A City in Black and White
28 Nov 2008
Just in case you didn't know, the royal family in Thailand is HIGHLY revered. The King is the longest reigning monarch in the world (62 years) and the people absolutely LOVE him. For example, yellow is the King's color and Monday is yellow day. Each day has a color associated with it & people generally wear that color on the assigned day (Tuesday is pink). On Mondays you will see at least 1/3 of the population of Bangkok wearing yellow polo shirts, most with the King's logon on the breast. Also, before any movie at the theater, everyone stands up & they play the King's song & photos of the King flash on the screen. Not that many people would wear pink on Tuesday, until the King got sick & the day her wore pink he got better, so suddenly there were pink King polo shirts for sale everywhere & everyone was wearing pink on Tuesday.
Last March the King's older sister died. She was 86 and very beloved by the people. At that time large photos of her went up along the streets & they were drapped in black & white ribbons. The country morned! I asked about her funeral & was told that it would not happen immediately as special items needed to be made with special wood from certainly remote locations in Thailand. Nobody could tell me exactly when she would be buried. I saw an article in the newspaper in June, that the cremation building for the King's sister was on schedule for her Nov 16 funeral. So that is 8 months from her death.
As mid-November approached people began talking about the King's Sister's funeral. It was to last from November 14 to 16 I was told. There would be ceremonies at the
Grand Palace (the former residence of the Royal Family) & a park near there. I got a call from my Thai friend on the 13 telling me to be sure that I wear black for the next 3 days & if I don't have all black it is OK to wear black and white. She said it was very important. I like to be respectful of other cultures, so I dragged out the few black & white things I had.
When I ventured out on Nov 14 into the city, I could not believe that EVERYONE was wearing black & white. There was the occassional tourist who obviously didn't know
better, but everyone else was dressed in mourning. It is amazing to me that a city this large can have such a singular devosion to their royal family, I think it is very refreshing. Too bad they don't think as highly of there government (last night the airport was taken over by government protesters - we were supposed to be going to Borneo today, but here I sit still in Bangkok).
John & I watched the funeral prossion on TV (it was in Thai so I don't know what it was all about). The pomp was amazing. There were over 600 people involved, miltary & religious. They were dressed in traditional clothes. The structure that the King's Sister's casket was carried on was fantastic, covered with gold and gems - it shimmered in the sunlight like something surreal. It took one day to get her casket to the palace. Then the next day it was moved to the cremation building - specially built for this purpose (that is what took almost 8 months to build). On the 3rd evening the King arrived and lit the fire that would cremate his sister. There were more ceremonies on the 4th and 5th days as her remains were moved from one place to the next to the final resting place.
Through all of this the people of Bangkok wore black and white. We went to the mall one day & almost every dress on display was black and white. Black & white banners
were draped all over the city. Thousands of people came out to see what they could of the ceremonies. We attempted to get close one day, but it was impossible. Better to watch on TV. I was showing a friend from India around during this time & we could never get anywhere near the Grand Palace until her last day, 20 Nov. On that day our taxi happened to go by the park where the cremation building was (they don't burn it down, just burn the body), I thought it would be fun to get some photos, then I noticed the probably thousands of people in line circling the park waiting to get close to the building. It will be up for a few months, so I'll make that another journey.
I was impressed that an entire nation could come together & be so united in this occassion. One can only wonder what it will be like when the King dies!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Loy Krathong Water Festival
The Loy Krathong Festival -
Nov. 12, 2008
Last night (Nov 12) was the Loy Krathong Festival here in Thailand. It is a major festival here. The ladies from the office invited me to attend with them.
The festival involves small krathongs (floats traditionally made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree & decorated with folded banana leaves, flowers, lighted incense sticks & candles) being set adrift on the rivers & klongs (canals) & any body of water to honour the water spirits & wash away the previous year's sins (this from my guide book). The ladies explained that it is the festival to honor the water, because water is so important to Thai way of life. They use it for transportation, to grow their food (rice mostly), to drink. As you fly over Thailand you can understand the importance of water, as most of the "land" is covered with water, it's a very strange sight.
We took the Sky Train to the main river that runs through the city (Chao Phraya River). There were tons of people milling around & in true Asian fashion, tons of stalls set up to sell stuff. Mostly people were selling the krathongs (floats) & they were all shapes & sizes. Some were made of banana trunk, but many were made from bread & dinner rolls. I guess these are good for the fish to enjoy! The krathongs were decorated with flowers & flags & candles & incense.
We purchased our krathongs & boarded a ferry (after much confusion as to which boat to get on). Normally the ferries do not run after 7pm, but tonight they made special
trips up the river so that people could release their krathongs. Normally the fare for the ferry is 15THB (about 25cents), but tonight it was 60THB ($2) to go up the river & turn around & come back - 40 minute ride.
It was a beautiful night. Cool by Bangkok standards (low 80's & not much humidity) & there was a full moon in a clear sky. The river was full of boats, most lit up with white lights. There were dinner cruise boats & smaller ferries & personal water crafts all buzzing around the river. It was an extremely festive feeling. Most of the buildings along the river were also lit up with special lights for the occasion. When we got to the krathong drop off point the ferry stopped & everyone began lighting the candles & incense on their krathongs. Many people had sparklers also & we lit these & stuck them into our krathongs also. Unfortunately for the krathong viewing there was a nice breeze blowing, so nothing stayed lit for very long. I had imagined that there would be hundreds of lit "lanterns" floating atop the water at once, but this was not the reality of it.
There are different beliefs about the krathongs. They told me that if lovers put their krathongs in together & they remain floating together their love will last, but if the krathongs float apart the love will not last. John stayed home, so not able to test that theory.
We headed back to the pier & had dinner at a steak place. I tried to order Thai food, but each thing I ordered they said "not available". Finally they said, "no Thai food tonight, only Western". I guess that is a treat to everyone else. So I had chicken salad, they all had steak & french fries!
Next we went back to the main pier area where there is a bridge crossing the river. We shoved our way onto the bridge with hundreds of others & waited about 20 minutes
until some fireworks began. They were quite beautiful over the river & there were 3 different areas they were going off. By this time it was 9:30 & the ladies have very long commutes (up to 1.5 hours). They told me the fireworks were over, but I knew they weren't, but I also knew they would never leave me there by myself (even though I'd be fine). They are extremely protective of me. So we left. On my walk from the train to the apartment, I did see flashes of light coming from the direction of the river, but at least I got to experience it with my Thai friends.
Unfortunately the camera I brought took horrible photos. It was our more complicated camera so the shutter speed was really slow since it was dark & everything came out
blurred. I didn't want to bother with a tripod. So there are photos of the krathongs & of my Thai buddies - enjoy!
This weekend is finally the funeral of the King's Beloved Sister (she died in March). They have erected a building for the funeral which is supposed to be amazing. I'm hoping to get over that way to see it, before it is torn down next week. I've been told that we need to wear black from Nov 14 - 16 in respect for the Princess. They have been selling black or white rubber bracelets all over the place this week to raise money for her charities. I'll let you know how it all goes. We have company visitors coming to town, so should be doing some fun things!
Nov. 12, 2008
Last night (Nov 12) was the Loy Krathong Festival here in Thailand. It is a major festival here. The ladies from the office invited me to attend with them.
The festival involves small krathongs (floats traditionally made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree & decorated with folded banana leaves, flowers, lighted incense sticks & candles) being set adrift on the rivers & klongs (canals) & any body of water to honour the water spirits & wash away the previous year's sins (this from my guide book). The ladies explained that it is the festival to honor the water, because water is so important to Thai way of life. They use it for transportation, to grow their food (rice mostly), to drink. As you fly over Thailand you can understand the importance of water, as most of the "land" is covered with water, it's a very strange sight.
We took the Sky Train to the main river that runs through the city (Chao Phraya River). There were tons of people milling around & in true Asian fashion, tons of stalls set up to sell stuff. Mostly people were selling the krathongs (floats) & they were all shapes & sizes. Some were made of banana trunk, but many were made from bread & dinner rolls. I guess these are good for the fish to enjoy! The krathongs were decorated with flowers & flags & candles & incense.
We purchased our krathongs & boarded a ferry (after much confusion as to which boat to get on). Normally the ferries do not run after 7pm, but tonight they made special
trips up the river so that people could release their krathongs. Normally the fare for the ferry is 15THB (about 25cents), but tonight it was 60THB ($2) to go up the river & turn around & come back - 40 minute ride.
It was a beautiful night. Cool by Bangkok standards (low 80's & not much humidity) & there was a full moon in a clear sky. The river was full of boats, most lit up with white lights. There were dinner cruise boats & smaller ferries & personal water crafts all buzzing around the river. It was an extremely festive feeling. Most of the buildings along the river were also lit up with special lights for the occasion. When we got to the krathong drop off point the ferry stopped & everyone began lighting the candles & incense on their krathongs. Many people had sparklers also & we lit these & stuck them into our krathongs also. Unfortunately for the krathong viewing there was a nice breeze blowing, so nothing stayed lit for very long. I had imagined that there would be hundreds of lit "lanterns" floating atop the water at once, but this was not the reality of it.
There are different beliefs about the krathongs. They told me that if lovers put their krathongs in together & they remain floating together their love will last, but if the krathongs float apart the love will not last. John stayed home, so not able to test that theory.
We headed back to the pier & had dinner at a steak place. I tried to order Thai food, but each thing I ordered they said "not available". Finally they said, "no Thai food tonight, only Western". I guess that is a treat to everyone else. So I had chicken salad, they all had steak & french fries!
Next we went back to the main pier area where there is a bridge crossing the river. We shoved our way onto the bridge with hundreds of others & waited about 20 minutes
until some fireworks began. They were quite beautiful over the river & there were 3 different areas they were going off. By this time it was 9:30 & the ladies have very long commutes (up to 1.5 hours). They told me the fireworks were over, but I knew they weren't, but I also knew they would never leave me there by myself (even though I'd be fine). They are extremely protective of me. So we left. On my walk from the train to the apartment, I did see flashes of light coming from the direction of the river, but at least I got to experience it with my Thai friends.
Unfortunately the camera I brought took horrible photos. It was our more complicated camera so the shutter speed was really slow since it was dark & everything came out
blurred. I didn't want to bother with a tripod. So there are photos of the krathongs & of my Thai buddies - enjoy!
This weekend is finally the funeral of the King's Beloved Sister (she died in March). They have erected a building for the funeral which is supposed to be amazing. I'm hoping to get over that way to see it, before it is torn down next week. I've been told that we need to wear black from Nov 14 - 16 in respect for the Princess. They have been selling black or white rubber bracelets all over the place this week to raise money for her charities. I'll let you know how it all goes. We have company visitors coming to town, so should be doing some fun things!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Becky Moves to Bangkok
Nov 6, 2008
First off, the reason I chose this color (purple) is because it's sort of the national color for Thailand. They acutally have lots of colors for different national things, but purple is the orchid color & it is used a lot to represtent Thailand.
I guess from my emails you all know that I spent the summer (until Oct 22) in NY. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my parents & John's mom. It was a very special time for me! I also DID make it into the lake every day that I was home, from June 23 until Oct 21! Those last few days were tough, but my Mom joined me & if she could do it at 86, then I HAD to go in also!
On my way back to Bangkok, I made a stopover in HK. My buddy, Karen's grandmother died & the funeral was Oct 28, so the return trip worked out perfectly. I spent 6 days in HK & it was nice to return to a familar place. The funeral was very different & very interesting. I did a blog on it in my other blog site (JBinHK).
I returned to Bangkok last Thursday & on Saturday we went to Laos for a long weekend of relaxation. I'll definitely be doing a blog about Laos - what a great place! We returned yesterday (Nov 5), so I'm just settling in to Bangkok - still haven't gotten my bags unpacked.
It was snowing when I left Burlington, VT on Oct 22 & it is still hot here (in the 80's) and the humidity is still bad. Can't really do anything without working up a sweat. So I'm dreaming about that ice cold lake right about now.
Just wanted to touch base with everyone & start out my new blog spot for my newest adventure.
Cheers to you all
First off, the reason I chose this color (purple) is because it's sort of the national color for Thailand. They acutally have lots of colors for different national things, but purple is the orchid color & it is used a lot to represtent Thailand.
I guess from my emails you all know that I spent the summer (until Oct 22) in NY. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my parents & John's mom. It was a very special time for me! I also DID make it into the lake every day that I was home, from June 23 until Oct 21! Those last few days were tough, but my Mom joined me & if she could do it at 86, then I HAD to go in also!
On my way back to Bangkok, I made a stopover in HK. My buddy, Karen's grandmother died & the funeral was Oct 28, so the return trip worked out perfectly. I spent 6 days in HK & it was nice to return to a familar place. The funeral was very different & very interesting. I did a blog on it in my other blog site (JBinHK).
I returned to Bangkok last Thursday & on Saturday we went to Laos for a long weekend of relaxation. I'll definitely be doing a blog about Laos - what a great place! We returned yesterday (Nov 5), so I'm just settling in to Bangkok - still haven't gotten my bags unpacked.
It was snowing when I left Burlington, VT on Oct 22 & it is still hot here (in the 80's) and the humidity is still bad. Can't really do anything without working up a sweat. So I'm dreaming about that ice cold lake right about now.
Just wanted to touch base with everyone & start out my new blog spot for my newest adventure.
Cheers to you all
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