Additional Photos - Isaan Go-Go Girls

Dancing At A Tambon Nong Roy Wan Party

 Eleven new photos have been added today to one of my more popular photo galleries, "Isaan Go-Go Girls"  My brother-in-law stages and performs in shows all over this area so I have a great many opportunities to photograph the action.  Best of all - I get backstage with no trouble at all.

These shows have a combination of old music - Mahlam Lao (Morlam Lao) and Mahlam Zing which is updated electrified music with dancers.  The motivation for haing these shows is quite varied - from raising money for the local Buddhist temple to celebrating good fortune at winning the lottery.

The new photos added today are from three separate shows - a local government employees retirement party, a Tambon Nong Roy Wan Party, and a House Warming Party.

I suspect most people are not familiar with a Tambon Nong Roy Wan Party - sometimes referred to as a "Bone Party".  Some of the best parties that I have attended have been these parties. Theoretically, 100 days after a person has been cremated, there is a big merit making celebration.  Part of the celebration is to make offerings to the local Monks and to the spirits.  The other part of the ritual is to a big party - plenty of food, too much drinking, and a big show of ethnic music complete with 1960s style Go-Go dancers.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/People/Isaan-Go-Go-Girls

House Warming Party Entertainment

Stopped In the Name of the Law

High School Students Perform Lao Traditional Dance

Thursday night, Duang and I drove out to Ban Nong Han to attend a big party where her brother was performing.

It turned out the the party was for the retirement of a long time public employee for the Sub-District.

My brother-in-law and his group were not the only entertainment for the evening.  We were pleasantly surprised to see the local high school troupe, Ban Chiang Witthaya School Silipin Tai Puan, that we enjoyed at a previous retirement party in Udonthani on 13 Sept were also performing.

High School Cultural Band Performing

The high school students play traditional music using traditional instruments and perform traditional Lao dances while wearing traditional costumes.  Apparently the troupe helps to support itself by hiring out for private functions.  It is good to see that the unique aspects of Lao Loum culture are maintained and celebrated by the younger generations.

We arrived at the party location at 6:30 P.M., in time to see the entire performance of the Ban Chiang Witthaya School.

There were quite a few presentations and speeches before Duang's brother got to perform.  I was confused as to what was going on in regards to the retirement festivities.  I had a pretty good understanding of the man who had retired.  After people made a speech about him, he was presented with an envelope or a colorful wrapped box.  He then presented the envelope or box to the person who had just finished speaking. That confused me.  I asked Duang about it and she said the man who was retiring gave the gift to the person who had talked nice about him.  It seems that in honor of the person who is retiring, people bought a gift for the retiree to give to the big bosses.  Hmmm ... I wonder if many of my liberal progressive friends would approve of such a means of wealth redistribution or what their comments would be.  The retire did receive some gifts and actually got to keep them.  I was telling Duang that in America when people retire they get to keep all the gifts.  But then again in America, the bride and her pay for the vast majority of the wedding rather than here in Thailand where the groom pays for the wedding and the bride's family spend it.

Duang's brother'st was his typical great show.  In addition to Lon and the band, there were four dancers, a male performer and a female performer.  Two of the dancers I recognized from a previous show last year. One of them apparently remembered me, too.  When she saw me photographing her, she did a couple of her dance moves that I had appreciated so much last year.

One year later, still kicking and thrusting to the music

The people at the party were very friendly which was not all that surprising.  The Lao Loum people are very friendly and hospitable.  I was offered alcoholic drinks several times.  Each time, I thanked the person and explained to them in Thai and gestures that I do not drink beer or whiskey when I am driving because I am afraid of the police.  One man had some difficulty understanding and I had to explain to him three times.  It was not that I could not explain it properly or clearly - he was just so loaded that he could not understand why any one would refuse a free drink.  The others who heard and understood me, seemed to think that I was a little paranoid.

We left the party at 11:00 P.M. to return to our home roughly 30 minutes to the west.  As we drove along Highway 22, a four lane divided thoroughfare that links Udonthani to Sakon Nakhon, Duang remarked about how few cars were on the road.  It was a fairly easy drive back to Udonthani if I don't dwell on the man stopped on his bicycle on the left side of the lane I was driving in rather than in the breakdown lane. Fortunately he was wearing light colored pants that I saw just as I came upon him.  Duang did not see him until I passed him.  I am also not dwelling on the broken down motorbike on the left side of the lane that we were in.  In was a good night in that, on the way home, there were no vehicles driving the wrong way or motorbikes passing us on the wrong side or on both sides simultaneously.

About 1 km (1/2 mile) from our home where the Ring Road 216 intersects with the main road to Bangkok, Highway 2, we came upon a scene up ahead.  Duang who does not drive at night did not understand what it was. I, perhaps because I am paranoid, knew exactly what we were headed for - A police DUI checkpoint.

Being a child of the 1950s, we used to play cops and robbers with the highlight of our play being the "cops" yelling "Stop in the name of the law ... or I will shoot"  I don't ever want to get into that type of predicament here in Thailand or even back in the USA.  I always err on the side of caution and slow down and become prepared to pull over and stop. Often it is confusing because the Thai Police are often not that demonstrative or assertive with their hand or flashlight signals as to what their intentions for me are.

Thursday night there was no confusion.  There were two check stations in the road that had been narrowed down to a single lane at a point where there was no opportunity for a u-turn or any other turn to avoid the check point.  The car in front was flagged over to the first and I was flagged into the second.  I rolled down my window as one of the two policemen approached the truck. When he saw me he was surprised and said "Oh, falang." (Oh a foreigner).  I don't believe there was any ill intent in his remark.  I suspect it was more along the lines of "Oh a foreigner, this could get difficult if he is drunk"  He then said "Alcohol" and pointed a flashlight shaped device at me.  I had to blow at the device.  In about 5 seconds there was a beep and the policeman said "Varry gud"  I told him in Thai that "No problem.  I do not drink beer or whiskey.  I am afraid of the police.  Police love falang too much.  200 baht, 300 baht".  "200 baht, 300 baht" ($6+, $5 USD) refers to a practice where foreigners get stopped for "speeding", driving in the right hand lane rather the left hand lane other than passing, or some other minor infraction or perceived infraction but the foreigner can pay a 200 or 300 baht "fine" on the spot and continue on their way.  In six years it has happened to me four times but not in the past two years.  The policeman started laughing and wished us a good night and sent us on our way.  I have no complaints - the police were doing their job politely and respectfully along with a sense of humor.

If you flunk the alcohol on your breadth test, you are given a formal breathalyzer test on the spot.  If the tests or tests confirm that you are driving impaired, you will spend the night in jail, go to court the next morning and pay a fine depending how badly you failed the breathalyzer test.  The typical punishment is around 10,000 baht fine ($330 USD), perform 30 hours community service, and have your car confiscated for 6 months. This may seem rather lenient, but I still would not to spend a night in any Thai jail.  There is also a kicker - if you are caught a second time, any where in Thailand, you will go to jail for 6 months.

You might avoid the breathalyzer tests by paying a negotiated "fine", but once the breathalyzer test(s) are administered, everything is documented and recorded with extremely unlikely chance to avoid the justice system.

Duang and I returned home smiling and laughing about our experience.  I was reminded of an old saying from the 60s "Just because your paranoid doesn't mean you are not right"  Yes I may have been overly paranoid, but the other night it was wonderful approaching a checkpoint with complete confidence and without any panic.

I am a guest in Thailand, allowed to stay in the country for one year at which time I have to apply for a years extension.  I enjoy my life here too much to complicate or risk it by doing something that is illegal and even worse doing something wrong which I have complete control over.

A Rare Day

Dancers Make Final Adjustments Prior to Climbing On Stage

Yesterday was a rare day for my wife and me.  We attended one of my brother-in-law's Morlam Shows.  That in itself is not so rare in that we attend most of his shows.  This show was held during the day while most of his shows are held at night typically starting at 9:00 P.M..  This show being in the daytime did not make for our rare day.  We attended the entire show which is a rare occurrence for us.  We never stay for the entire show at night for two main reasons.

The first reason that we do not stay for the entire show at night is that the shows are 6 to 7 hours long!  The show does not end until 3:00 or 4:00 A.M.  It was not all that long ago that I would party in Brasil or Vietnam until 6:00 A.M. or 7:00 A.M. but I was not driving then either.  Here in Thailand you can run into unannounced night roadblocks where all drivers have to blow into a device for alcohol.  I do not want to complicate my stay here by getting a DUI either rightfully or wrongfully.  In my opinion it is easier and best to just avoid the entire situation.

The second reason that we never stay for an entire show is that we leave when the fights start.  For a night show the fights typically start about three hours into the show.

Yesterday was rare in that there were no fights.  The show was conducted on the grounds of a neighborhood Wat northwest of Udonthani.  The Wat was having its annual festival and my brother-in-law was hired to put on the official entertainment.  I use the term "official entertainment" because the entire event is entertaining at least to me.  With it being daylight and my decision to not drink, there was very little that went on that I did not observe - and it was all very entertaining,

The purpose of the festival is to raise money for the Wat and I also suspect for the people to have some fun. Perhaps even an effort to build or to maintain a sense of community for the villagers and other local communities.  The head Monk of the Wat spoke with the village Headman and the Headman collected 100 baht from each household to help pay for the Mohlam show. Mohlam?  Yes and it is also spelled as  Yes, that is a problem in Thailand of anglecizing Thai words; there are many different English spellings for the same Thai word.   Several different spellings for the same type of ethnic music is not all that big of deal if you are not obsessed with "proper" spelling.  However different spellings can be a serious problem and definite source of frustration in reading street signs and maps.

Inside the Bot, Villagers Offer A "Money Tree" to the Monks

We arrived at the Wat around 10:00 A.M.  A small group of people were marching around the Bot, worship hall, carrying "money trees". We all know that money does not grow on trees, perhaps it grows on a certain weed, but not on trees.  But in Thailand money is placed on trees as offerings to the Monks.  Typically the "tree" is a banana stalk that has holes poked into it. Pieces of split bamboo are stuck into the holes.  Each "branch" of split bamboo has a baht note in between the two pieces of the bamboo.  Sometimes a tree is fashioned out of rice straw.  Banknote offerings are placed on the trees and after a procession the festooned trees are brought to the Bot to be offered to the Monks as part of a merit making ritual.

Villager Offers Money Tree to Monk

Monks Performing Merit Making Ritual

The show started around 11:00 A.M.  I was pleased to see a familiar face, the khene player that I had photographed in Si That last month.  Since it was a day show, he had brought his wife and young daughter. The dancers that my brother-in-law had hired for the day were new people.  My brother-in-law lives on a small street in the center of Udonthani, a street populated by singers, dancers, and musicians.  When my brother-in-law has been booked for a show, he, sort of like in a pick up game of basketball, contacts the people that he knows to put the show together.  If they are unavailable, they most certainly know others who are available for the performance.  He contracts with specialty companies for the scaffolding, stage, sound system, and sometimes, the band.

The Khene Player Backstage

As always, I had access backstage of the show.  Backstage is far from glamorous.  Backstage is a series of woven reed mats placed upon the rough ground.  The performers apply their make-up, eat their provided meal, and change their costumes upon these mats amongst the the scaffolding bents that support the stage, lighting, and large speakers.  A large tarp is strung between scaffolding and other objects to restrict access to the area.  The roadies during the show rest in hammocks strong in or beneath the large truck that carries the gear.

The performers change their costumes underneath large pieces of cloth that they wrap around themselves.  As provocative as their dance movements, song lyrics, and dialogue on stage are, the performers are very modest.  At a vast majority of the shows, the dancers wear a beige leotard, pantyhose, and either panties or short shorts underneath their dance costumes.

Prior to the start of the show offerings are made to the spirits backstage.  Prior to climbing up to the stage for their first dance, the dancers kneel and offer their respect to the spirits.

Lead Female Performer Sings Backstage Prior to Her Grand Entrance

There is also another ritual to these shows that I find fascinating   For their first song of the show, the singer will sing the song hidden from the sight of the audience - sort of setting the stage for a grand entrance.  After completing about 3/4 of the song, the singer will climb the stairs up to the stage to the applause of the crowd.  It is all great theater and quite entertaining.

One of Many Policemen In Attendance Yesterday

Yesterday there was a large contingent of Police on hand along with a large "paddy wagon" conspicuously placed for everyone to see.  Surprisingly there were no fights for the entire day.  It was not because people were on their best behavior or that they were not drunk.  As always is the case at these shows, there was a great deal of drinking at the festival.  People were constantly drinking beer, whiskey and Lao Lao (moonshine type whiskey).  As the day wore on the people became more and more vocal as well as demonstrative of their good feelings for each other. here in Isaan it is common to see people hugging each other and trying to help each other walk as they get drunker and drunker. It is in these situations that the fights typically break out.

Besides the rare occurrence of watching the entire show and not witnessing any fights, yesterday also had a rare occurrence  it rained.  It actually rained for about two and one-half hours - very rare for March.  It was not a heavy rain.  It was more like a heavy drizzle.  It was enough to stop the live performance for one-half hour while people grabbed a pavilion from elsewhere on the Wat grounds and install it over the stage to shelter the performers and musicians.  The pause did not affect the audience in the least.  They kept dancing to the prerecorded music that was blared over the sound system.

One of the dangers at these events, is people throwing empty bottles during fights.  Yesterday there was a system in place to minimize that risk.  A man and his son spent the day wandering around collecting the empty bottles.  Well the boy spent the day collecting the bottles while his father split his time between collecting bottles, dancing, and emptying some bottles.

The boy was around 10 years old and rather rare for a Thai child - obese.  He resembled the television character "Pugsley Adams" form the 1960s series The Adams Family. I suspect that one reason that he is over weight is attributable to the way that he collects the bottles.  He gathers the bottles in a white plastic bag  and brings them to his father's somlaw (three wheeled motorcycle with attached wagon).  He would then inspect every bottle.  When he found a bottle that still had a little liquid in it, he carefully poured the contents into a large plastic cup.  He would then stir the contents of the cup with great gusto and gleefully drink his cocktail of beer, whiskey, and Lao Lao. He then would set about to find some more bottles, often dancing a little jig along his way.

Like all the shows that we attend, there were people of all ages there.  The children seem to especially enjoy these events.  They wander about eating ice cream, fruit, and other foods.  They also exert some independence by exploring the venue albeit still under the watchful eyes of their family. They make friends with other children and end up playing with balloons and other toys that are sold by vendors at the event.

As the afternoon wore on, the audience became more and more entertaining.  One man was dancing with his shirt off.  He used his shirt pretty much like a majorette uses a twirling baton - twirling it around in the air above his head, passing it from one hand to the other hand between his legs and the piece de resistance - throwing it high up into the air and catching it with one hand.  It was very entertaining for my wife and me.  I believe that it was very embarrassing for his family or friend.  Another man. not much more sober, attempted to remove the dancing majorette.  After about 10 minutes of struggling and stumbling, he finally succeeded in removing the dancing majorette.  Both of the men were not seen again.

This by no means ended the off stage entertainment.  The lady boys who had been drinking all day long along with their female friends were putting on quite a dancing demonstration.  By this time the onstage performance had reached a fevered pitch - one song after another song with no interruption   The go-go girls danced for at least an hour and one-half without interruption   Their pelvic thrusts along with the animated movements of the khene player only seemed to whip up energy and mania of the audience more.  It was truly amazing. The cool weather and moisture in the air did nothing to dampen anyone's spirits.  From our sheltered position underneath the head Monk's cabin, Duang and I had a great viewing vantage.

I did not drink any alcohol - not that I do every time that I go out or especially when I am not driving.  It just wasn't proper for me yesterday.  The head Monk and I had hit it off.  He brought me a container of soy milk for me to drink earlier in the day.  When it started to rain, he invited us to sit on his porch. Later he brought me a large bottle of orange Fanta to drink.  Still later, he brought me a large bottle of Coke, ice, and drinking water.  He was very friendly and I felt very bad that I could not understand most of what he was saying.  I kept trying to get Duang to translate but it was very difficult for her- logistically.  Monks are a higher status than other Buddhist people and are always to be at a higher level than the common people.  The Monk insisted that I sit next to him on the bench.  As a devout Buddhist, Duang could not bring herself to sit next to me to translate or to stand next to me. Sitting on the floor at our feet was not a very good option because of the sounds of the show made it very difficult for her to hear what we were saying.  It was also difficult for her to find a spot to sit on the floor because of the children that I had invited up to share the Coke with.  For many children, a soft drink is a rare treat.  No matter the case, we managed to show our appreciation and give thanks to the Monk for his kindness as well as to answer many of his questions.

The show concluded at 5:00 P.M. and after paying off his performers, my brother-in-law joined us for the trip back to Udonthani.

Although it had been a rare day in the sense of seeing an entire show without any fights on a rainy March day, our day had been no more interesting than any other day here in Isaan. Without a job now, our priorities remain the same everyday - to enjoy ourselves.

New Photographs Posted - Isaan Go-Go Girls

Dancers Putting On Their Dancing Boots Backstage

Nineteen recent photographs have been added to my gallery of Go-Go Dancers on my photography website. Click on the link below to view the entire gallery.

Isaan-Go-Go-Girls

The Beat of a Different Drum

Two nights ago, we attended a a traditional Mahlam Lao show in Nongdaeng Village located here in Isaan, the Northeast of Thailand.  The show which started at 21:00 would run until 03:00 or 04:00 - that it is the way it is here in the Lao Loum culture.  The people work hard and when they decide to party, it is an all out, no holds barred event.  I experienced the same spirit the two times that I lived and worked in Brasil.

The show was part of the merit making event to mark the death of one one Duang's relatives some twenty years ago.  In the Lao Loum culture here in Isaan, there is a merit making ritual after a person has been cremated.  This ritual which can and is often viewed as a party is typically about one year after the cremation but the real determining factor is when the family is capable of paying for the event.

The event is very much like the celebrations for a son becoming a Monk, or a couple getting married.  Canopies are erected in the front yard or if the front yard is not large enough - in the street in front of the family home.  Round tables and plastic chairs are set up beneath the canopies at which guests can eat and drink.  Underneath one of the canopies accommodations are made for the visit from the Monks - do to their status, Monks are seated at a higher level than the laypeople.  This most typically accomplished by erecting an elevated wood platform reserved for the Monks.  The platform in covered in cloth and sahts (woven reed mats).  Small squares of higher value fabrics or decorated textiles designate the area for each Monk to sit.

Sometimes if a special merit making service is to be conducted, such as a sermon, or what I refer to as a "morality play", the participating Monks are seated in an ornate gold colored raised throne like chair where they can sit with their legs crossed.

Off to the side and in back of the home there are canopies for preparing and cooking food for all the guests. People typically arrive around 08:00 and will stay until 20:00 or even much later if there is a show associated with the celebration.  For the entire time, people are eating and drinking.  Each table, at a minimum, typically has a 1.5 liter bottle of Coke, 1.5 liter bottle of Sprite, a couple bottles of drinking water, a couple bottles of Leo Beer, and perhaps a bottle of whiskey with "Lao Lao" being the type of choice.  Young girls ensure that there is plenty of ice at each table for the soft drinks, and beer.  People here drink their beer "on the rocks" and their whiskey "neat" or "straight up".  Empty bottles are quickly replaced.

As new guests arrive, they are quickly ushered to a table to be start eating and drinking.  The food is ethnic cuisine and typical consists of 7 or 8 dishes or rather different items.  There is a difference between "dishes" and 'items"  many of the foods are eaten with the hand so there may not be an individual dish for each guest. The guests will make a small ball of sticky rice in their hand and dip the ball in a common bowl of whatever at the center of the table.  Often soups are consumed from a common bowl at the table with each guest having their own spoon.

The celebration that we attended on the 12th was a grand event.   After the day events we returned to our home to freshen up and get some rest for the night's activities.  We returned for the night show.

The night show was a more traditional Lao music event.  The music was based upon the ubiquitous Lao musical instrument, the khene.  The singing was a sort of Lao rap except that for the most part there were no set lyrics.  The performer made up or rather adlibbed the words to suit the occasion or moment.  The singing style is also long and drawn out with a great deal of warbling as well as tonal range - again very Lao.

Besides the khene, the music is performed by conga type drums, and cymbals.  This is the accompaniment that you would find in traditional Lao villages.  In a concession to evolving times and mores, the group also had a couple of electric guitars, keyboard, and drum set for some of their songs. There were also four go-go dancers.

I was most impressed by the traditional drummer playing the two conga style drummers.  He was a show  unto himself.  I almost took as many pictures of him as I did of the go-go dancers.

The drummer had a distinctive face.  His age and face reflected a life of many experiences and I suspect more than a few adventures.  He performed on the drums with a zest and confidence that a lifetime of experience allows - confidence, uniqueness, and individuality.

I have written most recently twice about little "Eat" from Tahsang Village marching to the beat of a different drummer.  I had also mentioned that as a person who has marched and sometimes danced to the beat of a different drum, I had appreciation for little "Eat".  Well at the night show I found a man who marched, danced, and even played a beat to a different drum.  What could be better than that?  Imagine being comfortable and confident enough to march and dance enthusiastically to your beat on your own drum.  That truly must be a component of being "free".

Kissing the Drums In Appreciation

The drummer danced around his drums playing them with his hand and striking their sides with a drum stick.  The drums bore the scars of many a performance.

Playing the Drum With His Forehead

As part of his performance the drummer also would strike the drums with his forehead.  At other times he would "dry hump" his drums.

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He would also, on occasion, direct a pelvic thrust towards one of go-go dancers, perhaps all four of them.

Mahlam Lao shows are akin to vaudeville shows - singing, dancing, stand up comedy, music, and always a definite bawdy element.  Many of the jokes at best are double entendre and many times risque.  Many of the lyrics song between the male and female singers have to do with things of a sexual nature.  Sometimes the  female singer will try to grab the male singer by his genitals but seems to always not to succeed much to the delight of the crowd.  The male will sing about what he would like to do and can do to the female singer.  He will sometimes bend down to try to get a better glimpse of her but she always manages to foil his efforts - again the amusement of the crowd.  The antics are never obscene and often remind me of how close friends and family after a few drinks might joke and tease each other.

The Audience Loving the Show

The drummer was demonstrating his freedom to be himself.  It was comforting as well as reassuring to me to see that such diversity in culture still exists and to know that in areas such as Isaan are thriving.

There seems to be pressure in these modern times to develop a more homogeneous mankind perhaps in the belief that the more people are alike, the less conflict there will be. That scares me for it is the diversity of mankind and especially their culture that adds to the richness of living - for everyone.

There is no one culture that has the optimal solutions or even answers for all peoples.

There is no culture, let alone any society, that can best meet the needs and wishes of all peoples.

Seeing the drummer the other night - marching, dancing, and playing to the different beat of his own drum, gave me optimism that we hopefully will never get to "One World"

In "Allen's World" I am free to be me but even more importantly, you are free to be you.

Phi Ta Khon Festival - 12 June 2010 Day 1

Saturday, 12 June, was the first day of this year's Phi Ta Khon festival in the Dansai District of Loei Province located in the Isaan region of Thailand. The start of the festival was scheduled to start at 3:00 A.M. The invocation of Phra Up-pa-kud commenced at 3:00 A.M. Phra Up-pa-kud was a monk with supernatural powers. After achieving eternal life, he was given the power to assume any form, physical or spiritual, that he wanted to be. He decided to transform himself into white marble and to live in the Mun River which flows through Dansai. The villagers believe that because of his powers, only Phra Up-pa-kud can protect them and their town from evil spirits. The villagers walk from Wat Pon Chai to a ceremonial location on the bank of the Mun River. A ritual is conducted by spiritual leader of the people, Jao Por Guan, to consecrate white pebbles that had been collected from the river bottom. They then have a procession back to Wat Phon Chai where the villagers circle around the temple three times. A special ritual is then performed at the Wat.

I had considered attending these commencement rituals and mentioned it to my wife. Duang was less than enthusiastic about witnessing these ceremonies at 3:00 A.M. Despite her lack of enthusiasm, I managed to wake up at 2:00 A.M. without the use of an alarm clock. I considered leaving to watch the ceremony but decided not to - I did not want to go alone and rationalized not attending by convincing myself that the lack of lighting would make photography impractical if not impossible. However when I re awoke at 6:00 A.M. I departed for town alone to witness the merit making of villagers - making offerings of food to the Monks. I informed Duang that I would be back to the hotel by 7:00 A.M. When I returned, she was ready for the start of our day at the festival.

We drove into town and parked out truck about 8:00 A.M. across Jao Por Guan's house. Jao Por Guan is the shaman, spiritual leader of the villagers as well as a spirit medium. Large loudspeakers were erected in scaffold towers built in the street in front of his home. Mahlam Lao music blasted from the speakers. Many people congregated outside of his home with many of the people sitting on concrete benches placed around the stairway leading up into his home. The elderly villagers were dressed in white with white cloths draped over their shoulders. Around 8:30 A.M. the people walked up the stairs and entered into Jao Por Guan's home. According to the schedule of events there was going to be a "Ceremony to give blessings to Jao Por Guan and Jao Mae Nangtiam. Jao Mae Nangtiam is Dansai's female spiritual leader as well as a spirit medium. I do not know if she is Jao Por Guan's wife.


Duang and I climbed up the stairs and found ourselves in a large room very similar to the Bot of a Buddhist temple. In the center of the room on the floor we saw a very familiar sight - Pahn Sii Khwan, a banana leaf and floral centerpiece used as a sort of altar for the Baii Sii ritual. A Braham conducted the Baii Sii ritual in front of the Jao Por Guan and Jao Mae Nangtiam. At the conclusion of the ritual people went up to the Jao Por Guan on their knees to tie cotton string around his wrists. A man on each side of the Jao Por Guan supported his arms parallel to the floor for the lengthy time required for everyone to tie a string around his wrist. Duang and I each tied a string around his wrist to wish him good luck and good fortune. I believe that our act also earned us good luck as well as fortune.


Once the string tying was completed, women brought out elevated serving trays, typical of Lao culture, upon which plates of food were placed. People broke up into small groups to eat. Since silence is not required during these rituals, and the friendly nature of the people in Isaan, by this time Duang and I had made acquaintances with several of the villagers. We were invited to join them in dining as well as drinking. A man went around and passed out what appeared to be plastic bottles of drinking water. The bottles did not contain water but were filled with "Lao Kao", rice whiskey. This was not the moonshine that I have written about which is called "Lao Kao" after the brand that is most widely sold and consumed in Isaan. This alcohol beverage was more akin to "Lao Hai" or rice wine that we have enjoyed in Laos as well as in a refugee camp on the Thailand/Burma border. However this brew was far superior - there were no pieces of rice or chaff to strain through your teeth as you drank. Several glasses were passed to us by various villagers to wish us luck and good fortune. One of the men that I had been communicating with had made the brew. I complimented him on his skill and craftsmanship. One of the women gave Duang a full bottle for our enjoyment. After dining and drinking was completed the villagers went outside to form up for the procession down the town's main road to the Wat.

Outside the home, the musical director of the local schools was organizing the ban of his students to provide the Mahlam Lao music for the procession. We had met him the previous afternoon at the Wat during our visit. The band was composed of students playing traditional Lao instruments and drums. Their music was amplified using a portable generator and amp mounted on a pushcart. The music which is very animated and infectious added to the festive atmosphere along with the Lao Kao. There was a very high degree of energy and merriment in the congregated people.

Only now that I have been back home and performed some additional research on the festival do I realize the significance and privilege of this start of the festival. I had noticed that the vast majority of the people were elderly. It turns out that they were. We had participated in the ritual along with the Jao Por Guan, male spiritual leader and medium, Jao Mae Nangtiam, female spiritual leader and medium, the Saen, a group of male mediums, and the Nang Taeng a group of four female servants.

Next door to the Jao Por Guan's home young men were getting dressed into their Phi Ta Khon lek costumes. Policemen were in position to stop traffic. The hypnotic beating of drums and clanging of cymbals permeated the air. After awhile the procession was organized and set forth to the Wat.


Once at the Wat the procession mounted the main stairway to the grounds where the temple is located. The procession circumambulated the Wat three times with the Jao Por Guan leading the way followed by the Saen, villagers, and Phi.

Alongside of the temple buildings, children were playing traditional games. One game involved boys spinning heavy wooden tops. About three tops were violently set spinning with a very forceful thrusting motion. The other boys than threw tops at the spinning tops to stop their spinning. It was amazing how accurate the boys were with their throws at the spinning tops.

Other children were walking around on stilts made out of bamboo. The announcer talked about me trying out my skill, or rather luck, on the thin bamboo stilts. I pantomimed that my weight would break the stilts and then showed him the much sturdier columns supporting the roof of the first aid station and indicated that I need stilts made out of them. We all had a good laugh and in the relaxed atmosphere I was able to get some good photographs of people enjoying themselves.

Well most people were enjoying themselves. One little boy around 14 months old, was very scared of the ghosts and spirits. He stood and cried when they came around. I also saw another boy who was shot in the groin by one of his friends shooting hard seeds out of pop guns made from bamboo. He looked like he had had better times before. It was very hot, 95-100 F, so the vendors selling ice cool drinks were doing a great business. Due to the oppressive heat and unrelenting sun, Duang and I returned to the comfort of our hotel room around 2:00 P.M. After a nice dinner, we returned to town for the evening show scheduled for 7:00 P.M.

We had learned of the evening show from the Musical Director. Five schools were putting on a show of music, singing, and dancing. The show was held on the stage at the lower level of the temple grounds. Without exaggerating in the least I believe that Duang and I were the only non-relatives or school staff watching the show. In total there were about 50 people watching the show. This was such a shame because the children put on a fantastic two hour show. Duang and I spent two hours continuously smiling over the children's efforts. My favorite moment of many memorable moments, was a group of school children dressed up as Phi (ghosts). Their costumes were made out of strips of thin plastic milk carton advertising. I believe that the children were about 5 or 6 years old. They danced to THE party song or perhaps it could be considered the Isaan anthem "Tee Hoy". "Tee Hoy" has a driving beat and double entendre lyrics that captures the spirit of the Lao Loum people - think in terms of "Dixie" for the South or "Joli Blond" for the Cajuns of Louisiana. It is a song that when it starts up you just want to start dancing. Of course you have to dance to it in the Isaan style - a sort of country stomp which the little tykes captured perfectly.

The show was over at 9:00 P.M. and we made sure that our appreciation as well as compliments for such an entertaining evening were conveyed to the Musical Director and school officials. The children had done a wonderful job and it was gratifying to us to see that they are learning about their culture. At all the events that we have attended in Isaan, be it shows, weddings, funerals, and festivals we witnessed the children developing an awareness as well as an appreciation for their heritage and culture.

New Photographs Added - "Isaan Go-Go Girls"

Thirty-three new photographs from the Song Poo Day celebration have been added to the gallery "Isaan Go-Go Girls"

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/People/Isaan-Go-Go-Girls/8185157_q4YxR#826377375_BYvud

New Photos Added to Gallery, "Isaan Go-Go Girls"

New photos from this weekend's Mahlam Lao Show in Ban Non Makha have been added to my gallery, "Isaan Go-Go Girls"

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/People/Isaan-Go-Go-Girls/8185157_q4YxR#534645833_s5QuD

In addition prices for all prints, larger than 4"x6", have been significantly reduced

New Photos Added - Isaan Go-Go Girls

Some new photographs have been added to one of the galleries, "Isaan Go-Go Girls", located on my photography website

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/People/Isaan-Go-Go-Girls/8185157_q4YxR#534645833_s5QuD

Go-Go Girls At The Door to The Water Underworld

It has been over a week since my last blog, but it is not because we have not been doing anything. To the contrary we have been very busy. I have completed reviewing approximately 2,000 35mm slides from the past 32 years. I ended up with 57 packets of 35 slides with identification labels attached. After boxing them up, we were off to the Post Office to ship them to the USA where they will be sent to India for digital scanning.

Saturday we set aside everything and went to a show put on by Duang's brother.

Her youngest brother continues the family tradition of performing. Duang's father is a former mahlam morlam (Lao traditional music). His youngest child puts on and performs in the modern versions of the shows. The shows are popular throughout Isaan. Performances are presented for religious holidays, weddings, festivals, anniversaries of a death, Monk ordination celebrations celebrations, and sometimes - to just have a party. Often as you travel the roads of Isaan you will pass trucks loaded with staging, sound equipment, musicians, and dancers traveling to or from a performance. Often in the middle of no where, you will stumble upon a show venue. The shows are put on in the morning, afternoon, and nights - sometimes all night long.

The shows are typically comprised of a live band. For big shows such as Siriporn Amphaipong the band has 16 musicians. Duang's brother's band runs 6 to 8 members. In addition to the lead performer there are other singers. Duang's brother typically has 3 to 4 other singers whereas big shows can have up to 8 other singers. The shows always have dancers. At one Siriporn Amphaipong concert that we attended, I counted 56 dancers - male and female. Duang's brother has 3 to 4 female Go-Go dancers. His show's complement depends on how much money that he gets paid for the show. More money gets more performers and more musicians. Typically a show will last 6 to 8 hours. Most of the time the shows are free. When we attend the big Siriporn Amphaipong productions, it costs around $3.00 USD for the 6 hour show.

In downtown Udonthani, there is a street alongside Wat Matchimiwat there is a street where many Mahlam Morlam performers live. They live in very narrow and small tin roofed buildings with large advertising banners for their shows over the doorways or utilized to provide additional weatherproofing to the structure. The entire front of their home opens up to the sidewalk when the sliding doors are opened. The residents can always be found sitting at concrete tables and chairs that are set on the sidewalk. There is a very strong sense of community amongst the residents of this street.

Saturday's show was scheduled to start at 10:00 A. M. at Wat Kham Chanot about 2-1/2 hours from Udonthani, so we arrived at the performer's street at 6:15 A. M. As we sat outside on one of the concrete benches, people were just getting up and starting the day. In addition to Duang's brother's show that morning there was another show to prepare for. Young girls, the Go-Go dancers came out of their houses and either set off to the local market to buy breakfast or to sit on the concrete benches to commence doing their hair.

Go-Go dancers in Thailand wear elaborate hairdos. The hairstyle, like their dance moves, are very reminiscent of the late 1960's. Typically hair pieces are worn that provide long tresses down the dancer's back and a large bun of curls on the top of their hair. A tiara is often used to accentuate the hair style.

Upon arrival at the show sight, the girls set their shopping bags of cosmetics and plastic boxes of costumes in the sheltered area behind the stage that the roadies had set up earlier. After placing sahts, the ubiquitous woven reed mats, on the ground the dancers commenced the laborious task of applying their make-up. Like the singers in the luuk thung shows, the dancers wear heavy makeup. The eyes get very special treatment - many different layers of powders, liners, and outrageously long eyelashes.




I sat down and just photographed the girls as they prepared for their performance. It was not long before we were joined by some young children. Two young girls stood by intently observing the go-go girls applying their make-up. Their attentive demeanor was much like any young girl watching a bride to be applying her make-up on her big day. These young girls were perhaps dreaming of the day when they will be watched as they apply their make-up before a show. This is a reality of Isaan. To escape the grips of poverty and limited opportunities in the region, many young women enter into the entertainment field. The villages of Isaan are continuously supplying fresh young dancers and entertainers to local shows as well as to the tourist centric establishments in the bigger cities.


In a previous blog I noted that people working in the garlic fields make 100 baht a day ($2.85 USD). The 18 and 19 year old dancers that work for Duang's brother are paid 500 baht for a 6 to 8 hour show. In addition the dancers are often given tips from people watching the show. Spectators often walk up to the edge of the stage to hand a singer or dancer a gift in appreciation of their performance. Gifts are often 20 or 100 baht bank notes but sometimes are fresh flowers or paper chain necklaces like we used to make in elementary school to decorate Christmas trees. The exchange and acknowledgement of the gifts is a significant as well as important component of the performance. Tips from a show can run from an additional 200 to 1,000 baht for a dancer depending upon the venue.


Saturday's show was at a Wat Kham Chanot out in the middle of no where. This Wat is an important place for the local people. It is located in an area known as "Wang Nakhin" - (Naga Place). Nagas are water serpent creatures that have mystical powers. In ancient times the worship of naga spirits was practised in China, India, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. The belief if not worship of these spirits remains today in many areas - in particular Laos and Isaan. There is a shrine located on an island out in the middle of the rice paddies that is reached by walking along an elevated zig zag concrete elevated bridge. At the head of the bridge leading out to the island are two naga heads. Their bodies lie atop the railings of the bridge out to the island. The shrine is built on an island where the local vegetation has remained untouched. Huge palm trees and all kinds of tropical plants flourish at the site. The name of the site "Kham Chanot" is derived from the tall chanot palm trees that grow unencumbered on the island. There is a large elevated pool of water at one side of the site. People walk up to the side of the pool to collect its waters in plastic bottles or to sprinkle the water over their head while reciting some prayers. I was told that this was very special water because it was very old and came out of the center of the Earth. This mystical and spiritual site is considered to be the door way to the water underworld of the naga. Outside of the shrine there were three gongs varying in diameter from 6 feet to 2.5 feet. The gongs were made out of thin metal and had a round protrusion pressed out in the center and smaller bumps pressed out of the disk closer to the edge. I have seen these before and I have actually rung them using a mallet placed near them. However Saturday was different. After kneeling before the gongs, saying a prayer or two, the worshipper placed their hands inside the hollowed out protrusion and vigorously rub their hands back and forth. For most of the people, and for some unexplained reason - all the children, the gong would start to vibrate and give off a loud as well as an un-earthly hum. Apparently this facilitates the prayers being heard by those who can do something about the requests.

On the land side of the Wat complex, a festival was being held. These festivals are very similar to the church bazaars held by the Catholic Church back east in America to raise money to support the Parrish. There were booths with local foods for sale. Other booths sold small fireworks. There were stalls where typical festival games such as breaking balloons with darts, shooting targets with air rifles, and throwing rings over bottles. There was a small merry go round for very small children as well as a large inflated slide. There were even two trampolines for children to jump on. I knew that I was not in America when I noticed not "Release of Liability" documents to signed by the parents, anyone spotting at the side of the trampolines, 3 to 5 children jumping on each trampoline, and no lawyers hovering around in eager anticipation of a negligence suit. The children had a great time just being children on a hot sunny day jumping and falling on a trampoline under the shade of a blue plastic tarp. Part of the joy I have in Thailand is due to the innocence of the children as well as the adults here. It is much like the America of my parent's childhoods that they told me about so many times. A place where people are free to be themselves and not preoccupied with the fears of not being politically correct or intimidated by the specter of capricious litigation. A place where you can stop and talk to babies without aggravating the parents. A place where taking photographs of strangers is accepted as an honor or compliment rather than as a perceived threat.

The festival at the Wat was several days long. As part of the celebration rockets were being launched. Saturday there were several rockets launched with a great roar and swoosh. Little boys perhaps in dreaming of or contemplating the future fired smaller bottle rocket type fireworks into the sky at the edge of the rice paddies.

The previous night a stage had been erected and a makeshift movie screen had been set up. A movie was shown for the enjoyment of the villagers and others. Others? The movie was apparently a comedy that the villagers enjoyed very much as well as the phii (ghosts) that showed up to watch. Apparently several ghosts had been observed watching and laughing along with the people. This area is well known amongst local people for having friendly and good phii.

Anyhow - back to the Go-Go girls.

The show started at roughly 10:00 A. M. The girls danced with a great deal of energy as well as enthusiasm - song after song after song. The music has a rapid driving beat and the dancers synchronize their movements to the music. Often strong drum beats are accentuated with large pelvic thrusts by the dancers. Other popular dance moves are leg kicks, flailing arm movements, and even squats. The routines are very similar to what American teenagers and Go-Go dancers were doing in the late 1960s. Can it really be 42 years ago? Despite the provocative dance movements, the dancers are actually rather modest. They wear a tight opaque short tee shirt over their bra and underneath the "brassiere" portion of their dance costume. Underneath their dancing skirt they wear pantyhose covered by black very short-shorts. More skin is seen at any beach in the USA than is seen on these Go-Go dancers. Of course more can be seen inside the clubs and bars of the bigger cities but that is an entirely different culture and venue. The modesty of the dancers includes their costume changes. There are no dressing rooms at the concert venues so the girls change costumes behind the stage. They put on a typical Isaan or Lao long skirt and pull it up to their arm pits and change inside the skirt.

The Go-Go girls danced outside the doorway to the naga waterworld from 10:00 A. M. until approximately 1:00 P. M. when the show took a 45 minute break to eat. The show and their dancing resumed from 1:45 P. M. until 4:00 P. M. in the glaring sun. The temperature was at least 90 degrees F or 95 degrees F all afternoon. The afternoon set was more energetic than the morning set. The catalyst was the audience. The audience was very energetic and animated in the afternoon. The performers fed off the crowd's energy. The catalyst for the audience was beer, and whiskey. By the afternoon after several hours of drinking, everyone was in a party mood. I was busy filming the show at my brother-in-law's request so my involvement in both the drinking and dancing was limited. Even so, by 3:30 P. M. I was sick - sick from the heat and sun.

The go-go dancers had danced approximately 4.5 hours during the 5-1/4 hour show but their day was far from over. They and the rest of the company had to drive 4 hours to the south in order put on another show starting at 9:00 P. M.. The night show would continue through the night and end around 7:00 A. M. The dancers would earn another 500 baht plus tips for the second show. We were invited to join them for the second show but I wasn't too proud to admit that I couldn't handle it. I needed to get home and recuperate from another memorable experience in Isaan.