Laos: Where Are You From?

By Tamara

"Where are you from?"

The teacher's words sent my heart racing. We were all crowded into a tiny white classroom on the first day of fifth grade in a French lycee in Vientiane, Laos. I was feeling alone and different. I was the odd apple in a sea of Laotian faces with almond shaped eyes and pitch-black hair. One by one, the children stood up and introduced themselves with ease. As my turn grew nearer my mind raced: I didn't understand what the teacher wanted to know. My legs felt like spaghetti and could barely support me as I struggled to stand up. "My name is Tamara and..." Read more...