Wednesday morning, we said an extra prayer and I wondered if the King was in the hospital again. Just as I was asking, Mr. Pratuang, one of the Thai English teachers, explained that the Director of the school’s father died (96 years old!) and the funeral was that night. Because Lenny and Giselle were off to Lao by then, I was invited along with Ms. Amporn, Ms. Suthatip, and their husbands. They picked me up and we were all dressed in black. I had no idea what to expect; I was under the impression we were going just to pay our respects, but when we arrived at the temple in Korat, I realized we were staying for the funeral.
Our group of five was led into the viewing area – not unlike funeral parlors in the States. But we took our shoes off outside, then crawled on our knees in front of the casket. I wished I had brought my camera! The closed casket was black lacquered and covered in mother-of-pearl images of Buddha. Then it was surrounded by very large floral arrangements – about 25 around the casket. We each picked a stick of incense, lit it on a candle, then inserted it in ashes to burn the whole way down while praying to Buddha.
After that, Suthatip and Amporn whisked me away to the local night market to buy a floral arrangement from the English Department. We walked for a good bit and passed a large fair complete with rides, sweet foots, and offensive flourescent lights. We finally found a good flower stand, bought some grapes as an “appetizer” and then got a tuk tuk back to the funeral. Suthatip said the flowers only cost 450 baht, less than 15 USD, which explains why every arrangement was as large as the largest ones in the States that come only from the close family.
We got back to the funeral just before the 7pm starting time. The viewing room was filled with the family and then about a hundred more people were all seated outside under tents. We took our seats among the teachers, military men, and flowers, and Amporn insisted I eat the grapes. While I felt disrespectful eating just as a funeral started, most were snacking and chatting and playing with their cells, so I didn’t feel too awful. The funeral consisted of a man singing a Buddhist prayer that lasted for about seven minutes. We sat in the wai position – palms together held beneath the chin with the elbows tucked in – for the duration of the prayer. Then he paused for a minute before starting the same prayer again. All in all, he said the prayer seven times and the funeral ended near 8pm. The most bizarre part was the fair booming and blaring just across the street. But the funeral was not nearly as solemn as those at home are. People chatted and ate food and smiled - typical Thais. I don’t know if the lack of visible grieving is a Buddhist thing, but it certainly gave a different spin on death from what I’m used to. The five of us left just as it ended and went to eat seafood and rice soup before coming back to Pakthongchai.
Thursday was back to teaching after an eventful and really interesting experience of the Thai culture. I was in the middle of 2nd period with the 6/6s, whom I hadn’t seen in 3 weeks for various reasons, Suthatip came in shouting “STOP TEACHING!” I was startled and scared I did something wrong. But then she smiled and said “Stopstopstop the committee is here for sea games and we havetogonow!” We were off! The Director and Pakthongchai’s mayor were showing off the new boxing arena to some foreign press and as English teachers we were enlisted to go for any language help. (I was enlisted to go because I’m the foreign teacher and therefore they have to brag about me at any opportunity.) We walked around the arena, passing the VIP Room, the Press Room, and the ever necessary Drug Doping Room – I kid you not, transliterations are hilarious – but again I was without a camera. After an hour, we were back at school. But I met the mayor and that was cool.
Today I was standing with Mr. Pratuang during assembly when he informed me that he and another Thai English teacher will be annoucing the rosters and pre- and post-game talk for the women’s football games that we are hosting in Pakthongchai. Then he informed me that I will be helping him because my English is “the best.” I am excited to be part of all this SEA Game business, but it better not interfere with the full week off that I get because I won’t be getting paid (long story, no big deal).
Finally, today was the Director’s birthday so we got free lunch. I had pad mi (fried noodles, spicy) and somtam (papaya salad!) and two pieces of cake, the first forced by the Computer Department and the second by the English Department. Tonight there is a Chinese festival in town – food, shops, dancing, think Little Italy but with Asians. I was walking through it when two of my students saw me and asked me to walk with them. They were obsessed with making sure I ate dinner in their presence, so even though I ate a roll of Ritz crackers only 1.5 hours prior, I took on the heavy duty of eating delicious noodle soup. It was cinnamony and spicy and delicious. While I was eating and chatting with the one girl who has decent English, the mute girl ran away and returned with strawberry smoothies that were delicious.
It was a good week, I am exhausted and stuffed. Tomorrow Amporn and Suthatip are taking me around the province and hopefully to the town of Phimai which has Khmer temple ruins that are older than and look like Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Then it’s Loy Kratong candle-floating festivities tomorrow night. No worries, I will be taking my camera!
