Memories

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The Absence of Christmas was replaced by the celebration of life and memories here.
We marched from Wat Bang Nam Kaem to the Beach an hour away. We started out amidst the banging of drums and the yells of the women. Then we danced. We danced our way down the streets and through the village, past the destruction and towards the future.

We danced and sang until the sweat poured down our necks and dripped from our chins. We yelled and screamed in happy sounds, the children played as we marched along and the adults clashed cymbals with our steps…keeping time for the march.

We filed past the memorials, the fishing vessels tossed hundreds of yards in shore, the ruined building still partially standing among the new houses and shops. We pounded the dust under our feet and sent little clouds of it towards the sky, mixing as it went with the many pillars of incense lining the road.

We danced onto the memorial park grounds, crossing over the squares imprinted with handprints and footprints of those who helped the village come back to life, we danced past the wave wall, flecked with the names of those lost and missing, past the steps laid during the reconstruction, we danced under the tents on the edge of the trees overlooking the beach.

We danced the entire path of the wave and returned it back to the sea.


Its early afternoon now and we are home from the march and the dancing. We have more dances to perform this evening, but for the children this time. The evening will be for them. John is hosting a gathering for the kids so that they can have goodies and a gift today. I think the kids and I might stay back from this event as it is not for us.

We may leave tonight for Ban Niang and spend the memorial day there at Cousin’s.

Will let you know.
s

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