Unexpected Blessings

The New Year is a big deal in Thailand, and I think in all of Asia.  Much of south and southeast Asia celebrates their traditional New Year on April 13-15 ("Songkran" in Thailand).  But they also celebrate the modern New Year here in Thailand on December 31st and January 1st, like we do in the west.  And, like every other holiday here, it's one big party.  "Pattaya Countdown 2015" started the day after Christmas, with nightly events under the Hollywood-style "Pattaya City" sign at Bali Hai Pier.  The city has been full of tourists and party-goers, and the traffic is ridiculous.

mega-tour bus traversing the roundabout

Tuesday evening, Tim went to check out the chess games at a German restaurant on Second Rd., so I went along for the ride and hung out at the Central Festival mall, just a block away.  We haven't been able to find nacho chips anywhere (besides the Mexican restaurant), so I decided to try making some from scratch.  But I needed a rolling pin, and none of the stores I tried carried them.  I thought this would be a good opportunity to check the stores at the mall for this elusive item (this kills me, because I have two perfectly good rolling pins in my kitchen in Michigan!)  Well, as luck would have it, I was finally able to find a rolling pin at the Central Festival store (kind of like the anchor store of the mall, similar to Hudson's or Macy's).  I've also been looking for a nice, cloth tablecloth, but apparently they don't do tablecloths here, except for the vinyl ones.  When I asked at the Central Festival store, they showed me big rolls of vinyl that could be cut to your table's specifications (this also kills me, as I have the perfect tablecloth in my cabinet in Michigan).  Tim was just getting started with a good game of chess by the time I'd finished shopping, so Mick took me home then went back for Khun Tim.  The traffic was ridiculous, like I said.  This should really have been a 20-minute drive, but it took us over 40 minutes to get home.  Much of the traffic is dominated by huge tour buses - they amaze us how they can maneuver through tiny streets and alleys, but they sure clog things up and slow things down.

We stayed in for our own New Year's Eve celebration - it would be just a little too crazy out there, and our driver had a party he could go to if we didn't need him.  It was easy to tell when it was midnight without Ryan Seacrest on the TV - fireworks started going off everywhere. I told Tim it was a nice change of pace from the usual gunshots back home!  We were able to watch a great show of fireworks from the comfort of our own deck - we could see five or six different shows at various distances from our place, and one that was right next door.  Great views, and we didn't have to fight traffic and the drunk drivers afterward.  Pretty sweet.

images from the TV

There was no Ryan Seacrest countdown, but there were several stations televising words of wisdom from holy men.  The New Year is a special time for Buddhists, and it is a time when many monks are out in public seeking donations.  You know how Wal-Mart has the little shops at the front of the store?   Tesco-Lotus has the same thing, although it's more gold jewelry and pharmaceuticals, and less Soft Pretzels and vision centers.  Well, for the New Year, a very old monk was sitting on a raised platform in one of these little shops.  He had to be at least 80-years-old, and was sitting absolutely still in the lotus position.  We thought he was a statue at first, and had to watch very closely to see him breathing.  And he stayed in this position for an amazingly long time, with all the hubbub of the store going on around him.  I don't think I could sit like that for more than a minute or two without having to adjust.  He was clearly in a deep, meditative state.  There was a collection box next to him for donations - I guess this is one way to do it.  He was there when we came in, and still there when we left nearly an hour later - fascinating.  (It didn't feel right to take a picture.)  It's funny that I feel respectful to the monks here, but didn't have much patience for the ones (mostly Hare Krishna) soliciting in the US.  Maybe it's easier to be more accepting of someone's differences when you are in their "house"? Wonder what the psychologists have to say about it...

I also saw many people praying on TV with strings touching their heads.  I was curious to find out what that was about.  What I learned is that the strings are attached to the Buddha, then strung up to the ceiling and down to the individuals praying in the temple.  This is done for special occasions, like the New Year, and are physical, symbolic representations of the blessings coming directly from Buddha to the individual.  Their head is the most sacred part of their body, which is why the string goes there. (My apologies if I have misrepresented anything here - it is the best interpretation I could find.)

The weather was lovely here in Thailand for the first day of the New Year.  For the first time in his life, Tim went golfing on New Years Day.  Hope you all have a great 2015 - ours is proving to be exceptional so far!