Lao Dinner Invitation, Odd Food, Lao Wedding?

I met this lao guy when i was dropping off my laundry. we hit it off and he invited me to have dinner with his wife and 2 kids that night. so after spending a very relaxing day at the herbal sauna followed by a $3 1 hour massage I met up with Pat. We went to pick up his son and after dropping him off we went to this market where I was the only westerner and probably the only westerner ever by the looks on peoples faces. I was tryiing to pay for some of the food but at first pat said he had it but earlier he had told me that he only makes 50 baht a day so after some convincing he allowed me to pay. I think the total for all the stuff wasn't much more than $5 and we got a huge duck.
After this we went to stop at this hole in the wall restaraunt where his brother-in-law was. and he was pretty wasted on some type of lao moonshine. we sat down and ordered some beer and the brother-in-law offered me some moonshine which I quickly drank down much to their and my surprise. then they offered me some food. now I am not sure if I should go any further on the food because of what it was but I will. It just so happened to be dog. I tried to explain that I wasn't into eating dog but I finally agreed to try it because I was getting the feeling that it would of been rude not to. apparently the restaraunt which was full of laos was famous for its dog. so with some salty pungent sauce and some basil down it went. and I have to say it was not that bad but that will probably be my first and last time trying it.
While we were there I introduced pat and his friends to a american drinking game (quarters). The only problem was when we finally started playing for real pat was kicking my butt and I was drinking, drinking, drinking....but at least it was only beer. which for some reason the laos put ice in. I ask them if they had any lao drinking games at first he said no but then he said they drink when playing cards.
After a while there we made it back for the house where I ended up playing with his son (6) and his daughter (3-4). they were having a field day with my camera or I should say with me taking pictures of them while they did the craziest things. then they would quickly rush over to see the photo. they would laugh and then run back to strike another post it was hilarious. after a while pat says that he needs to go to tell one of his wifes friends to come over. and he wanted me to come along. it was at this moment that he told me about his wifes friend who had a daughter and when she found out that an american was comming for dinner she ask if her daughter could come. so I could have a look as he said. I told him that I wasn't interested in a girlfriend or a wife which is what they were really going for. but still he said "no problem she just come and you take a look...maybe you like." How could I say no right. I was trying hard just to not bust out laughing I think all I could manage was a nod of my head. You couldn't book this kind of tour if you wanted to. so off we went to get this girl. oh I forgot to mention that we were in a all lao community west of the city and again I was the only westerener there and the people who really are so nice would be doing there normal thing when around the corner I would come on the back of pat's moped. then they would stop everything and look. I got some of the funniest looks but I would always smile back at them and I was always rewarded with a smile in return.
anyways when we arrived at the girls house I think the whole surronding neighborhood was there. all the old, middle aged and young ladies were out and boy were they looking and talking. I think I was the feature movie that night. oh and of course they were smiling and laughing usually in my direction.
Finally she came out dressed to the 9's and off we went to pat's house. on the way back pat tells me that his wife told him that he should make a party so he invited his brother-in-law, this girl, her older sister and another friend of his wifes. when we arrived at the house pat sent the girl off to buy more beer and we came inside. he then told me that we were going to have pot soup that night which his wife had made special for me. I had read that they use pot as a herb in there cooking but I thought that was more in Cambodia but apparently they do it here to. so the girl comes back with the beer and dinner is served. it was 2 big bowl of this soup, rice, hard boiled eggs and some spicy side condiment that his wife made that was so tasty.
On the way back to the house we stopped to tell his wife.....actually I am wrong it was before we went to the market. he stopped to tell his wife that I was comming for dinner. after I finished my beer that I was drinking pat told me that his wife wanted to drink lao style which remember when I ask pat and his friends about drinking game? well I think that this would qualify just that there was no game about it...it was just drink. Drinking lao style consists of glass with ice in it and beer of course. so while you are eating and the food has a kick to it to say the least you have no drink until the person who is ahead of you finishes then they fill it for you and pass it to you. If you don't drink it fast enough the person, in my case pat, would let you know that you were taking to long. and if you spilled you beer which i did then they filled it to the rim and you had to finish the whole thing.
Most of the night was spent talking to pat because he was the only one that could speak english. as dinner was winding down pat ask if I wanted to go to a party to play cards. apparently one of his wifes friends had a baby and they were having a party which consisted of playing cards. when we got there it was in this house with only a couple of chairs and a be in a big open room. on the ground on rugs and pillows was about 15 laos split into 2 groups playin this card game. now I never really learned how to play the game I guess it was that damm soup but I couldn't consintrate...just kidding. pat couldn't really explain the game that well because he didn't play it that much. but basicly the game consisted of the players who were each delt 9 cards....i think maybe 8 damm soup remember. then one card is turned over which lets say is a 10 of clubs then if anyone has a 10 of clubs they can put it down and each person after that who can not owes them money. but this rarely happens. if no one has the same card then they put down any suit and then the game starts. I am going to leave my explinaton at that because I am not sure of the rest of the game. just when I thought I got it I realized that I still had no clue.
We hung out there for a while until i realized that it was almost 12 which is when my hotel closes the doors. but pat said don't worry that we would just sleep there at the party lao style. so when i was finally tired of the game I just layed down on a pad on the floor. someone gave me a pillow and at some point someone covered me up. such nice people i tell you . when I woke up guess what they were still playing. and the crazy thing about it was it was not the men it was all the ladies including the girl. they had been playing all night. useally its always the men that play all night but not in lao it is the women who are the gamblers.
Whewwww that is the end of the story after that we went back to his house picked up his son and he dropped me off at my hotel. sorry for the long winded blog. but i thought that you would enjoy my almost lao marriage :) story.