Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
casions; in fact, they are much more practical than shoes, since footwear must be
removed
upon entering private homes, certain Buddhist monastery buildings or any living space. The
habit of leaving your footwear outside the threshold is not just a matter of wanting to keep
interiors clean, it is a long-standing tradition that will cause offence if flouted.
Manners
Lao
socialtaboos
are sometimes linked to Buddhist beliefs.
Feet
are considered low and un-
clean - be careful not to step over any part of people who are sitting or lying on the floor,
as this is also considered rude. If you do accidentally kick or brush someone with your feet,
apologize immediately and smile as you do so. Conversely, people's
heads
are considered
sacred and shouldn't be touched.
Besides dressing conservatively, there are other conventions that must be followed when
visiting
Buddhist monasteries
. Before entering monastery buildings such as the
sim
or
wihan
, or if you are invited into monks' living quarters, footwear must be removed. Women
should never touch Buddhist monks or novices (or their clothes), or hand objects directly to
them. When giving something to a monk, the object should be placed on a nearby table or
passed to a layman who will then hand it to the monk.
All Buddha images are objects of veneration, so it should go without saying that touching
Buddha images disrespectfully is inappropriate. When sitting on the floor of a monastery
building that has a Buddha image, never point your feet in the direction of the image. If pos-
sible, observe the Lao and imitate the way they sit: in a modified kneeling position with legs
pointed away from the image.
Greetings
The lowland Lao traditionally
greet
each other with a
nop
- bringing their hands together at
the chin in a prayer-like gesture. After the revolution the
nop
was discouraged, but it now
seems to be making a comeback. This graceful gesture is more difficult to execute properly
than it may at first appear, however, as the status of the persons giving and returning the
nop
determines how they execute it. Most Lao reserve the
nop
greeting for each other, preferring
to shake hands with Westerners, and the only time a Westerner is likely to receive a
nop
is
from the staff of posh hotels or fancy restaurants. In any case, if you do receive a
nop
as a
gesture of greeting or thank you, it is best to reply with a smile and nod of the head.
The Lao often feel that many foreign visitors seem to be a bit aloof. They have obviously
spent a lot of time and money to get so far from home, but once they get to Laos they walk
around briskly, looking at the locals, but rarely bothering to smile or greet those they have
come so far to see. Foreign visitors who are not grin-stingy will find that a smile and a
sabai
di
(“hello”) will break the ice of initial reservation some locals may have upon seeing a for-
eigner, and will invariably bring a smile in response.
