Songkran

In Isaan and the rest of Thailand preparations are being made to celebrate the Songkran Festival. Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to April 15 each year - a lot more and much less.

The Holiday is officially three days but because this is Thailand it often is more like 7 days than three days. In fact some areas celebrate it on slightly different days. In Pattaya, Songkran is typically celebrated on the 18th and 19th of April.

This blog will deal with the celebration for the closing of Songkran last year in Tahsang Village on 20th of April.

Songkran is Thailand's New Year's, Easter, and Mardi Gras rolled up into one. Like Christmas the religious aspects of the holiday have been overwhelmed as well as somewhat subverted by secular interests along with overt commercialization.

Songkran originally marks the beginning of the solar New Year - the sun moving into the Aries zodiac. It is at this time, in the middle of Thailand's hot season which also coincides with the end of the dry season, that Thais and other Southeast Asian peoples traditionally travel to their homes to visit as well as to pay their respects to their elders. In Isaan, with its young people scattered and working all across the country, additional time is apparently required for the people to get back home by train, bus, or most likely in the bed of pickup trucks. This ends up being quite a migration. Unfortunately it results in mayhem as well as blood on the roads. During the Songkran holiday over 500 people are killed in highway accidents - the local newspapers keep a running score against the originally government forecasted death toll. The causes of the accidents are the same as those in the USA for New Years or Memorial Day - speed (literally and figuratively), fatigue, alcohol and stupidity. Additional Police roadblocks and checkpoints are set up during the week in attempts to reduce the number of accidents.

This year we will be celebrating Songkran here in Udonthani just as we did last year. It will be one year since I retired and relocated to Isaan. The spirit of renewal as well as change remains strong.





Last year we went out to Duang's home village, Tahsang, for a celebration on April 20th. It was the celebration for the end of Songkran. For almost a week prior to the 20th we ran the gamut of water throwers as we drove along the roads. Songkran is a water festival. Originally young people demonstrated their respect for older people or people of higher social status by gently pouring scented water over their hands with sometimes water being sprinkled on their necks or faces. This besides being a show of respect helped to cool the people from the heat that often ranges from 95 to 100 F during the middle of April. The use of water at this time is also associated with the need and wishes for the return of the rains at the start of the rainy season.

In urban areas subject to many foreign tourists, the sprinkling of water has evolved into all out water warfare. Pickup trucks roam or rather clog streets with 55 gallon drums of water in their bed. The barrels are manned by people of all ages with pots, pans, bowls, squirt guns, and scoops that they toss the water onto other vehicles, pedestrians and motorcyclists. Just about everyone is fair game for a "shower" - including police! It can be a great deal of fun. It can also be annoying - the difference is "who" and "how".

Often you will encounter a charming Thai child whose parents will ask your permission first. The child will overcome their initial fear of a foreigner give you a wai (respectful greeting gesture) and sprinkle your hands or squirt you in the stomach with a little water. Difficult to get upset about that. And then there are other occasions. Occasions where you are confronted by drunken Westerners who forcibly throw water directly in your face.

Sometimes the revelers will place perfumed talc on your face as part of the Songkran ritual. This also has some religious apects in that Monks use a paste made out of chalk to make incantations on the roofs of cars to protect them.

My favorite Songkran was in Maehongson two years ago. We were in a car driving along steep and narrow roads in Hill Tribe village areas. We would end up on lonely stretches of road before coming to a settlement of perhaps 5 to 10 houses. There would be a roadblock typically manned by 3 to 10 small children. As you stopped the car or if you were unfortunate motorbike, they would pour or toss some water on the car. They were getting such a kick out of it that it was entertaining for us. I kept wondering how long they had patiently waited for another vehicle - we didn't see too many others on the road. I also thought of how little these little rascals had available to them for entertainment. At other times of the year, we often saw them working in the fields.

Since Thai New Year, Songkran is the start of renewal and the marking of change, people go to the Wats and bathe the Buddha statues with water. This earns the people merit and also reinforces their desires for the return of the rains which are required for planting the crops.

Homes are also cleaned at the start of Songkran along with burning old clothes. Making merit is also associated with Songkran. Making merit involves getting dressed in your best clothes and marching to the local Wat to pray, listen to a lecture from the Monk, offer food and gifts to the Monks.


We arrived to Tahsang Village early in the morning. People were in a festive mood which only increased as the day went on from drinking beer and local moonshine. The woman were busy setting up and organizing their food trays for the Monks. The children were busy being children - some of them setting off firecrackers. Some of the men were occupied setting up a large farm truck to be a mobile sound system. Other men were busy collecting donations to place on chunks of banana stalks - I refer to them as the "Money Tree".




Banana plant stalks about four feet long are cut and long and slender pieces of bamboo slivers. People place paper money in the split bamboo slivers to create a money tree. Once the food, sound system, money trees, children, rockets, and after some drinks, the village set off in a grand parade to the Wat. Lao Loum (Isaan) music blared from the big sound truck as we all danced to the Wat. It was quite a sight to see and hear - but typical of so many celebrations here in Isaan.





Many of the Wat's statues had been placed outside underneath a temporary shelter at one of the Wat's ruins. People of all ages prayed and respectfully poured water over the statues. As part of their prayer offerings, they lighted a yellow candle and burned three incense (Joss) sticks.

The food offerings were brought inside the Wat and presented. After some chanting as well as a lecture by the Monk, the people went outside and the Monks retired to eat their meal.

Chairs had been placed outside on the Wat grounds by volunteers. The elderly members of the community sat down in a long row of the chairs. Younger people as well as some children came forward and reverently sprinkled water on the elderly hands. The elderly people then gave their blessings and best wishes to the young people. It was very touching and more in line with the original traditions of Songkran.


Women then went back into the Wat to retrieve any leftover food from what was donated to the Monks. Monks are not allowed to cook or to store food so whatever they do not take for their two meals, is given to the people or Wat dogs. We ended up with a big picnic on the Wat grounds.

After eating, some activity started off to the side. On the Wat grounds overlooking the flood plain, young men were building a wood trellis - which actually turned out to be a rocket launch pad. Underneath trees and underneath the patio of a building where the Monks slept, other men (older men but not very wise) were busy assembling and fueling the rockets.

The rockets that I had seen in our parade were now being fitted out. They were pieces of blue PVC cylinders strapped to long pieces of bamboo. The men were busy filling them with gunpowder. I surmise that they were calming their nerves by smoking cigarettes as they worked at tamping the gunpowder into the rocket tube. The Monk was busy watching over the action and apparently many Monks are the repository of technical information regarding rockets. There are competitions during the rainy season between Wats with each Wat having their own secret recipe for rocket fuel.

Everything went well and their were no mishaps. All rockets were launched successfully several times and all fingers, toes, and eyes were accounted for at the end of the day. Again the firing of the rockets had religious connotations in that they are offerings to make the rains reappear.



It was a very pleasant day. A day that we hopefuly will enjoy once again upon our return from Maehongson.

Baby Business - More Days At The Hospital

A recent blog entry concerned itself with Udonthani General Hospital. Today's blog will be about Kumphawapi Hospital and will provide more insight into Thai life or more specifically - Isaan life.

Duang's daughter is 8+ months pregnant and is due to deliver in three weeks.

On Saturday she came into Udonthani to have an Ultra-Sound scan. Isaan is different than locations that I have lived in the USA. There are many private places throughout the city where you can go in and have a Ultra-Sound - unless it is a Saturday or Sunday!

Manchester United Football (Soccer) Team has a slogan "You will never walk alone". Their team paraphernalia is very popular over here including apparel with the team slogan. That slogan only needs to be slightly modified to describe life here in Isaan - "You will never be alone". Beside all of Duang's relatives (92 cousins), there is a very strong sense of community in Isaan. These two factors create an atmosphere that is unlike any I have experienced elsewhere.

Duang's daughter, her husband, Duang, Duang's son, his girlfriend, and I all piled into the pickup truck and headed into the city center in search of an Ultra-Sound Clinic. There seems to be an Ultra-Sound Clinic every 5 blocks in the city center. Unfortunately the clinics are not open on the weekend. The clinics have signs written in Thai - a sort of Sanskrit script rather than Roman script that English is written in. Often the signs will be written in green and at times will have a green cross to indicate medical related. As we drove around and around the city in our quest, I developed or thought that I had come to an understanding of what the writing for a clinic looked like. As we went along one street, I looked to the side and saw a clinic. I motioned Duang's son to pull up to the place. As we approached, we realized that the clinic was open, had ultra-sound scanning, but was a veterinary clinic. We all had a good laugh - well everyone except for Duang's daughter. Late term pregnant women don't have the greatest senses of humor. My honest mistake was not mitigated any by Duang's son's continual hysterical laughing. I did point out that ultra sound scanning a dog was the same as scanning a woman and most likely much cheaper. This only encouraged Duang's son to laugh more once she had translated to everyone. The quip did not amuse her daughter.

After wandering around the city for about an hour, we went to one of the private hospitals in Udonthani. We went to the scanning room and everyone was allowed in. The ultra-sound was much better resolution than the ones that I remeber for my sons thirty years ago. We could see ribs and internal organs in addition to counting the number of fingers as well as toes. Oh yeah - the baby is a boy. The cost of the Ultra-Sound scan with report for the doctor was $35 USD.

On Monday morning we got a call that Duang's daughter was in the hospital with pain. I drove Duang to the Kumphawapi Hospital about 25 miles from our home. One of my earlier blogs in August was about the Maternity Ward of this hospital. The parking lot was filled so I dropped Duang off at the front of the hospital and drove off to find a parking spot elsewhere. Duang told me to meet her where we had gone before.

After parking the truck, I went into the neo-natal ward where we had visited before. I entered the ward and walked around looking at every patient to see if she was Duang's daughter. No one seemed to mind me wandering around although it was obvious that most were curious about a falang walking around. After assuring myself that she was not there I walked outside and headed towards the main administration/reception building. On the way, Duang's son-in-law saw me and brought me to the new area where she was.

Duang's daughter was in the labor ward along with three other pregnant women. The ward is very spartan - a sort of first aid type facility for a large industrial plant. The room had concrete walls covered with a sort of plastic paneling riveted on to it. There was a completely exposed nurse's station consisting of two desks, two chairs and one computer set in the ward by the entrance.

There were 10 beds in the labor ward. The beds were rather spartan as well - metal frames with a plywood base with a 3 inch thick foam mattress on top. There were two air conditioning units in the ward that cooled and heated the room. Since it is now cold (63F) at night the units warmed the room. The room also had a single fetal monitoring machine which was being used for one of the other patients.

At one end of the labor room was the birthing suite(?). The birthing suite was a large room that to me resembled a cross between the autopsy rooms shown on TV and a barber shop. The room had three chairs with stirrups in a row - side by side. The room was drab without any semblence of decoration or sense of high technology. I was a little concerned that there were four women in the labor room and only three birthing stations.

Duang's daughter was not in labor and after about two hours she was released with some antacid and some pills.

We returned home and about two hours later received a call that Duang's daughter was back at the hospital. We went back to the hospital with Duang's son and son's girlfriend.

Since it was now night time, people were setting up for the night. Just like Udonthani General Hospital, patient's families camp out at the hospital. Duang's son-in-law and his mother had claimed one of the concrete benches along the outside open aired corridors to spend the night. They had brought some sahts, blankets, and plastic bags with clothes and food for the night. Other people were setting up their spots throughout the complex. This hospital was different from Udonthani General in that there were hospital cats wandering the area.

There were three other women in the labor room. One was hooked up to a fetal monitor machine. Another patient was in advanced labor and was tended by her mother and husband. She was in pain but kept her suffering in silence.

The third patient was in labor and was tended only by her mother. She was in very much pain but like the second patient was fairly quiet.

After awhile, the woman with the fetal monitor was discharged - so now there were three women for three birthing stations. I was more at ease.

We stayed there and gave support to Duang's daughter. She was going to spend the night in the hospital but was not in labor yet. In no time at all we knew the conditions of the other patients and they knew about Duang's daughter. I am continually amazed at the openness and resulting lack of privacy of Isaan society. The people love to talk, chat, and gossip and there are few topics not up for discussion.

We returned to the hospital this morning. Duang's daughter was still in pain but not in labor. She will spend two more days in the hospital.

The biggest news was that the two other women had their babies. We went over to the neo-natal unit to check them out. One woman had a little girl. Since she was a cesarean birth, the baby was not birth molded at all although she was in an incubator. The mother was in a bed about fifteen feet from the incubator which was in the aisle way from the ward entrance across form the nurse's station. The proud grandmother and father were also visiting so Duang got into an involved conversation about the birth.

The other baby was more serious - he was born with a heart defect and had already been transferred some 40 miles south to a specialty hospital. We found all this out from the Grandmother. After awhile the new mother walked out carrying two bags of clothing with her husband. Isaan women are definitely tough. They were going down to see their son at the new hospital.

It is eye opening to see the medical facilities that are available to so many people in the world.

It is also a revelation to see how little care is available to people.

Here in Isaan there is no air of mysticism or invulnerability associated with medicine or medical care. Healing, birthing, and dying are not hidden behind doors in pastel walled, brilliantly lit rooms in the company of strangers.

Injured patients and post operative patients are wheeled along outside aisle ways filled with children, toddlers, and adults of all ages. Doctors, nurses, and cleaning personnel are indistinguishable in their uniforms. Each one has a job to do. Each job being just as important as the other.

Some of this may be attributable to the Buddhist attitude towards life and death ... "The Buddhist spends their entire life preparing for the moment that they know will come - the moment of their death."

In the Wast, many of us spend all our life trying to avoid or deny the moment that will come for all of us. Our faith in our percieved medical capabilities and facilities helps support our efforts.

7 Juanuary 2009, Busted Up In Isaan

Busted Up In Isaan
7 January 2009

This is my second attempt to write this blog. On Sunday, I spent a couple of hours composing the blog only to lose all my work on MySpace by hitting an incorrect key - Grrrrr!

I will now try resurrecting it from memory and first write it in Word so that all I have to do is paste it into MySpace.

We had to go into Udonthani Sunday morning for a family emergency. Duang had gotten a phone call that one of her relatives had been in an accident and was now hospitalized. I have written before about the number of her relatives. Here in Isaan it seems that just about everyone is an aunt, uncle, cousin or “cousin of my cousin”.

In Isaan, one’s family extends beyond what we typically define as immediate family in the USA. For me family was made up of aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and their children. I am not even familiar with the term for the “cousin of my cousin”. But this is Thailand and things are different.

In preparing to rewrite this blog after a day of sulking or perhaps mourning over my lost original work, I sat down with Duang to get a better understanding of just how many relatives that she has. I restricted my questioning to just aunts, uncles and cousins. I was shocked but developed a better appreciation for how so many people seem to be family for her. Duang has 7 uncles, 9 aunts, and 92 cousins. Now I understand – a little bit.

Duang has difficulty with possessive pronouns – your, my, his, her, our, and their. This leads to some interesting but interesting conversations. Sunday was one of them. She informed me, if I remember correctly, that “cousin of you uncle of my sister” have accident last night.

She assured me that I knew the victim and that he had “taken care of me the other day at party”. “Take care” of someone means to say hello to them. Since half of the village was at the party, I am certain that the victim had spoken to me but I had no idea who he was. I decide to just wait and find out once we were at the hospital.

Her relative, “cousin of you uncle of my sister”, was at Udonthani General Hospital. Udonthani General Hospital is similar to a county hospital in the United States. The farmers of Isaan go to that hospital because they do not have good medical insurance. When their condition can not be adequately handled at the more local facilities such as the Kumphawapi Hospital (Maternity Ward Blog) or the outlying clinic that I had previously described where Duang and her aunts had enjoyed a medicinal sauna, the patient is transferred to a facility in Udonthani.

Udonthani has five hospitals – one Army, three private, and one public. Udonthani General hospital is the public hospital.

Udonthani General Hospital is located across from the park in central Udonthani. The hospital is located on one of the main 4 lane divided streets in the city. The far side of the street is bordered by the park, a sidewalk, and a lane of pull up parking. The sidewalk is mostly taken up with sidewalk vendors and sidewalk restaurants as well pedestrians weaving their way through the gauntlet. The one row of pull up parking is no where adequate for area so people park in a single row perpendicular to the parked pull up spaces. This only uses about one-half lane of the street so there are one and one half lanes of vehicle street traffic. The Thais have a system for parking that seems to work rather well. People park behind other parked cars leaving their locked vehicle in neutral. If your vehicle is blocked, you just go up to the offending vehicle and push it out of your way – no problem, no emotion, no anger – it’s just the way it is here. Can you imagine this happening in the USA – blocking half lane of street traffic, blocking another car, and putting your hands on someone else’s vehicle? I think not – not in our lifetimes!

Duang’s son parked the truck in the single remaining pull up parking space a short distance up from the hospital. As we left I started to think about how difficult it would be to remove a blocking vehicle behind the truck if the offending vehicle was one of 4 or more parked bumper to bumper. When we eventually returned to the space, we were blocked. Maybe we were just lucky but there was room beyond the offending vehicle so we only had to push one car out of our way. Perhaps there is an unwritten code to park so that someone only has to push two cars to free up their vehicle. I’ll keep an eye out to understand what the system is – if there is one.

The other side of the divided street is similarly congested. The sidewalk is cluttered with street vendors, sidewalk restaurants, and pedestrians. There is no car parking on this side of the street but one half lane is occupied by parked somlaws (three wheeled passenger carrying motorcycles). The numerous somlaw drivers are scattered about hustling potential customers, eating, drinking, smoking, gossiping, or napping. Neighborhood and street dogs wander in and about the masses of people making their way to and from the hospital. It is quite a congested sight.

Udonthani General Hospital is a large complex of three story concrete structures reminiscent of 1960’s era urban school architecture in the United States. It is apparent that there was little advance planning in developing the hospital site. Buildings were shoe horned into the restricted sight as their need was identified. Each building is connected to others through a maze of open sided covered walkways. The combination of walkways and cantilevered balconies of each building creates many sheltered areas at ground level. Some of the sheltered areas have been turned into gardens with plants and benches along the edges. The other sheltered areas have been paved over with concrete.

The paved sheltered areas were occupied by many people. The people of Isaan who use Udonthani General Hospital are typically poor people from the outlying farming regions. There is no Ronald McDonald House for relatives of patients to stay at while their loved one is being treated. Transportation to and from the hospital is difficult and not convenient - pickup truck – up to 10 people per vehicle. No problem. The people of Isaan spend much of their time outdoors. So it is at the hospital. In the sheltered area families set up their sahts (woven reed mats) and camp out for the duration of their loved one’s stay. Atop the sahts, they place their woven baskets of sticky rice, plastic bags of other Lao food, plastic bottles of water, plastic bags of clothing, and plastic bags stuffed with blankets.

Typically the grandparents sort of hold down the fort at the sahts while watching over the grandchildren who are running all about trying to amuse themselves all the while annoying others and being nuisances. The children are so cute and precocious that they are easily tolerated.

There were not any elevators in the hospital. Access to the upper levels is by stairs or ramps. Since the ramps were congested with patients being transferred in wheelchairs or gurneys, we used the stairs.

Duang’s relative was in a typical 24 bed open ward. We were not the first ones to arrive at his bedside. With our arrival, he had 12 family members hovering around his bed. I had expected to see an older man before me and was surprised to see a 12 year old boy in the bed. He was hit by a pickup truck with no headlights on while driving his motorcycle across the road to visit his uncle. Twelve years old! Driving a motorcycle on a public road! No problem – this is Thailand. There were no arrests, no charges and the pickup driver will make restitution after the boy is discharged from the hospital.

We were not the only people in the hospital ward. The ward was about 1/3 filled with patients. Patients ranged in age from about 6 years old to 70 years old. Some were on machines to assist their breathing. Privacy was at a premium. Although there were curtains that could be drawn to isolate a bed, no one was using them. Each patient had about 8 family members tending to them. Family members perform many tasks that nurses do in the USA. Family members wipe brows, feed patients, and assist them with going to the bathroom.

Visitors brought their own food and drink for their consumption while visiting. Children of all ages visited along with their older relatives. It was all very free and open as well as somewhat chaotic. Once again the sense of family and community was very prevalent.

Thai people have a fascination with pain and suffering that at times I find rather disconcerting. On television news broadcasts it is common to see up close and intimate filming of accident or victims of crime. I have seen broadcasts where the film crew followed the victim into the ambulance focusing on the victim’s anguished face or injuries. At ambulance facilities they have display boards with photographs of the victims that they have assisted or those that they just ended up picking up off of the road. The photographs are very vivid and leave little to the imagination. They are also very popular. I always feel like an intruder when confronted with these types of displays. In fact, upon leaving the hospital, Duang, her son and his girlfriend made a point of looking at each and every photograph on the “Don’t Drink and Drive” display in the hospital lobby.

Duang’s family is no exception to morbid curiosity. When we arrived, a point was made to show us each and every injury that the boy had endured. The blood stain on the hospital bed was pointed out and hospital gown was adjusted as needed for full viewing as well as for the convenience of the onlookers. The boy had an injured knee and would be operated upon in about two hours. His other injuries amounted to scrapes, and some cuts that required stitches.

After our visit we went off for awhile and returned later to give some family members a ride back to Tahsang Village. If you have a vehicle in Isaan, you are often called upon or expected to provide transportation for family members. When we were walking towards the boy’s ward we were called up by Duang’s sister to the second floor of a different building. This building was apparently the surgery building. The second floor had a door that indicated that it was an Operating Room. The exterior of the Operating Room resembled the exterior of a 60’s era high school classroom – metal, and glass curtain wall within concrete structure. Access to it was by way of open air covered ramps. Abandoned gurneys and wheel chairs cluttered the walkways outside of the room. In a corner a large bin was overflowing with used hospital linen. The boy’s family was congregating on the second floor outdoor hallway outside of the operating room. There was no nurse’s station or any other sign of life around the room. The windows to the room were heavily tinted so I had no idea what was on the other side. After surgery the patients are wheeled outside to their ward.

We gathered up the clan and I drove them back to Tahsang Village – about 40 miles. The boy did fine and will be released from the hospital tomorrow.

14 September 2008 - Isaan House Warming

Isaan House Warming

As I wrote previously, Friday 12 September 2008 (2551 here in Thailand) was designated to be a "good" day for our house warming celebration.

Duang had visited her cousin, the head Monk, to seek his advice as to the good day to have the house blessed. In Thailand and to a greater extent in Vietnam, important activities are not undertaken without first consulting a Monk to determine the best date and time for commencing the activity.

In Vietnam there is actually a book titled something like "Book of Dates". The book indicates the best dates to have sex, days when you cannot have sex, days to eat dog, days not to eat dog, days to travel, days to stay home, days to move into a new home and so on. I actually moved into my villa in Halong, Vietnam three days early because my landlord had determined that Sunday was the day to move in rather than waiting for the first of the month.

In Thailand Monks are consulted and they give advice on all matter of things based upon numbers, palm reading, and wax drippings into holy water.

Moving into a new home in Isaan is a very big event in Isaan. I knew that un-married guests could not have "boom-boom" (sex) in the house until the house had been blessed. What I later found out was that this prohibition actually applied to EVERYONE in the house! Yes indeed, Friday Number 12 was going to be a "good" day!

Duang was in charge of everything for Friday 12 September. She had a budget and it was all up to her to plan and manage - in the three days remaining from when we moved into the house. Well she did a great job and exceeded her budget by only $30 USD.

Duang planned on 100 to 150 people attending - mostly relatives and residents of her home village - Tahsang. Because the people are subsistence farmers without motor vehicles, Duang arranged for a bus to transport them the one hour trip to and from the village. I suspect that the bus was used by Forrest Gump in the movie to go to basic training. It was very old, no air conditioning, and retro looking with all of its chrome trim but it did the job.

Duang hired a company to cater the meal and her brother to provide the entertainment.

Thursday afternoon, the caterer arrived and set up the three tent canopies in the side street to our house. I had cautioned Duang about having a large party with dancing and drinking without first getting permission and authorization. I guess I was stuck in the USA frame of mind. This is Thailand. Jack said that there is no problem - just do it. Duang spoke with the village developer and informed them. No other paperwork or legalities were required - we just took over the whole street with tents, tables, chairs and a stage.

The caterer also delivered a large ice chest and filled it with ice cubes. All the red plastic chairs were stacked under the canopies. He was worried about people stealing the tables (round plywood disks and folding metal frames) so his workers placed them in the driveway behind our sliding metal gate.

In the early evening the roadies arrived to set up the stage at the end of the street. They worked until 10 PM when it started to rain. It rained most of the night with occasional thundershowers.

Duang and I got up at 3:00 AM. We had planned to get up at 5:00 AM but the excitement of the day to be overwhelmed our ability or need to sleep.

At 6:00 AM the catering crew arrived. Quickly and efficiently they set up all the tables and chairs. The tables were decorated with a red table cloth topped with a white lace tablecloth. While one group of catering personnel was setting up the tables and adding the place settings, another group was setting up the cooking facilities.

Three propane gas bottles and burners were set up in the street. Bags of produce, ducks, whole fish, raw nuts, chicken, beef, and pork were brought out. Large wooden cutting boards were placed on the road and the cooks went to work, cutting, dicing, chopping and slicing - a whirlwind of activity.

Large plastic tubs were set up in the street to the side of the gas bottles. The tubs were filled with water from a hose to our house.

Duang directed her son and his two friends to set out one bottle of whiskey, two large bottles of beer (Thai brand - "Leo"), and 2 two liter bottles of soda for each table. She had purchased them from an outside distributer.

The food preparation continued unabated from 6:00 AM until 11:00 AM when the last of the courses was served. Part of the hors douevres were cashew nuts. They arrived raw and were deep fried in large woks in the street - absolutely delicious.

Duang ensured that all the house windows were not covered including the pulling back of window sheer curtains. If I understand correctly windows are to be clear so that all the light can get through for the Monks and the praying to Buddha.

The previous night, I had set up 9 chairs in a nice circle in anticipation of the arrival of the Monks. I learned that Monks don't sit in chairs to eat. All chairs in the dining room were removed and replaced with multi-colored woven reed mats and small square multi-colored ornate firm pillows. These are what the villagers use for sitting on and resting against in their homes. I have seen many of them stacked against the walls in Wats. Apparently giving them to Monks earns you merit.

Preparations for the day’s events accelerated at 7:00 PM with the arrival of Duang's immediate family. They arrived by pick up truck - all 10 of them along with their comfort food.

The catered meal was Thai food - duck, sweet and sour chicken, soup out of some part of a cow - I think maybe stomach, whole fish. Duang's family although politically "Thai" are ethnic "Lao Loam" - low land Lao people. Just like people in America do, they brought some of their food to the party. They brought their own cutting boards and kitchen devices. They set up in the driveway and commenced to prepare their native foods - Kao Lao.

The Kao Lao would be the food that would be served to the Monks when they arrived at the house later in the morning.

At some point in this bee hive of activity, Duang's uncle who is like a shaman arrived with some very very old people. The Buddhist religion does not have shaman in it, but here in Isaan there is a great deal of animist religion remaining that has become so interwoven in the fabric of Buddhism that it is difficult to differentiate between the two as to specific practices.

Apparently it is good luck to have old people at your house warming - I guess the theory is that they have lived a very long time so maybe their good wishes will bring you good luck for a long life. The old people sat on chairs outside in the car port away from the sun and where they could be seen by all.

Duang's uncle took over the next phase of the House Warming. I was summoned to bring out our two umbrellas. Outside I joined Duang, her uncle, and about 6 other relatives.

One elderly man was carrying the gold colored Buddha statue that we had bought at a shrine in Nong Khai on the Laos border. Another elderly man was carrying the colorful picture of Buddha that I had been given last year by a Monk at a Wat in the wet lands southwest of Bangkok. The shaman was carrying a satchel over his shoulder made out of a recycled fertilizer bag. Some of Duang's aunts were in the procession carrying some of the small square pillows.

We formed up into a line led by the elderly men, me carrying the opened umbrella over my head, Duang carrying an opened umbrella over her head, followed by the aunts and Duang's mother. We walked around the outside of the house three times in a clockwise direction. As we were walking, the shaman was checking out the house very seriously as if he was looking for something. It may have been that he was checking out the location where we "need" to put the two spirit houses that Duang bought to protect the house and us. When I had asked her where they were going to be placed, she said that her uncle would tell us.

As we completed our circumambulation of the house, we stopped at the front patio. The elderly men walked up the steps to the patio and faced Duang and I. We knelt at the first step up to the patio. There was a ceremony conducted by her uncle before we entered the house.
Upon entering the house, the entourage climbed the stairs to the upper level of the house passing the bouquet of large green leaves, small flowers, and cotton string that had been placed on the banister. This green arrangement is for good luck for us - so I am told.

When we got to the first landing of the stairway, we went into the alcove where my roll top desk has been placed. I had told Duang that she could set up her shrine there. Once we were kneeling down in the alcove, the shaman conducted a Bai Sii ceremony. I had written about the Bai Sii ritual before in regards to Isaan weddings - the ritual was now being conducted as part of the house warming. Incense was burned, candles lit, chants spoken, and cotton strings were tied on our wrists to bind the spirits in our body to keep us healthy.

Upon finishing the ceremony, we all went down to the dining room. The Buddha statue and picture were set up on an altar made out of one of the wooden end tables that I imported from my old home in California. Two ordinary drinking glasses filled with rice were used as candle holders on the altar.

Around 8:00 AM a pickup truck arrived with the nine Monks. I recognized one of them as being one of the Monks from Tahsang who was building rockets and shooting them into the sky in August.

The Monks entered into the house amongst a great deal of wais (Thai expression of respect by bowing the head and raising the hands in a praying configuration) from the people.

The ground level of the house was a cyclone of activity with the nine Monks getting into position to recieve their meal, the villagers trying to stay out of their way, and the women putting the finishing touches on the food preparation for the Monks.

Once everyone was settled into position, some very serious chanting started up. It was quite impressive and moving to observe and listen to the nine Monks chanting with the people participating. Part of the ritual involved Duang and I kneeling before the Head Monk and together pouring a glass of water into a plate. When we completed that, the Monk sprinkled us and the other people with holy water shaken from a clump of reeds.

I presented each Monk with an offering in an envelope. There ending up being 10 envelopes for 9 Monks so I adlibbed and did a pantomime that indicated that because Duang's cousin was "No 1" Monk, he got two envelopes - everyone smiled and laughed - including the Monks.

The Monks were then fed. It was a real feast with all sorts of food. It was quite a choreographed exercise to feed the nine at the same time all the while ensuring that only men served the Monks. Women are not allowed to touch Monks or to directly hand things to a Monk - it must go through a man to the Monk.

While the Monks were eating and filling their bowls to take back to their Wats, guests were arriving. The catered meal was served from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM with the entertainment starting at 10:00.

The Monks left around 10:45 and the party got started.

It was great. I had a great time. Every time I turned around someone was filling my glass. I had to get on stage to welcome everyone - I don't know much Thai but I ended up singing out in Lao Loam style "Hello. Welcome. Thank You for coming to Duang and Allen's home" I don't know if it was my charm or the beer and whiskey but the people loved it - I think it was really the beer and booze.

People wanted me to sing so I sang "My Girl" - in English.

The rest of the afternoon until 2:30 was spent drinking, socializing, and dancing, and drinking. Oh yeah I did take some photos and shot some video. I did notice that a couple of times when I thought that I was filming some very good scenes my video camera was actually in standby mode!! It must have been too much sun affecting my mind.

My observations on the event - The people were all over the house but did not go into our bedroom. People jumped in and helped out. The guests did not just sit around and expect to be entertained. Everyone did their part to help set up, and clean. Everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a very nice occasion.

After everyone had left around 3:30 I got to realize that Yes indeed today had been a very GOOD day for us - now that the house was a real home.

As we were preparing to go to bed that night, I made the rounds of the house. I found the shaman's satchel on the floor in the Buddha shrine alcove. I looked inside the satchel and found a very old hammer, a small monofilament hand fishing net, and a hammock made out of cords. I told Duang that her uncle forgot it. She replied "No, No, not forget - stay in house for three days. Good for you. Good for me. Good for we." OK I learned another thing. Downstairs in the dining room I found three small bags of food. Having learned something upstairs, I consulted Duang about the food - sure enough - "No No darling not forget - stay in house for three days. Good for you. Good for me. Good for we". I am glad that I asked first rather than just throwing it out - there is no telling what repercussions there would have been.

Quite a day. Quite a place. Quite a people.

Just another GOOD day here in Thailand.

14 September 2008 - New Home - Thailand

New Home – Thailand
14 September 2008

We are no longer living in a hotel room after 6 months.

Last Monday we completed the transaction to purchase our home in Udonthani. We had committed to buying it almost 90 days ago and we were hoping that my house in California would have sold and provided the necessary funds to complete the deal.

After realizing that California real estate was not moving very fast I made alternative arrangements for the money.

I knew that the money had been deposited into my account in California and subsequently action was taken for it to be wire transferred to my account in Thailand. On Monday morning, we walked over to the Provincial Land Office. We were to meet Jack and his wife, Furn at the office to close out the deal.

Jack is from Australia and since foreigners cannot own land in Thailand, the house is in Furn's name. For us, the house will be in Duang's name.

Even though I did not have the money confirmed in my bank account, Jack said not to worry.

Even though they were leaving the next morning for their new home down south, I could just wire the money to his account when it got to my account. Things are done much differently over here.

There were no real estate agents involved for either party. Jack had tried two agents before. One showed his house to 2 people in six months. The second agent said that he could get out to the house in two weeks to take photographs. When Jack complained about the time, the agent said that he couldn't take photos because of the rain (It rains just about every day and the house is well built so there is no rain inside to hinder interior shots).

Jack took digital photos himself, put a sign on the fence and posted an ad on the local expatriate (expat) website.

In May I contacted the same reluctant realtor. He had wanted me to wire the money for a house to his account because there was some money laundering paperwork that his company knew how to handle. I was a little suspicious at that. When I went to the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles during my visit back to the USA in late May I found out that there was no problem in bringing money into Thailand.

When I returned with my visa in June, we visited the reluctant realtor. We met and reviewed his listings, and found a home that we were interested in. As it turned out, the house was not available for viewing until the next day. We left understanding that we would be called the next day to view the house. We were not. That was it. I was no longer interested in dealing with him. As it turns out there are no real professional realtors here in Udonthani. Most property is sold directly between individuals. Contacts are made through word of mouth - someone knows someone who is selling or someone who wants to buy.

I saw Jack's ad and called him. We viewed the house that day and placed a deposit with our commitment to pay the remainder within 90 days - 12 September 2008. The next day Jack brought over the letter of agreement for signature. Then we all waited for the money to arrive.

As was the case in Brasil, property is purchased mostly on a cash basis. There is no big mortgage industry here. No Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

No mortgage banking industry collapse or need to bail out people who gambled in real estate and failed.

Buying the property was very simple but with this being Thailand there was a little twist. Jack's wife had figured out and confirmed that the selling costs were around 50,000 Baht ($1,470 USD). The previous week, when she went to the Land Office to confirm the amount, the representative said that it was 80,000 baht. Furn raised a stink and it turned out that the big boss was at the desk next to her. He got involved and said it was wrong and that the amount was to be 45,000 baht.

On Monday the entire process of signing documents, dealing with the man who did not get his extra 30,000 baht lasted 45 minutes. In the end the selling/purchasing costs ended up being 41,000 baht. I mentioned to Jack that perhaps we should wait until the next day or two days later to see if the price got any lower.

At the office Furn was asked why she didn't give extra money to the man who wanted the extra 30,000 baht. She didn't reply and just walked out.

Duang and I walked out with the original land title with her name added and stamped as the new owner. All in 45 minutes!! Also without paying any of the money that we still owed Furn. They were happy. As we got in the truck to continue our errands, I noticed a set of keys on my seat. I mentioned to Jack that he had left his truck keys in the truck. He gave me his big Aussie grin and said "No mate, them's your keys now. Keys to your house".

I then called Bangkok to determine if my household goods could be brought up and unpacked at the house the next day. The man said that he would check. He called 30 minutes later and said yes but there was a 13,000 baht fee for the three months storage which I was well aware of. I agreed and committed to transferring the funds that day from my bank account to his company's bank account at a different bank (no big deal in Thailand or Brasil)

We headed to the Water Company to change the service over from Furn to Duang. It was easier to buy the house than to change the name on the water bill. Duang and Furn had to show their National ID cards to the man in the upstairs office. Duang had to show the land title with her name on it. An assistant then pulled out one of five hand written ledgers - 2 red and 3 black. She filled out a whole bunch of information in blue ballpoint pen. I don't know what the computers and printers against the wall are used for.

After she completed her work, she sent us downstairs. We went and saw another representative. He had a computer and dot matrix computer on his desk. Duang and Furn went through the process again and he entered it into the computer using a MSDOS program. After he realized that he made an entry mistake, he corrected the data and then filled out a small form utilizing CARBON PAPER!! All and all, changing the water account into Duang's name took 60 minutes - 15 minutes more than buying the property and getting the title recorded.

We then went across town to transfer the name for the electric bill. This went smoother but with this being Thailand there was a twist. At the power company, the women had to show their national ID cards, Duang had to show the property deed, and Furn had to show a previous electric bill.

There had been a 2,000 baht deposit to establish service for Jack and Furn. The deposit could not be returned for two days. Jack and I had discussed deposits and final bills for utilities. We had agreed that I would get the returned deposits and I would pay Jack's final bills. He was going to pay me the amount that he paid for the previous month. It was straightened out and no big deal. Well when Furn told the representative that they were leaving the next morning, he offered to return her 2,000 baht deposit immediately if she paid him 500 baht. So to get back her 2,000 baht, he wanted her to pay him 500 baht. Jack said "No, not 500 Baht, offer him 200 baht" After some discussion and negotiation, Jack walked out with 1,800 baht of his original 2,000 baht. That is the way things often work around here. But as we say here "Good for you, Good for me, Happy, Happy" After 40 minutes everyone was happy, the name on the account was changed, and I did not see any carbon paper being used to complete the transaction.

Since Jack and I use the same Thai bank we decided to go over to the big branch at the mall to take care of some individual banking business. As we negotiated the narrow crowded streets to the mall, I got a cell call from the main office of the bank in Bangkok. My money had arrived and the bank was filling out some paperwork and needed to know what the money was going to be used for. I told her and she said "OK - No problem" I guess this proves that no special expertise is required to "fill out the forms" as stated by the real estate guy. In case anyone is thinking about corrupt or dishonest Thais - this guy is a Scandinavian. Well with that call from the bank I was truly happy -now. I told the woman that we were on the way to pay for the house. She said that she would have it released in 10 minutes. When we arrived at the bank, I took care of two other transactions, and then started the transfer to Jack's account. Lo and behold, the US wire transfer was credited to my account. The transfer of the funds to Jack took all of 5 minutes.

From the bank we went to the telephone company to change names on the account and to get ADSL Internet access. It went rather smoothly but the twist here was that Jack had been paying 700 baht a month for 1 mbps ADSL. I am now going to pay 590 baht a month for 2 mbps service. Win some - Lose some. Like many things here, I cannot explain why, I just accept it.

We went to lunch and headed to get a new "House Book" "House Book" is a very important document in Thailand. It is a blue book in which every Thai living in a particular house is recorded. It is used in conjunction with the individual's ID card. That took an hour but Duang now has a brand new "House Book".

The day ended at 3:00 PM with all tasks completed and all four of us exhausted. The deal was closed on 8 September with a deadline of 12 September.

Just in time - to the extreme.

We moved in on 9 September and the House Warming was to be held on Friday 12 September. According to Duang and her consultations with the Monks - Friday 12 September was to be a "good" day for we and have a new house...

Tomorrow's blog will be all about the House Warming Party including the 9 Monks who came to breakfast (they don't eat past 12 noon so they do not come to dinner.)

If someone says "Guess who's coming to dinner?", you can rest assured that it will not be Buddhist Monks.