Today was one of those days that I can look back and say, "Now THAT was a real Thai experience".
It all started this morning when Piyawat and I drove a little bit past the Bangkok border to an area called Lat Krabang. We were meeting his family at a temple called Wat Lanboon to "give the bucket to the monks and feed the fish"... whatever that meant.
Wat Lanboon is located next to a wide (and apparently relatively clean) canal called Klong Prawet Buri Rom. As we drove over the top of the short but very steep bridge over the canal the first thing I noticed was that the temple was very brightly colored. I have a feeling that the temple is quite old, but it looks brand new due to the many bright colors that were used to paint every inch of it. The second thing I noticed was that the place was packed.
We eventually found both a parking spot as well as his family (mother, father, brother, sister, and aunt) and we all headed to the big open sala (pavilion) where a monk was chanting prayers over a loudspeaker. We sat down on the floor and put our hands in the wai position as the monk recited his blessing.
This time, I didn't feel too bad that I didn't know what the monk was saying, because I'm sure almost everyone was in the dark as I was. It wasn't because the monk was hard to understand, but it was because he was chanting in Pali language, not Thai. (Pali is to Thai as Latin is to English.)
In any case after some chanting, we were given a small golden bowl and a tiny pitcher full of water. Piyawat poured the water into the bowl while everyone placed their finger on the rim. When we were finished the monk took small object that looks kind of like a broom, dipped it in water, and with a few flicks of the wrist, sprinkled water over the heads of everyone sitting in front of him. The family then gave the monk a bright yellow bucket that was full of personal items that a monk might need.
So, not only did I not understand the Pali, I really don't understand the whole sprinkling water over our heads and pouring water into the bowl while everyone is touching the bowl. I am sure that there was a reason for all of it (and I am sure that it has something to do with "Good Luck"), but no one was able to really give me an explanation because they weren't sure what the right English words would be to describe it.
After the little ceremony (which took all of 10 minutes) we went outside, bought a stale loaf of bread for 10 baht (25 cents) and threw it to the fish in the klong. I've seen similar activities at other temples and parks in Thailand, but these fish were absolutely huge. Some of them must have been close to two feet in length. Very impressive!
After visiting the temple we all went to a suki restaurant, which entails boiling a big pot of water in the middle of the table into which you through cabbage, very thin noodles, and all kinds of marinated meat. Each person has their own small bowl of spicy suki sauce which you can flavor your own bowl of soup to your liking.
After eating, we partook in the other favorite Thai pastime: Shopping! I bought some desks and bookshelves for my office at Index furniture store and four huge plants for the balcony. (Hopefully, these plants will block the ugly building that is next door. I'm tired of looking at it!)
So that was my THAI Day: visit a temple and watch ceremonies that I don't understand, eat suki with family, and go shopping. Definitely a fun way to spend a Sunday!
At least your sunday was far more interesting than mine, lol.
When I was a little boy, my grand mom told me that we had to think of our ancestors, the beloved ones or friends that passes away including the gods and angles that were in both heaven and hell while we were pouring the water. The pouring water that everyone makes wishes will be poured again under a big tree after the chanting. The water will bring all wishes and merits that we had made to those we thought of. That's what my grand ma told me.
Jet
I have been trying to find out how much excluding rent,it takes to live a western style lifestyle in Bangkok.
Going out for a meal twice a week in a Western restaurants without wine and out twice a week drinking 4 or 5 beers.I calculate around 50,000 baht a month taking into account 10% contingency for emergency stuff such as VISA runs,medical,essential clothing from local markets.
Transport would be confined to Skytrains and undergound and the odd taxi,four times a week.
The rest of meals would be local.
Clearly rent can be anything from 10,000 baht to 60,000 baht a month but if you exclude rent,given your experience,would 50,000 baht a month be sufficient to live a comfortable,western level of living in Bangkok?
As far as living expenses in Bangkok go, I think you are pretty close to the mark.
I think that even including rent (which for me has ranged from 7,500 - 15,000 per month), my expenses are in the 40-50K baht range per month. This includes rent, utilities, food, transportation, and personal supplies (toothpaste etc).
And the lifestyle you described pretty much fits mine: Western restaurants a couple of times a week with local food the rest of the time, and transportation on Skytrain and Subway with an occasional taxi.
Having said that, a colleague of mine just told me yesterday that he spends a million a year. That's 83,000 a month. I don't know what he spends it on, but I know that he leaves his AC on full blast in his apartment all day and I believe he spends quite a bit on nightlife as well.
So, I think it all comes down to watching your baht, eating local food, only using AC at night, not paying too many bar tabs for you and your friends, and taking public transportation. If you do those things I think you'll hit your goal, and have a pretty decent lifestyle in Bangkok.
- Stuart
Jet, thanks so much for your comment. The story I eventually got from Piyawat was basically the same. You take food to the monks and do your other merit-making activities. Then the final "touch the bowl as your pouring water into it, then dump it out on a tree" activity was as you described. He said that you are sharing some of your merit that you have earned with your ancestors that have gone before you. Interesting...