Letter from Issaan part 3

[phoenix]

Letter from Issaan – part three

Party time.

The 2 day celebration was in the honour of the passing away one year ago of the woman’s mother. We arrive after dark on the evening before the party was to start. We were late, because after our extended visit to the copshop, when we came home, Meh decided that the perm she had been given that morning was not entirely right, we sat through an other hour of tweaking hair, cutting it more, etc. In the end it got quite short, which I thought took 10 yrs of Meh’s age. But she didn’t agree. She arrived the next day at the party dressed in a bright red tracksuit, and wearing what the Dutch would call a woolen ice hat, used to go skating in winter, which covered her entire hair.

Spent a pleasant evening at the party houses, had an attempted conversation with a very distinghuished looking 69 yr old man, who spoke about 8 words of English versus my about 40 words of Thai. People seemed to be quite at ease with a falang being present, and all were extremely pleasant. We were shown the bedroom where we were supposed to sleep (a couple of notches up on ‘home’. But suddenly Nok seemed to become aware of some of the leering and joking going on by some of the now rather drunk men, and some rather drunk women. She decided she didn’t feel comfortable staying the night, the partying was going on all night, and she was worried about her reputation!. So we decamped for the night to a NP hotel, next to the Riverview, good room, no waterview, but only 400 bt. AND a hot shower, which I think was her motivation, plus the privacy she deemed necessary to catch up on missed out exercise.

In the morning, flat tire, Nok suspects a knife attack from the guy that runs the little shop across the road, to generate some work. We manage a temporary repair there, but it keeps losing air, as does the spare. So at high sped we go down the road and put on two new Michelins. Buy dozen beer, go friends party. Because many of the people thee already had met me, they were even more relaxed. Nok chatted away to her friends, hardly a soul had more that 3 words English, so I discreetly inquired if I could take photo’s . Of course I could. The woman who gave the party had seen some of the photos I shot at NOK’s home (I used to be a Prof. photographer) and was delighted. I stopped because I ran out of film after about 110 shots, then finished off another 40 odd on my digital Sony.

Around one, there would have been about 10-130 people, some of them already (or still) fairly drunk, but many just socialising, while building various objects that were going to be used in he ceremony. A decorated house built out of polystyrene, about five feet high., an number of decorations carved out of wood on the spot by quite impressive craftsmen. The women were either very busy preparing huge amounts of food, in two kitchens and an outside yard. The older women were making offerings out of banana leaves and decorative items. Inside the main room a big pedestal was rapidly filling up with presents, varying from a tree with 20 bt bills, to an electric fan, other household appliances, and decorative objects. Most people were very happy to pose, the 69 yr old man wanted to be photographed first with what appeared to be the highest status man present (probably the richest attending) then insisted I photographed him in front of the presents pedestal. Some of the elderly women looked very dignified, some of the younger ones (I talk in their late 20’s and 30’s, were clowning around in front of the camera, making bawdy jokes about the suspected powers of falang men, all while chopping up large pieces of meat and preparing vegetable dishes. Rather late in the piece I found another yard beside the house where Meh, by now quite merry was hanging out on a seating platform with some of the other women, and a few men.

One of the men casually leaned over the edge of the platform, vomited, and continued drinking and smoking, and talking. A little further the dishwasher brigade was busy, mainly some of the younger women. Many children mixed all around the compound, of all ages, but usually very proudly carried around and showed off.

All together, maybe not that different from a summers night Kiwi Barbecue party, but not quite the same either.

We had planned earlier to leave that day for Ngong Khai, on a sightseeing and travelling expedition. I would have been happy to stay, but had the feeling Nok was worried what might go on if things progressed further. Most people were extremely kind and hospitable, a few drunken guys a wee bit obnoxious. So she decided after three hours, we’d hit the road. With regret on my part, I would have loved to buy more film, batteries for my flash, and party on into the night. As it was we missed the ceremony with the monks etc. Mai Pen Rai, I had a great time and some great pix.

[spirit_of_town_hall]

Excellent report, its very interesting reading about life in Issan

[phoenix]

Rp3

[phoenix]

RP 2006