Day-to-Day Fun

There is so much for us to learn about our little city of Thaton and the surrounding cities, Mai Ai and Fang. The other day we were taking a sorng tao, or taxi truck, back from a meeting about our HIV/AIDS awareness video and we found this random market with tons of fresh produce. We’re always finding something new and exciting!

One of the first meals we ate in Thailand was a fried egg over rice with sweet chili sauce, and to this day remains a favorite meal. Justin and I have tried to re-create it here at the house and it’s a pretty good imitation! We’ll definitely be making it back in the US.

The other day at dinner, the servers at our landlady’s restaurant invited us to go across the river with them to a party with a bunch of old people who dance to try to be “chosen” by a ghost. Apparently it's a religion that just exists in this region. Some people in our group had gone before, so we figured what the heck, and set off to check it out. When we got there we were ushered up to a room where the holy lady was waiting to give us bracelets, a rice and bean snack, and some lynchee. She put bracelets on our wrists one-by-one, saying a prayer of protection and good will as she went and finishing off by blowing the knot. Definitely not the standard Buddhist ritual we are used to seeing! 

They handed us lychee fruit (which is in season and really starting to bore us; it tastes sort of like a grape but it’s more rubbery and you have to peel the hard outer shell) and rice and beans that are tied in a banana leaf and cooked for a few days. I’m not sure what the Thai name is, but I’d had something similar in China so I knew what to expect! 

Then they asked us for donations..nice. We went back downstairs where a live band was loudly playing a crazy Thai song. Before we knew it we were invited on to the dance floor with a dozen old Thai people waving their arms and swaying. We joined and fit right in by moving in the most awkward way possible. 

We stayed for a couple of songs and left before it got too late. Long story short, there weren’t any ghosts at that party but the old folks sure do know how to have a good time! Ask us later for a video of the dance party! It would take too long to upload here, but is definitely worth watching.