Bhutan - Fifth Gallery Is Now Available

Finally!  Finally the fifth gallery of our trip to Bhutan earlier this Spring is available for viewing on my photography website.

 http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Bhutan-Day-8

This gallery covers the eighth day of our journey across Bhutan.  Most importantly the gallery documents the first day of the 2017 tsheschu - Domhkar Festival.

May 5, 2017 was the first time that Duang and I had witnessed the sacred dances called "cham" which are so important and defining of Tibetan and Bhutanese religious culture.

The event made quite an impression upon us and we consider it to be an experience of a lifetime.

This gallery of 74 selected photographs has been distilled down from over 4,000 photographs that I took that day - thank goodness for digital photography, I could not afford to do it in the old days of film!  I am pleased and proud of these photographs which I believe represents the best work that I have ever done in photography.

Thamnot Poo Papit Kanet

Siarn Ruesi - Ruesi Mask

The world that I find myself in now is very different from the world that I lived in for so many years of my life.  What I knew of Southeast Asia was dominated by nightly reports on television of the "body count" in Vietnam during the Vietnam, or American War, depending upon your perspective.

Shortly after my 15th birthday, I remember sitting next my grandfather as he drove his 54 Chevy not down to levee but over to Barn Island in Southeast Connecticut on one of our fishing and clamming expeditions.  There was a news bulletin on the radio regarding some ships from North Vietnam attacking one of our naval vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin.  I remember thinking that it was very serious stuff but also coming to the conclusion that it really had nothing to do with me.  Little did I, along with so many other people that day, realize how much that "incident' would affect their lives for the next 15 years or more.

I did not a very high regard for Southeast Asia and its peoples for many years due to the daily coverage of the war and related political events.

It was not until later in my life, when I went to work in Malaysia, that I began to learn and appreciate what a beautiful region and how interesting the inhabitants of the region are.  It is one of the motivational factors that I have in writing this blog and sharing my photographs.  The reality of this region is not what is so often depicted in film or on television.

Living here and being married to an ethnic Lao Loum (Lowland Lao), I have many opportunities to experience and witness unique peoples, cultural events, religious rituals, and traditions that are not available to the vast majority of visitors and tourists.  My wish is to share these with people who only know of this region from the traditional media.

I make a concerted effort to not judge what I see and experience.  I always check with my wife to ensure that what I report as fact is indeed fact and not my observations through the veils of my American experiences and perspective.  I write of what I see, hear, and what I am told.  There is the possibility of some inadvertent miscommunications and confusion.  Today's blog is perhaps one such example but it is my best effort.

Duang and I were invited by one of her cousins to attend a special ceremony on November 1 at her home in Kumphawapi.  Duang told me that her cousin was a special person, a person who was once the grand-daughter of "Papit Kanet".  After some further discussion, I learned that "Papit Kanet" is actually the Hindu deity "Ganesh" - the multi-headed Elephant with the potbelly.

The belief in reincarnation is an integral part of Buddhism and Brahmanism (the precursor to Hinduism).  Duang has been told by a Ruesi (sage, wizard) that she was once the grand-daughter of two Nagas.  Nagas are mythical serpent creatures sort of like dragons that live and rule the underwater world. She was the grand-daughter of "Si Phatoum Ma" (female) and "Si Suttoo" (male).

Many of Duang's family and friends believe that I was once Lao in a former life.  A Monk once told her that I was once a Naga.  However unlike Duang who is related to royal nagas, in a past life I was just an ordinary Naga.  Duang has forgotten my name as a Naga.  The Monk even told her where I used to live.

I have often marveled at how so many people, who believe in reincarnation, in the West believe that they were once royal, noble, or famous.  I have yet to meet someone who claims to have been a serf, slave, or vassal in a previous life.  Considering throughout history how many more slaves, serfs, vassals there were compared to royalty, nobility, or famous, I would suspect that there would be plenty of people today with not so desirable past lives.  Tonight I wonder if being a Naga in a past life here in Southeast Asia is equivalent to the West's preferred past lives.

Duang's Cousin's Home Shrine

We arrived at Duang's cousin's home and after being greeted, we sat down on the floor in the front room of the house.  The room was a shrine, a shrine of paintings, sculptures, offerings and masks associated with the Ruesi tradition, Brahmanism, Hinduism, Animism, as well as Buddhism.  This may seem somewhat strange to have a spiritual and religious focus on so many different faith systems.  However, although confusing to outsiders, the conglomeration of diverse faith systems is a reflection of regional history and culture.  Thai culture is known for its tolerance. 

The first belief system was Animism, the faith in the existence and power of diverse spirits such as the spirits of the land, spirits of the water, and spirits of the home.  As time progressed the region was exposed to Brahmanism which was a precursor to Hinduism.  Rather than discarding the Animist system, the people assimilated Brahmanism into their culture.  As time moved on Brahmanism evolved into the system of current day Hinduism.  Once again the old systems were maintained and the elements of the new system, Hinduism, were assimilated.  Buddhism, the faith of roughly 95% of Thai and Lao people arrived from Shri Lanka.  The tenets of  Buddhism were accepted and assimilated into today's faith system widely referred to as "Buddhism" but retaining much of the prior traditions, rituals, and practices.  It is important in attempting to understand Buddhism is to recognized that Buddhism evolved originally from Hinduism.

Loading Up - Betel Nut Chewing

In the room with us were several young people all of them dressed in white or very pale blue simple cotton clothing.  The simple vestments are worn by woman and men laypeople for participation in special merit making rituals.  The start of the special ritual was the commencement of betel nut chewing by Duang's cousin, her husband, and many of the lay people.  Betel nut is a mild stimulant and it is widely known and accepted that the spirits appreciate and expect the chewing of betel nuts to participate in the rituals.

The ritual was very much like the Korb Siarn Wai Khru ceremonies that I have witnessed and written about before. But as we say, say often, here ... "Same, Same but different"  I was confused that the ritual was being conducted by a women who seemed to be acting like a Ruesi.  From what I know about Ruesi, they can only be men.  I have questioned Duang about this and she confirmed that only men can be Ruesi but women can be like Ruesi (Same, Same but different?).  Women like her cousin can be spirit mediums - able to communicate to and from spirits.

Duang's Cousin, Wearing a Khata,, Chants a Kata

The ritual was very similar to the Korb Siarn Khru ceremonies that I have previously witnessed.  Devotees would kneel before Papit Kanet and listen to her chanting a Kata (mantra), a sort of invocation or spell.  Unlike previous rituals involving Ruesi, in this ceremony the devotees as well as Duang's cousin wore silk scarves around their neck.  The scarf is called "Khata" and is a traditional ceremonial item in Tibetan Buddhism - another element assimilated into what is accepted as Thai Theravada Buddhism.  I did not know about the need for a scarf or even have a scarf but that was not a problem,  Duang's cousin graciously opened a package and presented me with a beautiful red silk scarf and gave it to me as a gift.

Another difference between this ceremony and others was the incorporation of betel nut chewing into the ritual.  The vast majority of the devotees, except for Duang, chewed betel nuts.  All of the people, except for Duang, who actually had the Ruesi mask placed on their heads had chewed betel nuts.  Chewing betel nuts is a mild stimulant and is quite often used as offerings to the spirits.

Duang Receiving the Siarn Ruesi

Another difference with this ritual and previous Khru rituals, was the dancing of the devotees while under spirit possession - that is everyone except for Duang.  This spirit possessed dancing is a common element in Hindu rituals.  At other rituals of this type the people were possessed by animal spirits of their sacred tattoos.  They would become violent and had to be physically restrained by other laypeople.  To break their animal spirit possession, laypeople would have to lift the possessed person's feet off of the ground and rub his ears.  For the Thamnot Poo Papit Kanet ritual performed by Duang's cousin no intervention was required.  However in addition to dancing some of the possessed people would choke, make guttural noises and spit phlegm into small containers lined with plastic bags.  I don't know if the spitting up of fluid was a result of chewing betel nut or possession by spirits.

A Possessed Devotee

Devotee Dancing While Possessed

At the end of the ritual for each devotee, Duang's cousin drew a symbol on their forehead using a long wooden rod and a paste like substance.  An ancient symbol which is a Sat Yank representation for Buddha was the end result of the marking part of the ritual.

Duang Being Marked

My "Marked" Wife

Parts of the ritual were quite intense - chanting of katas, guttural sounds, loud Oriental music punctuated by reverberating drums, clanging cymbals, the odor of burning incense, and the high energy of the participants.  I could feel the energy of the ritual and started to immediately thing about experiencing a small glimpse of mass hysteria.  Eventually the energy level and its intensity subsided - a welcomed denouement.

Kali Standing on Shiva's Corpse

With everyone returned to normal, I was able to ask some questions regarding some things that I had observed - things that I had not seen before.  Off to the left of the raised platform where Duang's cousin was located for the ritual, there was a full sized grotesque black statue that had one of its feet resting upon a supine blue life-sized man. This statue was something that I imagined was related to some type of voodoo ritual in Haiti.  The standing figure was demonic with a long dark red tongue fully projecting from its mouth.  A wreath of skulls was worn around the neck of the statue. A ring of heads encircled the waist of the statue.  This was the substance of children's nightmares and perhaps even mine.

I asked Duang what it was all about.  She quickly informed me that the black statue was Pamet Gali - a good female spirit that takes care of people (OK ... who am I to cast doubts upon someone's believes and besides Duang is my wife BUT I was not convinced)  This good female spirit, Pamet Gali, was the sister of Mare Touranni.  I know about Mare Touranni - she is the deity that protected Buddha while he was meditating.  His enemies had massed to attack him but she came up out of the Earth and created a flood by wringing the moisture out of her hair that drowned the enemy forces.  She is highly revered in Lao and Thailand.  You will often find statues of her - a beautiful young maiden often topless twisting her long hair draped over her shoulder.

Duang went on to tell me that the blue statue under the black statue's foot was her husband, Si Wa Tet, who was in the Army and taking a rest.  I remember that there are some Wats in Thailand named or containing the words "Si Wa Tet" in it, so I was feeling somewhat more comfortable in Duang's explanation but then again there were those skulls and severed heads.

When I write these blogs, I truly want to write the story of the people that I encounter rather than writing my story.  Perhaps I am trying to be a living medium - communicating their story to others through me.  As such I always run what I saw, what I thought that it was all about, and its significance with my wife before I write a blog entry.  I also do Internet research to confirm, verify and better understand the elements and facts of my blogs.

This blog was no exception.  I started researching the Ruesi, the silk Khata, and the chanting of kata.  Lo and behold I stumbled upon information regarding "Pamet Gali" and I even found a very similar statue WITH explanation.

Duang's "Pamet Gali" is actually the Hindu deity - Kali.  The story behind the statue is entirely Hindu and as follows:  Kali is the dark Hindu Goddess of time and change.  She killed a demon named Raktabija, an enemy of her husband - Shiva.  She ill-advisedly licked up the blood of the demon before it could touch the ground to prevent him regenerating.  The demon's blood messed up her mind and she went berserk - destroying everything and everyone that she saw - in THREE worlds.  Her husband Shiva wanted her to stop and snap out of her craziness.  Shiva took the form of a corpse and laid in front of her.  When she tripped over his body, she snapped out of her madness. She was concerned that she in her frenzy had killed her husband.  She placed her foot on the corpse of her husband, Shiva, to bring him back to life.  Shiva came back to life in the form of a crying child.  Kali was so moved with maternal instincts and love, that she shed her fierce form and became Gauri - the radiant mother and giver of life.  AHHH - it started making a great deal more sense ... to me.  Duang, as typical, knew exactly what she was talking about.  The problem is sometimes she "not talk English good" and more often "You English, not understand"  Fortunately we get it all straightened out - often with the help of Google.

Ruesi Papit Kanet and Laypeople

There are connections that tie things to the past, the present, and the future.  The connections are not always readily recognized, appreciated or understood but they exist.

It turns out that one of the sons of Kali and Shiva was Ganesh - the multi- headed elephant deity.  Another connection is that after killing the demon Kali celebrated by dancing wildly about the battlefield.

I was beginning to understand a little better the spiritual world of the people about me.  My learning and experiences into that spiritual world was to continue in November of this year.

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

For Love of King and Country

For Love of King and Country ... how many countries in today's world does this statement carry any significance?  I don't know other than it is not a large number.  However the statement is very relevant here in Thailand.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej is highly respected and revered here in Thailand.  He is considered to be the father to the Thai people.  His photograph is widely displayed along the highways and roads of Thailand.  I am tempted to say based upon my personal observations that a photograph of the King is displayed in every Thai home and business.  Our home is no exception to that statement.

Two weeks ago, we were invited to attend a "big show" being held at the mall in the center of Udonthani.  Our invitation came from Duang's brother who performs in Morlam Lao shows throughout the area.  He was not performing in this show but he was going to pick up a khene from a woman who is considered to be one of the grand dames of Morlam in this area.  Duang's father was also a performer and remains respected and remembered by many of today's older performers - many of them former students of his.  Respect and tradition run very deep in Isaan culture.

The mall in the center of Udonthani has a large theater for stage shows and expositions.  It is a very impressive venue.

Duang and I arrived for the show before Duang's brother.  Fortunately, Duang knew the woman who had arranged for our seats.  We were shocked at the location of our seats - second row seats just to the right of where the dignitaries were to be seated.  We were seated in amongst many of the performers. Our benefactor was aware of my penchant for photographing unique aspects of life here in Isaan and upon our arrival took great efforts to let me know that I was free to get up and take any photographs that I wished to.

Our Benefactor Performing Tradition Morlam Lao With Her Daughter Playing the Khene

I was at first somewhat reluctant because as it turned out the event was sponsored by the Police.  Many high Police officials were in attendance and the event was also being televised.  Eventually the magnitude and beauty of the event overcame my initial reluctance to leave my seat to take photographs.

We discovered that the event was a demonstration of love of King and country by the music departments of each of the universities and colleges in Udonthani.  Each university and college performed a very professional stage show of three songs.  Adult performers also performed.

The audience was mostly university students all wearing their distinctive school uniforms. Paper Thai and Royal flags had been taped to the backs of the chairs so at the appropriate times the audience was a washed in a sea of waving colors.

Some of the performances were accentuated with still photos and film clips of the King on a large video screen behind the performers and on screens located at each side at the front of the stage.  An orchestra on stage played many types of music during the show using some traditional Asian musical instruments as well as typical Western instruments.

University Students Performing Traditional Dance

 In addition to stills and movie clips of the King, some of the performances were accentuated with clips of Thai military personnel and military exercises which seemed to be a sort of recruitment production. All the performances were first rate productions.  The audience's emotional and enthusiastic responses were genuine.

A Student Sings

Close-Up of One of Many Beautiful Student Dancers

Despite moving around to get better positions to photograph the performers, I was able to meet with some of the officials at the show.  One man was the teacher who was responsible for one of the performing groups.  He viewed some of the photos on my camera's monitor and requested that I send him some photos of his group's production.  I declined his offer to pay me and sent him some of the photos as email attachments.  I will now send him a CD with larger files for printing.

I was amazed at how professional the productions were.  I don't know why I keep being surprised at the beauty, grace, and allure of Thai culture.  After four years here, I should be accustomed to it by now.  Perhaps my surprise is more over the magnitude of the beauty, grace, and allure rather than its mere existence.

The show ended with a massive and lengthy pep rally for Thailand.  Police and government officials joined all the performers on stage to sing patriotic songs and wave the flags.

It had been quite an afternoon and a special afternoon.

Morlam Lao Show - Merit Making

" Double, double toil and trouble; 

Fire burn, and caldron bubble." Macbeth by W Shakespeare

Last week we had the opportunity to attend another death anniversary party.  My brother-in-law was performing at the Morlam (Mo Lam, Mor Lam, Lam, ) Lao show that was part of the party had asked us for a ride to the venue which was a little north of Udonthani on the road to Nong Khai.

Special merit making rituals are conducted in Isaan after a person has died and been cremated.  The determining factor for when the ritual which is essentially a grand party is held is mainly economic.  The ritual is held when the family can afford to pay or afford to borrow to finance the event.  Since the funeral ritual is expensive, most death anniversary parties are held a year or more after the death. Recently we attended a party for two people, one who died ten years ago and the other person had died twenty years ago.  The party that we attended last week was for a man who had died three months ago.  He and his wife were both teachers and he had a great amount of life insurance on his life so the family was in much better financial condition than the majority of the people around here.

When we arrived, the widow greeted us and ensured that we had plenty to eat and drink.  It always amazes me how gracious and hospitable Lao Loum people can be no matter the situation they find themselves in or issues that they are dealing with.  Throughout our 5 hour stay at the event, she made sure that we were not in need of anything and was concerned that we were enjoying ourselves.  Other family members and friends were just as welcoming and kind.

The entertainment commenced at 5:00 P.M. with traditional Morlam Lao music.  Morlam Lao music is the traditional music of the Lao Loum people who reside in Lao People's Democratic Republic and Northeast Thailand.  The music is typically performed with a khene, drum, and hand cymbals.  The following are two links of typical music at these performances.

http://youtu.be/m0l1w6i8-dg

http://youtu.be/MVJ5iBp55Sc

Traditional Morlam Lao music was performed for about four hours.  Towards the end of the traditional music portion of the show, a merit making ritual was conducted.  A large saht was placed upon the stage.  The widow, her children, and close family members of the deceased man knelt upon the mat.  The son held a large framed photograph of the deceased man.  In front of the mourners, a large tray of food offerings and a glass of Lao Lao (whiskey) was placed.  The food and drink offerings are for the spirit of the deceased man.

Family Members and Performers Making Merit for Deceased Person

Widow Grieving for her Husband

The khene player performed a sad melody that is used for these rituals.  The lead singer sang a song specifically about the deceased man, making up the lyrics as she went along.  Making up the lyrics?  In marlam Lao, although there are set melodies, there are no set lyrics.  The performers make up the lyrics at the spur of the moment to coincide with the situation and conditions that they are in at the moment.  As much as their performance is judged on their singing ability, their selection of words and the story that they tell is just as important to the audience.  Think along the lines of the tune "Happy Birthday" but without the well known lyrics but new lyrics dependent upon the performer and the circumstances.

For this merit making the ritual is along the lines of the man's past, how much he accomplished, how good a heart that he had (his kindness), how much he is missed but most importantly - his spirit now has been fed, his spirit has been refreshed with whiskey, his family is doing fine and his spirit is now free as well as released to move on with its journey.  It is very moving even if you do not understand the words but observing the emotions communicates the intimacy and importance of the ritual.

As people drank more and more, they were seduced by the hypnotic rhythms of the morlam Lao music and were frequently found dancing in front of the stage.  Once people found out that I knew how to dance Lao style, I was constantly being invited up to dance by both men and women.  Duang was not spared either - I ended up picking her up out of her chair and carrying her out to the dance area - much to the delight of everyone.

These events are quite interesting and you never know what to fully expect.  One elderly women, quite dignified, ended up to be quite bawdy. She kept getting the microphone and making comments over the large speakers.  The comment that I remember best was something along the lines of "I am going to go off on a motorbike and it is going to feel very good because I have a small %^&&#"  Rather than being shocked, people laughed like crazy.  The men were not to be out done.  A brother to the deceased man was quite drunk but was very entertaining.

During performances at these shows, people will approach the edge of the stage and give money to the performers.  Sometimes if people do not have money they will just shake the hands of the performer and state their appreciation.  At some events, flowers or paper garlands are offered.  At the party that we attended last week, the deceased man's brother had plenty of money.  He was given money by the family and was the designated person to distribute the money to each of the performers.  He did a good job until he drank too much.  He stopped giving away the money.  Either his sister or wife noticed and confronted him out in the middle of the dance area.  She was talking rather loudly at him.  She checked the pockets on his vest and pulled out a wad of cash.  Everyone roared with laughter.  He made amends and recommenced distributing the cash.  When he ran out of money, he gave a piece of paper to the female singer.  According to Duang the paper said something along the lines of when you get to be as old as me (65 years old) perhaps we could get together.  Apparently he forgot that at that time he would be around 90 years old!  Over the microphone, the singer said "One time with me will probably kill you!"  Everyone laughed like crazy.  The man did not get angry and concentrated on his dance routines.

Dancer Performing to Morlam Ziang Music

After the traditional music portion of the event, singers and dancers performed modern music. Morlam Ziang - electronic versions with greater instrumentation and set lyrics.  The deceased man's brother was an amazing dancer.  He had his own moves and routine.  I was most impressed when he would dance on one leg - an ability that I was unable to match no matter how hard that I tried.

Dancer Performing A Classic Dance Move - Pelvic Thrust

It was a great event and we headed home at 10:30 P.M.  Duang's brother was going to return to his home with the other performers after the show concluded - at 3:00 A.M.!

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.

Add caption

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.

Bun Kaithin - Day 2

Tahsang Villager Places Sticky Rice Offering Into Monk's Bowl

Sunday, 25th November, was the day selected for Tahsang Villagers to celebrate Kaithina with the Monks at the "Outside" Wat.  The previous day, the villagers had celebrated the festival by making money trees to offer to the Monks in gratitude for all that they do.  Following the procession through the streets, 6 of 7, of the village, everyone returned to their homes for the night.  Some women prepared food to offer to the Monks the following morning as part of the daily merit making ritual.

Other women, such as my wife, chose to get up early on Sunday morning to prepare food for the Monks.  Duang woke up at 3:45 A.M. to prepare fresh food for our scheduled 6:00 A. M. departure for Tahsang Village.

We stopped at Duang's house in the village to pick up our Grandson, Peelawat, and my mother-in-law to drive out to the Wat.  Our truck was enlisted to transport many of the money trees, banana stalks, and decorations from the civic pavilion.

Villager's Offerings For the Monks

The partially completed Bot was decorated with the banana stalks, pennants, and colorful decorations.  The middle of the section where lay people participate in the ritual was filled with all the money tree as well as other offerings such as sahts (woven reed mats), mons (pillows), religious decorative bowls, artificial flowers, and handicrafts.

The religious celebration commenced as a typical merit making ritual where people make offerings to the Monks.  A Shaman leads the people in a ritual which offers the food to the Monks.  The ritual involves lighting of small candles, chanting, and presenting a small dish with the lit candles and some leaves to the Abbott of the Wat.  The Monks then perform their portion of the ritual by chanting.  One part of this ritual involves the lay people pouring water from a bottle or special metal container into a bowl as they and the Monks chant.  The water in the bowls is then carefully taken outside of the Wat and poured at the base of various plants or trees in another private ritual.

After that portion of the ritual was completed, the Monks ate while the lay people watched and prepared to eat after the Monks.  The Monks only take what they can eat,  After they have eaten, the remaining food is consumed by the lay people.  There is always a surplus of food.  On special days such as Sunday, there is a great deal of surplus of food as well as variety of food.  The eating of the surplus food sustains the very poor of the community.  My wife and her children were nourished by this arrangement many years ago.  The eating of the surplus of food also serves as an opportunity for the community to socialize. Each morning and especially on festival days, there is a sort of pot-luck meal for the people.

Nong, Peelawat, and Tey Playing in the Dirt

Nong of Tahsang Village On Ok Phansa Day - 30 Oct

After they finished eating, the Monks left the Bot.  The lay people took their time to eat their meal.  After finishing their meal, the people gathered up their money trees and other offerings.  They assembled outside near remnants of an earlier structure and chedi at the site.  By this time I had been surrounded by several of my little friends from the village.  My Grandson, Peelawat, likes to hang around me even though we can not talk about too much.  One of my new favorite models, Nong, likes to hang around with Peelawat , Tey and me.  She is 20 months old and likes to be one of the "guys".  Sometimes being one of the "guys" can be difficult and carries a price.  Last week Peelawat ran her over with his bicycle - not intentional but he was unable to stop in time or to avoid her.  Nong had a cut on her head and a scrape on her arm.  She has recovered fine and is back following Peelawat around, and doing whatever he or Tey does. Whenever I take a photograph, she runs up to me so that I can show her the result on the monitor.  The day before, she was seated in the back of a pick up truck.  I took her photograph and showed her.  She smiled and then pointed up in the sky and said something.  I looked and saw nothing.  She pointed again and repeated her words.  Again I was unable to see what she was trying to show me.  She insisted and repeated her gesture as well as words.  This time I tried very hard and saw a helium balloon floating away just about out of sight.  I have to admire and love the persistence of children!  I thanked her for sharing.

Villagers Assembling For A Procession Around the Wat

The villagers commenced their procession around the Wat.  I stayed ahead of them so that I could take photographs of the procession.  Peelawat stayed with me along with Tey and Nong.  The procession was lead by some men with long brooms, sweeping the ground ahead of the villagers.

As is the case in other religious processions, the people walked three  times around the remnants of the Wat.  They walked and danced to ethnic Lao music as the circumambulated the old chedi.  Everyone was smiling and very happy.

As the villagers were finishing up their third circuit of the chedi ruins, I broke off followed by 8 of the children.  I could not help but think of the story of the Pied Piper.  Anyhow, I removed my shoes and climbed the stairs to the area where the Buddha used to be kept, as I started up the stairs I looked back and motioned for the children to remove their shoes and sit down.

The Wrong Place At the Wrong Time

The Monks were inside the worship hall adjusting their clothing.  After awhile of taking photos, one of the Monks let me know that the ceremony was at the other hall.  I exited the hall and found all the children right where I had left them.  Together we all crossed the yard to the proper location much to the amusement of the assembled villagers.

Monks Commence Ritual to Accept Robes (Kaithin)

In the new Bot, there was a special ritual for the offering of the robes (Kaithin).  The Monks rather than the usual single line configuration, were set up in a semi-circle.  They all took turns chanting rather than the usual Abbott and one other Monk.  Chanting was first performed over the robes that were in a plastic shipping bag.  The robes were then removed from the bag, a braided gold colored belt was wrapped around the robes, and additional chanting was performed as Monks held on to the ends of the belt.

After the Monks had accepted the robes, the people took their money trees apart.  The process was done very deliberately and carefully - the bills all had to be facing in the same direction.  The  stack of bills were folded in half and secured with an elastic band.  The wad of cash was then placed into a plastic envelope and brought up to offer to the Monks.  The Monks gave special religious pennants to each family that donated.  The pennants are to bring good luck.  After all the offerings had been made to the Monks, the Monks passed out cardboard boxes that contained a religious statue for the people's home.

The offerings were counted and announced to the people - 109,127 Baht ($3,637 USD) which will be spent to finish the new Bot.

Once again I had the privilege to participate and document a unique event in the Lao Loum culture here in Isaan.  Be it a religious celebration, a funeral, a wedding, or the ordination of a Monk, the community bonds in Isaan are strong.  These bonds start developing at a very early age with babies and toddlers participating in all the rituals.  Some people would say that these are poor people but don't tell them that.  They think that it is all about being happy rather than what you have.  Personally I call the people very fortunate.