Everything Random

Old theater chairs.

Elvis Presley statue guarding the toilets.

Marilyn Monroe and the famous white dress in the Seven Year Itch greeting you at the foyer.

These are just a few of the things that you will see at Senglao Cafe in Vientiane, Laos.

I like places such as this one where repurposed things blend with new finds and memories of the distant past mingle with the comforts of the present. I also like the fact that the whole place is a potpourri of unrelated things. It’s as if somebody combed through a junkyard and throws random things at every corner of an empty space.

The lighting is sombre and bright at the same time and the music switches from French love songs to American rock and roll. There is that lovely quirkiness of the place that perks your curiosity. Who owns this place? What was the designer thinking when he/she/they propped the place?

Luckily the food is a familiar blend of western and Laotian fare, delicious enough to drown your nagging questions. I can stay here all day, if only that does not come with more inches on a waistline and less money in your bank account. Not that it’s that expensive. But what will you do here for a day except binge?