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