So the story I referenced earlier, my papaya salas in Laos. I stroll through the night market on Luang Prabang. Looking for a lite diner. Eric sick back in our room. I find a stall with a woman making fresh papaya salad (the only way it's made here by the way). Mortared up to order. Sounds about right. We have had papaya salad throughout our trip so far, with varying degrees of spiciness and small nuance differences depending on the country and region we are in. There is a slight line, all white tourists.
I wait. I watch. No clue how much it costs, waiting till my turn. The woman in front of me, about my age is really apprehensive. She quizzes the people in front of her about the dish, sees the size of the order they got. Her turn arrives. I still don't know the price yet. I am half paying attention when I realize this woman is trying to order a 1/2 order of the papaya salad. 'trying' because the stall maker speaks no English and is having a hard time understanding what this woman is requesting. The tourist keeps saying, "20,000 for half, yes?' Wow I think. That is pretty high price (approx. $2.30). After many attempts, she gives in to the full order. I guess she is thinking she will be paying $40,000.
As the salad is made, questions are asked in the form of pointing to ingredients as to wether she wants them in her salad or not. She is scared of it being too spicy and repeats, "no spice." She asks me, "have you had this before?" "ÿes, just not here."
"ïf I tell them no spice, will it still be spicy?" "from my experience, yes, you should be fine." she continues, "ï passed them up in thailand, but I think I am ready to try it now."
I think, wow, why did you pass it up?
She opts for the bottled manufactured fish sauce option, not the homemade fish paste for her salad. Oh, what she is missing. As her salad is being finished up I ask in Laos how much it is and the stall maker responds in Laos, "10,000." I chuckle. I don't know how much the other woman ends up paying because now this happens...
The tourist tries the salad and complains. "Oh, too spicy, Too spicy. I can't eat it." She refuses to buy it. Ah come on lady I think, that is the risk you take here, just pay the money and take the lose. The stall maker attempts to make things right, She adds more plain papaya, she adds more peanuts. The woman is still not happy. At this point the salad is really beefed up and she requests a new one to be made. Ah, gees.
The stall owner starts to make a new one for the lady. Asks me if spicy ok and if I want the one she just made. Not what I would of chosen, would of had it more authentic in ingredients but I feel bad for the stall owner. Plus I feel some of us need to hold a good reputation (at least as much as we can) for the tourists in relation to how they treat the people and culture here. I say I will take it. My price? $7,000 (less than a dollar.) Funny. I leave with my cheap salad and wish the other customer good luck as she waits for her new salad.
