“Wake up at 6, we go to temple tomorrow!” Awesome, I’m going to a Buddhist temple with my Thai family! Damn, waking up at 6 am on a Saturday, after hiking a mountain. It was definitely worth it. I groggily shower and change into respectable, yet cool, clothing. (In Thailand, the lightest, coolest clothing available is always best.) “We’re leaving at 7” which of course means be ready by 6:30, because we tend to leave ½ - 1 hour before the time they tell me we’re leaving. I’m not really sure where the mix up comes in, but it happens every time.
Anyways, the wat is just down the
road. We walk in and immediately I’m getting stared at. Can you blame them? It’s
not often a white American girl comes into a small temple in the countryside
outside of Chiang Mai. We sit in front of the Buddha statue holding a small
candle, flowers, and an incense stick. We wai, dip three times, and place our
candles in with the rest of the row along the floor. The incense go into a jar
of sand so they can continue burning. The two dozen incense already in there
made the wat smell absolutely wonderful. We also place flowers, incense, and
candles all bound together with string onto a triangular dish. Three are
places, one towards each point. An additional bundle is placed on another
plate. I forgot to mention that each of these were accompanied with a sprinkle of
broken up popcorn. Then we go outside (or maybe this happened before the
incense, I don’t remember) and give gifts to the monks. They aren’t actually
there, but tables and plates are set up. I pour a little water into three
containers, and place food and toiletries onto the plates. We take our seats in
the back where there is space and wait. It sounds just like any other service
might before it starts, quiet chatter going around, especially between all the
women.
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| Females are not permitted inside this. In Lampuhn |
A monk walks out and seats
himself on a raised platform along the wall. This is done because commoners are
supposed to be physically lower than monks and Buddha statues at all times and
if the monk sits on the floor, there’s not much left but to lay down. So they
sit on platforms. A man picks up a microphone and starts a chant in Bali.
Everyone, myself included, is in a constant wai. Three more monks walk out and
sit down along the wall with the first. During specific parts of the chant, and
I don’t know which parts because I don’t know Bali, we place our palms and
heads on the floor (or as close as one can get, depending on physical ability).
During one part everyone files out
and places rice into bowls for the monks. I think there must have been two more
monks hiding out somewhere because there were six bowls out. Anyways, we walk
back in and sit down, and the chanting resumes. We pour water into little bowls
in front of us and hold them up at face level. Then everyone gets up, walks
outside, and leaves. I had no idea it was even over until someone poured out
their water, hopped on their motorcycle, and sped out.
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| Fern on her second try with the wishing elephant |
Later on that day we head to
Lampuhn, the province below us. We visited many different wats, and some of
them had multiple temples. They’re gorgeous, awe-inspiring structures. The
builders take the time for every little detail, so the wats shimmer and shine
with all the different glass. Mosaics, painting, or detailed woodwork line
every inch of the wats. Outside of one there is a giant gong which you’re
supposed to hit three times, so I do. In another there’s a small metal elephant
statue with a ring on it. You make a wish and lift up the statue. The ring is
only big enough for one finger and the statue is really heavy. I think the
higher you lift it, the better sign it is that your wish will come true, but
don’t quote me on that. It’s just a guess from Fern having to do it twice when
the first attempt didn’t go over so well.
Also, Thai’s put a lot of stock
into when you were born. The month, day of the week, date, and time of day are
all important. I believe there are seven differently oriented Buddha statues
for each day of the week, but again I’m working in some pretty constrained language
barriers… so don’t quote me on that. Mondays is a standing Buddha with the
right palm facing outwards, as if waving in Thai fashion (yes, the Thai’s do
wave differently. Yet it’s not that different at all, just more structured.
Picture someone with palm facing you, and the arm at a 90 degree angle from
that. Then they rotate the hand back and forth as if on an axis).
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| A very ornate wat, in Lampuhn |
We finished off the afternoon
with some lunch and a trip to the market. My host mom graciously bought me a
bracelet that I seemed to look at for just a second longer than everything
else. I’ve noticed she’s incredibly attentive to me. If I yawn or rub my eyes a
combined total of two or more times, I’m sent to bed. She feeds me often, asks
if I’m thirsty, and always tries to keep the fan pointed more towards me. She
also doesn’t speak any English, so body language is key.
So is charades… which I got to
play with her today. Some Thai’s don’t wash their bras, socks, and underwear
together with their clothes, and some won’t allow them in the washing machine at
all (which is outside and we fill with a hose for the wash and rinse cycles. On
the plus side, it’s hard to forget about your laundry when you’re forced to me
so attentive! My dad would appreciate that, as I always forget my laundry until
he reminds me of it). I wanted to do my laundry, so I grabbed a sock, a pair on
underwear, and a shirt. I mimed putting the shirt in the washer, then held up
the sock and underwear and mimed putting them in with the shirt, and washing
them by hand. She pointed to the washing machine (yay, because that’s so much
easier and less time consuming). Even without a common language, we can still
communicate (sometimes) and I always know she cares.
