TO BE MONK AND THE ENVELOPE

PARADE THRU THE VILLAGE SQUARE

THE DANCING GIRLS ON STAGE

SOON TO BE MONK WITH AUNT AND UNCLE

EVEN THE BABY SOI DOGS ARE THERE

ONE SING A SONG GIRL

DAD AUNT AND UNCLE AND TO BE MONK COLLECTING ENVELOPES

OUR TABLE AND WE HAD LOTS OF FOOD

A VIEW OF SOME OF THE FOLKS THERE , A GOOD CROWD

CIEJAY SAID THIS ONE WAS A BOY

THE STAGE AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAINS

Ciejay, showed me envelope a man brought by and said his nephew "TO BE MONK". I guess this is a very important time in a young mans life , for himself and also for his relatives ,I'm not sure of all the Buddish benifits of monk hood , but Ciejay told me that one thing it does is to asure Mom and Dad a place in Budda heaven.And the envelopes is a way to get money to help pay for the party , it seems to me that everything that they celebrate , birth , weddings , engagements , cremation, monkhood , house dedication, that there is aways a envelope to put money in to help pay for their party, and then when you have a party or important event in your family they will put money in your envelope to help you, sounds like a share and share alike thing to me . I ask Ciejay what if you put money in their envelope and then they don't put money in your envelope , next time , she said they lose face and everyone not like them no more , I guess it a important function of the social events (the envelopes) of village life. Have you experienced any of this , married or living with a Thai wife ,or just being a expate in a village ?

Well, we got ours ( THE ENVELOPE)and we put the money in ,and off to the TO BE MONK party we go, and you know a Thai party, for the living or the dead it's lots of music, dance, food and fun , and lots of good stuff to drink , and always in the end a little karoke of course. We had a great time as did , at least 1,000 folks that attended this one , if you get one of the Almighty Envelopes , put the money in and go , you want regret it , and if you loosen up a little you just might have as much fun as the Thai's do .

I took a few pictures of this one ,hope you like them. Malcolm