A funeral

Aou’s funeral is taking place just up the road. I can hear the monks chanting at Aou’s and I want to shower and film the proceedings.  Aou hasn't died and I think the funeral is for her husband who died a few year's ago.  It seems strange to me but they often celebrate somebody's death long after they have died, perhaps when they have the funds.

From dawn to dusk, there was a steady stream of people going in small groups up to the funeral at Aou’s. They all carried ornate silver (I presume aluminium) bowls and Waree tells me that these contain gifts of money to the funeral. Later I would see them come back with their bowls full of food, some with little but others with great quantities.

In a true Thai fashion those who can afford give more and those who have greater need take more. A truly communist society where without coercion or even social pressure the rich give more and take less while the poor give what they can afford and take what they need. In doing so they all gain merit which is more important than wealth or possessions.

A truckload of monks (about a dozen) chanted at Aou’s house in the early evening and everybody sat with templed hands.

That night there was entertainment all night with the street completely blocked by a stage and huge banks of speakers with dancing girls musicians and singers all playing in the lovely Issan style. Vendors line the road with their three wheeler motorcycles and stalls. Everybody sits on rush mats in the road and it goes on all night again.

Waree tells me that the people in the house will have almost no sleep for the 3 days of the funeral.

At the same time there is another show near Joi’s shop in about half a kilometer away. This one is bigger with more dancing girls and we travel between the two on our motorcy.

The next morning at Aou’s there is more chanting from monks and more eating but by the end of the day everything is back to normal.

Since I have been staying here these celebrations have been taking place in the village or nearby villages every week or so. They involve hundreds of people in preparing, sharing and eating food, worshiping together and being entertained. It must be a fantastic unifying force within the village as everybody is involved in these activities on a regular basis.

Aou’s funeral is taking place

Aou’s funeral is taking place just up the road. I can hear the monks chanting at Aou’s and I want to shower and film the proceedings

From dawn to dusk, there was a steady stream of people going in small groups up to the funeral at Aou’s. They all carried ornate silver (I presume aluminium) bowls and Waree tells me that these contain gifts of money to the funeral. Later I would see them come back with their bowls full of food, some with little but others with great quantities. In a true Thai fashion those who can afford give more and those who have greater need take more. A truly communist society where without coercion or even social pressure the rich give more and take less while the poor give what they can afford and take what they need. In doing so they all gain merit which is more important than wealth or possessions.

A truckload of monks (about a dozen) chanted at Aou’s house in the early evening and everybody sat with templed hands.

That night there was entertainment all night with the street completely blocked by a stage and huge banks of speakers with dancing girls musicians and singers all playing in the lovely Issan style. Vendors line the road with their three wheeler motocycles and stalls. Everybody sits on rush mats in the road and it goes on all night again. Waree tells me that the people in the house will have almost no sleep for the 3 days of the funeral.

At the same time there is another show near Joi’s shop in about half a kilometer away. This one is bigger with more dancing girls and we travel between the two on our motorcy.

The next morning at Aou’s there is more chanting from monks and more eating but by the end of the day everything is back to normal.

Since I have been staying here these celebrations have been taking place in the village or nearby villages every week or so. They involve hundreds of people in preparing, sharing and eating food, worshipping together and being entertained. It must be a fantastic unifying force within the village as everybody is involved in these activities on a regular basis.

Loud music

I just wrote this to my cousin Paul in Canada where it is minus 12. Yes sunny days in the low 30s here. Some blue haze probably due to some burning off as its still the dry season. At the moment its pitch black though as its only 5.30 am.

The water supply is off again same as yesterday early in the morning so havent been able to shower and shave yet. I am usually first up as people here sleep 9 hours a night as well as having a siesta which is a bit too much for me. We dont have any hot water so my shower is cold. I could have a heater fitted but I like a cold shower. The air temperature is warm anyway and after the intitial shock the shower is stimulating.

The monks in one of the temples sounded their great gong at 5am but for the moment it is quiet except for a cock crowing.

A friend of ours Aou just up the road is having a funeral for her husband who died two years ago in a motorcycle accident (a common occurance). She could have had this celebration at the time or one, two, three years later. His ghost will still be around anyway. Yesterday 50 to 60 ladies were preparing food at her house, mostly sticky rice with banana in banana leaves tied up in little bundles and cookedn but also a freshly slaughtered pig.

A few men about drunk on Thai whisky. It will last three days and they have blocked off the road with a Marquee (they always do this) and have huge speakers blasting out Issan music (not thai but local from the NE - Issan). I love the music but its quite clear from our bedroom and it only stopped at about 5 am. Before that people were singing Issan songs karaoke style into the early hours. In western terms the noise polution here is incredible with trucks going up and down the street all the time blasting out Issan music and advertising their wares, fruit, eggs, rice, furniture, clothing, childrens toys, icecream (tricycle) and my favourite roti, made with eggs butter and condensed milk - definitely adictive.

Tonight there will be more music and dancing with professional musicians at the funeral and more eating and drinking. The more people eat the more merit for her and her husband and the more there will be for his ghost to eat. So everybody mucks in and makes food and eats and gets lots of merit. I think I need a lot of merit not to come back as a slug but never mind. The ghosts are always with us here in rural Thailand. After a time even sceptical Farangs may start to believe.

Back in Thailand

I just wrote this to my cousin Paul in Canada where it is minus 12.

Yes sunny days in the low 30s here. Some blue haze probably due to some burning off as its still the dry season. At the moment its pitch black though as its only 5.30 am. The water supply is off again same as yesterday early in the morning so havent been able to shower and shave yet. I am usually first up as people here sleep 9 hours a night as well as having a siesta which is a bit too much for me. We dont have any hot water so my shower is cold. I could have a heater fitted but I like a cold shower. The air temperature is warm anyway and after the intitial shock the shower is stimulating.

The monks in one of the temples sounded their great gong at 5am but for the moment it is quiet except for a cock crowing. Makes a change a friend of ours Aou just up the road is having a funeral for her husband who died two years ago in a motorcycle accident (a common occurance). She could have had this celebration at the time or one, two, three years later. His ghost will still be around anyway. Yesterday 50 to 60 ladies were preparing food at her house, mostly sticky rice with banana in banana leaves tied up in little bundles and cookedn but also a freshly slaughtered pig. A few men about drunk on Thai whisky.

It will last three days and they have blocked off the road with a Marquee (they always do this) and have huge speakers blasting out Issan music (not thai but local from the NE - Issan). I love the music but its quite clear from our bedroom and it only stopped at about 5 am. Before that people were singing Issan songs karaoke style into the early hours. In western terms the noise polution here is incredible with trucks going up and down the street all the time blasting out Issan music and advertising their wares, fruit, eggs, rice, furniture, clothing, childrens toys, icecream (tricycle) and my favourite roti, made with eggs butter and condensed milk - definitely adictive.

Tonight there will be more music and dancing with proessional musicians at the funeral and more eating and drinking. The more people eat the more merit for her and her husband and the more there will be for his ghost to eat. So everybody mucks in and makes food and eats and gets lots of merit. I think I need a lot of merit not to come back as a slug but never mind.
The ghosts are always with us here in rural Thailand. After a time even sceptical Farangs may start to believe.

Jeremy