TRAVELMAN LAOS: Beer is Fried Chicken

"Beer is fried chicken." Abbie said, laughing, "I mean, what does that even mean?"

"I have no idea." I answered. "Maybe it's like same same, but different."

Same-same but different is a saying in Southeast Asia. It sounds perfectly normal to me by now, but when most backpackers first hear it we are more than a bit confused. We're especially confused that it's for sale everywhere on t-shirts. Why would anyone want a shirt with that on it?

Abbie had the same questions and had gone so far as to ask a local in Thailand. He explained that it was a joke, and laughed through his explanation as though it were hilarious.

Not long after seeing a Same Same But Different t-shirt, and it prompting Abbie's story, we came across a sign we'd both encountered earlier in the day on our own. It was an advertisement in front of a restaurant for a fried chicken dinner that read "Beer is Fried Chicken."

Nonsense, utter nonsense. What could they be trying to say? Was something lost in translation? It was too far off from beer battered fried chicken for that to be the answer. What could it mean?

That's when I theorized that although Laotians and Thai are blessed with many talents, humor is not one of them. Maybe they simply operate on a very low level of comedy, like nonsensical bad pun level. And so then, like "Same Same but Different," "Beer is Fried Chicken" is a funny catchphrase to them that always gets a laugh.

Abbie and I went off on an improv of scenarios in which the catchphrase is unleashed. As in...

You're walking up to a table of your friends at a party, they're all erupting in laughter at something. You look at them, like fill me in...

"Oh, you're not gonna believe the joke that Ted just told!" They turn to Ted. "Tell it again, Ted! Tell it again!"

Ted nods, takes a comedic pause and says, "Well, you know... Beer is fried chicken!"

Bah ha ha ha ha!!!! Bah Ha Ha Ha!!! Uproarious laughter from the whole room. "Oh, Ted always has the funniest lines!'

Abbie and I decided that we were going to try to get this to catch on. We conspired to challenge one another to work it into a conversation in the group, and when one of us says it at the perfect comedic quip moment, we'll both backslap, guffaw, high five, and laugh hysterically as the group looks on, smiles propped but melting, confused, utterly confused.

It was gonna be great!

The next evening a large group of us went out to a more upscale restaurant that had Korean BBQ and two for one cocktails. You had to get identical cocktails in the two package deal and all the selections were sugary, fruity concoctions of the restaurants own making. We ordered a round of "Pink Gays" on the first, uh, round. The Pink Gay was pink and fruity (please, hold the jokes). It was too sweet for my taste so I went for some kind of coconut drink the next time, still too sweet (please hold your politically incorrect coconut jokes as well).

I'd already eaten so I didn't partake in the BBQ. I kept my "Beer is Fried Chicken" line cocked and loaded though. But there was unfortunately no opportunity to fire it off.

At some point in the night, or maybe it was the following night, Abbie and I were out with Paul, M, Lizzie, and Hollie. The conversation turned to the way M turns a phrase. He often uses out of date nostalgic sayings that people get a kick out of. This led to talk of parents messing up colloquialisms. I think the correct saying for one was "Chill your beans" and someone's mom said "Chill a bean." And so on. There was much laughing and talking almost on top of one another.

This was the perfect time to unleash the Comedy Death Star's true power. I was going to fire the "Well, you know, beer is Fried Chicken!" weapon. I waited, my mind crouched, ready for the comedy ambush. All I needed was for the conversation to pause for at least half a second. I waited, patient, like a cat, a very funny cat... People continued to talk over one another. Then a great tragedy happened. Before there was a pause, the conversation careened off into a brand new direction!

Noooooooooooooooooo! I didn't get to say my line! It was the perfect time! AAAGHH! The moment was gone.

When the conversation lulled, I leaned over and told Abbie of my failed plan, of how I was going to scorch the comedic landscape of her brain with the mother of all comedy bombs, how I was going to make all our dreams of making the line work come true! We would have changed the world!

...But alas. She laughed a bit and said that would have been great.

...Yeah. ...(Sigh)

Abbie and I stayed up to three that night talking in the lobby of the hostel. I remember it was weirdly cold outside that evening. We were surprised that it could get down to jacket weather.

Missing the opportunity to unleash the comedic beast has turned out to be the greatest regret of my trip.

...But after all, beer IS fried Chicken.

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! I did it! I did it! ...Okay, kind of, but still, cut me some slack.

!steemitworldmap 19.8889 lat 102.1276 long Beer is fried chicken in Luang Prabang, Laos, d3scr