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.