Culture, prayers and babies

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Today I met up with Aom, a friend that Margaret put me in touch with. The one that I was supposed to meet last week. I met her at On Nut station, the furthest east so into new territory for me. Had a really good day, Aom was so nice and we got on really well, and she had chosen a fantastic place for us to go. After a ½ hour or so taxi ride we got to the Erawan museum, at Phaik Nam in Samuphrakan province, which is inside a massive sculpture of an elephant. So you start off underneath the elephant, then gradually climb steps into its belly and head. The guide was thai so I didn’t have a clue what she was saying, although Aom tried to fill me in on some of the details. I bought a guide book so I’ll be able to read up on it when I get chance. It was very beautiful and had an amazing Buddha hall at the top with statues from the 18th & 19th centuries and paintings of the constellations and planets on the ceilings. Outside was beautiful too with pretty gardens and shrines. Aom led me through Buddhist prayers and merit making customs. First I put some gold leaf onto an elephant shrine after making a wish. I think I got more of the gold on me though so I’m not hopeful of that one coming true!! Then we said some prayers at a shrine, giving a flower garland and incense as offerings. It took me a while to get the hang of putting out the flame form the incense sticks by separating them and flicking them in one hand. Obviously takes practice. Then I had a go at the fortune telling where you have to shake a container that holds numbered sticks. One of the sticks falls out and the number then corresponds to a written answer to the prayers/wishes you asked to be answered at the start. Again this took some getting the hang of and I was shaking and shaking but no stick was jumping out….. Got there eventually and liked the answer so decided to believe it. A bit like reading the horoscopes in the paper! Finally we floated a lotus flower in the water. Then I met Aoms brother, who is actually her cousin. After many confusing conversations about family members I realised that Thaïs call all female relations sisters, and all male relations brothers whether they actually are or not. After the museum we went to Seacon Square, a big shopping mall where Aom helped me to get a Thai mobile. I was well out of tourist Thailand here and kept getting stared at as I was the only farang (foreigner) around. From here we went to where Aom lives in Bang Na. to get there we went by motorbike taxi. I should have put that in big capitals. MOTORBIKE TAXI!! I have never been on a motorbike in my life, and here I am on the busy streets of Bangkok, hanging on for my life whizzing in and out of the traffic with no crash helmet. All the time I was saying to myself “Oh my God, Oh my God…I’m gonna be ok, I’m ok…..” my knuckles were white from hanging onto the back of the bike and I wasn’t sure if I could hold onto the driver so I just had a ball of his jacket clenched in my fist for security!! Anyway I got there alive and I want to do it again!! Once I’ve stopped shaking.
We went to the shop where Aom works and then to her condo, where I met her sister (real one) and her 2 week old baby (Lakshmi, nickname Bua, meaning lotus flower) who was adorable. Then back to On Nut where we ate at an outdoor food court in On Nut Square where there was a duo playing live music. Again I think I was the only farang here! Then I headed back to Saphan Taksin to get the boat back to the hotel after a very enjoyable day.

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