Dec
1
A Send Off
December 1, 2007 |
Yesterday morning, Nan’s morning torture started at 5am. The occasion was Tui and Pun’s send off party. Tui is going to a country in the Middle East to work soon. And Pun has plans to go to Bangkok and start a business, investing money they saved up during their 2 year work stint in Taiwan and Japan.
So at 5 it was up, have a shivering, ice cold shower, feed Mao the Mutt, and get on the Motocy, that at first started but refused to go forward because it was to cold. There is no manual choke on that thing, and since I can’t read the Thai manual I have not found out if there is an automatic choke.
Anyway, after warming up for a minute or so it cooperated, and we motored over to the other side of the village, to find a beehive of activity. People where chopping up vegetables, others where busy slaughtering a pig, and the old dudes where sitting around a fire, passing glasses of Lao Kao around.
One was offered to me, but at 5 in the morning, and before breakfast, that stuff is not really what I want. But Tui soon came with a glass of beer, complete with ice cubes in it. Yup, ice cold beer on a freezing morning is the stuff!
So I was ordered by Nan to sit with the good old boys, having a drink, while she grabbed a meat cleaver and set to work on the pig.
After a couple of ours of hanging around, while the ladies did most of the work, Nan got a phone call. The day before we ordered a new cupboard, some outdoor furniture and a spirit house. And the delivery guy was at our house. Nan motored off to take delivery.
So when everybody got on their feet, and started walking in procession carrying the decorations and the pigs head down the road, I was without any guidance from Nan. For the first time I was on my own during one of these events.
We walked out of the village, down a farm road, and then into the jungle. I could see the Wat in the distance. When we came to a small building. Basically just decorated concrete shed, with an altar inside. Tui and Pun went inside with some of the elders, while the rest of us kneeled outside.
Thats when I saw an enormous old tree. I was simply awestruck by it. It’s certainly not something you will see in northern Norway! In the picture you can see two people standing at the base.
Anyway, they did their thing in there, while us remaining outside waited, chatted, had a cigarette. And when that part was finished, some of the old ladies wen’t to the tree, and made some offerings and prayers there. I did not have Nan with me to explain what they where doing. But I assume those where for the spirit in the tree.
Back at Pun and Tui’s place, things where set up for the main event. And that involved tying string around their wrists and giving them some money gifts. Just like what they did for my birthday, or wedding and the first time I came up here. Since Nan was still not around, I had to do the deed for us. So I tied a string around Tui’s wrist and wished him good luck.
After that it was food time. So we all sat down, had a gigantic breakfast, and literally pigged out on pork, rice and vegetables. And by 9am, it was all done and everyone went home. Nan came back just then, so she helped Pun clean up the mess, while Tui took me aside, and we had another beer. Well, that’s the way it’s done here.
That’s it!
Popularity: 17% [?]
Comments
2 Comments so far
Hey Rune looked like a good day, or morning that is.
It has been pretty cold here in Ubon so I am sure the same there or even a few degrees colder.
There is nothing like a cold beer at five in the morning, if you had the Loa Kao at least that would have warmed you up head to toe my friend.
Yeah, it was a fine morning. And it is getting chilly around here.
As for the Lao kao, usually when offered it’s with a big grin, as they expect the farang to choke on the stuff. The grin turning to confusion when I refuse to mix it with coke, soda water and ice like a nancy, and simply chucks it down.
I am from moonshine drinking country in Northern Norway, where we do not meassure our local “brand”, made the night before in alcohol content, but in fist-fights pr. litre
So I enjoy throwing one down my neck, without so much as a twich, then praising it’s taste and quality.
The looks on their faces are priceless!