Last week Borey was passing the time at his usual occupation (walking the streets and back roads in rural Isaan) when he met his brother in law, Uncle Som, the senior member of Mrs Borey's family. Uncle Som is a dieing breed even here. He still lives much as people did fifty years ago. He farms rice, fishes, and forages for much of his food. He has little need for stores. His only concession to modern life is his Suzuki motor scooter, which appears to be as ancient as he.
That morning when they met, Uncle Som was working on his charcoal kiln. He told Borey that the kiln had been going for about a week and he would be opening it up in about an hour. Borey, finding this interesting, leaves and goes back home, stopping at a little market on the edge of town for a five baht bag of ice. At home, Mrs Borey is told the situation and that they will return with an offering of Coke and ice to view the opening of the kiln. As it is approaching noon on a 90 plus degree day, she is not too happy, but gets out her umbrella for the journey.
As they parade through the village on the trip, it seems the question on everyone’s lips is, “Where are you going?” Mrs Borey responds to each query with the story of opening the charcoal kiln. When they reach the kiln, they find Uncle Som's wife and daughter are with him now. Earlier, they had been out looking for mushrooms. When Mrs Borey explains why they had returned, Uncle Som finds it very amusing. It seems that Borey had completely misunderstood what he had been told. Uncle Som had actually said that he had started the kiln only that morning, and that it would burn for about a week. They all laugh at the stupid falang.
But the group did sit under a tree, sharing the large jug of Coke, and have a nice long discussion. Mrs Borey has never been close to her oldest brother. This is understandable with about 15 years difference in their ages. And Uncle Som has never had time for a worthless falang like Borey. No animosity, just indifference. So, Borey's expressing an interest in Uncle Som's work had led to a little social interaction between them.
Mrs Borey remembered their youth, when the whole family would set up camp in the forests just south of the Mekong river. They would build a series of kilns which would be tended night and day for weeks. On one occasion their camp was raided in the middle of the night by the police, looking for another of her brothers. Her father had already helped Uncle Thom escape across the river into Laos. Mrs Borey couldn't remember what the offence was that time. Uncle Thom, to this day, has always been running from the law, or irate husbands or fathers.
Before leaving, Borey looks at the basket of mushrooms that Uncle Som's wife and daughter had picked. He puts one mushroom to his lips, and asks if it tastes good fresh. He is told that they are poisonous until boiled and rinsed twice. They all laugh at the stupid falang.
During the return home, as they walked through the village, the question on everyone’s lips was, “How did the charcoal turn out?” Mrs Borey was quite anxious to explain to all that her stupid falang husband had misunderstood what he had been told by Uncle Som. Borey is actually getting used to being humiliated.
A couple of days later, Uncle Som's daughter comes with a gift of freshly made banana cakes steamed in banana leaves. Tasted very good. Then yesterday Uncle Som showed up to tell Borey that he had stopped the fires in the kiln. It now needed to cool off for a few days. He would let Borey know when it would be opened.
It seems Borey has had another successful week in Isaan.
This is a typical kiln closed up and cooling down. It is sealed and no longer smokes.