ช้าง และ สับปะรด (khang leh saparoht): Return to blogging...

There is a great Jim Gaffigan joke where he voices his frustration with Catholic Mass; "Ever been to one?" He asks, "Well, it's still going on!"

The same, apparently, can be said about a Buddhist ceremony. I would even go as far as to say that the one I went to a couple weekends ago would rival any religious service in any country on any continent when it came to length. Remember how we wandered into a temple and met a great monk who spoke amazing English and invited us to a ceremony for the King? It would be from 1-3pm he told us but, come early! There would be food. Well, lets just say I only left around 5pm and in the words of Gaffigan, "It was still going on."

Don't get me wrong. The day was by no means wasted! In fact, I am was very happy I went and it wasn't just the endless mounds of free food and delicious drinks (Thai, green, and honey teas to name a few, that were the most amazing things I've tasted in forever) that make me say that. It was all in all, just the kind of cultural experience I love to stumble upon. I would say that even as the service slipped well past the aforementioned 3pm end time, I remained super calm, sitting upright and proper with one end of a white string tied around my skull and the other end dangling from the ceiling of the tent we were all under. My patience and apparent Buddhist behavior got me lots of approving looks from all the old Thai ladies seated around me. Many began to outright grin at me after the 4th hour, but by the 5th, they could have threw Baht at me and I wouldn't have stayed.

The thing that was most frustrating about sitting in the heat, outside of the temple (no women are allowed inside during the ceremony lest the monks get distracted by our beauty and guiles), was the Return of the King number of fake endings that we all had to suffer through. I understood not a single word that was said (I'm not even sure it was all Thai) but I haven't lived abroad all this time without learning how to comfortably and blatantly copy the behaviors of everyone around me to reach a certain end. That being said, when everyone else started to unravel the yarn from their crowns and roll it in a little ball hanging from the tent, I didn't miss a beat, calming doing the same as if I was the one leading by example. It did sound like things were wrapping up, anyway, the incessant chanting was significantly slowing. No sooner had everyone successfully disentangled themselves, did the chanting recommence. Minutes later, I noticed we were all returning to our former positions to continue listening, unloosing, once again, the white thread from where it hung.

The cycle repeated itself about 4 times, with an uncharacteristic zen attitude overcoming my generally restless self. I was genuinely impressed with my ability to sit (and practically meditate as it's not like I was able to mentally participate in the sea of Thai) for so long. Yes, I reminded myself that part of chi is not complimenting yourself on it, but I couldn't help notice how I was making some sort of break through. When the clock struck 5, however, almost on the dot, I fell apart. There is no other way to put it. I couldn't get out of there fast enough and I haven't been back since. I was next door at my favorite cafe a week later and it occurred to me to take a quick peak to see if the shriveled, sun dried corpses of the other partitioners (is this a cross-religious word that is applicable in this instance?) were still lined up around the temple, bodies maintained erect by the thin, white chord laced like a crown around their scalps.

A week ago, was the festival of lights, Loy Krathong. It is actually something that I've wanted to experience even before I knew it was a Thai tradition. The way you picture it, everyone gathers to let off a million fire lanterns over some huge body of water somewhere in representation of releasing private demons. Well, maybe you weren't aware, but the king died? So... there was not really a Loy Krathong this year. 😒 I think it is safe to say that a proper answer for, "Why Thailand?" at one point for me could have been; "There is this fabulous festival that I want to check out! Looks like I'll even be there for it this year!" There was a lite version, though, and if I close my eyes and pretend that I never saw the pictures online of the full blown out affair, I'd say that it was rather special, after all. We bought mini floats made out of hollowed out coconuts and flowers and lit candles and incense.

One of the coolest things about Loy Krathong night for me though, was getting called out BY NAME by one of my students! There were a lot of kids there and it isn't completely random to see some from my classes out and about in Phrae (it's small) but to be called by my name was a more moving experience than I had expected it would be. Walking between classes and around school, everyone says, "Hello, Teacher!" or, their personal favorite no matter what time of day it is, "Afternoon, Teacher!" It always makes me smile and wave, of course, but I kind of took it for granted that none of them had bothered to actually learn my name, since my mere title could be applied to many. I'm just "Teacher" because it's not something everyone has to relearn every semester and I can't say I blame them. Needless to say, when I saw the girl who said "Hi" again in class, I made a point to remember her name too (a feat harder for me since I have over 800 students). It's "Ning" by the way.

Me and my white string.

Here's my Loy Krathong. Look, I'm wearing black.

This picture was chosen to be featured on XploreAsia's instagram! Yay!

New favorite café. Check out the awesome color of the walls.

At first she was unsure of me. She yelled and yelled, willing me to leave, but I obviously don't take kindly to being disliked by wee puff balls. I made her love me instead, and it's just as well. I mean, we have the same hair...

Delicious Thai Milk Green Tea.

I've been really needing to employ the use of the panoramic shot more and more here in Thailand. You can't really get the full impression of how amazing this country is through the lens of a camera, much less 2D... this is only a little better.