Teochew Opera

After dinner (my final larb and sticky rice in Laos!), I wandered around a bit and I heard some noise coming from the Chinese temple at the riverfront, so I went in that direction. At the temple, I saw that there was a play going on, so I stood among the crowd and watched. Listening to the dialog, I realized it was Teochew, a Chinese dialect spoken in the Shantou region and technically my mother tongue although I don’t speak it. What a treat! I didn't grow up in the Singapore “heartland” and my family primarily speaks English, so I was culturally distant from this sort of thing. Looking at the various vendors, I saw a sight I hadn’t seen since my childhood - dried squid being grilled over charcoal. I immediately ordered one and savored the chewy goodness. What a wonderful way to end my last day in Laos.

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