Meal Times!

Food on this trip is slightly disappointing. I'm hoping to try more of Lao flavors. But so far, the food is distinctly not cooked in traditional Lao style. The food simply taste like Chinese stir-fry. Very little spices were put in it. I think the hosts are concerned about taste buds and kept the flavors lighter so as to suit everyone.

One evening, they served spaghetti with chicken sauce at the side. It boggled my mind. It was the last thing I expected to see on the dinner table! There's SO MUCH CHICKEN at meal times! It's the holiest of the politically correct meat. Every frigging dish is filled with chicken that would be either sliced, minced or done in a paste! UGH. At least there's one teeny plate of fish at dinner. So very little vegetarian options. :( Luckily the fresh raw vegetables and sticky rice remain a staple at meal times. That's nice. I've had the usual white, the brown and am waiting for the black to make its appearance.

There was wine at dinner tonight. It was a very young, tart and sharp dunno-what kind of wine. There was no obligation to drink it. So I ignored the glass and concentrated on chatting with my hosts and other counterparts.