I knew early on that I experienced life at a different level than majority of the Laotian kids. The common phrase that people use here in America is "born with a silver spoon in the mouth" to describe a person who was born into life of riches and comfort. Well, there is no colorful saying as such in Lao. It can be said that I was "born with a golden chopstick in the mouth". Mom and dad made every effort to insure that my sibling and I are sheltered from life's hardship and suffering.
Under the Royal Lao regime dad worked in the treasury department. My father possessed what most would coveted in Lao during that time: wealth, power, prestige, connection to the powerful and knowledge. I am not certain of the specific office or title that he had held but I remember dad having a driver that took him to his office daily into the city. On certain day we even get a chance to ride in his car to school. That was one of the privileged of being son and daughter of a government official. We were enrolled in a private school. Day had always valued a rich and strong education. Even when we were not in school, dad employed a service of a private tutor for my brothers and I to increase our math and writing skills. We also studied French. My parents goal was to send all of us abroad to France to study in some of important and prestiges professions.
It did not seem that significant at the time, but we were one of the few family in the city who had television and air conditioner. We had indoor plumbing. Daily there was a housekeeper lady who came to attend to the need of our big home. We had wonderful meals but I don't recall ever seeing mom or dad preparing these meals. As we didn't have hot water, but mom enjoyed a daily warm bath, so someone would had to daily boil the water and prepared a hot bath for her. We lived in a gated compound that consisted of our house, my grandmother and grandfather's house (laotian dawdi house if you will) and my aunt's house.
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