Did my annual New Years’ penance in the rice fields on the outskirts of Ayutthaya province.
Extended Thai family got invited to a New Years Eve household blessing. Of course, my family accepted and brought me along as their semi-trained falang. They get a great deal of pleasure in showing me off to their Thai friends, I speak Thai on an elementary level (they, of course, tell me my Thai is perfect) yea, I also walk on water in my spare time.
To my credit, I have graduated a couple years of Thai Sunday School equivalents in the States (went for the Thai language instruction – but Buddhism was part of the package) so I do know the chants and Buddhist protocols. Anyway, I guess they get some type of bragging rights based on my progress in their culture. I personally don’t give two hoots, I’m only here for the food.
As is typical, the house blessing with nine Monks chanting, food, flower, candle, robe, etc. donations and the standard water sprinkling blessings went as planned. So, the Monks were there for about 3 hours. About 60 Thai’s and enough food for 200 plus.
Got there on New Years eve at 8 AM. The professional drinkers table was in full operation. About two dozen bottles of assorted whiskeys, vodkas, a similar number of beers and several whatever-elses for their drinking pleasure. I was driving so no interest at all from my part. But, there was a dozen or so elbows flexing at 8 AM. When I left about 5 PM, there were about two dozen elbows in operation. Many of the starters were still at it. These folk were true professionals, I wouldn’t even consider joining in – figure they’d love a three sheets to the wind falang to center their activities around.
Anyway, what surprised me was these Thai’s were in full drinking mode at 8 AM knowing the monks were going to arrive. The monks did walk by the drinking table around 10 AM and were Wai’ed by the drinkers. None of them (the drinkers) took part in the house blessing – don’t know if any took part in the water sprinkling stuff.
Lots of dead soldiers when I left about 5 PM, probably thirty or so empties lined up, plenty of full bottles on-deck. These folk were true professionals in the elbow athletics and midnight was still a ways off.
So, how were/was your New Year’s festivities?