Another interviewee, Mr. Bounthanong Somsaipol, is a freelance writer and journalist. He described that the French adapted themselves to the local traditions of the countries they had conquered quite well. At the same time, they brought ragou stake, café bread and butter to these countries. In Laos they applied their building and construction techniques to Lao style, as was evident in the temples as well as residential buildings. France chose Pakse as the location of its administrative office, whereas Pakxong in the south was chosen as a recreational area for French people. The marks and characteristics of French tradition could also be seen in the “Latanier tree” (mahogany in English) they planted along the roads, such as in Pakxou, Markxou and Karam.According to Bounthanong, it is possible that the servants or followers of the French, or those who worked closely with the latter, at Kong City in 1904 were the first to make the baguette first. These people then spread the eating of baguette to the general public. But different parts of Laos have different ways of eating baguette. In Luang Prabang the people eat bread with corn and star eggs, while the bread produced in Vientiane is of more standard quality than bread in other parts of the country. In Laos, bread has become a valuable gift for the people.
Mr. Khamphao Phonekeo, who was also interviewed by the researcher, spent four years studying in France. Back in Laos, he started his work at the Ministry of Education in 1962, where he remained for about 10 years. He was later posted as cultural counselor in France for three years. He came back to Vientiane in 1975.Khamphao criticized French policy, which, with its stress on cultural rather than economic development, was different from that of the British. To preserve local culture, a number of high-ranking officials and members of the royal family were sent to study in France. According to Khamphao, this educational experience in France had a profound influence on the outlooks and way of life of these people. He said, “When I was studying in France, I felt like French. When I came back to work and met with local people, I learned that something was not the same as what I had thought it was”.Generally, French policy was to encourage local people to preserve their own way of life with its traditional beliefs and practices. With the arrival of French culture including the eating of bread, its influence was found mainly among the upper-class groups those educated in France or working closely with the French, as well as the merchants and businessmen in the capital city. The poor local people including rice farmers in the countryside hardly knew anything about bread.