Chiang Mai ~ Wat Phra Non Rocket Festival
I live down a small gravel alley off a tiny back soi behind a wat. Now Wats are OK neighbors as neighbors go. There's some occasional early mornin' chanting going on that can be pleasant or or a pain in the ass depending on your mood. We get a pretty good Wang Dang Doodle goin on about once every six weeks or so but they shut it down at the stroke of midnight.
The neighborhood is proud of their wat. With one of the largest reclining buddha i've seen out side of Wat Po, and nicely swept grounds with tiny bungalows for the resident monks it's simple, well maintained and, like I said, a pretty good neighbor.
The wat is guarded by some ferocious beasts:
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The folks here accept me as a neighbor they all know my name and I only hear "farang from the itinerant workers that have moved into a shack to put up the new Tambon water tower, when they invite me to sit and share some whiskey, beer or a something spicy to eat they'll call out "Hey Farang, come eat & drink with us!" out front of the local moobaan mini mart, Auntie that runs the place corrects them, "His name is Frankie! He speaks Thai!"
Near the wat where the water tower/tank is going up (not that we need it but I guess we can all retire our water pumps when it's done) used to be the "ศาลารวมใจ" (sala ruam jai or community center). This is just down at the end of my soi and although the center has moved about 200 meters down the road the intersection is still the heart of my village.
We are not big participants in most community functions, we're new here the families living here are all related, inter-married and probably have been for a few decades if not a century or two. We are not shunned or ignored. I am probably more accepted that the wife truth be known, just becasue I am here and I walk or ride my bicycle through the streets every day.
Couple of weeks ago the teh Karaoke was going full blast, and There was no way I was going to sleep through it, there was the monotone of an announcer, but he wasn't introducing the singers more of and voice-over.
With a pot of coffee the pre-noon haze began to clear and I thught I'd grab the camera and see what all the fuss was about.
Couple of extra food vendors on the street:
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Inside there was a lady beltin out some karaoke, a few women selling little merit bouquets
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Moms is making 'em up I guess:
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There was a line of pickup trucks with two or three long, decorated cylinders in cradles the monks were blessing thes things and one guy was busy going from truck to truck putting a large Black & white sticker on them.
One of the trucks:
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it was all pretty tame, there was a boccie ball contest goin on in the back, non of hte games of skill or chance our wat usually has when there's a do on but that monotone announcer seemed to be coming from out the back gate of the wat along with some other, faintly recognizable noise...
Wat Phra Non Bang Fai 2010?
Great Photos which brought back memories. I was at a rocket festival somewhere outside of Chiang Mai ( I didn't know where, just told a tuk tuk driver to find me the rocket festival) back in 1996 and seeing the photos has now confirmed where I was - at the time it was just a lot of driving down muddy roads until we got to a muddy field. Back then we were also the only westerners there - we were ushered up the front so we could see the launches better - cue getting bladdered and covered in Gunpowder soot. I have several photos (back in the UK unfortunately) but my favourite was of a Monk chalking up the betting on a blackboard,Great Fun. I am now living in Chiang Mai and will be definitely attending for old times sake. Do you have any idea when it will be held this year?
