Forest Foundry, Not To Be Confused With Forest Gump

Recently Cast Buddha Statues Outside of Kohn Kaen

I have lived six of the past eight years here in Thailand, mostly in the Northeast area known as Isaan.  Having spent this amount of time in the area, I have had the opportunity to experience many unique aspects of Thai and ethnic Lao culture.

My wife is from a large family, six years ago it amounted to 23 aunts and uncles along with 96 cousins.  During the past six years there have been some deaths as well as some births so the size of the family has actually increased.

Duang's father who died a year ago was a well known entertainer in the area - singing in traditional Lao music events.  He went on to be a teacher to many of today's entertainers.  Several of his former students performed during the rituals for his death.  Duang's youngest brother maintains the family entertainment tradition by performing in local Malham Lao and Malham Sing shows.

My wife is a devout Buddhist with ties and connections with many members of the Sanga, Buddhist religious community.

Between the family ties, entertainment ties and Buddhist ties, I am kept rather well informed of unique cultural events and location in the area.

One of these opportunities was yesterday, which involved a drive south to Wat Pa Khao Suan Kwang Tat Fah outside of Kohn Kaen.  Last week, Duang had gone off to participate in a special merit making event at Wat Pa Khao Suan Kwang Tat Fah.  Her mother had told her of the event.  Duang returned with a very nice cast bronze statue of "Meditation Buddha" - Buddha in the meditation pose which is the Thai Buddha pose associated with Thursday.  Duang and I were both born on a Thursday albeit different months and some years apart. Being each born on a Thursday we share the Buddhist color of the week, orange, and the Buddha pose of "Meditation Buddha"

The statue is about 17 inches high and roughly 9 inches wide, weighing roughly 15 pounds. It is a unique statue in the aspect that Buddha has a disk above each shoulder with a down turned horn or tusk supporting the disk.  I asked Duang if the disks were lotus seed pods but she does not know what they and the horns are about.  I counted 8 raised dots on the disks, so perhaps there is some symbolism of the 8 spoked wheel of Buddhism.  Duang did tell me that this type of Buddha is only done by this Monk apparently inspired by a vision he had in a dream.

Duang's participation in the special merit making at a small Wat in the middle of no where was not by chance - it was tied to family, entertainment, and religious affiliations.  Duang's youngest brother had been a monk for two and one half years when he was a young boy.  When he was 12, he spent six months at the Wat in Tahsang Village.  When his mentor went to Wat Pa Khao Suan Kwang Tat Fah outside of Khon Kaen, Duang's brother went with him and spent two years with him there.

That special Monk was also a friend of Duang's father and enjoyed his music.  The Monk has since moved on and now stays at a Wat in Ratchaburi, southwest of Bangkok.  Some Monks are well known for various skills, abilities, powers, and accomplishments.  Some Monks are renowned for creating powerful magical tattoos.  Others are well known for the powers of the amulets that they make.  Other Monks are revered for their healing abilities. Some Monks are sought for their ability to foretell the future through numbers.  As it turns out this Monk is now known for his bronze castings.

The Monk had returned to Wat Pa Khao Suan Kwang Tat Fah to make 200 of the Buddha statues.  Apparently he travels around Thailand making these statues when there is a sufficient demand for the pieces.  He does not actually make the statues himself but has family members and devotees who travel with him to do the work.  He supervises the work, blesses the statues and empowers them.

The statues sell for 5,000 Baht each - roughly $166 USD. The Monk gave Duang one for free out of friendship.

During her first visit with the Monk, Duang saw the statues being cast.  She told the Monk about my passion for photographing things here.  Yesterday morning the Monk called Duang to tell her that he wanted me to come over and take pictures.  He and his crew were finishing up their order and were returning to their homes today.

For such an opportunity, I do not have to be invited twice.  Well we made it a family event, we brought along Duang's mother, her youngest brother, his manager, and our 5 year old grandson, Peelawat.

As the family had their reunion with the Monk I quickly immersed myself in all the activity going on outside under the shade of the trees.

Buddha Statues Awaiting Installation of Disks and Horns

Outside of the sala, underneath many large trees, several people were busy in the many steps of producing the statues.  A quick view of the area indicated that I would not be able to witness the actual casting of any statues.  I did see where Duang had seen the big fires for making the molten metal to produce the statues.  However there was plenty of other activities to witness and photograph.

From my experience working part of one summer during my college days at ITT Grinnell foundry in Cranston, Rhode Island, I recognized that the workers were using the "lost wax" or "investment casting" process to produce the bronze statues.

Items produced by the lost wax process have been dated back to over 5,700 years ago.

The first step of the lost wax process is to make a model made from rubber, clay, or some other suitable material of the desired object.  On my visit yesterday, I did not see the model for the statues that were being produced.  It is not necessary to have the model in order to produce a lost wax casting.  What is necessary is the mold for the item that you want to cast. This brings us to the second step.

The second step of the process is to produce a mold of the model or even of the original sculpture to be reproduced.  The mold is the exact negative of the model or original sculpture.  What ever is to protrude on the casting is a recess on the mold and visa versa for indentations.  There are various techniques and configurations for producing a mold.  The Monk's crew used a method that embraces modern times as well as retaining historical links.

I did not see the molds for the large Buddha statue during my visit, but I was able to witness and photograph much of the process for a smaller statue of a revered Monk of more modern times.

Nowadays, molds are typically consist of a softer inner mold and a rigid outer mold which supports the inner mold.  Inner molds are typically made out of rubber, latex, or silicone.  The outer mold is made from fiberglass, plaster or some other appropriate material.  The purpose of this mold is to create a hollow wax reproduction of the model or original sculpture.  The Monks crew had a split silicone model for their statue.  There were protrusions on one half of the mold which matched up to recesses on the other half of the mold to ensure alignment and orientation.

Worker Applies Molten Wax To Inside of Split Silicone Mold

The next step is create a wax replica of the item to be cast.  The wax replica included protrusions from the surface that would later assist in the flow of metal and escape of gasses during the casting process. The monk's crew created the wax replica without the use of an outer mold.  Instead of pouring wax into a mold to create a replica, they brushed molten wax on to the interior of their silicon molds.  The wax was melted and kept at the proper temperature in a large recycled rectangular metal container, similar to the ones used for selling crackers or cookies, set over a small charcoal fire.  As a layer of wax cooled on the silicone mold, another layer was quickly added to build up to the desired metal thickness of the statue.

Once the two halves of the replica were completed and cooled, they were carefully aligned and joined using hot wax.  The workers then carefully and painstakingly detailed the wax replica - ensuring that the seam where they were joined did not show, and all surface irregularities were removed through the skillful use of a knife or a brush filled with hot wax.

Adding Hot Wax With A Brush

Detailing A Hollow Wax Replica

Looks Just About Right!

Once the hollow wax replicas are acceptable, they are read for the next step.  The replicas outer surface is quickly and carefully coated by hand with a layer of plaster.

Making A Batch of Plaster



Wax Replicas Being Coated With Plaster

After the wax molds covered in plaster dry sufficiently they are carried the very short distance where two men added rolled cylinders to the wax pins protruding from the mold.  These cylinders will create avenues for the molten metal to properly access all points of the wax mold and for air and gases to escape thereby eliminating pockets in the cast metal. 

 

The wax molds with protruding wax cylinders are then covered in a fairly thick mud that appeared to be a mixture of clay and grout.

After the clay and grout based mud is a certain thickness, additional wax structures and cylinders were added to create a tree like structure - this process is called spruing.  The wax branches of the tree like structure tie into a large plug of wax at the top of the mold.  This plug is the cup where the molten metal will eventually be poured.



Encasing the Sprued Mold With Additional Mud

The sprued mold was then encased with additional layers of the clay-grout mud.  When the mud dried, two of the workers worked to encase the mold in a lattice work of small diameter steel wire.  The workers trussed up the molds using pre-measured coiled lengths of the picture hanging type wire.  They took particular care to ensure that the loops around the mold were tight and embedded into the still not completely set mud.  I suspect that this wire reinforcement survived two purposes just like rebar in reinforced concrete construction.  The first purpose is to bear tensile forces developed in the casting process similar to the hoops of a barrel and the second purpose is to distribute the heat of hydration as the mud cures. Distributing the heat equally helps to prevent cracking of the mud.

This was the last step of the casting process that I was able to witness during our visit.  However there was plenty of work going on with previously cast statues.  Many cast statues were set on the ground awaiting the installation of the unique disks and downturned horns.

Brazing Station

The disk and downturned horn assemblies, two to a statue, are too delicate to be cast as part of the main statue.  They are cast separately and brazed to the main statue using oxy-acetylene torch and bronze rods .  One worker wearing common sunglasses sat amongst several industrial gas bottles of oxygen and acetylene.  He would take a disk-horn assembly from a common metal food serving tray, place it in the proper location on the back of the statue, heats the statue and disk assembly at the connection point along with the bronze rod to complete the connection.

Brazing Disk Assembly to Statues

Grinding and Buffing Statue

The statues then go to a nearby station for grinding, buffing, and polishing.  Sitting on extremely low stools, workers used electric grinders with various wheels to eliminate all surface defects.  Cast statues had been inspected and marked up with a blue magic marker to identify areas that require remedial work as well as the obvious disk to statue brazed connections.

After the surfaces of the statues are made acceptable they are carried up the steps of the sala and set on wood tables to be painted.

Statues Getting A First of Four Coats of Paint

The statues receive four coats of paint to transform the dull bronze surface into a shiny brilliant "gold" surface.  On our visit I was only able to witness the application of the first coat.

I rejoined the family inside the sala where they were visiting their friend the Monk.  As they continued their visit, Peelawat and I went around taking photographs.  Since it was around 4:00 PM, the light inside the sala needed some supplementation.  I decided to use an off camera flash attached to my camera with a coiled cord.  Peelawat is five years old now and for a long time has been interested in my photography efforts.  I decided to give him some responsibility and gave him the flash to hold.  I was able to position him and orientate the flash with very little effort.  It was quite a thrill for me to see his face when I showed him the photos that he had assisted to make.  Soon he was pointing at things for me to photograph with his assistance.  Peelawat did a very good job and I will have him assist again. He would be even more help if he were taller, but I doubt he will get to be anywhere close to 9 or 10 feet tall like stationary light stands.  No matter the case he is much more entertaining.









Isaan Boat Racing - October 17-19

The end of the Rainy Season marks the time for long boat racing in Isaan and across the Mekong River in Lao People's Democratic Republic.  Not to be outdone, there is long boat racing in Cambodia this year during the Water Festival from November 5 to 7 in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

We will be attending the water festival during our visit to Angkor Wat next month.

We do not have to travel far to watch long boat racing.  Every year there is racing competition in near by Kumphawapi.  This year the Kumphawapi festival will be held from October 17-18.

The races are held on Hon Kumphawapi just north of where Highway 2023 crosses over the water.

On the 18th, on the west side of the Hwy 2023 bridge, my brother-in-law once again will be performing with his band and go-go girls at the local Honda motorcycle dealership.

Duang will not be attending since she will be participating in an all day and night religious retreat in Tahsang Village so I will be on my own at the regatta.

This time before the start of this year's rice harvest is a very busy time - busy for shows, boat racing, festivals, and having fun.  It will also be a very busy time for us ... experiencing and enjoying as much as we can.

Sarapan Competition

Young Woman Singing In Sarapan Competition

The end of Vassa is coming soon.  Vassa, also known as "Buddhist Rain Retreat" and "Buddhist Lent" is a three lunar month period during the rainy season when monks are supposed to stay in their monasteries and temple grounds.  This practice predates Christianity by over five hundred years.  The intent of the retreat was to prevent Monks from trampling crops, injuring themselves, or perhaps harming creatures beneath the flooded fields.

The last day of Vassa this year, Wan Ok Phansa, is 8 October.  Wan Ok Phansa is a day of great celebration.  Great celebration includes fireworks.  Yesterday at one of the markets that we shop at there was quite a run on fireworks.  The roped off section inside the building near the cash registers was filled with adults and just as many children of all ages scurrying about selecting fireworks.  There were sparklers, and pre-packaged ordnance of all sizes.  In three separate wire boxes there were round fireworks of three different sizes - the largest being the size of a medium coconut.

During the past two weeks, as the end of Vassa approached, twice we have attended a special religious observance - a sort of singing competition called Sarapan. Sarapan is the singing of the three gems of Buddhism - Buddha, the  Dhamma (teachings of Buddha), and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community)

Duang told me it was "salapon" or what sounded like "s-a-l-a-p-on" to me.  I searched on Google for salapon, salapan, salaporn, sarapon, saraporn, and not until I tried "sarapan" did I get some information - little as it was.  The lesson that was reinforced upon today was - don't always trust your ears - try and try again when researching a word from one language to another language.

The information from the Internet confirmed what Duang had told me and provided a little, very little, more background.

Sarapan Ensemble Performing In Ban Dum Nam Muang

My first encounter with Sarapan singing was on 20 September during our visit to Ban Dum Nam with Luang Por Pohm Likit to the home of a beautiful young victim of a senseless shooting.- http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2014/09/life-is-suffering-some-people-suffer.html

Upon entering the small village, we saw some type of event in progress at the local Wat.  Several pavilions had been set up on the Wat grounds along with a stage.  Many women were dressed in matching traditional Isaan clothing.

After taking my photos at the injured woman's home, Duang was fully engaged with the other visitors and occupants of the home. I knew that the visit was going to last a while and that I would understand very little of what was being or would be said.  I made my farewell to the residents and  I told Duang that I was going to check out what was going on down at the Wat as I took off.

As I entered the grounds with my camera and camera bag, I was immediately met by a security man.  No, he did not want to check my backpack.  No, he did not want to see any identification - photo ID included.  He wanted to bring me to where he thought that I would get the best photos.  He had no concern for the dignitaries that he walked me in front of.  He wanted to be sure that I was at the foot of the stage - center stage!  I acknowledged the seated dignitaries and Monks seated under a large canopy about ten meters to my right.  I took a few quick shots and retreated to a less obtrusive location at the end of the stage.

This is a common experience for me here in Thailand.  People, even security people, are very friendly and accommodating when I go to take photographs.  I show them some of the photos that I am taking which is a small way of thanking them for their help.

Another Sarapan Ensemble Performing In Ban Dum Nam Muang

Apparently Sarapan singing is a unique aspect of Isaan culture - mostly likely specifically the Lao Loum ethnic culture.  Sarapan singing originated from Theravada Buddhist Monks prayers.  Monks taught the laypeople how to sing the Sarapan.

The singing of Sarapan often during Vassa became popular and there are many competitions.  Here in Isaan there are many competitions between the local villages of sub districts.  At the end of each year there is an athletic competition between the various village elementary schools.  These competitions are a rich blend of sports, music, ethnic foods, dance, crafts and socializing for people of all ages.  In early May, at the start of the Rainy Season, there is a competition between the villages of a sub district.  The competition, traditional dancing, associated with Bun Bang Fai (rocket festival) has each village entering a dance team wearing traditional Lao Loum costumes.  It is great to watch and very interesting to photograph.  Weeks prior to the competition, the villagers practice their routine - called to practice and dancing to music blared over the village sound system.

These competitions as well many religious festivals and events foster a sense of community and reinforce the cultural identity of the Isaan people.  Sarapan competitions serve the same purpose as well as being merit making rituals for the performers.

Awards Table

Ensembles in Sarapan competitions are evaluated on their singing, appearance in addition to how they sing.  There is a formal and stylized way in which the singing is to be done.

For the Sarapan competition in Ban Dum Nam Muang cash prizes were awarded.  First place was 8,000 Baht.  Second place was 5,000 Baht.  Third place prize was 3,000 Baht ($100 USD approx.). All other participating ensembles received 2,000 Baht to help pay for the costs of competing.

The local government helps to finance the competition as well as donations from local politicians, patrons, and local businesses - again the community contributing to building a sense of community and supporting the celebration of local culture.

Our second encounter with Sarapan Competition was on September 28th.  For two weeks our friend, Luang Por Pohm Likit, had read an invitation to the people of his forest Wat to attend a Sarapan competition in a small village.  We ended up driving him in our truck as part of a four vehicle convoy over to Ban Nong Na Kham.  Ban Nong Na Kham is very close to the Wat that we witnessed the first Sarapan competition.

Sarapan Ensemble In Ban Nong Na Kham

Buddhism is the life of the middle path.  Luang Por Pohm Likit is a Buddhist Monk, but apparently when it comes to navigation, he prefers and chooses the narrow and curvy path.  I followed his directions - a combination of Thai, English and hand gestures over one and one-half lane country roads that snaked around rice paddies, and through tiny villages for what seemed to me to be a very long time made all the much longer by frequent encounters with on coming vehicles as well as death wish motorbike drivers.  Eventually we arrived at a point where I recognized a familiar landmark - an abandoned brick chimney near Ban Dum Nam Muang!  Looking further past the chimney I saw the main highway, Highway 22 from Udonthani to Sakon Nakhon!  I knew where we were and planned to take the much quicker and safer Highway 22 back to Udon and then back to Wat Ban Mat for our return.  After a few more twists and turns we arrived at the site of the competition.

Duang stayed with the other people of Ban Mat and I wandered off to take photographs.

Novice Monks Finishing Their One Meal of the Day

The Wat had many interesting venues to take photographs in.  There were many Monks enjoying the entertainment of the competition.  Many people and plenty of children were there to enjoy the singing, food, as well as the company of residents from several villages in attendance.

I was enjoying myself listening to the singing, taking photographs, and interfacing with the people when after a short while, or so it seemed to me, I ran into Luang Por Pohm Likit in a wooded grove on the Wat grounds.  He said that my wife was looking for me.  We went off together and quickly found Duang who informed me that she had been looking for me for an hour.  I guess time does fly by when you are having fun.  I was not the only one having fun that day.

Enjoying Ice Cream At the Helium Balloon Booth

It turned out that it was time for Luang Por Pohm Likit and the rest of the Ban Mat convoy to return to the Wat in the forest.  We got in the truck and arrived soon at an intersection,  I spoke with the Monk about wanting to take Highway 22 back.  He once again chose the narrow and winding path to go.  I don't know why he wanted to go back the same way - perhaps he was enjoying the ride and wanted it to last longer or if he liked the more scenic route.  No matter the case, we went along the path that he chose.  Similar to the Muslim religion where devotees do not ask for things from Allah for to do so would be to question his will to begin with and "Who are we to question the will of Allah?"  Who was I to question, let alone argue with, the will of a Buddhist Monk especially when Duang is such a devoted Buddhist.  As they say - some things are best not argued and best left alone.

Tamboon Roi Wan

Family Members Launching Khom Fai - Fire Lanterns

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

Saturday night, the 27th, we attended a Tamboon Roi Wan Party that my wife's youngest brother was performing at in a small village northeast of our home in Udonthani.

It had been 100 days from the funeral of a man and in the Lao Loum culture time for a unique ritual called "Tamboon Roi Wan" sometimes referred to as "Bone Party".  Duang's brother had been contracted to provide the entertainment on the final night of the two day event.

"Tamboon Roi Wan" is the funeral anniversary party. 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.

The two day ritual is a time for family, friends, and neighbors to eat, drink, socialize, and participate in religious ritual.  It is a grand party. Previously these two day events also had a great deal of gambling.  However since the latest military coup, there has been a crackdown on gambling.  Gambling, other than the national lottery, has long been illegal in Thailand. Local law enforcement officials used to turn a blind eye to family gambling during funerals and tamboon roi wan events.  For gambling at other times, "accommodations" had to be arranged to avoid being arrested.  Local officials no longer have that "flexibility".

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 drinks 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, whiskey, drinking water, and soft drinks along with a small metal bucket of ice are placed on each table.


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

 

The special merit making ritual involving Monks, for this week's tamboon roi wan ended around 6:30 P.M. when the people returned to socializing, and drinking followed by a catered formal meal.  The caterer had set up a field kitchen in the street outside of the deceased person's home.

From our arrival at 5:00 P.M. until the start of the night's entertainment starting at 7:00 P.M., several men were feverishly setting up the stage, installing the lighting for the show, and setting up the sound system.  Backstage, the performers were occupied putting on their makeup and costumes.

As is typical when hiring entertainers, the host is responsible for feeding and providing drinks to the performers, roadies, and groupies such as Duang and me.  The hosts provide the same food to the "hired" help as they do to their guests.  Hosts are very accepting of our presence and show genuine concern that we have plenty to eat and drink.  We drink water or coke since I have to drive home from these events.  Here in Thailand there are unannounced roadblocks at night to check for DUIs.  I don't want that hanging over my head - besides I am a guest here and I do not want to give anyone an excuse to throw me out of the country.

At 8:00 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 show was scheduled to run until around 3:00 A.M. but we left at 10:00 P.M. because we had our 5 year old grandson with us and a busy day planned for the next day.





The entertainment commenced with classic ethnic dancing performed by two young women.  The women wore traditional Lao Loum clothing for their dances.  Here in southeast Asia the various minorities retain their unique clothing as well as dance.  You know what ethnic group, an individual, especially a woman, belongs to by their clothing.  The various minorities also retain their unique music and dance.  Children are taught to perform to their music in schools.  Entertainment troupes are formed in high schools and universities to continue and celebrate their cultures.  These troupes perform at cultural events as well as at private functions such as weddings, retirement parties and religious festivals.  These performances are an aspect of life here that I really appreciate and enjoy.

 

Young Woman Performing A Traditional Isaan Dance

The two young women performed three distinctive dances with one single change of costume.

 

Traditional Dance Hand Gesture

 

 

 

 

 

Following the dance performance, my brother-in-law's show started.  Shows for Tamboon Roi Wan parties start with what I call "respect to the past and elders".  This portion of the show involves the playing and singing traditional Lao music.  The traditional Lao musical instrument, the khene, sets the rhythm and melody for the singing.  The singing is free verse, with the singer making up the lyrics, appropriate lyrics for the specific event, as they go alone.  The singing style from event to event is standardized but the lyrics are determined at the moment by the performer.  The performer is evaluated just as much for their selection of words as how well they sing them.

 

Khene Player and Singer Performing

 Duang's father was a singer and well known in the area.  The man performing at this party was her father's first student.  I know that Duang was pleased, "happy inside", to see a link to her father continuing on with his tradition and celebration of their shared culture.

 

After the men had finished their set, there was an event that I had not anticipated or observed at previous bone parties.  Several members of the deceased man's family gathered off to the side of the stage to launch khom fai - fire lanterns.  Khom Fai are large special paper bags that have a large candle suspended below their open end.  The candles are ignited and as they burn, the interior is filled with soft glowing light and hot air.  The hot air fills the bag, and because the hot air is less dense than the surrounding atmosphere, the khom fai gently rises into the night sky, rising ever higher as the candle continues burning - the flight of the fire lantern determined by the ever shifting night breezes.

 

 

 

As the last of the Kohm Fai rose and disappeared into the dark sky, the next part of the show commenced.  This portion of the show involved electrified instruments - keyboard, bass guitar, lead guitar, khene, and drum set.  The music is updated and modern Isaan music - driving beats, rapid tempo, and elaborate guitar rifts.  The genre of music is referred to as "Malam Sing"

 

Malam Sing also involves Go-Go dancers with all the moves from the 60s and quite a few that we were too shy to perform back in the 60s or should not do now that we are in our 60's!  I love this spectacles - every time I attend one I think about the USO show scene from the film "Apocalypse Now"

 

The show is more than just go-go dancing, singing, and playing instruments.  The show involves a great deal of drama, and humor - much of it bawdy as well as risqué.

When a singer is ready to perform their first song, it is not a simple matter of climbing the three rung ladder from the ground to the top of the performing stage.  It is more complicated and theatrical entrance.  The first song is typically a slow melancholy type song.  Standing either underneath the stage or off to the side on the ground out of sight of the audience, the performer will sing about 50% of the song before appearing before the crowd.  As they are singing, the performer will give a wai, the Thai greeting and gesture of respect, to the audience.

During their performance on stage, people will approach the stage to give the performers money, garlands of flowers, to touch their hand, to flirt or to give them their cell phone number.  The performers work this drama into their act ... acknowledging and thanking the people as well as making some jokes about the ubiquitous drunks that make a spectacle of themselves.  The audience loves the give and take with the performers.  They especially enjoy the flirting and overt sexual overtures between the performers - typically between the lead male singer, female lead singer, go-go girls, and khene player - but all combinations and permutations are exploited to the delight of the crowd.

I have written that some of the best parties that I have attended have been bone parties.  It is completely different from my experiences back in America but to paraphrase Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz .. "Toto, I have a feeling that we are not in America anymore"- many times that is not such a bad thing.  Living here in Isaan is always interesting to say the least.



The Precious Lotus

A Lotus In Bloom - Pattaya, Thailand

The lotus flower, Nelumbo nucifera, is a very beautiful flower found throughout Thailand.  It comes in various colors such as white, blue, purple, pink, and red.

The seeds of the seed head, upper right hand corner of the above photograph are eaten raw or combined with sugar to form a paste that is used as the filling of various ethnic pastries.  I have enjoyed eating both the raw beans and the lotus paste filled pastries.  Other parts of the lotus plant, such as the roots, flowers, young leaves, and stems are also edible.  On our trip in January to Thale Bua Daeng (Red Lotus Sea) we purchased some treats made from the root of a similar water plant.

The lotus is an amazing plant.  It grows in the muck of ponds, lakes, and ditches.  Its roots are in the mud and muck of stagnant shallow water retention areas - murky turbid regions inhabited by leaches, amoebas, bacteria, and most likely some snakes. It grows in places that are not attractive to most people - which includes me.

A lotus plant can live for over one thousand years.  An over one thousand year old lotus seed was successfully germinated in 1994.

During roughly a week, the lotus flower blooms during the day above the water's surface.  As night approaches, the blossom folds back up into the flower bud and slip beneath the water's surface only to arise again in the morning.

Now that we are approaching the end of our rainy season, there are more and more stands along the roadside selling the dried seed heads.  The countless stagnant water features are now filled up with giant lotus leaves either floating on the surface with flowers about a foot above the water. Early in the morning the flowers set forth from the large buds,  The leaves are large - roughly two feet in diameter (60 cm).  The flowers are supported above the leaves on a thick stem.

Preparing Lotus Flower Offerings

The lotus has very significant symbolism in Buddhism.  It is one of the "Eight Auspicious Symbols" Every important Buddhist deity (god) is associated with the lotus - sitting on it, holding it, or each leg standing upon separate flowers.

The lotus springing forth from the mud represents purity of the body, speech, and mind - rising up from materialism, through the depths of experience, to bloom in the sunshine of enlightenment.  The two stages of the lotus flower are also symbolic of the stages of enlightenment - the tight flower bud symbolizing the time before person found Buddha or attained enlightenment with the full blossom symbolizing complete enlightenment and self-awareness.

There is a high demand and market for lotus flower buds.  There are farms that grow lotus to meet the need for fresh buds as well as people who harvest the buds that grow wild.

In March, during our trip to the Wat Suwannaram area, west of Bangkok, we visited a lotus farm.  We accessed the lotus farm by boat tour of the canals but could also had visited the farm by motor vehicle.  We were fortunate to arrive just as the workers were offloading their harvest at the land facility.

Female Worker Offloading Harvest of Lotus Buds

After slogging through the shallow muddy waters of the farm, the workers harvest the buds by cutting the stems about two feet below the water's surface.  The long stemmed buds along with lotus leaves which are also harvested for market, are then carefully placed in a flat bottomed wood boat that accompanies the workers.  The price paid by the agents for the markets is determined by the size, color, and condition of the buds and leaves at the nearby processing area of the farm.

A Second Female Worker Offloads the Harvest

The leaves and buds are carried up the banks of the flooded area and carried to the adjacent processing area.

Rinsed and Stacked Lotus Buds

In the processing area, actually a covered portico of the farm owner's home, the lotus buds are inspected, rinsed, and stacked by color and size to await the arrival of wholesalers later in the day.

Lotus Harvester

Having waded through murky waist deep water harvesting the lotus buds along with leaves, and hauling them to the farm house, the workers were covered with mud and perhaps with leaches.  Since the canal that we traveled on to the farm was relatively clean, the workers washed themselves prior to donning dry clothes to have their meal in the farm house.

Cleaning Up After Work

Duang Prepares A Bud For Offering

Duang and our boat driver showed me how the lotus buds are prepared to be offerings.  The petals are carefully peeled back from the tip of the bud.  Each petal is folded over and tucked into its base to expose the interior of the blossom.  This process continues until three rows are formed - three symbolizing the three gems of Buddhism - Buddha, Dhamma (The Teachings of Buddha), and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community).

Lotus Offering

During the special ritual for the dedication of the new statue for the "Outside" Wat for Tahsang Village, lotus buds were offerings at all three shrines as well as lotus petals were sprinkled upon the statues, roads, and devotees.  A special ritual apparently requires special offerings - a precious offering of precious lotus flowers -powerful and strong symbols of Buddhism.