Long time no post; I lost my flash drive the same day I was invited with a teacher and her family to a ceremony in Petchiburi--I was able to take pictures, but it took until now to buy a new drive, sort out the pictures, and post them to you...

The event in Petchiburi was the novice-monk ceremony for a relative of Teacher GanJanNa's husband--a 20-year-old entering the monestery for the rainy season, means a stay of about three months. It's a standard for young Thai men, gives them a grounding in Buddhism as they head into adult life. GanJanNa said parents of marriageable women know that a man who has been a monk makes a better husband for their daughter. Do the young women agree? She didn't say...

The ceremony was a wonderful mix of devout Buddhist practice, beer and dancing, great scenery. Hard to choose the best 5 photos to share, but this gives an idea.

We arrived as people were just unloading cars and vans at the local pub--parents of the novice hauled out shrines, water and beer to share, kneeling mat, straw hat and sunglasses for their son's comfort. He was dressed in white, a dramatic contrast to his brown healthy body, tattoos showing through the lacework on his back. Newly shaved head, joking with his buds but also reverent to his father and then to the whole Buddhist ceremony before the dancing began. The green papier-mache horse was honored, as was a small portable shrine to Buddha.

Then the novice (I never did learn his name) mounted the green horse, and six men picked up the bamboo poles at the horse's base. The men danced, the horse bucked and swayed, the young monk sat the horse with aplomb, mainly kept a serious face. Musical instruments--modern drums, loudspeaker, bells, strange and wonderful flutes; people sang and danced. I had to get in there and try the dance steps, very primal and lovely--hands important, hips and shoulders swaying, feet stepping side to side with the music. As I tried to mimic the best dancers (mainly women), they grinned, swayed a little more definitively, emphasized the hand movements--a teaching moment well seized. They carried the horse, danced, drank beer and water through the streets for 2 1/2 kilometers. We followed along for a short while (an hour or so), then dropped out to drive to the temple. The dancers were still going 4 hours later when we left (not so sprightly in their dancing by then), boy still on his horse, still sitting straight and riding well.

The temple was all set up for a banquet (we didn't stay, but I think these things can go all night). As we got there before most of the revelers, we had time to explore the temple cave (wonderful, cool, lit by a far-up-there opening in the rock, with three Buddha images and mats set for worship. It would be a great place for meditation, cool and comfortable. I went for a walk with GanJanNa and her husband; familiar territory for them as they frequently visit relatives here. Rice fields ready for harvest, palms laden with coconuts, a "Thai cowboy"--not at all familiar territory for me, but quite beautiful.

From there we went to the Floating Market--just as lovely as the pictures you've seen, more interesting because of the smells and sounds--each boat is selling something, mostly food and all delicious. I wish I'd dared take a picture of GanJanNa's daughter feeding her brother a cooked octopus--he blissfully accepting the offering, legs dangling from his mouth. That's one I didn't try, but I quite enjoyed the herb-crusted fish, shrimp with ginger, fried rice with clams.

And after it became quite dark, we climbed into a sight-seeing boat and headed slowly down the river to view the fireflies. The area is famous for its fireflies, and the darkened river has exactly the type of vegetation the fireflies love. They flicker faster and longer than ours back home (is that a function of ambient temperature?) It ended up looking like a gaudy Christmas light show, but all in glittery firefly color on dark green in the river night, quiet and peaceful.

I'll leave you with that incomparable day--I'll try to keep track of my flash drive from now on.