At 8 am and 6 pm, everything stops in Bangkok for the national anthem. I was at the train station and saw it with my own eyes. Everyone stops in their tracks, and they go on with their day as soon as it’s over. We were on our way to Koh Samet to relax on the beach. Europeans, Russians, and Asians come to this island for vacation because it's only a few hours from Bangkok. It’s also the birthplace of one of the great Thai poets.
This mini trip gave me an opportunity to learn more about life in Thailand. For example, don’t ever say that a Thai baby is cute, beautiful or adorable. The ghosts may come and take it away by making it sick. Therefore, you are better of saying that the baby is ugly to keep the spirits away. You also can’t get your hair cut on a Wednesday. All hairdressers are closed on that day, and it has to do with a superstition.
On the beach we came across a wedding, so I asked Lek about weddings in Thailand. During a traditional Thai engagement ceremony, the guy has to offer a dowry to the bride’s family (usually gold and money) in addition to a ring. The parents can offer the dowry back to the couple or keep it for themselves. The wedding ceremony starts with offering of alms to the monks, if it is a Buddhist ceremony. It’s important to find an auspicious date for the wedding. The couple sits next to each other and are led through prayer with good wishes by the monks followed by the family. They pour water over the hands of the groom and then the bride. The color of the clothing depends on the bride and which one makes her most beautiful. Then the guy has to wear the same color. The groom pays for the ceremony. At the end, the man moves in with the girl and the girl's family. This is different from the Chinese where the couple lives with the groom and his family. When you have a Thai/Chinese couple, there are lots of arguments regarding where they live.
It was fun to eat on the beach. This was Lek’s first time eating outside, so I am excited that I can share something with her! I saw my brother play around with fire when he was in Honduras. That was nothing. I was blown away by a fire show outside of our hotel. There were about 10 guys playing with fire using different methods. The grand finale, which you can see in the video, was basically them playing with fireworks. It was crazy!
Thank you to Lek and her family for taking me in and showing me your beautiful country! I've invited them to come visit me in the US, but it's next to impossible for them to get a visa. It's so sad that we can all go there on vacation, but they can't come here.
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