To Give

Hi,
As predicted, we had quite a busy weekend. Everything led up to 'number 20', which is how dates are referred to. Saturday, we went and got our outfits for the ceremony to bless the land and the house. This consisted of a short-sleeved, cotton shirt with ties instead of buttons, and matching (very) wide-legged pants with a waist that is folded and rolled. (you had to be there)
Before I go into detail, let's deal with the musical portion of our show. The song was "Benny & The Jets" by Elton John, with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was on Yellow Brick Road LP. Let's start the week with a possible 'stumper'.
"Well, just a look at that girl with the lights comin' up in her eyes. She's got to be __ __, She must be __ __..."
Clues: Singer's initials are J.B. but it's not the funky one. Great song.
Sunday morning found us getting up at our new time (not over the 'lag'), 6 a.m. There was anticipation in the air. We wanted to get dressed, but it was too early. We organized the things we would be taking and had a 'regular' morning. OK, we finally left for The Place. We arrived a little before the appointed time of 9 a.m. There were five monks and a giant crane waiting for us. Supat was running around, putting the finishing touches on everything and we just moved about and greeted people. In the center of the construction, two tall pieces of wood were erected, like masts. Attached to each of them was a bunch of bananas (nourishment and good health), several coconuts (the water inside is always pure), and some sugar cane (it never dies, even though it appears to). Tied above these were seven scarves of different colors (representing the seven days of the week). There are shirts, worn by us, hanging from each mast. These will remain as the house is built.
At the rear of the property, there were five chairs facing the site. When all the prep was done, the monks took their places and we followed. A string was tied to the south end of the 'house' and the end was brought to the monks. They passed the ball of string between them and wrapped it around a bowl, in front of the head monk. In your mind, picture the monks, sitting in a row, with their hands together and the string between thumb and forefinger. The head monk began to chant a mantra and the others joined in. It went on for about 15 minutes. An amazing experience, as it became an ever changing musical adventure. Not knowing what they were saying allowed us to drift away on the sounds and rhythms. We both wish that we had a recording.
After the blessing, we gave the monks paper cones with money and flowers, and it was time for the next event. Supat had told us about nine stakes of wood that we would pound into the earth. What he didn't tell us was, we'd have to climb down a ladder, into the center pit. I took a deep breath and did what I had to do (eek). Lisa declined the climb and stayed above. It should be mentioned here, that the number nine played a very important role in the day. There were nine wooden stakes that I was to pound into holes in the footing. Each stake represented a different thing. One was for prosperity, one for friendship, another for good health, and so on. We each had a footing with the nine holes, so I did all of them. While this was going on, very loud rockets were sent into the air, and Supat blew a conch shell. It was very dramatic. I finally climbed out of the hole and then the monks were served lunch.
Behind the chairs where the monks sat, there was an arrangement of food and flowers that represented sky, north, south, east and west, as well as the earth. Be sure and visit the Flickr site for the photos. There are some that I'll add later, from another camera. Tomorrow I'll tell you about the evening party with the workers.
Whew, now you know about our Sunday, number 20! Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give"
~Kahlil Gibran

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style

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