't hold your hand through the whole process.

Are you married? Do you have a serious girlfriend?
Currently single.

How does Lao food compare to other Asian cuisine/ What are the defining characteristics of Lao food?
Man, I don't know. It tastes good.

Can I write a guest article?
Maybe. Email me and we can discuss this.

I have a business and am interested in advertising on your site.
See this page for more information.

I have a business in town, can you review it?
Maybe. I make a point of trying new bars and restaurants so I'll probably get to it eventually. Even if you give me a free meal or drink, I'm still going to be brutally honest. Be warned, I tend to have very strong opinions, especially regarding bars.

[^^^these don't apply yet because I'm waiting for the new site to put up reviews]

Can I stay in your spare room? I'll pay you whatever a hotel would cost.
If you don't at least know me well enough to have my personal email, definitely no.

I want legal advice about marriage/buying a car/some bullshit.
Try thaivisa or talk to a law firm.

I don't understand your website. Is it satire, a travel website, or a blog?
Yes.

An Explanation of American Ignorance

Americans have a (mostly) justified reputation of being ignorant of the rest of the world. I'm not excusing this ignorance, but I will try to explain why it exists. It's not because individual Americans are dumber than anyone else, but is a a consequence of the USA's geography, culture, and educational policies.

The United States is a huge country. Its territory includes everything from tropical beaches to frozen wastelands; it encompasses an endless variety of deserts, forests, lakes, and grasslands. American cities range from the bustle of New York to the insanity of Las Vegas to the laid-back sophistication of San Francisco. Keeping this in mind, it's easy to see why so many Amercans don't feel the need to leave the country when they want to experience something new.

American travel habits are also a function of geography. The US is only bordered by two countries--Canada and Mexico--and most Americans who travel outside the US only visit one of these two (until very recently a passport was not even required). Travel anywhere else starts getting expensive. Unlike Europeans, Americans can't just hop on a €20 Ryan Air flight and arrive in a totally different culture.

Because of its economy and large population, America's culture is almost entirely self-contained. Foreign movies and TV show are of course available, but rarely become popular. Consequently, other cultures are often presented in ways that are stereotypical or laughably inaccurate.

The news media is probably the main cause of American ignorance. Quite simply, there are no stories about events taking place outside the US unless they involve the US military, threats to America, or are simply too large to ignore. Aliens watching nothing but broadcasts from major networks could reasonably conclude that the earth was comprised entirely of America, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Iran, and China. The average American doesn't have the time or inclination to dig through the web or the back pages of the newspaper to find out what's happening in the rest of the world and so are stuck with what is readily available.

Finally we get to education. To call the the educational system America-centric (Amero-centric? US-centric?) is an understatement. The rest of the world exists only when it interacts with the United States and no one seems to care what it does the rest of the time. As far as most textbooks are concerned, WWII started when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and previous two years of European fighting are an unimportant footnote. The American attitude to history can best be summed up by the fact that most high school students take two years of American history and only one year of world history. That's right, only one year to learn about the history of the entire world.