Korat-Day 4
Wow, I wanted to cover two days per entry, but it feels like each day had more happening. Brace yourself--this blog will be long, I'm afraid....
Tuesday morning (New Year's Day), Tawan took us out to the shed where her younger brother was processing rice. The machine was a maize of wheels and pulleys.
As I recall, there are basically 3 steps in the process. First, the chaff is loosened from the rice; next the chaff is separated from the rice (and used for bedding for their pigs). Thirdly, the rice is somehow changed from the color brown to the color white (though I don't remember how this is achieved).
For the sake of you guys, I took two videos of the machine, one from the bottom and one from the top--I had to climb a ladder much like ladders in the barn on the farm where I grew up. So much of this trip reminded me of life on the farm--a breath of fresh air--or sometimes not so fresh!
Following the rice demonstration, we ventured into the back yard, where we discovered the chickens were kept. Many, many chickens everywhere: mother hens with broods of chicks in various stages, setting hens, and even a small thatched roof chicken coop with what appears to be Rhode Island Reds like we used to have in the barn at home in PA. And they were even in cages quite like the cages where we kept our white leghorns. Yep, talk about nostalgia....
Tawan then deicded to put her "girl scout" skills to use and built a fire in the back yard so we could warm ourselves there and roast something very like sweet potatoes as well.:)
Relaxing by the fire, I just had to take a picture of the huge "pot" that served as their water reservoir (I think).
Then Tawan had to take her sisters-in-law to market, so Anita and I had the afternoon free to do as we pleased. I decided to take a walk.
I saw plenty of fields of manioc...
...and couldn't resist taking yet another picture of bouganvillea against a beautiful blue sky.
Don't think you're done yet--there's more in the extended entry!:)
When I returned from my walk, Tawan's sister approached me and asked if I would like to accompany her, her brother, and his wife to the wat (temple) to make merit. So we jumped in the car and drove the five minutes to the local wat.
I was a bit uncertain what was expected of me, but when I expressed some concern, they told me "no problem--just watch". I would've loved to take pictures, but when I asked about the propriety of that, I was told it would not be polite to do so.
I watched as my friends bowed low to the ground in front of the monk and presented him with both a basket of food bought there at the wat and an envelope with money. The monk proceeded to ask them questions and do a variety of chants.
He also occasionally asked me if I understood and tried to speak a little English for my benefit. At the end of the ceremony, he asked me if I wanted to become a "chii", or Buddhist nun. I just smiled, wasn't quite sure how to answer that one! I was very impressed with the respect he showed me and the way he tried to include me as he was able. I've always thought women were to keep their distance and not talk to a monk more than necessary.
After leaving the wat, my friends treated me to noodles at a local noodle shop on the way home.
The next order of the day was to begin preparations for the merit-making ceremony to take place on Wednesday morning, when Tawan's parents would have 40-50 guests over for a meal, then present a monetary donation to the principal of the local school. More about that on Day 5's blog.:)
A large tuk-tuk arrived holding the chairs and tables to be set up outside the house.
Then a few of us jumped on the back of a pickup to return to the wat and pick up pots and serving dishes from the warehouse there.
In the picture below is monk laundry, I'm assuming.:)
And here is a "chii", or Buddhist nun. Nuns dress in white, and they do not have the same status as monks who go out on the streets collecting food every morning. If I understand correctly, women become nuns more for their own benefit than anything else. Occasionally I will see a nun out on the streets, but with no one approaching her to make merit or receive a blessing.
Once all the dishes and utensils were loaded onto the pickup, we drove back to the house. Then food prep began in earnest. It seemed like everyone in the neighborhood had come to help with the preparations, especially chopping the meat from the hog that had just been killed that day.
This video is extremely bad, taken at night. But if you want to know the sound of many knives methodically chopping various parts of pig, then you might want to upload it. If not, don't bother.:)
Tawan, Anita, and I were assigned the task of "husking" more garlic cloves than I have ever imagined using in one meal! Since the knives were all in use, we had the "privilege" of using spoons instead. :)
And that about does it for New Year's Day. What a memorable way to spend my birthday!;)
Comments
I'm sorry, but I was amused by reading about processing rice on the "Rice Grains" blog. Glad you didn't jump into the machine!
Posted by: Rich Peachey | January 7, 2008 02:21 AM