At that time, I only had a feeling that my village was empty. There were not many people in my village. While walking along the road, I did not see many people on the road as before, not much noise, not much voice and felt quiet.
There are some houses closed the door and windows. There were only houses and things left around. There were no body living inside. Houses were quiet and not lively and empty.
Some of buildings or houses were very nice and beautiful but they were broke down or collapsed because of soldiers’ anger, especially the building or houses where the old soldiers living before. I just had a look at it and I did not understand why.
I sometime heard people asking each other about their neighbors where they were, when they moved out for instance. And I saw some houses closed one by one.
Sometimes I saw a lot of soldiers in green uniform walking past my house in a long line. Most of them covered their head with a lot of leaves. There were also guns, bullets, bombs hanging around their body. Sometime the soldiers looked for a place in the village and practicing how to fight. They marched and shout loudly.
I also saw my parents prepared things. They packed some clothes, food, and value things like money, gold, silvers for instance. In addition, my father dig a security hole to hide ourselves in the gardens behind our house.
Some night I heard the sound of bomb or explosion or the sound of gun loudly not far from my house. It seemed that two sides of soldiers found and fight each other and sometimes in the morning, I would see soldiers carrying a corpse or a dead person past my house.
The corpse would be covered by white or yellow clothes. Sometimes I also saw the relative crying and following the group of soldiers. My heart beat as if a clock whenever I saw it. Yes, of course, even though, I did not understand the situation, what happened but I could feel about lost and suffer.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
My First Friend In My Life
Since I was a child, I had a friend which I love him very much. His name was Saam. Saam’s family and my family has good relationship. We also are close relatives. Moreover, our house was near each other. There were only a few house between.
I called Saam’s father “ Aao = uncle”. Sometimes I went to Saam’s house and played with him and sometimes he came to my house and played with me. Both of us were too young and we did not go to school. We just played around. Sometimes we played a game, sometimes we just chased each other and sometimes we played and acted like we had a family.
One of our famous thing is “ singing a song” . We liked to sing a Thai famous song which I could not remember its name. I remember only some of it such as “ Bok Laew Bo Fang Bo Fang Ee Nang Khouan On .......Eloup Tup Pong”. Something like this.
At that time, my father had a cool tape recorder. Every time we came and played at my house my father would encourage us to sing that song and he recorded on the cassette-tape and played what he recorded for us. We listened to it and laughed it happily.
Unfortunately, one day, my friend got burned on his body. He got seriously sick. His father tried to find a doctor both, modern and traditional to heal him. I came to visit him at his house. I saw him laying down on the mattress. He looked tired and very sad. He was very quiet. Even though, his father tried to get him treatment but he did not get better. Therefore, his father took him to the hospital.
I tried to visit him day after day but I did not see him at his house. Nobody told me what happened with him. Until one day, I got a bad new from other people talked. I heard that he passed away at the hospital because of his serious sickness.
I did not understand much about that I still kept coming to his house to visit him and hope to see him as before. Every time, I came to his house, I noticed that things at his house were moved out a little by a little until I felt it was empty more and more. Finally, I knew his family escaped to Thailand illegally.
I called Saam’s father “ Aao = uncle”. Sometimes I went to Saam’s house and played with him and sometimes he came to my house and played with me. Both of us were too young and we did not go to school. We just played around. Sometimes we played a game, sometimes we just chased each other and sometimes we played and acted like we had a family.
One of our famous thing is “ singing a song” . We liked to sing a Thai famous song which I could not remember its name. I remember only some of it such as “ Bok Laew Bo Fang Bo Fang Ee Nang Khouan On .......Eloup Tup Pong”. Something like this.
At that time, my father had a cool tape recorder. Every time we came and played at my house my father would encourage us to sing that song and he recorded on the cassette-tape and played what he recorded for us. We listened to it and laughed it happily.
Unfortunately, one day, my friend got burned on his body. He got seriously sick. His father tried to find a doctor both, modern and traditional to heal him. I came to visit him at his house. I saw him laying down on the mattress. He looked tired and very sad. He was very quiet. Even though, his father tried to get him treatment but he did not get better. Therefore, his father took him to the hospital.
I tried to visit him day after day but I did not see him at his house. Nobody told me what happened with him. Until one day, I got a bad new from other people talked. I heard that he passed away at the hospital because of his serious sickness.
I did not understand much about that I still kept coming to his house to visit him and hope to see him as before. Every time, I came to his house, I noticed that things at his house were moved out a little by a little until I felt it was empty more and more. Finally, I knew his family escaped to Thailand illegally.
My Last Memory Before Revolution In 1975
I could not say exactly that how old I was. I only knew that I was too young at that time and just stayed at home or play around my house. But however, there were 3 things that I never forgot it.
First thing is a plane-helicopter, or another type of airplane. Its picture was in my head and it seemed its sound echoed in my eyes whenever I think of it. Before 1975, my village, Namkeungmai had an airport. It was situated in the north of the village. At that time, there were not many houses around the airport as these days. There were only rice stocks nearby.
I often saw a plane landing at my village. Every time, I heard its sound above my head. I would run out of my house and went to hind myself at the rice stock to look at it. It was sometime a helicopter and sometimes was another type of airplane.
Before it landed, if it was a helicopter, it did not take much time. Whenever, it was ready, it landed. Oppositely another type of airplane, it took time a little bit longer. It would fly around village until it was ready and then landed and run away for around one kilometer. At that time, there would be lots of dust being blew up around there as if smoke.
After it landed, I would go and have a close look at it. I sometimes saw the foreigner came down and sometimes I saw my aunt (who worked with foreigners) getting out from the plane. Every time he saw me, he would give me a loaf of bread. I was really happy. Sometimes I ran back home with bread happily. Sometimes I was just there and looked at the plane and touched it. I really like it and wish to drive it to the sky.
Second thing that I remember is foreigners with long mustaches. Almost every day, I saw foreigners who had long mustaches walking along the road and sometimes they walked past in front of my house. One night, while my older sister, brother and I were playing together and dancing in front of our house. There were a few foreigners walking to us. They took picture us and gave us some candies. It seemed they were very nice and kind.
Third or last thing is a rumor. At that time, there were no children allowing to go far away from home. There was a bad rumor. There were some people called thief like stealing children’s bile. If they found any children alone, they would kill and operate it. Then they would take their bile to sell out. I did not know whether it was true but this made me very afraid of it which I never forgot it in my life.
First thing is a plane-helicopter, or another type of airplane. Its picture was in my head and it seemed its sound echoed in my eyes whenever I think of it. Before 1975, my village, Namkeungmai had an airport. It was situated in the north of the village. At that time, there were not many houses around the airport as these days. There were only rice stocks nearby.
I often saw a plane landing at my village. Every time, I heard its sound above my head. I would run out of my house and went to hind myself at the rice stock to look at it. It was sometime a helicopter and sometimes was another type of airplane.
Before it landed, if it was a helicopter, it did not take much time. Whenever, it was ready, it landed. Oppositely another type of airplane, it took time a little bit longer. It would fly around village until it was ready and then landed and run away for around one kilometer. At that time, there would be lots of dust being blew up around there as if smoke.
After it landed, I would go and have a close look at it. I sometimes saw the foreigner came down and sometimes I saw my aunt (who worked with foreigners) getting out from the plane. Every time he saw me, he would give me a loaf of bread. I was really happy. Sometimes I ran back home with bread happily. Sometimes I was just there and looked at the plane and touched it. I really like it and wish to drive it to the sky.
Second thing that I remember is foreigners with long mustaches. Almost every day, I saw foreigners who had long mustaches walking along the road and sometimes they walked past in front of my house. One night, while my older sister, brother and I were playing together and dancing in front of our house. There were a few foreigners walking to us. They took picture us and gave us some candies. It seemed they were very nice and kind.
Third or last thing is a rumor. At that time, there were no children allowing to go far away from home. There was a bad rumor. There were some people called thief like stealing children’s bile. If they found any children alone, they would kill and operate it. Then they would take their bile to sell out. I did not know whether it was true but this made me very afraid of it which I never forgot it in my life.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
My life Story Begins
Every time my friend asked me where I was born, I would answer them without hesitation that I was born in Namkheungmai, Tonpheung district, Bokeo province (which is in the north of Laos).
In fact, my parents told me that I was born in a remote and small and village called Namyou village, Meung district in 1970. I was born at night and was also during Lao New Year.
However my parents said that at that time, the situation was worse because of wars. My parents had to move from Namkeolouang village, Meuangsing district, Namtha province to Namyou village and then moved from there to Namkeuangmai village by a soldier’s helicopter.
Before revolution (in 1975), my father was a nurse. He worked for the old Lao army. He asked his boss for a helicopter and went to pick his family. I still remember while the helicopter was flying in the sky. My mother pointed at the view and told me to look at it.I looked down. I saw villages and houses very very small.
However, that is only one feeling and experience in my memory when talking of Namyou, where I was born. I always said I was born in Nakeung because Namkeung is really part of me, not only I grew up here but my life story begins here.
In fact, my parents told me that I was born in a remote and small and village called Namyou village, Meung district in 1970. I was born at night and was also during Lao New Year.
However my parents said that at that time, the situation was worse because of wars. My parents had to move from Namkeolouang village, Meuangsing district, Namtha province to Namyou village and then moved from there to Namkeuangmai village by a soldier’s helicopter.
Before revolution (in 1975), my father was a nurse. He worked for the old Lao army. He asked his boss for a helicopter and went to pick his family. I still remember while the helicopter was flying in the sky. My mother pointed at the view and told me to look at it.I looked down. I saw villages and houses very very small.
However, that is only one feeling and experience in my memory when talking of Namyou, where I was born. I always said I was born in Nakeung because Namkeung is really part of me, not only I grew up here but my life story begins here.
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