When we got to the village, we all sat under a little canopy space and all of the mothers of the village laid out the meal that they had prepared. Tons of rice and vegetables and eggs. It was really fresh tasting and delicious. Then we found out who our host mother would be... My mother was named "Mae Lai". I also lived with my friend Kelsey and our Thai buddies' name was Tuk Ta. Our house was a beautiful wooden and concrete structure. There were roosters everywhere. And they did not refrain from waking us up at 4 AM every morning while we were there. They also had some pigs and some chickens in the back. The kitchen was a wood stick structure in the back of the house. There was running water and electricity. And our shower entailed a bucket of cold water in a small closet-like space. They also had a tv and a non-functioning computer. I a little surprised to see how much tv was watched. In my family there was my mother- Mae Lai and my father- Paw Moh. And then their daughter- Pii Dtang lived in the house as well with her husband- Pii Joo. And then Dtang and Joo had a 12 year old daughter that lived in the house as well. Her name was Ploy. They were all so great. We did not see much of our father or speak with him a lot... it was interesting to see how the women were our primary caretakers throughout the trip in many different areas. Paw was a rice farmer and was much smaller than his wife. (which I gather is pretty unusual for Thai people... it is rare to see a woman much taller or larger than 5' 5" and 130 lbs) Paw had beautful dark, sun-worn skin and you could tell by looking at his hands that he has worked hard for a long time. And Mae was a weaver and also seemed to be the head mother of the village. She had a beautiful wooden loom in the front of the house and also had a little shop. Her fabrics were extraordinary. So many bold, stunning colors weaved into shirts, hats, skirts, etc. I ended buying a few things and she gave the three of us some gifts of scarves and hats.
While in the village we would have Thai language class at least once a day with a professor that joined us. We would eat most of our meals with our family which was so nice. It was so amazing to observe how much closer the people in this village are to their food compared to our ways in the states. I mean, they go out back and kill the chicken or pick the vegetables and it is all sitting in front of you-- along with a pile of sticky rice-- fresh and so tasty. I know this is how many people live and how people have lived for centuries, but the only time that I have ever seen chicken is in plastic wrap under fluorescent lights. It was so cool to see everything in its full cycle. Beyond class and our meals, we had a good amount of free time to hang out with our families and relax. I got to draw a lot with my little sister Ploy and some of her friends. She was such a great artist. I did this one game with her where one person scribbles anything on a sheet of paper and then the other has to turn it into some sort of scene or monster or landscape. And she was so inventive... the things she came up with were amazing. This one time when we were just doodling she drew a caricature of Samak with a pig nose. Samak is the former prime minister of Thailand who was just recently forced out of office... there were huge protests in Bangkok by a resistance party throughout the past month calling for his removal. He is known for his pig-like turned up nose. Anyway, it was interesting that she would draw this because the majority of rural people support Samak because of all of the aid he has given to populations in the countryside. So I was a little suprised. But it was so fun to draw with her. That is one of my favorite things about art-- it doesn't require much language a lot of the time. My family knew a little English and I know a little Thai, but for the most part our Thai buddies and hand gestures were our primary means of communication.
One day they took our group on a little tour of the area. They brought us to this house where this old man-- I think he was in his 80s, made these Thai traditional hair pins. They were these beautiful golden pins, with are carved with intricate little designs. Supposedly, he is the only person in Thailand that can still make them in their traditional form... the king's son even came to visit him in his home once to honor him. He was great... and one of his five wives was sitting in the corner of the room selling some weaving as well. Wow. Then they took us over to this woman who makes fermented bean paste wrapped in banana leaves... it was sooooo salty! And I only had a tiny little taste of it. We also go to visit a few beautiful temples. There are TONS of temples because every little village has their own. At night they took us to this local outdoor massage and sauna place. The sauna was this little stick closet with some seats and the steam flowed in scented with local natural herbs. We got to exfoliate by rubbing this porous rocks all over. And the massage was wonderful- it was an hour long and it was a Thai massage, which is different than other kinds of massage. It involves a lot more of stretching and pressure. Another day we got to go to this arts and crafts festival at a local school. There was music and local crafting and really good food. All of the children were dressed in their traditional Thai clothing so our mother decided to dress Kelsey and I up in some of her skirts as well. That night there was a welcoming ceremony with singing and dancing and other performances. It was so fun... many people from the village came. We sang 'Stand by Me' and taught everyone the 'hokey pokey'. They were a hit. Some of the young girls of the village performed a dance that used candles. My thai buddy did all of their makeup... which they loved!
Antoher day we got to visit some beautiful waterfalls. We got to go see the highest in all of Thailand. It was so beautiful and strong. One night we witnessed a beetle fight. This is really amazing. Men in Thailand raise these black beetles and then hold these matches where they fight each other. They sit the two beetles on a log and place the female beetle in the center and then the men duke it out and whoever can knock the other one off of the log wins. Men in these rural areas hold matches all of the time and they often place bets on certain beetles. The shouting and calling coming out of these men was hilarious. (It actually reminded me a lot of the sounds that would come from the basement when my brother would play his video games when we were younger... screaming at the television)
The second-to-last day that we were there, there was this festival that only happens once a year called "Loi Gatong". It involves making offerings to the village temple in order to make merit for family ancestors and loved ones who have passed. Every family builds these tree-like offerings out of straw and bamboo and then hang them with all sorts of things that the monks at the temple can use. These ranged from bars of soap to bags of tobacco to bags of chips. It was so interesting to look around and see all of these little products hanging on trees and in the backdrop to see these ancient temples and holy monks with nothing but orange robes walking around. We got to participate in the various prayers and rituals. All of the women and the children sat under the little canopy area and prayed and made offerings and the men all stood in the open space near the temple talking with one another and carrying the giant bowls of sticky rice offerings into the temple. It was interesting to observe that gender divide. I got to play with this little boy named Sanon who was around 2 years old. He was so precious and had the best smile. But he was very small and a little weak because he has a heart condition. His grandmother told me that he is going into the city to get surgery soon. She asked me to stay in Mae Chaem and be his sister. I wish! It was beautiful to observe how the mothers and grandmothers care for their children--they are very affectionate and often keep their children close to their bodies.
The next morning we ate breakfast with our families and said goodbye and then Mae Lai walked us over to the temple to say goodbye. It was difficult to leave but I think that I will return at least once before I leave Thailand. I am attaching a link to a website where I am going to put up pictures now because there is not enough space to load them onto this site. I got some pretty good ones.
http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq110/emilyfwolff/Mae%20Chaem%20village/
1 comment:
wow. that's all i can say
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