Stopped In the Name of the Law

High School Students Perform Lao Traditional Dance

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

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

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

High School Cultural Band Performing

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

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

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

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

One year later, still kicking and thrusting to the music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Busy Times Here In Isaan - Tamboon Roi Wan (Bone Party)

This week has been very busy for us with a combination of personal, religious, family, and cultural activities.

Wednesday was the second day of "Tamboon Roi Wan" and "Tamboon Jaak Khao" for three of Duang's relatives.

In early January of this year, we attended the funeral of PooPaw Veeboonkul.  The funeral was documented in my blog entry, "Yet Another Lao Loum Funeral" Feb 1, 2013  http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/02/yet-another-lao-loum-funeral.html  It is now 100 days from the funeral and in the Lao Loum culture time for a unique ritual called "Tamboon Roi Wan" sometimes referred to as "Bone Party".

"Tamboon Roi Wan" is the funeral anniversary party that has been written about many times in "Allen's World".  Tamboon Roi Wan is a merit making ritual that is held 100 days after the cremation of the body.  If for some reason, typically financial, that the ritual can not be held 100 days after the cremation, the ritual can be held at a later date and is called "Tamboon Jaak Khao". Whether 100 days or many years after the cremation, the ritual is identical and the merit is the same.

Villagers Gambling As Part of Tamboon Roi Wan

The two day ritual is a time for family, friends, and neighbors to eat, drink, socialize, gamble, and participate in religious ritual.  It is a grand party.

The first day of Tamboon Roi Wan or Tamboon Jaak Khao is spent eating and drinking.  The host family has the responsibility of feeding and supplying drink to all the guests.  Pavilions are set up in the front yard or if there is insufficient room in the yard, pavilions are set up in the street in front of the home.  Round tables covered with fabric and rented plastic chairs are set up underneath the pavilions. Bottles of beer, Lao whiskey, drinking water, and soft drinks along with a small metal bucket of ice are placed on each table.  As the drinks are consumed, they are quickly replaced.  Trays of food such as laab moo (a shredded pork dish), Chinese cabbage and assorted greens, raw beef paste with chili, fried chicken, fried pork skin, pauk pauk (spicy papaya salad), som tom palaa (soup with fermented fish sauce), mushroom soup with red ant eggs, along with small packets of sticky rice.

Spirit Houses (Ban Phii) for the Dead 

Taking advantage of the Songkran holiday and the coinciding 100 day anniversary of PooPaw's cremation, the family also conducted "Tamboon Jaak Khao" for PooPaw's mother and father.  Combining rituals and celebrations is typical here in Isaan for it lowers the overall costs - for the family as well as the guests.  For these celebrations there is a great deal of peer pressure for all family members to attend.  Guests also make donations and offerings as part of the rituals.  Since many family members had traveled to be in Tahsang Village for Songkran, the timing was good to have the "bone party".  By combining three rituals into one, the family reduced its costs significantly.

The first day of the ritual in addition to eating, drinking and gambling was spent in decorating the main pavilion as well as constructing Ban Phii (spirit houses) for each of the deceased people.  In the main pavilion where the ritual would take place, raised bamboo platforms were placed.  The Ban Phii were placed on the platforms.  In front of each Ban Phii a large photo of the deceased person was placed.  Food offerings and glasses of drink were also placed in front of the photographs.  Stalks of bananas were hung from the pavilion framing.  Offerings to be made to the Monks at the conclusion of the ritual were displayed around the Ban Phii.  The offerings included nesting metal food containers, toiletries for the Monks, towels, electric fans, religious decorations, blankets, small square pillows (mons), woven reed mats (sahts).

During the course of the two day ritual, the stack of mons grew larger and larger.  Each person who made an offering gave it with a mon.  Duang and I made an offering of money.  The offering of cash can not just be handed over as bare cash.  The cash is placed inside the envelope that contained our invitation to attend the ritual.  The envelope is then placed upon one of our many mons and given to the people who manned a table at the entrance to the main pavilion.  The mon was placed upon the growing pile of pillows to the side of the Ban Phii.  The envelope was opened and the amount of the offering and our names were logged into a notebook that would be given to the Monks.  People who could not afford cash offerings, donated rice.  Those donations were also logged into the notebook and the rice added to a large sack along with previous donations.

On the first day, some men were occupied making some fancy paper decorations that were to hang from the main pavilion framework.  The decorations were fancy cut outs of green, yellow and red papers. I am constantly amazed at the artistic and handicraft abilities of the Lao Loum people.

Around 10:30 A.M. two plastic chairs were brought together facing each other.

Family Sprinkles Water On Bones Contained In Brass Chedi

A pressed metal decorative bowl filled with drinking water was placed on one of the chairs. A metal tray was placed upon the other chair.  Three small brass chedi each containing bone fragments from each of the deceased people were on the metal tray along with a metal cup containing dainty white flowers call "Daug Mai Kao".  Duag Mai Kao flowers and leaves are used as offerings in Buddhist rituals.  The metal tray also had a fourth brass chedi with its top removed.  Bone fragments from all three deceased people had been placed inside of the opened chedi.  The metal serving tray also had some Daug Mai Kao leaves on it.

Family members approached the plastic chairs and reverently sprinkled water using the daug mai kao flowers on the bone fragments while chanting words along the lines of "Good Luck to you, I miss you, Buddha take care of you. I wait for you to be born again, You not worry, Family is OK"  Each person chants their own special incantation to the spirits.  At the end of Songkran the brass chedis will be interned in a larger family chedi at the local Wat.

"Rocketman" Chanting While Holding Saisin

At the conclusion of this portion of the ritual, a typical merit making ritual of offering food to the Monks was conducted.  Once again I had the pleasure of seeing "Rocketman" and the other Monks from the "inside" Wat along with the Monks from the "outside" Wat of Tahsang Village.

After finishing eating the Monks, all but three, returned to their respective Wats.  The three Monks who remained were special "singing" Monks from a third Wat.  The Monks set up their sound system and sat in very ornately carved wood golden chairs to perform the special four hour allegorical merit making performance of grieving and Buddhist tenants.  Although I have read that Buddhist Monks are not supposed to sing this was the at least third example that I had witnessed Monks singing - things are not always the way that they are supposed to be.  perhaps the is a dispensation because it is traditional Lao religious "singing" rather than modern pop songs or hip hop.

I ended up sitting next to the large gong at the base of one of the Monk's chairs.  I ended up having to hit the gong throughout the four hour ceremony.  At first the Monk that I was sitting next to gave me the sign to bang the gong.  Later people in the audience gave me the sign to bang the gong three times - once for Buddha, once for the teachings of Buddha, and once for the Buddhist religious community (Sanga).  After awhile I believed that I had figured out for myself when to "bang the gong".  To me it seemed that it was time to bang the gong whenever one of the Monks was singing particularly well - long drawn out warbling drawn out wide tonal range - in other words whenever they had the feeling or I had the "feeling".  I think it was somewhat like a fundamental Christian tent revival meeting when someone shouts out "Amen!" or "Hallelujah!"  People told my wife that I did a good job and that I understood how to bang the gong even when our four year old grandson was sleeping on my lap.

Women Participating In Special "Singing" Merit Making While Betel Nut Chewing

The last 30 to 40 minutes of the special merit making with the singing Monks involved feeding the spirits and making offerings to the spirits.  This portion of the ritual started with trays of food and glasses of drink being placed before each of the photographs of the deceased people.

Food To Feed the Spirits of the Deceased Is Placed Before their Photographs

Candles are lit and placed upon the trays of food and drink while family members hold burning Joss sticks to offer the food to the spirits.

After the food and drink had been offered to the spirits, the Monk who was the female voice of the singing ritual commenced to sing a mournful traditional Lao lament of death. - very similar to this song but without the musical accompaniment. http://youtu.be/jzImU9seLWU (Vin yan Mae) "The Mother's Spirit.

As the Monk sang, family members paid their respects to the deceased while holding burning Joss sticks.

Unlike at the cremation ritual, it is during this portion of the Tamboon Roi Wan and/or Tamboon Jaak Kho that there is an outpouring of emotion and grief.  Men and women alike cry as they listen to the mournful laments and think of the deceased.  It is a very moving and touching.  Our grandson sat and attentively observed the ritual - some how instinctively knowing that seriousness and significance of what was transpiring before him.

The merit making ritual ended around 3:30 P.M. when the people returned to socializing, gambling, and drinking.  The children returned to the roadsides to toss water on passing vehicles and people.

At 9:00 P.M. the next element of the "Bone Party" commenced.  Duang's brother had been hired to put on one of his "Molam Lao" shows.  The village street had been blocked off and a large stage erected in the middle of the street.  The show was scheduled to run until around 4:00 P.M. but as so often happens here in Isaan, the police shut down the how before its scheduled completion because of the number of fights.

Lead Female Performer Backstage

The propensity for violence at these shows is widely known.  We asked our 4 year old grandson if he wanted to go to the show.  He said "No, I want to go home and sleep.  There are too many fights!"  There were several policemen at the show as well as one of the large paddy wagons to detain and transport offenders.  The problems during this show started after I had left.  Tahsang Villagers and their rivals from another local village kept getting into fights and ignored the police.  There has been bad blood between the villages since the murder of one villager by a member of the other village.  When people refused to cooperate with the police, the police shut the show down.

A Dancer Backstage

Performing A Song With Khene

It had been quite a party - a Bone Party or Party Phii (Spirit Party).  It was a party that involved the entire community as well as the large extended family of the deceased.  Just as Thai food is a melange of various colors, textures and flavors ranging from sour to sweet, spicy to bland, the party encompassed a wide range of emotions and activities.  There was the solemn respect for the deceased, the sense of community, the reminders of life is suffering, the open displays of grief, the homage to Buddha and spirits, and finally in the end the joy and energy as well as enthusiasm of the Lao Loum culture.  People of all ages participated in all aspects of the day.  Death is not kept hidden from children.  From an early age children are aware of the inevitability of death.

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

Ban Chiang Weekend

Two Villagers Showing How Metalworking Was Done

Last weekend we drove over to Ban Chiang about one hour east of our home to attend the Ban Chiang World Heritage Festival.  Our original intention was to just attend the first day of the festival on Friday.

Ban Chiang is a village in the Nong Han district of Udonthani where a Bronze Age village has been excavated.  Information on the Internet will tell you that the archaeological site was "discovered" in 1966 by a young student from Harvard.  Well he no more discovered the archaeological site than Christopher Columbus discovered the "New World".  In both cases native people were already there and aware of the "discoveries" long before the arrival of the "discoverers".

The popular story regarding Steve Young, the Harvard student and not the former NFL quarterback, is that he was walking down a dirt road and tripped over the roots of a tree.  As he lay in the dirt he noticed shards of pottery.  He realized that they were primitive and had unusual designs on them that were unique as well as beautiful.  The truth, which I learned from my neighbor who grew up in Ban Chiang, is that for many years prior to the arrival of Mr. Young, young village boys would take bones along with pottery shards that were revealed through erosion and scare the girls with them.  Animist beliefs and fears are strong even today so very old and strange objects often carry the stigma of "phii" (spirits, ghosts).  What I believe Mr Young rightfully deserves credit for is publicizing the site which brought about formal and organized research.

The first formal scientific excavation was conducted in 1967.  Another formal excavation was conducted in 1974 -1975 which produced sufficient materials to perform carbon dating which indicated that the initial settlement was around 1500 BC with the the Bronze Age starting around 1000 BC.

In 1992, Ban Chiang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  There is a museum that was set up with the help of the King to display pottery relics and skeletons from the excavations.  Part of the excavation remains for visitors to view sheltered by the roof of the museum.

We had been invited to attend the opening day of the festival by our next door neighbor.  He had mentioned about coming in the afternoon since he had to be there early in the morning for merit making rituals with the Monks.  There was some confusion and we never did get to sort out the specific details for meeting in Ban Chiang.  It sounded interesting enough so we went on our own and arrived around 4:00 PM.

A Student in Vietnamese Costume

The area was set up for the eminent start of a parade.  While Duang waited, I made some inquiries about our neighbor to no avail.  There was a large area off to the side of the museum that was set up for khantoke dinner and a stage show.  Our neighbor had mentioned that to me previously.  I checked into the price for the dinner and was told that the event was all sold out. There was no problem with that, for there are always plenty of food vendors along the streets at these events to ensure that you neither go thirsty or hungry.

The parade was a very nice procession of university students dressed in traditional Lao, Cambodian  and Vietnamese clothing. Lao?  No Thai? Yes, Ban Chiang was actually settled by Lao refugees in the late 1700's.  For many years the Isaan region of Thailand was the frontier and largely ignored.  It was only in the 1920s that efforts were made for Thai-ification of the region.  The Lao Phuan people of Ban Chiang have maintained their culture much as their cousins, the Lao Loum, have.

Policemen lined both sides of the parade route spaced about 25 meters apart.  They seemed to be enjoying the event as much as the other spectators.  When the various groups of students arrived at the reviewing stand, they performed about a 3 minute traditional dance routine of the country for the costume they were wearing.  Other groups included tributes to the King of Thailand and there were a couple of floats depicting life in the very old days of Ban Chiang.  There were no horses in the parade but there were two carts being pulled by ox.  The ox carts and people marching with them commemorated the migration of the lao Phuan into the region.

It was a nice little parade which ended shortly before sunset.  Duang and I walked around a little bit and found some carnival games and a stage where later in the night you could pay 20 Baht ($0.60 USD) and dance to live music.  We headed back to where we had watched the parade with pretty much the attitude of "OK, that was nice but what else is going on?"  We arrived to a grand stand across from the main review stand and Duang talks to some people.  She then tells me that they are going to do the parade again and something about the Governor of Udonthani.  I ask her when and she tells me "15 minutes".  Now that is interesting!  Apparently the Governor of Udonthani Province was coming to watch the parade.

It was now dusk and after trying to photograph the previous parade under setting sun conditions, there were some lessons that I had learned.  I went across the street to a narrow area between the two reviewing stands for a better location to photograph the event.  Sure enough 10 minutes later the political dignitaries showed up.  I was waiting for the parade to recommence when I heard someone calling my name - it was our neighbor.  He was a member of the local delegation seated in one of the reviewing areas.  We called out to  Duang to cross the street and join him while I photographed the parade.

Dancers In Vietnamese Costume

The night parade was "same same, but different".  The biggest difference was there were no Police lining the route!  Despite the presence of some rather high ranking government officials and their wives, there were no Police.  I guess the daylight parade was a rehearsal for the participants and for the crowd.  Once the Police were assured that we knew how to and would behave, they left.  The dignitaries did have some guys that I suspect were security but you could not tell by the way they were dressed or did they show that they were armed.  I only suspected by their age and size.  It did not matter because the crowd did behave very well.

Traditional Cambodian Dancing

Another difference for the night parade was each group performed a 10 minute dance routine in front of the main reviewing area.

Traditional Lao Dancing

Another difference in the night parade was the use of live fish.  During the parade there were some men who enacted traditional ways of life in the Ban Chiang area - one activity being catching fish with a hand thrown net.  During the daylight rehearsal, the men threw water on the street and then cast a net over the wet pavement.  During the night parade, they did the same but when there was a good sized live fish underneath the net.  The fisherman pulled the fish out from underneath the net and placed it down the back of his pahtoom (sort of a combination of shorts and skirt) much to the delight of the crowd.

Miss Ban Chiang?

After the parade Duang and I joined our neighbor across the street for the Khantoke dinner and show.  We were guests of the Ban Chiang Foundation where he volunteers.  We had a great dinner and wonderful company with the President of the Foundation and two other women.  Once again the friendliness and generosity of the people of Isaan made another day for us so special.

Throughout dinner, bang poo (very large paper bags filled with hot air from a burning candle suspended below them) rose silently and floated high across the sky glowing with a soft golden light.  It was absolutely stunning.

The night's stage show was also very beautiful and extremely professional.   The first part was a moving tribute to the King of Thailand with everyone standing and holding a lit yellow candle while special music played and special songs were sung.

The rest of the show was a history of the Ban Chiang area from prehistoric times to the day that the King came to dedicate the Ban Chiang Museum.  When the relics were first formally excavated in the area, they were sent to be displayed in Kohn Kaen and Bangkok.  The King believed that the people of the area should be able to see their heritage so he was instrumental in having a museum built at the site.

Phii Dancing 

The show included fireworks displays.  Some of the fireworks were unlike any others that I have seen in my life - after the initial boost and air burst, there was several secondary bursts where shimmering "snowflakes" lit up the sky.  It was very impressive as well as beautiful.

Dignitaries With Winners of the Art Contest

After the show concluded, we walked around the lake with our neighbor to where Muay Thai boxing was being held.  The venue was very rustic - a raised ring set up on a flat gravel area.  There were four rows of plastic chairs surrounding the ring with a dense crowd perhaps 20 person deep radiating out in all directions followed by several motorcycle carts selling drinks and food.  Two temporary wood poles were on opposite sides of the ring with three bare high watt light bulbs, sort of warehouse type light bulbs, suspended over the ring between the two poles.  The snake charmer type music so unique to Muay Thai matches punctuated the heavy nighttime air.  In the middle of the ring, two seventeen year old local athletes were beating the crap out of each other.  This was nothing like the matches that we had seen in Pattaya and Bangkok.  Perhaps they were for tourists and this was for local honor as well as glory.  After one match we returned home.

Duang had been very impressed with the local clothing and wanted to make some outfits.  I had not gotten to visit the museum during our day in Ban Chiang.  Duang learned that on Sunday there would be shows during the day.  We decided to return on Sunday.

We returned on Sunday and the free entertainment was great.  For the third time I watched and listened to Monks singing.  This time they were singing about how important it was for people to take care of Monks now rather than waiting until they are dead for their relatives to take care of the Monks for them.  This was followed by a show performed by university students from Kohn Kaen.  The group was managed by their former teacher who is now a Monk.  A Monk in business?  A Monk associating with young women?

University Students Performing

Like so many things in life.  There is the way things are supposed to be and there is the way that things are.  Perhaps they are only an exception but they are the way they are.  I know because my wife ended up with his business card.

We met some nice people during the day and thoroughly enjoyed our second day in Ban Chiang.  Duang found the fabric that she wanted to make her outfits out of.  The cost for the cloth was 2,500 Baht ($85 USD) but she will have 8 new outfits.  As for me, I never did get to go inside of the museum.  But that is fine with me, for it makes for a very good reason to return to Ban Chiang a third time; a third time ... soon.

Same Old Thing, The Joy Is Seeing It Differently

Khene Player Performing During Morlam Lao Show

Last week we attended one of my brother-in-law's Morlam Lao shows in the village of Si That here in Isaan.  The show was part of a festival at a Wat in the area.  The festival was raising funds for the local Wat.  Although the show was free, the performance attracted people to the Wat grounds where they could purchase  handicrafts, food, drinks, play carnival type games such as "Pop the Balloons with darts", or just plain out make a donation to the Wat while they were there.  The key was to get the people through the gates.  A Morlam Lao show here in Isaan is always good to attract a crowd.

I have lived in Thailand for five years now and I don't know how many of these shows that I have attended other than it has been quite a few.  These shows are performed for all kinds of reasons such as weddings, house warming, Monk ordination celebrations, anniversary of deaths, running for political office, giving thanks for winning an election, local festivals, certain holidays, fundraisers for Wats, and I guess for no other reason than they are fun.

I am fortunate that my brother-in-law earns his living as an entertainer.  I am made aware of many of these shows.  Most of these shows are small village events without any advertising other than word of mouth.  With his involvement in may of the shows and with Duang's large extended family, there seems to be ample mouths to get the word to me.  I enjoy these shows very much - the music, the pretty girls who perform, and interacting with the people.  I also enjoy getting out with the local people and dancing "fawn Lao" style.

Dancer Applying Make-up Backstage

I always bring my camera gear to photograph the shows.  I enjoy taking photographs at these venues.  After so many of these shows, you would thing that I would run out of enthusiasm for the photographic opportunities a show presents.  yes there are the ubiquitous shots of performers applying make-up backstage, putting on their platform go-go boots, and the dancers performing.  I am fortunate in that I can go back stage at will and photograph the performers. But perhaps I am most fortunate in that I am able to see each show as a unique event with its own individualized photographic opportunities.

A Dancer Ready To Go Up On Stage

My photographic style is constantly evolving so with each show I am striving to experiment with different techniques or perhaps different angles for the photographs.  Often the dancers and performers are different who will also often inspire me.  Best of all, it seems that someone will always capture my focus for the duration of the show.  The center of my attention can be a dancer, a singer, someone in the crowd, a musician or even some aspect of that particular show.  No matter the case, it makes each show that I photograph "different and special" for me - my personal spin on a well used phrase over here of "same same, but different"

"Same same, but different" can be an aggravating phrase to many, but for me it captures some of the allure of living here in Isaan.  Thai food is renown for the varied textures and flavors of each individual dish. The simplest of dishes is actual quite sophisticated for the palate.  Well life is also quite remarkable when you allow yourself to fully explore it and delve deeper beneath its surface. "Same same, but different" exemplifies the possibilities for us.  What may seem banal and common place, can be stimulating and rewarding if we just allow ourselves to recognize and appreciate its subtleties.

Khene Player In Si That

For the show in Si That, the khene player became the focus of my photography efforts that night.  We had given him a ride from Udonthani to Si That along with my brother-in-law and his manager.  The khene player was very quiet and reserved on the hour drive out to the show venue.  He was very reserved as he sat upon a saht behind the stage applying his make-up. Unlike my brother-in-law who uses a more traditional flat white pancake make-up for his performances - thing along the lines of Dracula, the khene player used darker tones of make-up to accentuate the contours of his face.  This made for better portraits in that it created greater contrasts and implied shadows on his face.

Once the khene player had changed into his "work clothes" and completed his make-up he looked completely different than the person who sat behind me in the truck.

Once he grabbed his khene and went up on stage he was a different person than the person who sat behind me in the pick up truck.  He had been completely transformed.

So what is the khene and what significance does it have to Morlam Lao music?  The khene is a reed instrument.  It is the ubiquitous instrument of Lao music and in many aspects it helps to define Lao culture.  The khene is to Lao music what the lead electrical guitar is to rock and roll music.  Besides playing the melody, the khene player, like the lead guitarists, also creates the environment in which the singer performs.  The khene player dances, struts, and jumps about the stage as he plays.  His pelvic thrusts accentuate parts of the melody. He or she are entertainers as well as musicians.  This guy was very good so I had plenty of good opportunities to photograph him.

Facial Expressions Are Essential Too

So it was a Morlam Lao show the same as so many others that I had attended.  It was the same but different at least for me because of the khene player.  Focusing upon him during that show had revealed to me an aspect of the shows that I had not fully experienced before. It was an experience that I am pleased to share with others.

When I was working, I essentially had the same duties and responsibilities on my assignments for the last fifteen years of my career.  I never grew tired or bored with the assignments, "same same' as they were because although they were "same, same" they were also different.  Although the duties and responsibilities were the same, the magnitude of the projects were greater but more importantly the environments were very different.  For last ten years of my career those same duties and responsibilities were being performed overseas in the midst of different cultures.  The satisfaction and stimulation that I sought came not from achieving what I was accustomed to but from achieving it with all the challenges presented by unique cultures and situations.

So what does "same same but different" have to do with photography, my former career, this blog and perhaps you?

Well, they are all connected.

It is about enjoying life by exploring it deeper.  It is about not taking things for granted and willing assuming that it is all the same.  It is also about learning, continually learning.  It is about learning to appreciate and value the differences and subtleties that surround us

The joy is not in the comfort of the "same same" but in exploring and discovering the "but different"

One of my reasons for writing and maintaining this blog is to share the "but different" that I have found in "Allen's World"

New Photos Added - Isaan Go-Go Girls

Ten new photographs from last night's Mahlam Lao stage show have been added to the gallery - "Isaan Go-Go Girls"

http://hale-worldphotography.smugmug.com/People/Isaan-Go-Go-Girls/8185157_q4YxR#826378674_f82CZ