Poi Sang Long Gallery - Now Available For Viewing and Print Purchase

A gallery of 63 photographs from this year's Poi Sang Long Festival in Maehongson, Thailand is now available for viewing as well as print purchase on my personal photography website.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/People/Shan/Poi-Sang-Long-2013/29120515_HKxD7G

Thai Yai Architecture

Wat Huaipha  December 05, 2006

The Shan, Thai Yai, originated in Myanmar, which was formerly known as "Burma".  They immigrated to Northern Thailand to work in the forest industry in the last half of the 19th century.  They congregated in Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son Provinces.  Mae Hong Son was settled by Shan people in 1830.

Due to the remote location and, until relatively recently, the isolation of Mae Hong Son Province the Shan were able to maintain their cultural identity - their customs, their music, their dress, their festivals and their architecture.

War Huaipha - 1 April 2009

Shan temples, Wats, are unique and distinctive.  Whenever I am in Maehongson, I make it a point to visit Wat Jong Kham, Wat Jong Klang, and Wat Huaipha are typical Shan structures - multiple stacked layers resembling a wedding cake with decorative pressed metal trimming along the edges for icing.

Wat Jong Kham and Wat Jong Klang

The Shan temples are typically wood with intricate carvings and an intricate symmetry.  They blend in very well with their surroundings.

Wat Huai Phueng, Ban Huai Phueng, Thailand

Wat Hua Wiang, Mae Hong Son, Thailand

 

Wat Hua Wiang, Mae Hong Son, Thailand



One of my favorites is Wat Huaipha located north of Mae Hong Son on the side of  but lower in elevation of Highway 1095.  I first became aware of this Wat on my first trip to the Maehongson (Mae Hong Son) area in October 2006.  It was late afternoon and my guide was returning me to my hotel in Maehongson.  The sun was low in the afternoon sky giving the wood exterior of the Wat a warm golden glow.  I immediately recognized it as an excellent photo opportunity.  However, we had quickly passed it.  I was shooting film at the time and I was reluctant to change to a faster film to be able to capture the shot.  As too often people find themselves on a trip, I had also developed a case of tunnel focus.  My mind had been set and focused on the destination up ahead - the hotel.  As such I was reluctant to have the driver stop, turn around, and drive back up the hill to visit the Wat.  I thought that I could get "That Shot" later on.  Well I never did get that opportunity during that trip.

I returned in December of the same year and made sure that we stopped at the Wat in the late afternoon to take photographs of the Wat in the golden light.  I had learned a valuable lesson on my first trip - to take advantage of every opportunity for photographs; even if it means turning around and retracing part of your route.  Just as in life, opportunities are special gifts that should be appreciated and used.  Opportunities may not return.

Wat Huaipha - December 2006

Since the first trip in October 2006, I make it a point to stop and check out the lighting to photograph Wat Huaipha.  Each visit has presented different opportunities for photographing the unique Shan architecture.

Wat Huaipha - April 2013

After visiting the garlic and soybean workers, we found ourselves driving past Wat Huaipha in the late afternoon.  Driving past the Wat on this trip was not a problem.  From our last trip in 2009, I knew that further down Highway 1095 past the Wat was the entrance to the small village where the Wat is located.  We drove through the extremely narrow streets of the village until I found a suitable spot half on the street and half off of the street - as good as it got in the village but a common practise here in Thailand.  Duang was tired from our full day of activities so she elected to remain in the truck since I told her that I would not be long.

I walked the short distance to the Wat and walked around the grounds.  The sun was fairly low in the sky and not too high above the western mountains.  There was a slight golden color to the light but nothing that I would describe as exciting let alone spectacular.  I took some photos but nothing that excited me.  After awhile, I heard loud shouting from inside of the Sala.  The shouting was very animated and came from young voices.  The shouting was definitely not the type associated with arguing or fighting.  The shouting sounded to me to be like young children playing a game; an enthusiastic game. I climbed the wood stairs into the Sala.  As I entered into the Sala, I quickly understood what was going on.

Novice Monks Learning Scriptures By Rote - Loud Rote at That

In the Sala strongly lit by the golden directional light of the setting sun through the windows and door on the west site of the building, the Abbott and a Monk in his early twenties were instructing four young Novice Monks in Buddhist scripture.  The older Monks would ask the young Novices questions.  If the young Novices knew the answer, they would shout out the answer, with each  trying to out do the other in volume as well as enthusiasm.  When a Novice did not have the answer he woud refer to some papers to find the answer.  It appeared that one of the Novices was having a particularly difficult time with the answers.  He was referring to the study papers often and was off to the side getting individualized instruction the the twenty something Monk.

It was a great scene made even more spectacular by the strong natural lighting.  I found this to be very exciting.  As exciting as it was, it was also a scene that required respect and minimal interference on my part.  I decided to not use any speedlights to photograph the scene.  I set my camera to a high ISO (light sensitivity) to be able to take photographs at high enough speed to minimize blurring from camera shake.  My tripod was in the truck and with the setting sun, I realized that I did not have enough time or light to retrieve it.  I would have to deal with and make the best out of what was available; what was presented to me.  It was very much like life. It often is not perfect but you can make the best of it.

It was enjoyable and inspiring to witness this scene.



 

 

It was enjoyable and inspiring to witness this scene. I went back to the truck so that Duang could see and most likely appreciate and understand more than me what was transpiring inside of the Sala.  We returned together and I was so pleased to see the look on her face - I knew that I had helped to make her day memorable.



 

 

Another objective our trip had been achieved - photographs of some Shan Wats  but that was not all.  We had been fortunately given the opportunity of a scene that has been repeated countless times over the past 2,556 years - Monks teaching Novices the teaching of Buddha - another of the connections that ties today to our far distant past.  It was a continuation that binds many of people all over the world and activity that will mind the future to our present day.

 

Just as the Shan architecture helps to identify and define a people.  The propogation of faith identifies and defines people.  Our visit to photograph a temple ended up being much more.  Our visit ended up being an opportunity to witness and experience some of the spiritual world.

 

 

 

Poi Sang Long Festival - Tuesday 02 April 2013

We arrived in Maehongson from Pai around 11:00 A.M.  After checking into our hotel we drove into town to have lunch at the Sunflower Cafe across Nong Jong Kham from Wat Jong Kham and Wat Jong Klang.  Four years ago when we attended the 2009 Poi Sang Long Festival , the festivities were either at or originated at these two Wats.

This year, unlike four years ago, there were no sounds of banging drums or clashing cymbals emanating from the Wat complex. After our lunch we walked over to the Wats to determine when the head shaving ritual would take place.

The Wat complex seemed deserted when we arrived.  I found one man, a workman, sleeping underneath one of the elevated buildings.  There were no people wandering around. anxiously waiting for the start of the ritual.  There were no decorations or floats that would be paraded through town.  In fact the Wat appeared to have fallen on harder times.  Fallen leaves littered the grounds.  A pavilion that displayed intricate religious carvings had been removed.  Many portions of the stucco walls were in need of painting.  Both Duang and I had the distinct impression that the senior Monk or Abbott from four years ago was no longer present at the complex and it had been taken over by a less caring or effective administration.

We walked behind the Wat and crossed the street to a school where I noticed that there were some people. From them Duang found out that festival was being held at Wat Hua Wiang this year.  Apparently the actual  location for the festival changes each year.  Wat Hua Wiang is located in the center of Maehongson -there is a pedestrian gate to the Wat from Th Khunlum Prapat (Highway 1095) however vehicle access is through the market (a narrow two lane street narrowed to 1-1/2 lanes by overreaching, overextended, and encroaching market stalls.  The remaining 1-1/2 lanes of the street are shared by one way vehicular traffic, four way or more motorbikes, parked trucks loading and offloading goods, and, soi dogs,  pedestrians, some wandering about oblivious to the danger surrounding them.

Wat Hua Wiang Bot

We eventually managed to get inside of the Wat complex and determined that the head shaving ritual would commence at 4:00 P.M.  Unlike the Wats at Nong Jong Kham, there was a great deal of activity at Wat Hua Wiang.  Inside an open sided building, several women were cooking food over two wood fires while several other women and young girls were busy preparing vegetables to go into the large pots that were set over the wood fires.  Outside a delivery truck of crushed ice was being off loaded into two large insulated covered plastic bins.

Several canopies had been set up with several tables and many chairs placed beneath them to shield guests from the glaring and intense sun as well as heat.  We set up ourselves at one of the tables to set up my photography gear and a restful spot for Duang to rest.  Eventually we were joined by a Frenchman and two Italian young women.  Unlike four years ago, there were not many foreign tourists attending the Poi Sang Long Festival.  I saw four other foreign tourists during the festival.  The first night at our hotel, there was a total of 16 guests.  Even in discussions with our friends in the refugee camp on the border, we were told that tourism is down significantly in the past four years. This really a shame for the local residents who count on tourism for their livelihoods   Apparently the combination of weak world economy, floods last year in Thailand, and political unrest in Thailand four years ago have contributed to the decline in tourism. Hopefully many more tourists will return to a fascinating area and visit the wonderful people of the Maehongson region.

Decorated Sala for Poi Sang Long Festival

Around 3:00 P.M. the musicians arrived and immediately commenced to play the pounding staccato beat that I have come to associate with this unique Shan cultural festival.

Dancing to the Music

I went into the Sala to prepare for the arrival of the young boys who would be taking their first step towards becoming Novice Monks.

Inside the Sala - Offerings For the Next Morning's Procession

The  26 young Shan boys who would be having their heads shaved that afternoon are following Buddha's son, Prince Rahula's path in becoming a Monk at an early age. In Prince Rahula's time long hair was symbolic of royalty.  Removal of hair then as well as today in the Buddhist culture symbolizes the renunciation of worldly possessions and goods.

One of Two Rows of Young Boys Bow One of Three Times Inside the Sala

Around 4:00 P.M., the 26 young boys and their families assembled inside of the Sala.  As part of the ritual, the boys bowed before a statue of Buddha three times - paying and showing respect to Buddha, the Teachings of Buddha, and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community).

After the boys had completed paying their respects, the senior Monk of the Wat inspected them and took a roll call to account for everyone who was supposed to participate in the upcoming ritual.

The senior Monk Taking Roll Call

As part of the ritual, a part that I found very touching, the two rows of boys turned and bowed to their families. Here in Thailand respect for elders and respect for your family are extremely powerful elements of society.  The government does not provide many social services.  The needs of people are provided directly by their family and neighbors.

At the conclusion of the preliminary preparations inside the Sala, everyone went outside where 26 plastic chairs had been lined up.  The boys sat in the chairs with their family positioned behind them.  As the musicians pounded on their drums and clanged the cymbals, families commenced to cut the young boy's hair with ordinary scissors. The boys were taking a very important step in their religious and their temporal life.  The stress on some of the boys was very apparent.  The boys were now the center of attention and the representatives of their family in this cultural and religious ritual.  Although they were between nine and fourteen years old, it was obvious that they were conscious of bringing honor to their family and people.

The boys sat with a lotus leaf covered pressed metal ceremonial bowl in their lap.  As their hair was cut, family members placed the hair onto the lotus leaf.  At the conclusion of the ritual, the lotus leaf was folded up into a small packet.  The hair filled packet was then taken to the family home and buried at the base of a tree.

Once the boy's hair had been cut closer to the head, the family brought out safety razors and commenced to shave the boy's head. This year we noticed several boys who were nicked in the process and had blood commingling in the rivulets of water that flowed down his face and head.  As the boy's head became smoother and smoother many of them became more uncomfortable.  The cut hair and shavings dropping on to the boy's body irritated the boys.  I also suspect that all the attention that they were receiving also irritated them but in a different way.

A Monk Shaves A Boy's Head

An important part of the ritual is to have a Monk shave each boy's head.  It was at this point that the stress of the event showed on some of the boys  Some were physically uncomfortable.  Some were squirming in their seats.  At least two were visibly upset to the point that they were crying.

Once the heads had been completely shaved, water was poured over the boy to wash away the many hairs that had fallen onto each boy's body and clothing.  The head was dried with cloths and a salve made of the ubiquitous Myanmar beauty application, Thanaka (Thanakha) paste. Thanaka, which is made from certain tree barks, provides cooling effect to the skin, sun burn protection, and is anti-fungal; just what you need for a newly shaved head.

After the ceremony ended there were family photos after which the families returned home most likely for an early bedtime for they had to be back at the Wat the next morning at 4:30 A.M.

New and Recent Photographs Added

Little Nong of Tahsang Village

Thirty-one new and recent photographs have been added to my most popular photo gallery, "Runny Noses and Dirty Faces - Children".  As you can see there is a new runny nose and I have also added some dirty faces to the gallery.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Children/Runny-Noses-and-Dirty-Faces/7422101_hTQhXZ

Tahsang Village School Sports Day

 

 The end of December, in Thailand, is a special time.  It is a special time, not because of Christmas for the country is 97% Buddhist, but because it is the time of the year when schools conduct their Sports Day(s).

Twice before my wife and I have attended Sport Days that Tahsang Village School has participated in.  This year was an even more special time for the students of the school; their school was hosting the event.

The Sport Day is actually conducted over five days with the last day being like a mini Olympics between competing village schools - complete with opening ceremony, dance routine, and an Olympic flame. Four local schools for children 3 years old to 15 years old were participating in the grand event.

We drove out to Tahsang Village early on Friday 28 December in order to watch the parade of the students from Tahsang Village the short distance to the school at the perimeter of the village.

Some Tahsang Village School Students Awaiting Their Marching Orders

 Each of the competing schools had their individual assembly points along the main street in Tahsang Village. Each school had their students dress in the school uniform.  Within each individual school has a distinctive uniform for their students based upon their age group.  As seems only fitting, the youngest students were at the front of the school's contingent. As is befitting of any marching group. the schools contingent were lead by a drum major or much prettier Isaan version of a drum major.

Bem and Friend Ready to Lead Tahsang Village School Students

The older girls who lead their school's students are dressed in outfits, or rather costumes that the school had rented from a shop in nearby Kumphawapi. Here in Isaan, people are not wealthy and surely do not have money to buy specialized clothing that would wear only a couple of times a year.  Instead of buying, people will rent certain clothing for special events such as this or a wedding.  Many people will rent very beautiful and classy clothing for their wedding.  There are also costumes that are fit for royalty of a long gone era.  There are also costumes that you often see in entertainment establishments in Pattaya, Bangkok, or Phuket.

Bem Leads Her Fellow Students On To the Field

Some of the schools had some of their older girls dressed in traditional Isaan clothing while others had their students carrying the flags of the ASEAN nations along with students dressed in traditional clothing of the peoples of the ASEAN members. The ASEAN member states are Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Philippines. They are a regional association that hopes to evolve into a European Union type organization.  The absence of China in the group leads me to suspect that this group is associating as an economic as well as political balance to China in the region.

After the schools had assembled on the field of competition, there was a ceremony to raise the Thai flag, firing of three fireworks, opening speeches, lighting of the Olympic flame or rather the lighting of the pot of charcoal and finally an awards presentation.

Duangchan was awarded a certificate of appreciation by Tahsang Village School for her support and contributions during 2012.  Duang had attended the school for four years but had to leave to help support the family by working in the fields when she was ten years old.  Besides the current students being relatives and friends from the village, I suspect that Duang enjoys being able to help others.  She contributes milk, food, and snacks to the students for special events.   It was nice to see her generosity and support for the students recognized.

Tahsang Village Students Perform Wai Khru Ram Muay

Just as for the opening of the Olympics there was a dance routine for the Sports Day. As hosts for the event, Tahsang Village was responsible for the routine.  They did a fantastic job!  Tahsang Village School has 48 students and I believe all of them participated in the routine. The students wore their blue and red uniforms accessorized with a red headband invoking the mongkhon worn by actual Muay Thai fighters.  The students preformed a stylized "Wai Khru Ram Muay".  The Wai Khru Ram Muay is a warm up activity resembling a dance prior to competing in a Muay Thai match.  Besides preparing the fighter physically and mentally, it demonstrates respect for the teachers and the trainers of Muay Thai.  It is accompanied by unique music which reminds me of the music you hear in old movies where a snake charmer is performing.  For me, the Wai Khru Ram Muay is the best part of most matches.  The movements and music are hypnotic and steeped with a long history.  The students performed it very well.

The Wai Khru Ram Muay is an individualized activity with each fighter selecting the movements to demonstrate his skills as well as personality.  The activity by the Tahsang Village students was meant to be a choreographed routine performed in unison.  To the most part it succeeded in that intent.  However as the saying goes, "There is one in every crowd".

I had left the sidelines and walked to the middle of the field to get some better close up photographs of the students.  As I approached the back side of the performing students, three year old "Eat" broke from formation and re positioned himself directly in front of me.  Then in perhaps in a more genuine display of respect for the tradition of the Wai Khru Ram Muay broke into his own set of moves with huge amount of enthusiasm and unbridled joy.

"Eat" Performing His Own Wai Khru Ram Muay

Eat marches to the beat of a different drummer but you can always count on him marching enthusiastically.  Having marched and on occasion danced to different drummers, I appreciate both Eat's individuality and enthusiasm   I just hope that it does not get him into too much trouble!  No matter, he put on quite a show and was appreciated by the audience.

After the performance concluded. the competitions got underway.  There were running races, relay races, ping pong, volleyball, futbol (soccer), taekraw, and petanque.  There was also an unofficial competition between the schools for enthusiasm - blaring sound systems and students performing competing dance routines vied for bragging rights around the field.

No Need for Track Shoes or Even Shoes to Race In Isaan

It was obvious that many of the younger students did not understand the sports competition but that did not prevent them from enjoying themselves.  They had a good time playing with their friends from school and from the other local villages.  Perhaps best of all, they enjoyed eating and drinking.  The school had food for sales at a nominal price.  Many of the local food vendors had set up their stalls along the perimeter of the school grounds so there was ice cream, ice tea, soft drinks, grilled squid, grilled chicken (all parts), grilled pork, pauk pauk, and other local specialties for sale.  There were a couple carnival type booths for breaking balloons with darts, shooting things with a corks fired from a gun, and ring toss for prizes.  There was also a large inflated slide for children to play on.

Besides the teachers and students there were many spectators at the event. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, brothers, sisters aunts, and uncles all attended the event. They enjoyed themselves watching the children and of course - gossiping amongst themselves.  Duang's Aunt, "Momma Glasses", showed up with a full bottle of whiskey that did not remain full for long.  Everyone was enjoying themselves but then again that is what typically happens when the Lao Loum people get together.

Eat Enjoying Some Ice Cream

Too Young To Go To School, But Old Enough To Enjoy A Cucumber

Tahsang Village School has only 48 students so they did not fair all that well in the sports competition.  If the goal of the day was to win and not lose, the day was a bad day for them.  However, you could not determine that by looking at the faces of the students or the adults.  For them it was a great day, and I would have to agree, because the goal as it is every day is to enjoy life, the life that you have and not the want you would like.  They had tried their best.  They had enjoyed the company of their friends, teachers and family.
Who knows?  Maybe they will win, next year.

Tahsang Village School Fans