菜單泡圈與新殖民者：寮國西方客的鄉愁觀光

Menu-Directed Bubble and Neo-colonists: On Nostalgia Tourism among Western Visitors in Laos

寮國有三個西方觀光客常造訪之地。在Vientiane的Chiti Chenter裏面，訪客只在西方式情境下消費。寮國中部著名古都Luang Prabang的“whole town”（全市），是前述法國殖民者戮力改建的原王國首府大小市街。該地亦幾乎全是國際觀光客。更往北的Muang Sing因舊王宮留存，又充滿法人經歷傳奇，加上接鄰中國邊界之戰爭毒品瀰漫想像，頗受外國旅人歡迎。三處地方總有歐美餐食相隨。在原真風土情境之下，訪者卻又時時進入「環境泡圈」或「飲食／菜單泡圈」，享受自己熟悉安心的西方食品，鄉愁成了境外樂趣。據此，作為新殖民者的西方客與寮國本地人，泡圈內與泡圈外，以及西食與寮食等的區隔，似乎顯示出一種彼此難以相容的事實。總之，寮國在被納進國際觀光的今天，卻出現了「場域多元相斥」（plural arena）的景況。

In contemporary Laos there are three popular spots where attracts many western tourists. In ”Chiti Chenter”, most of international tourists spent their stay with familiar western situation. The ”whole town” of Luang Prabang, well-known ancient capital in central Laos, is core administrative location of previous kingdom under colonial domination. In the present this particular city corner is full of foreign tourists as well. In addition, the northernmost Muang Sing is also welcome by Euro-American visitors based on the existence of a mini-former local palace, colonial legends and imaginations on historic wars and drugs popularly planted in borderland alongside China and Myanmar. One of the most important things shared by these three touristic spots is that it is easy to find western food services for international tourists. The tourists within ”authentic” Lao traditional situation always unwittingly entered into ”food / menu-directed bubble” to have their home-style food for acquiring feeling of comfort or even safety. Nostalgia becomes enjoyable in such particular ”home out there” situation. A complicated phenomenon of separation between western tourists and local Laotians, inside bubble and outside bubble, and western food and Lao food indeed reflects factual irreconcilability in today's Lao touristic arena. To summarize, a plural situation with less communication between locals and outsiders has appeared during the processes of adding Laos in the hot destination list of world tourism.