In the village of Nong Duang on the road to Dong Nasok in the city of Vientianne is Mr. Somphone's mini mart. The mini mart is a small family business located at the front of the their home. From the living room you can easily see and hear the customers that drop by to purchase any number of things from phone cards to toilet paper to fresh eggs to Beer Lao to kimchee flavoured potato chips to a loaf of white bread.
Daily Mr. Somphone's daughter prepares fresh soy milk to be sold to those passing by requiring a refreshing drink. A plastic container of soy milk and a plastic container of sugar water sit on ice at the front of the store under a canvas umbrella. For those wanting a drink to go, a scoop of sugar water followed by soy milk is placed in a small plastic bag, along with ice from the blue ice chest. A straw is then inserted and soon you are on your way with a refreshing drink.
If you need to have your motor scooter prepared, Mr. Somphone will also make repairs while you wait. If you happen to be urgently in need of gas for your motor scooter, you can purchase approximately 750 mL from a glass bottle that sits on a plastic stool at the front of the mini mart.
All day family members take turns responding to the needs of customers. The family member wearing the red money apron is generally the one on duty, but everyone helps as needed. Just outside the mini mart is a concrete patio table where family members and customers sit and chat in the afternoon shade. This is where I seek out assistance for my Lao language learning.
Around 10:30 p.m. the metal doors are pulled down and the store is closed until it will open again the following day at around 6:30 a.m.
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