Hang, RÓO-JAI Mano Temple House, Luang Prabang, Laos
Luang Prabang became a home for us for more than 10 days, providing a space for diverse experiences. Those ranging from administrative duties at the Vietnamese consulate, local Buddhist temple festival, up to being the place of a beautiful reunion with the beloved ones. Including those we hadn’t even met yet :). Grateful that for them the town also has become an important – jai place.
In particular, it was Mano Temple guesthouse where Hang (the owner) opened the doors for us. Located a bit outside of the center, in a very local and calm neighborhood, with little garden on the back, and – as the name indicates- next to the beautiful Buddhist temple, we immediately felt that it was going to be a right and important place for us.
We also enjoyed a lot to have this feeling of knowing your neighborhood, having “your places”, knowing where the good food is, where it’s better not to drink coffee and where to buy fruits or ginger for your tea or brekkie. It’s important to have this feeling when you are in a long-term travel, making home on your way.
Hang, is a kind and hard-working young women that left Vietnam and arrived to Laos to run her business. She is a mother of Nhim and his younger sister Susu with whom we quickly became friends and this relationship has a special place in our heart. And of course, there is a special jai-expression to reflect this: róo jai/รู้ใจ 🙂
It all started with a little help Nhim needed. “Can you cut it for me?”, he said in a very good English as for 8 years old boy. It was a plastic bottle that he wanted to use to rescue and plant a… spring onion :). After the mission was completed, we started talking and became buddies. We quickly became part of the daily routine, when we knew that everyday around 11.30 Hang would go to pick the kids for the lunch break and we could chat a bit on how is it going. They were our first fans of the blog when we launched it from their house.
It was heart warming to see the smile of the kids when they saw us after a week of absence. Even now, when we left Luang Prabang, we do regular video calls. Recently even with Nhim’s grandmother from Hanoi. We agreed we will come for breakfast. As our plans changed quickly (due to the C-word situation one shall not mention) and we left Vietnam, but we are very much looking forward to meeting her as soon as we can be back. It’s a promise.
What is your favorite dish?
She smiles. I prefer Vietnamese food. Especially, nem rolls with pork, with onion, carrot, egg, you can put everything inside. I can make it. It’s fried and it’s easy. Best with spicy, chilli sauce. I used to cook it with my mum.
What is your dream for the next five years?
I dream everyday. For my future… I dream that many people come to my hostel. When you open something (a business) you dream about many people coming, and money. That’s what I continue to dream. My dream is to have more people here.
I opened the hostel six years ago. I rent the house and have the business with my husband. I would like to stay here. At the beginning I opened a hostel with dorms, but it was very noisy. Even if the tourist didn’t do party here, they were going out and coming back very late. That time was difficult for me, and hard to sleep. . That’s why two years ago I changed it for a guesthouse with double and single rooms.
What makes you happy?
As for the previous question, maybe it was not that easy to answer, now Hang replied quickly: Only my children. I have two, Nhim, 8 years, and Bibi or Susu 6,5 years. All I do is for them.
When did you arrive to Laos?
I’m from Vietnam. I was traveling in the past. Then, six years ago, when I had money I came here and rented this house. I came here for the business with the two kids. Before it was very difficult, because they were very small and also I had the backpackers dormitory at that time… I was very tired, and also my husband had another job.
What is the most difficult for you?
The most difficult have been these last two years. There is less people. This year has been tough, this because of the virus. For example, for the Chinese New Year less Chinese people were coming. It’s difficult because of the seasons, it’s already every year that I don’t have costumers for 6 months, from June to November. Here in the rainy season it can be very rainy. It can rain one moth every day, non stop.
During that time I go to Vietnam for four months. Then the children go to school there and learn Vietnamese. Here my son Nhim studies Lao, Chinese and English. His English is very good. He only likes to speak English! She laughs. It’s good that he can practice English here. Before I used to have more people from Spain and Germany and they were speaking with my children.
What is your piece of advice?
Only one thing: work every day. When I am strong I want to work everyday. For my children, for them to have a better future. When you have kids you only think about them.
