Every year all the people in Laos had to work hard on the farm. First, they had to find a mountain, and when they thought that mountain was good for farming, they cut the trees down. After they cut the trees, they waited for a few weeks until the trees were dry. Then they had to burn them.

Three months after they burned them, all the people in the family had to go to the farm everyday to plant a lot of rice and some tomatoes, potatoes, watermelon, honey, cucumbers, onions, and corn or the things they wanted to plant. They planted many things because they didn't have any market to buy any food for their family to eat. If they didn't plant a lot of food during the year, then they would be hungry all year, so they planted a lot of food.

They also made clothes by hand, too. Many people had to make clothes by themselves. They had to spin hemp into string, and then they sewed it together to make skirts, shirts, and pants for their families. When my family lived in Laos, they didn't have any market to buy clothes to wear. If they didn't make them, then they didn't have them to wear. They went to the farm all day, but at night they sewed clothes. If they didn't sew at night, then they didn't have time to do it at all. They had to work hard every day and every night.

Right now, many poeple in Laos are not farming. Some people go to the farm, but some people don't go to the farm. They have other countries to help them to make big business in Laos. These companies produce a lot of food to help the people who live in Laos. Some people also do business with other people who live in other countries. They work at the companies and they get some money from the companies for their family. They can buy clothes at the store and food, too.

I think the people who live in Laos are not as poor as before.