Project 3162: Asia: Luang Praban: Kids

maybe the streets are super safe here.
maybe they are too poor to attend school.
maybe there are no schools.
maybe they have to help make money for their family.
maybe they have no parents.

whatever is the case in Luang Praban, i see kids on the streets throughout the whole day.
and their eyes,
carry a strength and sense of responsibility, rarely possessed by kids in developed countries.
and when you smile, they smile back.
not in a "i am a kid and i have to be cute and smile back at you," but just a simple, genuine smile.

i understand that child labor and the high percentage of uneducated children is an issue for a lot of the countries we are visiting.
but while they may be forced into work, the kids here don't appear to be sad or resentful about the fact that they work. they already seem more responsible than most students i met (including myself) when i was set free to go to college at the age of 17. some even maxed out their parents' credit cards, partying and buying stuff that they don't even need.
in terms of appreciation for work, money, and time, these kids are way more mature than i am.

here are some episodes with kids in Luang Praban.

Ear Ring
while walking through the Hmong Night Market, i take my bag off of my shoulders and the strap gets caught on one of my ear rings. the ear ring falls off, i hear a "clink," and am left with the small backing stuck to the back of my ear lobe (from all the sweating i did). i search around for 5 minutes or so, but it's lost in the crowd of consumers, asphalt, and colorful sheets.
i give up, continue my shopping, and come across a dark stairway behind a vendor. since i have time until my dad finishes his Lao massage, i decide to see where the stairs take me. short trip, maybe about 23 steps, i reach a calm, open area with benches and a nice view of the market from above.

i notice a temple to the side of me, head over to take a look when i hear "SIR! sir?" from behind.

although too dark to see their faces, four girls who seem to be about 7-9 years-old are waving and signal me to come closer. i approach them, one of the girls puts out her hand and opens it to reveal my lost ear ring. "how the? what? " i still can't see their faces, but say "THANK YOUUUUU!!!!" they giggle a bit and run off back to work.

it had been close to 15 minutes since i left the spot where i dropped my ear ring. to this day, i don't know how the girls found me at the top of the stairs, alone in the dark.

i'm usually good about taking pictures of people that i come across, but i was in too much awe to snap one this time...

To Learn

(the following conversation is in Japanese)

kids hanging out at the market: "are you Japanese?"

dad: "yes"

kids: "can you spare 15 minutes of your time so we can practice?"

dad: "sure"

the next 15 minutes is spent talking about where we're from, our family, home, and culture, while the kids jot down new words that they encounter.

they tell us they come here every night to find "teachers" (i.e. tourists) to brush up on their foreign languages.

i saw them again the next day, talking to some Korean tourists.

who needs schools, teachers, and books when you have the hunger and strength to act upon your will to learn? if only i possessed 1/8 of their will back when i was a kid...

on my last night in Luang Praban, i gave them a postcard of San Francisco with my e-mail address. i know it's difficult, but hope they make it some day.

Smile (with a bit of embarrassment)

we see a girl carrying a heavy bag and a stool. probably setting up shop for the night market, on her first trip from wherever she stores her products. the way she carried the bag, the way she looked into the streets to find a good location, all resembled that of a hard working adult. it was a bit intimidating to know that someone so young can seem and act so responsibly. i manage to sneak up beside her and snap this:

the next night, i see the same girl working at the market, manning her own little shop. i quickly pull out my camera and show her the photo i took the day before.

"is this you??"

embarrassed smile, nod.

ai, so cute. she is a kid after all.

we'd been looking for bibs for all the recent babies being born, and i decide to buy from her.