People from Laos love slapstick humor
It’s hard to get a grasp of a culture in a single entry, 30-day visa period. Especially in a country that is as large as Laos, which has multiple sub-cultures and differing ethnicities. Getting a good idea of the place you are visiting is tough.
I think one of my first experiences with Laotian people gave me a great incite into the culture. While crossing the road by motorcycle, a Laotian driver and I nearly collided. The almost-wreck was my fault, and culminated with an NBA-style flop on the other biker’s part, used to swindle some money from me. I checked out his “injuries,” as well as his bike, and while he was trying to say I owed him money, a group of Laotians at a bike repair shop laughed raucously. Laotian people always laugh raucously.
On a very shallow level, one could come to the conclusion that people from Laos like slapstick humor. They laugh at falang and locals alike when they fall, or do something silly. They laugh all the time. At first I started to feel a bit uncomfortable, as I was always being laughed at, but now I think there is something more to it. Laotian people are proud. When conflict arises, or a situation that could offend someone’s pride occurs, instead of overreacting, they laugh. This is a mechanism to diffuse a situation that could be uncomfortable for them.
I’m not sure if my 30-day conclusion is correct, but it seems to make sense to me. The people in Laos can be very nice, and very accommodating, but it comes at a price, and isn’t always upfront. Keep calm, enjoy your time, and if you feel uncomfortable, just laugh it off.
Alberto Salazar takes on a new high school prodigy
A decade or so ago, a former NYC marathon champ turned Nike spokesperson and coach, took a high schooler named Galen Rupp under his wing. Fast forward to 2012, where this high schooler is now a decorated professional runner with an Olympic Silver Medal in the 10K under his belt.
It wasn’t an accident that Salazar decided to gamble on coaching a high schooler, and building him up for years. With that being said, and Rupp now being in the peak of his career, Salazar is taking on a new student of distance running. Her name is Mary Cain, and is a 16-year-old junior for New York.
Cain and Salazar met at the Olympic trials this year. Cain wanted a picture with Salazr, and this she was granted. Before meeting Salazar, though, Cain won the Penn Relays high school mile in a time of 4:39:28, which was a national and meet record.
She then went on from there to run a 2:03:34 800 m PR, as well as win the U.S. National Junior 1500 m title in a time of 4:14:74. These times, mixed with Cain’s work ethic, has given her the prestigious title of being the most important U.S. female distance runner since Mary Decker. Salazar didn't initially realize who she was, but after the trials finished, did his research, and decided to contact the high schooler and her family.
What this means for Mary is forfeiting her spot on her high school cross country and track team, and running as an independent athlete for Salazar. She will no longer compete in high school races, and will have to compete has an amateur on the university and professional circuit. Since Cain hopes to attend university and compete in the NCAA, she is not allowed to accept prize money, sponsorship, or deferred race fees or travel. Essentially, she is competing as a professional, without the professional amenities.
What inspired Cain to switch from high school competition to this sort of racing regime was an inability to compete in the 5th Avenue Mile in New York, due to it conflicting with a high school cross country race. This was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back for Cain.
The Cain/Salazar experiment will see its first race on November 3rd in the Dash to the Line 5k, which is a precursor to the New York Marathon. Cain will be up against a stacked professional field, boasting some of the top U.S. female distance runners. For more information on Salazar and Cain, check out the featured article on the Runner’s World Website.
LeAnn Rimes sits down with Katie Couric
LeAnn Rimes is having a difficult year, to say the least. Over the summer, the country songbird checked into rehab. Reportedly she underwent treatment for major anxiety issues. Everyone was concerned about her well being, and for a while, LeAnn was off the map completely.
That's about to change: This week, LeAnn Rimes is sitting down for an interview with none other than Katie Couric. She's expected to talk at length about what's been going on, and no doubt she'll explain that she's better now. But is she?Hopefully, LeAnn Rimes received the treatment she needed for her issues. In August of 2012, LeAnn officially entered a month-long, voluntary rehab. Why? She was stressed out, in a major way. Everyone copes with stress differently, and in LeAnn's case, she wasn't coping well at all.
LeAnn Rimes really stirred things up when she had a very public affair with actor Eddie Cibrian. Since then, Eddie left his first wife, Brandi Glanville, and married Rimes. When things like this happen, it opens up a whole world of nastiness, and LeAnn tells Katie Couric she felt every bit of it. She says she's doing better now and wants to wipe the slate clean, adding that she feels like she's "starting over."
A fresh start at the ripe old age of 30? Yes, I'm being facetious. I sincerely hope that LeAnn Rimes' relatively short stint in rehab helped her learn some better coping skills. She may want a fresh start in life, but there will always be naysayers who are quick to judge. If LeAnn wants a happy marriage and career, she's going to have to develop a really thick skin. Celebrities, like it or not, are under the microscope 24/7.
Anyone else planning on watching LeAnn Rimes on Katie Couric's talk show (Thursday) or on 20/20 (Friday)? Do you think she's doing better now?
Links for October 23, 2012
Department of Energy confirms that there is a leak inside a Hanford waste tank. king5.com
A reactor at the crippled San Onofre nuclear power plant is leaking hydrogen gas into the environment, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. enewspf.com
One year after the disaster, Fukushima still fights an uphill battle to decontaminate the arming district. mainichi.jp
Links f or October 20, 2012
Links for October 19, 2012
Fukushima fire was nearly twice as big as was originally reported. tepco.co.jp
Work is not being done on the three Fukushima nuclear reactors that melted down last year because the high radiation levels are still keeping TEPCO workers away. akiomatsumura.com
Leaked report suggests long-known flood threat to nuclear plants, safety advocates say. huffingtonpost.com
Links for October 18, 2012
A new method uses cosmic rays to gather detailed information from inside the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactors. phys.org
A man from Fukushima chokes up while saying that the children who remain are radioactive. enenews.com