A funeral in Thailand!
Trip Start
Jun 05, 2007
1
56
57
Trip End
Ongoing
Cambodia, Khétt Bântéay Méan Choăy, Cambodia
Saturday, July 23, 2011
This entry is actually several in one. Recently I went to Tak which is in the North of Thailand near Chiang Mai but I did not write a separate entry about my trip so I will include it with this one. one of my Thai friends told me that their Aunt passed and did I want to go to the funeral with them. I jumped at the chance. I knew that the funeral would give me another view into the 'real' culture and it really did.
First I knew that most Thais are farmers but I did not know about the work ethic. Thais work ethic and devotion to their land 'dawned on me' as I spoke with my friends relatives, spoke with the monks and saw the volume of land and plants and vegetables that they grow. It's not just my friends family either,. i recall that everyone I meet in Pattaya (city i live) tells me they have a farm and now I understand where these people are from and what kind of lives they live everyday. Far from my reality!
Most of Thailand outside of the big cities like Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai or Phuket are small villages. This is the heart and soul of Thailand and where most of the population originates. From the villages. The village where the family of my friend was typical Thai. 25 family's with no convenience stores and houses made of mostly plywood and concrete. There is usually one store in the whole village and everyone knows each other. Dirt roads and no street signs of course.
At the funeral the whole town gathered and to no surprise the funeral service itself was very, very interesting in which I took part in the service. I also got a chance to converse with a monk which s the brother of my friend that I was traveling with. I believe he was trying to recruit me into 'Monk-ship' but Id better leave that alone. Somehow walking around for the rest of my life in a robe and slippers and abstinence doesn't appeal to me. But nevertheless this monk's temple is in Chiang Mai and I was invited to stay in the temple the next time I came by. But the question is...can i bring overnight guest to my room if i stay in the temple....I think not!!
Th funeral as a whole was an enjoyable experience. They even burned the body in front of my eyes, in a box of course but cremation is part of the Buddhist practices. I love Buddhism really, even before I came to Thailand I wanted to be cremated. Being buried in a box so the maggots and worms could feed off of me for the next 30 days or so was always kinda silly to me. I didn't come here in a box so why should I leave in one. Ashes to Ashes and dust to dust is my thinking.
A side note also is that I had to make another visa run. This time to the Cambodian border. No sweat...stamped my passport and I'm back in Thailand.!
The photograph that you see here is from Koh Larn. Me and another friend went there on a Saturday. It's a 45 minute ferry ride from pattaya. Had a great time!
Well folks...be good and I'll chat later...
Meet u at the crossroads......
Vaughn
