Poi Sang Long Festival - Wednesday 03 April 2013

A Young Shan Boy Being Transformed Into A Sang Long

Wednesday 03 April was the official start of the 2013 Poi Sang Long Festival in Maehongson.  we had arrived the day before not only to witness the shaving of the young boys heads in the late afternoon. Another reason that we had arrived in Maehongson the day before the official start of the festival was to be able to get a good night's sleep albeit a short night for the early morning activities of the next morning.

From our previous attendance of Poi Sang Long in 2009 and in talking with some of the families during the head shaving ceremony that the boys along with their families would return to the Wat at 5:00 A.M. to prepare for the morning procession through the town.  Preparing for the first day of the festival procession involves applying make-up to the boys face, dressing them in splendid silk garments, gold jewelry, and fancy floral crowns. At the conclusion of the process, ordinary Shan boys have been transformed into "jeweled princes" (Sang Long) reminiscent of Buddha's son, the first Monk, Prince Rahula.

Young Shan (Thai Yai) boys becoming ordained as Novice Monk is a life milestone for them as well as for their family.  Just as with a wedding, this celebration is a grand opportunity and to a certain extent, an obligation for the family to exhibit their success or at least their perceived prosperity. Boys are typically ordained when they are between 9 and 14 years old.  The rite is often deferred until the family has saved or borrowed sufficient money to do it "properly"  The ornate silk clothing that the boys wear is expensive and often fabric is imported from nearby Southeast Asian countries to ensure an expected level of opulence.

Besides the expenses associated with transforming a son into a "jeweled prince", there are costs for the food and drinks for guests to the family home.  There are also the costs of offerings that are made to the Monks.  Family members wearing their finest new traditional Shan clothing also participate in the processions of the festival.  It all makes for a splendid and unique display of Shan culture.

Having been informed that the boys would commence to have their make-up applied and donning their costumes at 5:00 A.M., I decided that we would get to the Wat at 4:00 A.M. to ensure that we would not miss out on anything.  We woke up at 3:30 A.M. to prepare and get to the Wat at my desired time.  Duang is very supportive of my obsessions and never complains about some of our early morning departures in pursuit of photographs. Wednesday was no exception.  Overcoming some difficulties of finding Wat Hua Wiang in the early morning darkness, we arrived at the Sala at 4:15 A.M. By 4:30 the Sala was filled with the 26 boys, their families, television crews, photographers, and about 10 foreign tourists.

Lipstick Is Adjusted Using Finger Tips

One of my main objectives of this trip was to photograph and hopefully capture some of the magic involved in transforming typical young boys into special Sang Long (jeweled princes).  Four years ago I had photographed the process but this year I had a more capable camera that allows me to shoot at a higher ISOs with less noise.  I also had equipment this year to take my flash off the camera and to reduce the harshness of the light created by the speed-lite   Perhaps more importantly I have developed some new techniques to further define my style in these situations.  In the four years since our last visit, Duang also has a new digital camera and has worked on her techniques too.

Unlike four years ago, men were more involved in the application of make-up.  Although many mothers, sisters, and aunts applied the make-up, several fathers and I assumed brothers more than held their own in their proficiency.  Once the lipstick, eyeliner, eye shadow, glitter, and foundation were applied, the family assisted the boys to put on their special clothing.  Once again men were deeply involved in this process.

An Older Brother Dresses His Younger Brother

Father Dressing His Son

Aside from the make-up and elaborate clothing, the transformation into a Sang Long involves adorning the young boys with gold, jewelry  and imitations of those precious items.  After all, every Prince needs to have their bling-bling. Mothers, sisters, and aunts loan their valuables to the boy for him to wear during the festival.

A Father Prepares to Place A Necklace Around His Son's Neck

Family Jewelry Placed on Sang Long

The preparation of the Sang Long is completed with the placing of a very intricate and colorful floral crown.

Dressed and Ready

After all the boys had been prepared, they lined up in two rows once again facing the senior Monk and a large statue of Buddha.  A ritual of chanting both by the Senior Monk and the boys was performed.

Sang Long Participating In Early Morning Ritual

Chanting Along With the Other Jeweled Princes

At the conclusion of the ritual in the Sala, the boys were then hoisted upon the shoulders of their father, older brothers, uncles, or in some cases hired men to be carried outside to wait for the start of the morning procession.  For the remainder of the festival the boys would no longer walk or stand.  They would be carried about.

Outside of the Sala, bands of cymbals and drums beat out a repetitious staccato beat.  Some of the men carrying boys broke out into spontaneous dance.  Women dressed in colorful fine clothing milled about waiting for the start of the morning's procession through the downtown area.

Let the Procession Proceed!

As the procession set off, Duang and I returned to our truck for there were other objectives to try to accomplish on this trip.  The day was still very young and we had places to go and hopeful many people to meet along the way.

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.

Busy Times Here In Isaan - Songkran and More

 

Tambon Nongwha Official Pours Cool Water On Back of  Elderly  man In Tahsang Village

It has been exactly one week since we returned to our home in Udonthani from our visit to Maehongson.  It has been a very busy week for personal, family, and cultural matters; many of them presenting some interesting photographic opportunities.

On Tuesday, I reported to the Immigration Police in Udonthani for my "90 Day Report".  As a condition of receiving a Long Stay Visa, foreigners have to report their address to the Immigration Police every 90 days that they remain uninterrupted in the country. If a person with a Long Stay Visa leaves Thailand and then returns to the country, they start their 90 day period start over from "0" upon arrival.  Reporting involves filling out a one-half page document and presenting the form as well as your passport to the Immigration Police.  The procedure can be accomplished through the mail, but I prefer to handle it in person rather then trust the reliability of the mail.  Normally the process takes no more than 15 to 30 minutes.  This week however was an exception.   Monday was a national holiday. Wednesday was also the last day this week that the office would be open due to the upcoming Songkran holiday.

Songkran is a very special holiday in Southeast Asia and in particularly in Thailand.  It is New Year based upon the solar calendar of the sun moving into Aires which falls on either the 13th or 14th of April.  It is now fixed as 15th of April.  It is a time when Thais return to their homes to celebrate with their family - sort of like family expectations of Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  In the days leading up to and following Songkran, the roads, planes, trains and buses are filled with travelers.

Songkran occurs during the hottest time of the year here.  Our high temperatures for each day have been hovering around 100F (38C) with several days 104F and even one day 107F.  Fortunately because of low humidity, typically around the 35%, the heat is somewhat manageable.  It is said that there are two seasons in Thailand - "Hot and Dry" and "Hot and Wet".  We are currently at the tail end of the :"Hot and Dry" season with the return of the rains anticipated in May.  Traditionally Songkran was a festival where people sprinkled water on elders as a show of respect and an effort to help them cope with the heat of this time of the year. They also paid homage and clean Buddhist statues. Thai people also clean their homes - inside and out at Songkran.

On Wednesday, 10 April, Duang and I drove out to Tahsang Village for the start of the Songkran celebration.  10th of April?  Start of Songkran?  Didn't I just write that Songkran was fixed as 15th April?  Well life here in Isaan is like life elsewhere - there is the way things are supposed to be and the way that they are.  Although Songkran is fixed as April 15th, it is affected by weekends and by local customs.  In Pattaya it is actually celebrated on 19th and 20th of April.

Tambon Nongwha Government Officials Addressing Tahsang Villagers

In Tambon (Sub-District) Nongwha, which Tahsang Village is part of, the start of the celebration started on April 10th.  On April 10 and April 11, Tambon Nongwha government officials visited each of the villages in the sub-district.  The officials wore colorful flowered cotton shirts traditional worn at Songkran.  They arrived with their own truck mounted sound system to play Lao music and a fire truck to brink water to the village.  Here in Isaan there are very few, if any, municipal hydrant systems.  Fire trucks carry their own water and have a monitor on top of the truck to spray the water.

The arrival of the Tambon officials in Tahsang Village coincided with the monthly payment of public funds to the elderly people.  There is no Social Security system in Thailand.  The elderly are expected to be taken care of by their families.  However there are monthly payments to the elderly depending upon their physical condition.  People in good shape receive 700 Baht a month ($23 USD) and people with disabilities get 1000 Baht ($33 USD).

All the elderly villagers were assembled in the Tahsan Village Center - a small structure where village meetings, government classes, and voting take place.  It is a small structure with a concrete floor and cinder block 3 foot high walls with no doors or windows - just a corrugated metal roof.  It is sparse but suits the purpose.  It makes a nice place for the younger village children to play, too.

After numbered slips for the appropriate stipend were distributed to the person called out from a master list, the highest echelon of government officials arrived.  They addressed the elderly people and wished them a happy Songkran, good luck for the future, and apologized for sometimes talking bad to the people.  How unique!  How refreshing to witness a politician to humble himself before the people!  One aspect of Songkran is the commitment of some people to do better in the upcoming new year.  The sub-district headman was definitely taking that to heart if not extreme.

The head official and many lower ranked officials then entered the village center and using water from the fire truck to which they had added flower petals they squatted before each of the seated elders gentility poured water over their hands and down their back paying their respects.  The last official in the entourage gave each of the seniors a new umbrella.

Apparently I am also considered to be a senior too.  The headman came over and poured water on me too. later some young women came over and poured some more water on me and rubbed scented powder on my face.  Everyone was careful and considerate to not get either water or powder on my camera gear.

At the start of this ritual I had been joking with the villagers about being afraid.  I was acting concerned and afraid of the fire truck spraying water on all the seated people.  Little did I realize how close I was to the truth!  After they had received their new umbrellas, the villagers assembled outside in the narrow street.  To the pounding and throbbing beat of ethnic music, the people opened their new umbrellas and commenced to dance.  While this was happening, a young man from the sub-district climbed atop the fire truck and commenced to spray water over the assembled elderly people.

Government Official Commences to Shoot Water Over the Villagers

The villagers reveled in the water that was cascading over them, quickly getting them wet and wetting down the dust covered street.  The people in a sing song demeanor cried out about the rains were coming, the rains were coming soon.

Villagers Enjoying A Cooling and Refreshing Shower

The government officials then left the village and moved on to the next village.  Tahsang Village was left to continue on with their extended Songkran celebration.  The children of the village quickly set up along farm road 2125 to throw water at passing motor-bikes, cars and trucks.  With this year's drought conditions, the Tahsang Village water system has been dry for about three weeks.  Two homes have wells that have water in them and the slough at the edge of the village still has some water.  People use wheel barrow type carts to fill jerry cans with water from these sources and bring water to where they need it.

Bringing a New Load of Water to the Edge of Highway 2125

Naturally I got myself positioned where the action was to photograph it.  My little friends either out of respect or fear did not toss water at me.  I made sure to share to share my photos with the children.  They enjoy having their photos taken. I was also able to use some of my training as an engineer to help the children with regards to their water jugs and cart.  They would empty the water cans into a small plastic waste container from which they filled their small hand pails to throw the water.  Since the jugs were very heavy for them they would start emptying the jugs closest to the waste container and placing the empties in their original position.  Very quickly the cart would tip forward spilling some of the hard earned water as well as causing a panic.  After the second incident I intervened and redistributed the jugs and pointed out the need to keep the weight towards the back of the cart to keep it from tipping.  I didn't give the explanation about levers, fulcrums or moments but the children seemed to understand the principle quickly.

Road Hazards and Menaces Along the Road Outside of Tahsang Vilage

The children spent the entire afternoon tossing water on just about anything that came along the road - especially motorbikes.

"No Country for Motorbikes"

Public Transport Passengers Are A Target of Opportunity

We returned home in the early afternoon but not without having water thrown on our truck several times.  We passed at least five roadblocks along the roads back home - although they were not in operation yet they were a big reminder that one should not drink and drive during Songkran ... or any other time.

We were to return to Tahsang Village the next day for another unique Isaan cultural event and family obligation - "Tamboon Roi Wan", "Tamboon Jaak Khao"

Back With More Ammunition

Poi Sang Long Festival - Tuesday 02 April 2013

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

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

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

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

Wat Hua Wiang Bot

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

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

Decorated Sala for Poi Sang Long Festival

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

Dancing to the Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

The senior Monk Taking Roll Call

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

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

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

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

A Monk Shaves A Boy's Head

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

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

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

The Road to ... Maehongson

A Lisu Child Waits For Her Mother to Complete ATM Transaction In  Soppong

Today I was going to write a blog about the shaving of young boys heads prior to the start of this year's Poi Sang Long Festival in Maehongson.  However a news item this morning persuaded me to write instead a blog about the road, well actually roads, to Maehongson.

Early this morning, a bus from Udonthani, our home town, to Chiang Mai, the jumping off point to Maehongson, ran off the road and over a cliff killing five passengers and injuring 51 others.  It took over two hours for rescuers to commence extracting the people from the wreckage.  In addition to the coincidence of us returning home by way of Chiang Mai , the accident occurred on the route that we drove four years ago to Chiang Mai on our way to Maehongson.

Sadly and unfortunately, tragic bus accidents here in Thailand are all too common.  We used to travel to Bangkok by night bus but after seeing the wreckage of several buses over the past 6 years and reading of many fatal accidents we no longer travel by bus.

Besides the normal risks of badly lighted roads, kamikaze motor-bicyclists  poor lane demarcation  and  vehicles going 30 KPH (20 mph) and vehicles going 110 KPH (66 mph) all sharing the same two lane 90 KPH Max road, travel by bus has additional risks of driver fatigue, improper or non-existent maintenance, speeding, and amphetamine abuse by drivers.

There are many stories about reckless bus drivers.  My favorite is about the bus where the driver would not slow down despite the pleas and screams of the passengers.  He did slow down and drive more safely when one of the passengers, an off duty policeman, walked up to the driver and put a pistol to his head.  Having ridden on many buses and being aware of some other stories about police here, I believe the story.  Perhaps this anecdotal evidence could be used in the USA to resist gun control efforts and encourage "carry and conceal" permits - you never know when you will encounter a berserk bus driver!

For this years trip we decided to go south from our home rather than going west like we did the previous trip and that the buses do.  Our directions to Maehongson were Highway 2, Highway 12, Highway 11, Highway 107 and Highway 1095.  Taking the bus route saves about one hour but adds about 3 more highways and the roads travel through many more villages and shares the narrow roads with more buses.

Both routes take you through national parks where there are warning signs "Watch Out for the Elephant" and graphics indicating elephant crossings.  These warnings are for wild elephants.  We did not see any elephants or any evidence that elephants had used the road recently.  I was definitely not disappointed.  I do not want to encounter a wild elephant along a remote road either in or out of our vehicle.

North of Chiang Mai, you leave Highway 107 and take Highway 1095 to Maehongson. Highway 1095.   Unfortunately we had to drive the roughly 130 km to Pai in the dark and worse yet in the haze created by many fires burning in the forests through which the road twists and turns.  The road is not lighted and in many places there is neither a center line demarcation or demarcation of the road's edges.  Several times, I made right hand turns not confident that the wheels on the far side of the truck were going to remain on the road and not go off into the abyss.  After 15 hours of driving we finally arrived at our hotel in Pai, much to our relief.

Soppong - Lisu women wait for transportation to their village

The next morning with good light and a great night's sleep, we set off on Highway 1095 for Maehongson.  After about two hours, we stopped at the market of Soppong also known as Pangmapha.  The morning market in Soppong is extremely interesting.   Hill tribe peoples of the surrounding area come to sell and buy necessities, foodstuff, and other items need to maintain their lifestyles in the hills.  Lahu, Lishu, Karen, and Shan people commingle along the sides of Highway 1095 each group distinguished by their distinctive clothing and hairstyles. 

Lisu Women Selling Their Goods In Soppong

A Lahu (Masur) Vendor

After taking photographs and purchasing some fruit for the remainder of our journey, we left Soppong behind.  Two hours and many many curves, we finally arrived in Maehongson.

Young Lisu Woman At Family Table in Restaurant