New House Celebration ! (House warming Party) February
Firstly we visited the Temple to consult the head Monk... He chose Saturday 6th Feb and Sunday 7th as good days with the availability of Monks and him to visit (details later). We invite many of the local villagers and Nida's family/friends.
Prior to these dates we buy lots of items (12 cases of Beer, 12 Bottles of Rum. lots of soft drinks and bottled water).
On Thursday 4th we bought 20kg of pork from the local market and a range of fresh vegetables.
Friday 5th.
Into the city at 9am for more perishable items from the main market and fresh chicken (10kg) . Back home about midday.
Early evening Nida's sister, cousin and others come to the house (about 8 people) . We collect items from the temple for the monks.
We also get chairs, tables, pots, pans, bowls and the like from the village hall which is just behind us. Everyone plays a part in moving and organising things and then cooking stage 1 begins. A vast array of simple but tasty dishes and inevitable rice and noodles. The team continue to organise and cook and then sit down and share the food and drink some beer and rum.
Prior to these dates we buy lots of items (12 cases of Beer, 12 Bottles of Rum. lots of soft drinks and bottled water).
On Thursday 4th we bought 20kg of pork from the local market and a range of fresh vegetables.
Friday 5th.
Into the city at 9am for more perishable items from the main market and fresh chicken (10kg) . Back home about midday.
Early evening Nida's sister, cousin and others come to the house (about 8 people) . We collect items from the temple for the monks.
We also get chairs, tables, pots, pans, bowls and the like from the village hall which is just behind us. Everyone plays a part in moving and organising things and then cooking stage 1 begins. A vast array of simple but tasty dishes and inevitable rice and noodles. The team continue to organise and cook and then sit down and share the food and drink some beer and rum.
Saturday 6th.
The same team arrive quite early (8am) to both cook and do lots of other preparation. Lots of others arrive to assist with moving things in and out of the house. Nida's father (80+) and his friends make "Bunting from Bamboo" ,. this consists of two 40ft freshly cut bamboo poles which have hoops made and paper streamers attached. The paper streamers were bought but al the rest constructed and fashioned on-site by 4 people.
It is all fairly leisurely but yet again the food preparation and cooking is quite a performance. At midday food is ready and shared by all who are there (20 to 30 ?). Some beer and rum starts to get drunk.
3pm The first team of 5 Monks arrive. We give them water and the stay outside the house under an open tent. Then they start with the chanting and praying...
They go to each corner of the garden and stand and chant/pray in order to rid the land of evil spirits. This takes about an hour all told and then they return to the temple.
Next the "disco" arrives. So a lorry equipped with huge loudspeakers and all the electronic equipment to go with it. This is set up in the garden with the cd unit and amplifier etc under the house. The system itself would seem to be adequate to stage a concert in a small football stadium !.
So inevitable loud music ! People continue to eat food and drink (soft drinks water beer and rum).
7pm A team of 7 monks arrive and go upstairs into the house where ll the religious items are in the correct place.
There is a head monk and also a commentator. They each have a radio mike and seem to take it in turn to chant. When the chief monk chants the otherr monks join in. People are sat round and after each "verse of chanting" clasp their hand together and bow to the head monk.
This takes about 50 min. The monks are then given rice ans some other dishes everyone waits while they eat !.
Once they have finished eating the monks then leave (having each collected their fee of 200baht (£4) ).
The monks having left everyone else can then eat what is the 3rd meal of the celebration. Now the disco gets into full swing (not really and dancing) a few more people have arrived (maybe 40 to 50 all told) and everyone seems pretty happy just chatting eating and drinking. The disco team are mates of Chanatip (Nida's son) and they are quite happy just drinking beer and chatting.
I guess it was about midnight when people went home and the dico stopped !
I had a fair but not excessive amount to drink ! (No Hangover Sunday)
The same team arrive quite early (8am) to both cook and do lots of other preparation. Lots of others arrive to assist with moving things in and out of the house. Nida's father (80+) and his friends make "Bunting from Bamboo" ,. this consists of two 40ft freshly cut bamboo poles which have hoops made and paper streamers attached. The paper streamers were bought but al the rest constructed and fashioned on-site by 4 people.
It is all fairly leisurely but yet again the food preparation and cooking is quite a performance. At midday food is ready and shared by all who are there (20 to 30 ?). Some beer and rum starts to get drunk.
3pm The first team of 5 Monks arrive. We give them water and the stay outside the house under an open tent. Then they start with the chanting and praying...
They go to each corner of the garden and stand and chant/pray in order to rid the land of evil spirits. This takes about an hour all told and then they return to the temple.
Next the "disco" arrives. So a lorry equipped with huge loudspeakers and all the electronic equipment to go with it. This is set up in the garden with the cd unit and amplifier etc under the house. The system itself would seem to be adequate to stage a concert in a small football stadium !.
So inevitable loud music ! People continue to eat food and drink (soft drinks water beer and rum).
7pm A team of 7 monks arrive and go upstairs into the house where ll the religious items are in the correct place.
There is a head monk and also a commentator. They each have a radio mike and seem to take it in turn to chant. When the chief monk chants the otherr monks join in. People are sat round and after each "verse of chanting" clasp their hand together and bow to the head monk.
This takes about 50 min. The monks are then given rice ans some other dishes everyone waits while they eat !.
Once they have finished eating the monks then leave (having each collected their fee of 200baht (£4) ).
The monks having left everyone else can then eat what is the 3rd meal of the celebration. Now the disco gets into full swing (not really and dancing) a few more people have arrived (maybe 40 to 50 all told) and everyone seems pretty happy just chatting eating and drinking. The disco team are mates of Chanatip (Nida's son) and they are quite happy just drinking beer and chatting.
I guess it was about midnight when people went home and the dico stopped !
I had a fair but not excessive amount to drink ! (No Hangover Sunday)
Sunday 7th (also Nida's Birthday).
Nida's team start to arrive at 6am (Still dark !). BBQs started and major major food preparation.
Today not only main dishes but many more sweet things. Many people arrive after 9am and all busy organising. Women the food etc men the "monks setup"..
The head monk sits in the corner and others on a carpet and prayer mats in an "L Shape" upstairs in the house. A big fus is made over water bottles glasses and plates (a set for each monk). We collect the monks just before 11 and the go upstairs and sit as described. The male helpers then give them the water. many people come upstairs and sit on the floor and we have the "Buddhist Ceremony". Again the Head Monk and the "commentator" have a radio mike each and they alternate chants with all bowing at the end of a chant. The other monks join in with the Head Monks chanting. This lasts 45 min or so.
The monks have their "begging bowls" out side in the balcony. Nida and I first and then everyone walks past and donates some rice into the bowls. These Bowls are then brought in and huge trays of food are put in front of each monk (one tray per monk). Each tray has many dishes of both savoury and also lots of sweet dishes. Each tray has enough food for 6 or 7 people. We all sit and wait while the monks eat a little of the food. (about 15 mins).
Next the male helpers take the trays of food away and this is shortly distributed for the assembled cookers helpers visitors etc.
The head monk then goes onto the balcony and puts what I can best explain as the equivalent of a cross above the main entrance (actually some gold leaf and a small religious motif). We then take the monks back to the temple and everyone sits round whilst eating food and drinking etc.
Nida's team start to arrive at 6am (Still dark !). BBQs started and major major food preparation.
Today not only main dishes but many more sweet things. Many people arrive after 9am and all busy organising. Women the food etc men the "monks setup"..
The head monk sits in the corner and others on a carpet and prayer mats in an "L Shape" upstairs in the house. A big fus is made over water bottles glasses and plates (a set for each monk). We collect the monks just before 11 and the go upstairs and sit as described. The male helpers then give them the water. many people come upstairs and sit on the floor and we have the "Buddhist Ceremony". Again the Head Monk and the "commentator" have a radio mike each and they alternate chants with all bowing at the end of a chant. The other monks join in with the Head Monks chanting. This lasts 45 min or so.
The monks have their "begging bowls" out side in the balcony. Nida and I first and then everyone walks past and donates some rice into the bowls. These Bowls are then brought in and huge trays of food are put in front of each monk (one tray per monk). Each tray has many dishes of both savoury and also lots of sweet dishes. Each tray has enough food for 6 or 7 people. We all sit and wait while the monks eat a little of the food. (about 15 mins).
Next the male helpers take the trays of food away and this is shortly distributed for the assembled cookers helpers visitors etc.
The head monk then goes onto the balcony and puts what I can best explain as the equivalent of a cross above the main entrance (actually some gold leaf and a small religious motif). We then take the monks back to the temple and everyone sits round whilst eating food and drinking etc.
Finally...
I estimate over 60 people visited at some stage or other. About 20 or so helped in many ways with 10 or so doing so over the last 2 days.
From 3 pm people started to leave but many stayed handy for washing up and gathering and repacking all the cooking and other items we had borrowed.
So returning items to the village hall and the temple. Many people give an offering, not so much as to defray expenses but as a Buddhist custom. We had loads of food left at this stage but people also took a doggy bag home !. The disco packed up and left aand really all that remained for Nida and me was to wash our "best crockery" which we used some and general tidying etc.
We both think it all went very well !
Monday 8th.
A bit more tidying and furniture moving etc and lots of washing (tea-towels etc)
Tuesday 9th.
All done and dusted !
The weather (last 4 days) has been good..Very cool at night and most of the morning and pleasantly warm in the afternoon.
I estimate over 60 people visited at some stage or other. About 20 or so helped in many ways with 10 or so doing so over the last 2 days.
From 3 pm people started to leave but many stayed handy for washing up and gathering and repacking all the cooking and other items we had borrowed.
So returning items to the village hall and the temple. Many people give an offering, not so much as to defray expenses but as a Buddhist custom. We had loads of food left at this stage but people also took a doggy bag home !. The disco packed up and left aand really all that remained for Nida and me was to wash our "best crockery" which we used some and general tidying etc.
We both think it all went very well !
Monday 8th.
A bit more tidying and furniture moving etc and lots of washing (tea-towels etc)
Tuesday 9th.
All done and dusted !
The weather (last 4 days) has been good..Very cool at night and most of the morning and pleasantly warm in the afternoon.