Getting Ready

Strange happenings recently are apparently not limited to Massachusetts, there have been strange events here in Isaan. Despite this being the dry season, we have had rain for the past two days. The rain has been like a gentle shower but has lasted for several hours each day. I guess that it just goes to show that weather much like politics can not be counted on or taken for granted. What has always happened in the past will not necessary will be what will always be in the future.

There has been a two day celebration in a village near Tahsang Village marking seven years since the death of one of Duang's friend's mother. Typically the celebration, merit making, is held one year after the death but in this case the family is poor and had to have additional time to save up the money. One of the daughters has recently married a falang, so funds are now available. There are also close ties between the villagers of Tahsang and the family of the deceased.

Someone was needed to transport the Tahsang Villagers back and forth to the celebration. Since Duang told the people that I would not be attending, the family decided to pay Duang's son gas money for the two days. Each trip out to Tahsang Village costs $10 and $10 back. Since I am a falang, many people assume or believe that I can afford to run back and forth to help them without compensation.

Duang and I have fairly well convinced people that we are not a bank readily and willingly capable of loaning them money. We are now working on convincing them that we are not operating a free transportation service.

Yesterday, I obtained the Owner's Manual for the Toyota truck that we picked up in October. It was a condition for buying the vehicle back in July. We had been following up on it since October and yesterday it was finally available. I can't complain though - I imagine that it was a great deal easier as well as quicker to obtain an English language Owner's manual in Thailand than to get a Thai language manual in the United States.

We leave for Laos the day after tomorrow so I have been using this time to prepare the cameras for our trip, to pack my bag, gather travel documents and complete the research for the trip.

200th Post - Elementary School Program

This is the 200th post of Allen's World - I guess some sort of a milestone.

Last night we had a late night returning home from Tahsang Village after midnight.

I am not sure what we did but we enjoyed ourselves immensely. It is not that I drank too much and can not remember the night. It was the event that we attended and participated in was unlike anything I have attended before. I will try to describe it as best as I can and give my interpretation of the events.

My wife had told me that a teacher at the Tahsang Village was leaving to teach at another village school. There was going to be a party to wish him good luck. It all sounded simple enough and not anything all that special.

As the day wore on she gave me a better idea of what the evening's activities would be. There was going to be another parade where the students would walk from Tahsang Village to the Elementary School. People were going to eat dinner at the school. Last year we had attended a fund raiser at the school so I thought that I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Later in the afternoon, Duang's son stopped by to take Duang to the Chinese wholesale store to buy 3 cases 1.25 liter bottles of soda for the school children. He bought two huge (2 foot diameter by 5 foot long) bags of snack food for the children.

I was involved in a long conversation to Korea over the phone, so we were unable to head out to Tahsang until 6:00 PM thereby missing out on the "parade". We arrived at the school and it was very apparent that the evening would be different for sure.

The front of the school was filled with all types of tents of various construction. Some tents were typical nylon camping tents that you buy at sporting goods stores. Some tents were made out of tarps placed over sticks that had been driven into the ground to form loops. Some tents were very similar to tepees.

About 300 children were running around playing tag, muay thai boxing, and in general having a great time. In the center of the field was a large pyramid of wood awaiting to be lit to create a bonfire. There were several of the pavilions that are used to provide shelter at celebrations. Amongst the encampment, at least 8 village dogs were running about.

We parked the truck to offload the supplies and were greeted by one of the teachers. She arranged for help to offload the truck and wanted our names. She needed our names so that the man at the PA system could announce our donation and give us proper credit. It seems that in Isaan there is no such thing as an anonymous donation.

After offloading the truck we went to a covered area where people were being served food that was being prepared and cooked by mothers of some of the students. As I looked around I started getting a better idea of what was going on. Some of the adults were wearing portions of Boy Scout uniforms. Because the people are not wealthy, there was only one man who had a complete uniform. Two women wore US Marine Corps Drill Instructor style hats and several had only a Boy Scout bandanna around their neck to indicate their affiliation.

This appeared to be a sort of Boy Scout Jamboree except that the number of girls far exceeded the number of boys. Again, because the children are poor, for those that had a uniform, their uniform consisted solely of a bandanna around their neck. I questioned Duang about what was going on and she indicated that this was like a party for the end of the year and beginning of a new year. Nine village schools were participating in the camp out. On Saturday the students were going to pack up and hike to a different village school to camp out. Friday night, Tahsang Village was hosting the group and was responsible for feeding the masses and running the program.

Before we even took our seats to eat, I was given a glass of whiskey and soda. I shared it with Duang and she was eventually given her own glass. It seems that all social functions here, there is drinking. Duang introduced me to many of the men at the table. No women other than Duang were seated at the table. The women had apparently eaten earlier and were occupied serving the men. Duang and I sort of bridge typical Isaan customs at these events. Men and women typically sit apart from each other including merit making rituals at the Wat. However since I am clueless most of the time as to what is going on, I sit with Duang so that she can explain to me. Our seemingly breaches of etiquette are tolerated and apparently accepted. However I don't think that we will be influencing Isaan Lao Loum customs any time soon.

After finishing our meal, we were directed to the area in front of the pavilion where the announcer and PA equipment were located. A row of stuffed sofas and chairs along with a cocktail table were situated at the edge of the field. Behind the stuffed furniture was a row of plastic chairs where we were directed to sit. This arrangement is typical at Isaan events. Monks, dignitaries and government officials sit in the front rows on stuffed furniture. No Monks attended the festivities. The front row was comprised of each village's "Headman" and some dignitaries from the District. When the dignitaries were seated, a woman brought them glasses of beer and whiskey. Seated behind them, Duang and I were given glasses of cola.

The Master of Ceremonies commenced his address when there was huge commotion to the side of the public address system. The lights flicked and went out . The sound system went dead. The air was filled with cries, growls and flying dirt. One of the 8 village dogs had tried to get up very close and extremely personal with one of the dogs, she vehemently objected as well as a couple of the other male dogs. During their battle, the extension cord supplying electricity to the pavilion was dislodged. Order and electricity were eventually restored although the dogs continued to have their "differences" the rest of the night - a little bit of unplanned and unexpected entertainment.

The planned entertainment commenced with a fire lighting ceremony. Some girls came out in costumes along with headdresses and danced around the wood pyre in a skipping type dance in accompaniment to conga drum beats as well as chanting my the "Boy Scout" adults. Their outfits were brown sacks that had been decorated with day glow paint. Four black lights had been mounted on bamboo poles around the pyre. Their headdress was a day glow head band with a cardboard day glow feather over each ear. I was not certain if the girls represented some Lao Loum deity, Animist spirits, or Thai mythological figures. When they and the adults gave out war whoops a la 1950's television and movies that I realized that they were "Indian" maidens. After the maidens had taken their position, a "warrior" arrived. He appeared to be more of an Inca or Mayan warrior and unfortunately he was very overweight. He skipped danced around the maidens three times. On one of the passes in front of us, a man called out to him in Lao "You are too fat. You eat too much pig!"- talk about a tough crowd! Undeterred the boy trooped on. He came before the District Leader, a man with respect and deference that I am sure that President Obama wished that he had,an received a lit torch. The warrior chief then danced to bring a torch to each of the 4 maidens located at the cardinal compass points of the pyre. Once all the torches were delivered the wood pyre was ignited with the torches. As the pyre leaped into flames, fireworks were shot into sky. A total of 7 fireworks were shot into the sky exploding into colorful bursts with powerful booms. While the fireworks were shooting into the sky, some of the maidens had long tubes that were shooting roman candles over the fire.

The students, assembled around the field, watched in amazement and excitement along with their parents as well as younger siblings. This was a family as well as community event. Everyone was in good spirits - some adults in more "spirits" than others.


One of the leaders moved his chair and ended up inadvertently placing it upon my empty glass. I spoke to him in Thai to wait a minute and removed the glass from underneath his chair. The next thing that I knew was that he wanted me to sit in the stuffed chair next to his. I sat down, and a woman brought me a glass of beer - Yes rank has it's privileges. But there is no such thing as a free lunch or glass of beer. Some young girls came out and danced around the fire bearing offerings for the dignitaries. One girl presented a trophy that would be awarded to the school that was judged to have had the best spirit. Another girl presented a watermelon that had some bamboo sticks with papers stuck on them. Other girls had fresh leis made out of banana blossoms. The dignitaries placed the floral arrangements around their necks. I was given two of the leis to wear. But as Duang so often tells me "This is Thailand, not same as America" - I could not fit the leis over my large head! After consultation with Duang and the dignitaries, it was determined that I should wear one lei on my head like a crown and one wrapped around my left wrist.


I mentioned that there is no such thing as a free lunch or glass of beer. After receiving the leis, the dignitaries and I had to dance with the girls around the fire. Fortunately I am familiar and comfortable with dancing Lao style. The crowd was also kinder to me than the previous warrior chief. It was great fun and upon returning to our seats, the District Leader poured and sent me a shot of whiskey. Rank has it's privileges - especially in Isaan. I was offered more liquor but since I was driving I did not accept the kind invitations.

There was a full night of entertainment and activities. The children enthusiastically participated in round singing, cheering competitions, and exercises. Each school presented a skit. As best as I can determine the skits were reinforcing social behaviors such as not smoking, patriotism, not let your dogs attack people's ducks, etc. Two of the schools had their girls perform Go-Go or MTV video type dance routines. It appears the the Isaan pipeline of dancers to Bangkok and Pattaya will be kept functioning well in the future. Prior to and after presenting their skit, the groups lined up in front of the dignitaries and gave them a three fingered salute which was returned by the District Leader. It appeared to me that the entire event is designed to reinforce and encourage community values as well as expectations with the students.

Tahsang Village school was the most comical to watch last night. They were "naughty boys". A couple of the younger brothers who do not attend school, sat with their older siblings. They were not bashful at all - dancing any and every time there was a beat in the air. Many times their dancing disintegrated into "kick boxing". It was very entertaining especially knowing that they were not your children or going home with you.

The program ended around 11:30 PM with the students going to their tents to sleep. Some teachers and two security guards remained to watch over the children. Naturally the dogs remained trying to do what they had been trying to do all night long. No seemed to mind.

We were invited to stay longer while a pig was roasted over the fire that had been used in the festivities. The Tahsang Village Headman set up his computer with a small amplifier for karaoke. A couple of the teachers sang Isaan songs. They were excellent singers and pleasant to listen to.

It was getting late so after eating some fresh grilled pig intestines, we left for the one hour drive back to Udonthani.

I am not certain what it was all about. I am not sure that I understood what was going on. I know that we had enjoyed another unique Isaan experience.

Isaan Silk

Sunday, January 10th, we drove approximately 150 miles south east to Baan Chat Yai Village in Maha Sarakham Province. The primary reason that we went to the village was to participate in the Anniversary Death Celebration for the mother of one of Duang's friends. The woman had died while we were in Vietnam so Duang could not attend the funeral.

As I had written in two previous blog entries, after a person has died, there is a big merit making event, essentially a party, to assist the deceased to earn a better status when they are reincarnated. For many Isaan families the celebration is held one to three years after the death when the family has saved up enough money for the event.

Duang's friend was staging a three day event, we were there for the second day. Since the deceased woman had social ties and perhaps family ties to Tahsang Village, we stopped in Tahsang Village to pick up 11 relatives to take to the celebration. We ended up driving along the roads looking like a typical Isaan vehicle - 4 people in the back seat and 7 in the pickup bed along with bags of rice, sahts, and mohns. Rice, sahts (hand made woven reed mats), and mohns (colorful intricately decorated covered rectangular pillows)are offered along with money to earn merit for the deceased as well as the donors.

We got up at 5:00 A. M. to get to Tahsang Village by 6:00 A.M.. We actually arrived at 6:15 A.M. but in Isaan that is considered to be early. We arrived in Baan Chat Yai at 9:30 A.M. Upon arrival we made the rounds of other guests and were introduced to everyone. It was a happy reunion for all the people. We were immediately seated at three of the many tables and served beer and soft drinks. As is customary when guests arrive in Isaan, we were fed sticky rice, and several plates of ethnic food. Many women were in the backyard under tarps cooking the food over several charcoal and propane gas fires. Several women were busy washing pots, pans, and bowls. Young women were busy serving the guests. Everyone seemed to know their duties and responsibilities. The whole process was very well organized.

In the middle of the street in front of the house, a very long pavilion had been erected. The pavilion was the site where the Monks would be fed and the formal merit making ceremony would be conducted. Fourteen Monks were served a meal. Four of the Monks were grandsons and nephews. Just as when she died, some male relatives, shaved their heads, shaved their eyebrows, and became Monks for the three day event. I was lead to believe that the number of Monks had to not be divisible by two but Duang assures me that 14 was not a problem.


Prior to the start of the ceremony at 11:00 P.M., Duang's friend gave me two beautiful "par mai". I had been given two pakamas (phaa khao maa)by Duang's family when we were married. The pakama were made out of cotton and are part of the Lao Loum identity. On Sunday I was given two "par mai" that had been hand woven in Baan Chat Yai, one of the many villages in Isaan where the tradition of silk hand weaving is maintained. "Par mai" are silk pakamas. The par mai that were tied around my waist were about two meters long by 3/4 meter wide. They had a red stripe motif on each end with the remainder of the fabric being a series of richly colored plaids. Many of the men at the ceremony had similar garments. This was not the end of our welcome and acceptance into this village.

Duang's friend then led us to the main pavilion where many people had assembled and were sitting on sahts awaiting the start of the formal ceremony. The people, mostly women, wanted to wish Duang and me "Good Luck" and "Good Fortune" and "Happiness". Duang and I went from group to group of the people and knelt before them. I extended my right hand to them. In a sort of baii sii ceremony, the people tied a piece white butcher's string around my wrist while chanting. As part of the string tying ritual, a knot was tied in the middle of the string and rolled along the inner wrist. Duang extended her left hand and the process was repeated for her. At the conclusion of our visits, we each had 48 strings around our wrist. The origins of this ritual go back to Animist beliefs that there are 32 necessary good spirits that dwell inside of us. These spirits are necessary to maintain our physical, as well as spiritual well being. The purpose of tying the strings around the wrist is to bind the spirits inside of us to prevent their escape. The ritual is also a manifestation of a community's acceptance and goodwill for a person.

The Monks were fed and went back to their Wat in the village except for three senior Monks. These Monks were seated in intricately carved, guilded and jeweled thrones. Each Monk had a microphone and took turns in speaking or chanting. This was the start of a 5 hour ritual. The Monks spoke about virtues, life, and death. They reminded young people of their duty and responsibility to care for their Mother and Father.

After one hour, I was getting sore legs so Duang and I got up for a walk around the village. Another of Duang's friends from the village invited us to her home. As we all walked towards her home, we came upon a lot filled with many bare spindly trees or more like bushes. There were a couple dried up leaves remaining on one bush. I thought that I recognized them as mulberry bushes which are used in silk production. Duang confirmed my suspicion.

Her friend's home was more of a family compound. Several family members live on the grounds with out buildings for storing rice, sheltering animals, working on equipment and weaving silk cloth. This was a teat that I had not anticipated.

We stopped at a covered work area where there was a raised platform with sahts on top of it - typical throughout Isaan for having one's outside meals on, a place to socialize with family or neighbors, a place to nap, and a place to care for children up and above the chickens and dogs. To the side of the platform was a large rustic loom for weaving silk. The loom was very rustic. It was constructed of heavy rough hewn lumber, a piece of PVC pipe, ordinary hemp rope, bamboo and sticks. The only piece of the loom that appeared to be manufactured was the blue plastic shuttle atop the piece of completed fabric on the loom. Two pedals for weaving the fabric had been fashioned out of two sticks attached to the loom with fabric. Long skeins of silk thread were draped over the top of the loom.

Silk thread had been set up on the loom to form the foundation for weaving a piece of fabric about three meters long - I have no idea how much thread had been used for that purpose but I am certain that it is an impressive length. I was told that all the silk had been grown and processed in the village. The small plot that we passed on the way to the compound was only one of several plots were mulberry bushes are cultivated as food for the silk worms.

At the family one of the sisters came out to show us how the silk thread is woven to create fabric. When she realized that I was going to photograph the demonstration, she excused herself. She returned wearing a very pretty silk blouse that had been made for her. She wanted to look her best for the photo. On the loom was a section of completed fabric. Many villages in Isaan have their own distinctive patterns for the fabrics that they weave. The patterns are kept inside of the weaver's head. There are no cards, computer sheets, or specification sheets documenting the sequence or steps to produce the desired design. It is beyond my ability to contemplate the process - threads lifted, threads run across, threads dropped, different colored threads at different times - I am glad that I was an engineer and not a home weaver!

The weaver sat on a simple bench with the obligatory radio next to her. Most of the time Lao Loum people have Mahlam Morlam music or Lao music blaring as they toil away. I have witnessed a young man spreading fertilizer by hand on newly planted sugar cane with a large and loud portable radio slung over his shoulder with a piece of rope. I witnessed farmers gathering sheaves of harvested rice listening to Isaan music until they backed the farm wagon over the radio.

After the weaving demonstration, my attention was diverted to another piece of handmade equipment. This device was a sort of spinning wheel. Rather than the pieces of art that were made out of fine woods such as maple back in New England which are now collector's items, this device was made out of rough lumber and a bicycle wheel. I continue to be amazed at the Lao Loum penchant to utilize whatever is available and to recycle. The other part of the spinning wheel assembly was a sort of drying rack constructed of bamboo strips and string. A skein of multi colored silk thread was placed over the rack creating large loops that seemed like leopard skin patterned fabric.


The bicycle wheel was turned by a hand crank to take the large loops of colored silk and spin them into thread on a bobbin to be used on the loom. Each woman, including Duang, had their turn at the device so that their picture could be taken. It was a fun time. One of the family dogs remained oblivious to his surroundings and continued his afternoon lounging.

The leopard skin pattern on the silk threads had been created by tie dying the silk in a process called "Mudmee". In mudmee process the silk strands are alternately tied and dyed to create the pattern that becomes apparent once the fabric is woven on the loom. It is quite ingenious and much sought after by collectors. I hope to see the mudmee process on a future visit to an Isaan weaving village. There are some villages near Udonthani so perhaps we can avoid another three hour drive to the south.

New Photo Gallery Available for Viewing

I have finally finished reviewing and editing the 629 photographs taken on 30 December 2009 documenting the Elementary School Field Day and the Lao Loum Funeral Rituals.

Despite four frustrating days of limited Internet access here in Udonthani, blogs on the two events have been written and posted.

Today was spent grocery shopping. We ended up going to three different stores to complete our grocery list of common foodstuffs such as Cheddar Cheese, Sunflower Cooking Oil, Turkey Breast. It is something that you get used to - eventually. You also learn that if you see some foreign food item, i.e. "Grapenuts" that you know that you will need in the future but not necessarily now - you buy it now. I have waited a month to buy Grapenuts. I have waited 6 weeks now to buy Carrefour's apricot desserts.

We had a surprise today too. In preparing for our upcoming trip to Laos, I had asked Duang about my reporting date to Thai Immigration. Every 90 days, foreigners in Thailand must report to Immigration Police their address and telephone number. Usually when you report, the Police put a paper in your passport with the next date listed in English when you must report. The last time we had used the office at the airport in Udonthani which was in the process of opening for business. My paper had a date in Thai for my next reporting. I asked Duang last week when I had to report and she told me "After Songkran (Thai New Year)" Today I asked her again and pressed the point to discover January 2nd! She had used the term Songkran to mean "New Years - Western New Years"! Fortunately the airport is only 10 minutes from our home so we drove over to resolve the issue. Duang explained the situation and the official said that there was no problem. I filled out the form and got a new paper stapled in my passport with the next reporting date stamped in English.

All in all another good day here in Isaan.

Elementary School Field Day - 30 December 2009

Last Wednesday we had planned on spending the entire day at the Elementary School Field Day, a sort of Olympics, just outside of Tahsang Village. We ended up watching and enjoying the first 4 hours of the 8 hour festival due to attending a funeral in the afternoon.

In Isaan as well as the rest of Thailand, student athletic competitions are held at the end of December to close out the old year. The competition is between the schools of the various villages with village pride as well as honor up for grabs.

In our travels back and forth between our home in Udonthani and the family back in Tahsang Village, we had seen many competitions being held at both elementary schools and high schools from December 25th to 30th December. We attended only the competitions involving the young children from Tahsang Village.

In Isaan, children as young as 3 and 4 years old can attend elementary school. They can attend a sort of nursery school run by the government at the public school if they pay 200 baht ($6.00 USD) each month. Older children do not have to pay to attend elementary school. The issue with them is their parents being able to afford to not having the children working in the fields to help support the family. Many children do not attend school beyond the 4th year or after they are 11 years old. The good news is even after only 4 years of school, they are able to read, write, and do simple mathematics. But I often think about the lost opportunities for so many of the children in not being able to get at least a high school education.

The inclusion of 3 and 4 year olds into the events with all their energy as well enthusiasm, despite distinct lack of skills, made the Field day very enjoyable. Two of my favorite events were the 3 and 4 year old boys and girls relay races. It was not so much the races themselves but the efforts and struggles to get the children set up for the races let alone getting them to understand that they could not start to run until their teammate had given them the baton. After a couple of false starts, both races were eventually completed much to the excitement of the participants. All the spectators enjoyed the events and had huge smiles on their face.

As best that I can figure out, the competitions that were held prior to Wednesday were for practice and making a statement leading up to the big event on December 30th.

We left Udonthani early and arrived at the school in Nongmakha Village. Nongmahka Village is about 4 KM from Tahsang Village. Their school is on the main farm road out of Kumphawapi and has a very large athletic field. Nine villages including Tahsang Village competed against each other. At about 8:00 A. M. there was a short parade where the competitors and many of their family members marched along the farm road to the school and onto the sports field.


Each village team in the parade was preceded by children carrying a banner or sign with the village’s name. Along with the sign bearers there was a majorette leading the school’s drum corps or band. Some schools had only drums and some schools had drums along with students playing keyboards that they powered with their breadth through a plastic tube. Typically the majorette was a no older than 14 year old girl who was dressed up and made up to look much older. The emphasis on beauty is very strong here in Isaan due to the belief as well as perception that a way out of the economic hardships for a young woman and her family is through her beauty. Her beauty and her ability to exploit her physical talents are considered keys to her opportunities to find work in the larger tourist-centric cities and perhaps to find a foreign husband. Typically the majorettes were girls, but this is Thailand, so there were a couple of majorettes that were actually Khatoeys (Ladyboys). There were no visible stigmas associated with a 14 year old boy dressed up and made-up as a girl or rather young woman. The Ladyboys seemed to be accepted well by their fellow classmates as well as the spectators.

Each village had some very young students dressed up in fancy outfits reflective of Siam royalty – little Princesses and Princes. They carried trophies that the village had won in previous year’s competitions or sports equipment to be used in this festival. They were very cute and you could not help but smile as they marched by. They were then followed by the village school team.

Each village team had their own distinctive outfit – essentially a soccer (football) uniform. The children marched in unison as if part of the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Along the parade route one of the little boys received a call of Nature, he broke out of formation, went to the side of the road and while oblivious to the other people around him, watered the weeds as his team marched on. Sufficiently relieved he ran, caught up with his team and fell back into formation. It was no big deal. Quite often, we see men alongside of the road, alongside their car or truck answering the call. Women are more discrete and hide in the bushes, cassava plants or sugar cane.

There were also a small contingent of well dressed beautiful young women that I originally thought were associated with the government but later found out that they were high school girls. They were the attendants that carried the gold, silver and bronze medals to be awarded for the various events. These young women were dressed in typical Lao Loum style clothing albeit the fabrics were much higher quality and cost than normally worn by the Lao Loum women of Isaan. The cut of the fitted jacket and lines of their sarong mirrored those often worn in the villages.

There is a unity across the classes, a sort of cultural Lao Loum identity, in Isaan for women with this commonality in clothing style. It is the quality of the fabrics and the number of outfits that provides the distinction between the "haves" and the "have nots".

The teams circled the competition field three times – once again the magic number of the Buddhist faith permeating everyday life and activities in Isaan. After circling the field, the participants formed up on the athletic field. Government officials reviewed the groups and evaluated them. Trophies were then awarded for the groups followed by a formal flag raising ceremony. Tahsang Village was awarded a trophy, much to the delight of the villagers, for the small children marching.

After the Thai flag and local flags were raised, a boy ran around the field with an Olympic style torch. He ran to the side of the field where a large monument had been erected out of scaffolding with an urn at the top. The monument had a large sign on it with 9 interlocking rings depicted on it representing each of the competing villages. As the boy ignited the “Olympic” flame, actually a large urn of charcoal, fireworks were fired into the sky. The little girls from Tahsang Village in their matching yellow dresses and white stockings were not thrilled with the fireworks! I have several pictures of them astonished, frightened, and covering their ears with their white lace gloves.


At one side of the field, each village had their separate decorated bleacher set up for their sport team. Dispersed among the bleachers were sahts on the ground where family member rested, ate and drank. This was definitely a family event complete with grandparents, aunts, uncles and young siblings. It was very festive with each village having their own portable sound system blaring away with Mahlam Lao, and Mahlam Sing music. The students danced and waved pom poms while seated.


At one end of the field, pushcarts and tables were stationed selling soft drinks and food. At some of the concrete tables used by students for lunches, men were drinking beer and Lao Kao brand of moonshine type whiskey.

Throughout the area toddlers, other than Mai’s 2 year old brother, were busy wandering around and playing. They played with balls, balloons, or chasing their older brothers and sisters. Mai’s brother is too young to go to school with her, but today he was thrilled to join the students in the bleachers. He was smiling and acting as if he belonged on the team. I could almost hear him saying, as Jon Fogerty sang “Put me in coach, I’m ready to play…” He never got to while we were there.

On the other side of the field pavilions were erected where dignitaries were seated on leather couches for the highest ranking officials and plastic chairs for lesser ranked bureaucrats. After completion of each event, a dignitary would go up to the awards podium on the field and award the medals with the assistance of the lovely high school young women. Homemade gold, silver and bronze medallions were awarded the successful athletes. Often the local and government officials posed with the winners to have their photograph taken. It was all very relaxed and beautiful in its simplicity and innocence. I believe that the adults enjoyed the day as much as the athletes did - I know for certain that Duang and I did. I did notice that most of the athletes had more makeup on than the adults. Many of the competitors were still wearing makeup and vestiges of their fancy hairdos from the parade and procession to the competition field.

The competition was fierce and entertaining as well. The races were run barefoot. The schools and students are too poor to afford specialized footwear. The spectators were all supportive of the athletes. Each race was set up by an official with a portable megaphone hung over his shoulder. Officials at each end of the course with red and green flags signalled when the race was ready to start. The man with the megaphone then gave the Lao equivalent of "On your mark, Get ready Get set Go" at which point a small brass bell was struck - as opposed to firing a gun or air horn.

Our time at the athletic competition with our friends, young and older, was a pleasant way to close out the year and to prepare for the new year with all the hopes as well as hoped for opportunities that it is expected to bring.

Death In Isaan, Another Lao Loum Funeral

Three days ago, one of Duang’s Aunts died. She died at home like most of the villagers in Isaan do when their time has arrived. She died at 65 years of age from complications of diabetes which is a medical condition that many Lao Loum people suffer with. Upon her death, her family contacted the Monks of the village Wat who helped with the arrangements for her funeral.

Her family cleansed and tended to her body prior to her laying in repose inside of her home. She was placed inside of a simple white coffin atop a woven reed mat (saht) – most likely woven by her. She was dressed in typical Lao Loum woman’s clothing – a straight heavy cotton ankle length skirt, I guess that it is actually a sarong, with intricate geometric patterns and a simple fitted tunic style cotton blouse. A colorful square cotton pillow, called a morn, with intricate designs was placed underneath her head. Her pakama, a versatile strip of cotton fabric that is used as a head cover, handkerchief, belt, towel, as well as a shoulder adornment was placed underneath as well as alongside of her head. On one of her wrists there were several strings of plain cotton string similar to butcher’s string that were tied around her wrist during a Bai Sii ceremony. The strings were tied around her wrist, in the Animist belief, to bind the 32 spirits that are contained within people and required to maintain good health. The Bai Sii ceremony is also used to wish people good luck and prosperity. On her other wrist was a nylon string crocheted bracelet that is typically placed by a Buddhist Monk during any merit making ritual. My understanding is that this bracelet serves the same purpose as the cotton strings placed during a Bai Sii ritual. In Isaan, many of the rituals and beliefs from the Animist, Brahman and Hindu religions have been assimilated and adopted into the Buddhist rituals. The deceased woman’s hands were placed into a wai (position similar to traditional Western praying position) with a single yellow candle between her clasped hands. The candle is about the size of a typical birthday cake candle is used as an offering during merit making rituals. The white coffin was placed inside of an elaborately decorated refrigerated outer metal container that is rented for the mourning period. The refrigerated container is plugged into an electrical outlet in the main room of the home and preserved her body for the next three days.

Yesterday we planned on spending the entire day at the Elementary School Field Day, a sort of Olympics, just outside of Tahsang Village. We did not get word of the Aunt’s death until we had already left Udonthani for the student games. The funeral ritual was to start at noon and we were asked to attend. There is an extremely strong sense of family in Isaan as well as the Lao Loum culture so we were obliged to pay our respects – literally and figuratively. Duang suggested that we go to Nongdahn Village for the start of the funeral rites, pay our respect, and make a donation before returning to the student games. I was not so sure. I had attended one Isaan funeral before for one of the Tahsang Village women. Like most interesting things, I like to experience it more than once to fully understand and appreciate it. I have been to Machu Picchu twice – the second time to take the photos that I didn’t take the first time. It took three trips to the Grand Canyon to fully appreciate or comprehend its magnificence. I have been to Maehongson four times – so far. An invitation to attend another Lao Loum funeral seemed to be just such an opportunity to better understand the ritual. I asked Duang to keep an open mind which she did. We attended the entire funeral ritual and missed out on the soccer and volleyball competitions.


We stopped in Tahsang Village and picked up two of Duang’s Aunts and arrived at the deceased’s home at Noon. Outside of the home, five rented canopies had been erected along side of the home and in the backyard. Underneath two canopies in the front yard, tables and plastic chairs were set up for serving meals to funeral attendees. The two canopies were occupied by women. A canopy on the side of the house was occupied by men. Lao Loum men and women sit separately at Buddhist rituals and many social functions. On the tables were large bottles of soft drinks and large bottles of beer. At the men’s tables, the men had a couple bottles of Kao Lao (a brand of moonshine whiskey also known as Lao Lao) that they were hitting pretty strongly. The other two canopies covered cooking stations where mounds of food were being prepped and cooked for the funeral guests. Several charcoal fires and propane gas burners were blazing away with pots of rice, soups, and boiling concoctions. At a small desk just to the side of the door into the house, there was a bowl where people made their offerings. A person recorded the name and amount of the donation. The money as well as the ledger would later be offered to the Monks at the Wat as part of the ritual. Donating money to the Monks at a funeral earns merit for the deceased as well as for you. The money is used to maintain the Wat – the center of village religious and social life.

We made our way to the tables and canopies to “take care” (say hello and pay our respects) of guests and family members. Paying respects to people is extremely important in the Lao Loum culture. I am honored and often amused when parents have their children – many of them as young as one year old perform the deferential “wai” greeting to me. I must admit that it is this sense of social responsibility and awareness that enhances the quality of life here.

Although many of the women were dressed in black, there was not a great sense of mourning amongst the people. At the first funeral that I attended some people were playing cards. There was no card playing at this funeral. Being a foreigner and often the only foreigner at family events and local celebrations, we often get a great deal of attention. One of the men, I believe a brother in law of the deceased woman who also had been hitting the Lao Kao, offered me drinks of whiskey. Since I was driving and the Police had already been setting up roadblocks on the roads in anticipation of New Years Eve, I politely declined – several times – every time that he offered a drink! He then asked me several questions about funerals in America – all made more difficult by the fact that he was asking in the Lao dialect which I don’t speak at all and Duang was often preoccupied with conversation with others. The worst part of these events is not being able to be courteous and converse with people easily. Somehow we all managed and I spoke to him as well as others regarding Christian funerals. As much as I am interested in Isaan’s culture and traditions the people there were just as interested in my culture. When I told him that many people cry at Christian funerals, he told me that they do not cry so I could cry for them if I wanted to. When I told the people about mortuaries, morticians, and underground burial they were shocked.

The lack of emotion at funerals is apparently a reflection of Buddhist philosophy and beliefs. I never saw any demonstration of emotion, or grief throughout the ceremony just as I had not at the previous funeral. The belief in reincarnation, and therefore the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth until Enlightenment is achieved removes much of the finality that Christianity associates with death. We speak of life everlasting and being reunited after our time is completed on Earth but we behave much differently when someone actually does pass on. What I did see all afternoon long during this Buddhist ritual was caring, solemn, and respectful consideration for the departed person. It appeared that just about the entire village showed up and many of them participated directly in the funeral.

I had to take pictures of some of the guests – they insisted. One woman was a little embarrassed to smile because she was missing several teeth. She told my wife that she wanted a foreign husband. I honestly told her that she was number 78 on my list of foreign husbands to find. She was concerned about missing some teeth. I had her show me how many teeth were missing and I assured her through Duang that some foreign men like women who were missing teeth. She got my rather ribald joke, a remnant of my university days, and laughed like crazy. The Isaan sense of humor prevails at all times.

We were offered food and soft drinks. I ate some of the typical Lao Loum foods served at celebrations – chopped up raw beef with chilies, cilantro, and garlic, sticky rice, and raw Chinese cabbage. My new friend with the missing teeth asked how the food was, I responded in Lao that it was very tasty and then told her through Duang that you didn’t need teeth to eat it. The woman laughed like crazy.

Inside the woman's home, several Monks, 19 to be exact, and family members were seated on the floor with the body inside of the refrigerated container. Atop the rented container, a large artificial flower arrangement, some candles, three cloth bags filled with something, some buckets of offerings to be made to the Monks, and some plants were placed as a sort of altar. Of to the side of the container an 11" x 17" framed photograph of the woman which appeared to be taken off of her National I D card was supported by a tripod stand. The Monks and people inside chanted some prayers. People underneath the awnings joined in the chanting. Duang’s Aunt was not as poor as the other woman that we attended funeral. A deceased person earns merit by having more Monks participating in the funeral ritual. Another important consideration is that the total number of Monks can’t be divisible by 2 – hence 19 rather than 18 or 20. Duang’s Aunt did not have any sons – only daughters so some of the Monks were her Grandsons and Nephews. In Thai culture, a son shaves his head, shaves his eyebrows, dons Monk’s clothing, and becomes a Monk for the three days between his parent’s death and their cremation. This act earns merit for the deceased to help them in their next life.

If parents do not have sons, grandsons and nephews take on the responsibility and duty to the deceased. I spoke to Duang in regards to me and she readily offered up that her son, our grandson – Peelawat, and her cousins will perform the service for me. Since Peelawat will only be one year old on February 4th – I do hope that he is able to when my time comes!

After the chanting and merit making ritual inside of the home was completed a man drove a pickup truck up to the home. Other men started taking pieces of ornate sculpted gold colored wood out of the house and placed it in the truck. Later personal effects such as cushions, and bags of clothing were added to this truck.

Several village men and male relatives went into the home. They rolled the refrigerated container out of the home and respectfully placed it in the back of the pickup truck. As the body exited the home, a string of firecrackers were lit off to scare away any local Pii (spirits or ghosts). By now many people dressed mostly in dark clothing started to form up around the truck transporting the body. The 19 Monks appeared and went to the front of the truck. A man produced a long white rope that was attached to the truck. The other end of the rope was held by each Monk in the lead followed by several people that appeared to be relatives. The remainder of the people followed escorting the truck that transported the body. One of the village men carried an ornate pressed metal offering bowl filled with puffed rice and sprinkled it along the route. Many people carried offerings for the Monks.



The procession slowly marched to the Wat inside of Nongdahn Village with the silence of procession occasionally interrupted by firing noisy whirling fireworks high into the sky. To get to the Wat the procession had to cross and walk along the main farm road. A couple of times, tandem trucks heavily laden with harvested sugar cane were forced to share the road with the procession. As the procession entered into the Wat grounds a large firecracker was set off hopefully to scare the spirits as much as it scared me. The funeral procession circled the Wat's crematorium three times. Most of the people upon completing the circumambulation of the crematorium entered the simple temple next to the crematorium and sat upon sahts (colorful woven reed mats) placed on the tiled floor. Other people sat outside in the rows of plastic chairs that had been set up outside of the bot. Some of the village men removed the refrigerated coffin from the truck and carefully placed it on the concrete slab in front of the crematorium. It was opened and the simple white coffin was removed and carried up the stairs to the doors of the furnace. The coffin was placed upon two metal sawhorses. Some other men then unloaded the woman’s personal possessions and placed them alongside of the crematorium on the ground to be burned separately.

People then went into the simple temple where offerings were made to the nineteen seated Monks. Like the number three, nine is a very good number in Buddhist beliefs. Nine Monks is considered to be a good number for occasions such as weddings, house blessings, and funerals. During the offering ceremony, two young girls passed out small containers of chilled soft drinks and water. The offering ceremony appeared to be like so many of the other ceremonies that I have attended for all kinds of different reasons.

In observing the ritual, I did not see anyone that I would consider to be a "professional" in these matters. There were no funeral director or mortuary representatives. Once in awhile the local Monk provided a little direction to the local men but for all intentions it appeared that the lay people were handling the rites. I asked Duang about this and found out that it was the villagers and family that handle the funeral activities with guidance from the Monks. There is no "big company" involved in funerals. The family washes and prepares the body. Villagers, friends, and neighbors pay their respects by handling other activities. Once again I have witnessed a strong sense of community in Isaan.

I am now well known about the village, family and surrounding area so I was encouraged by many people to go about and photograph the ceremony. The people were always motioning me forward to photograph some new aspect of the rites. I had learned from the previous funeral rite that no part of the ritual is off limits to closer observation or photography. This time I was determined to take photographs that I was too shy to photograph the last time. It was extremely interesting to observe and I made a great effort to be respectful while seeing and learning as much as I could.


As part of this funeral’s ritual, a tray of food along with two small glasses of whiskey were brought from the bot and placed upon the top of the closed coffin. The three cloth sacks that had been atop the coffin were removed and brought into the bot to be offered to the Abbot of the Wat. Two men read the names, ages, and home villages of her brothers and sisters as well as her children. As their name was read, they stood up, walked over to the man, received a plain white envelope, and offered it to one of the Monks. Duang told me that each envelope contained 2,000 baht for a total of 38,000 baht (over one thousand US dollars). In making the offering, the family members earned merit for the deceased as well as for themselves – thanks to the generosity of the deceased’s immediate family. After the offering ritual in the bot was completed, some men removed the lid on the coffin for the next part of the ritual.

A nephew had prepared several green coconuts using a long knife to cut off the tops to open up a small hole to exact the clear liquid inside. The other end of the coconut had been cut square so that the coconuts be stable when placed on the concrete slab next to the coffin. Another man had several pieces of bamboo about 18 inches long with a strap of thin bamboo strung through the slanted top. One of the daughters filled the bamboo with water that had a very fragrant liquid soap or oil added to it. The fragrant oil or liquid soap is purchased at Buddhist Religious Shops and used in rituals.

By now the family had appeared and climbed up the steps of the crematorium to where the coffin rested. They started taking the coconuts and emptying the contents into the coffin as well as from the bamboo tubes. Duang has told me that everyone in Isaan has their face "washed" with coconut liquid because everyone likes green coconut water and it cleans the face. The purpose of the offerings is to nourish the spirit and cleanse as well as cool the spirit for its upcoming journey.

The remainder of the people including many children of all ages had now lined up at the foot of the stairs. Here in Isaan, death is not hidden and kept secret. The children learn of death at the earliest of ages. At the base of the stairway there were two large bowls with little packets made out of bamboo strips and paper. Each person took one of these things and placed it upon the body when they paid their last respects. As they descended the stairs of the crematorium, one of the deceased woman's daughters gave the people a a hard candy similar to a lollipop without the stick. After everyone had paid their last respects, the bamboo strip and paper offerings were removed and placed upon the personal possessions pile to be burned. The coffin was drained of the coconut water and scented water. The saht was removed and placed on the pile to be burned separately along with the floral arrangement along with the personal possessions. The Abbot ascended the crematorium stairs said some good words along with the woman’s youngest daughter. They then threw small packets of coins wrapped in colored foil and hard candies to the people below.

The coffin was then placed inside of the furnace and the furnace door was closed. The furnace was ignited and as the first wisps of smoke came out of the crematorium chimney, we left. The entire service had lasted three houers.

This ritual was simple, touching, and very dignified. I was once again very impressed with the sense of caring, sense of community and respect exhibited by all the people. It was interesting as well as reassuring to see how the people took care of each other with dignity and compassion.

We returned home tired from our eight hours of Student Games and funeral. I now have 629 photos from the day to edit and file as well as at least one more blog after this one to write

Keeping America Safe

Hmmm... My 45 year old Thai Buddhist wife, who has a Thai Identity Card and Thai Passport in the last name of "Hale" could not get a Visa to visit her in-laws in the USA but a 23 year old male Muslim Nigerian, who apparently traveled to Yemen and is on some kind of watch list got a Visa to visit the USA. Oh - his father was Chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria. I, an American citizen, could not get a specific answer from an American official as to why my wife was rejected other than "she didn't convince the interviewer that she would return to Thailand" (where she owns two houses and has extensive family). My wife told me that the interviewer asked to see my passport, records of my income and my banking, and questioned her as to how much Thai I spoke - all not requirements on the application or on the State Dept websites. No appeal allowed. No advice or guidance was given as to what documents we need to produce that are not listed in the application or websites so as to avoid a repeat rejection other than we can apply again for $131. We know of some people who applied 5 times before they obtained a Visa for their Thai wife.

I guess the Nigerian did not have to convince his interviewer that he would not try to blow up the plane!

Oh I need to mention again - his father was Chairman of the First Bank of America.

Sleep well America you are well protected from middle aged Thai women!