Putthamonton part 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Putthamonton buddha park is not quite walking distance, but at three miles away, I've had several opportunities to visit there. Each time I'm there I thrill to the beauty and serenity of the great Buddha himself and to the thoughtfully landscaped park surrounding him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite the perfect weather for topiary and gardens, it feels cool (everything's relative of course) and comfortable. There is often a breeze and many shaded paths.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Impossible to convey in pictures the beauty inside this temple building. The seated Buddha encircled in Blue and then in myriad seated Buddhas is in a cupola ceiling in the central area of the building. Its walls open onto beautiful garden views in all directions, reflected in polished marble floors. Rich paintings and intricate tiles add further visual interest, all harmonious.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here he is, the Buddha I return to again and again just to gaze on his face. Also he's over 15 meters tall...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

lush local beauty

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was glad to read comments about the beauty of Chiang Mai after I posted that blog--made me realize, however, that I haven't shown much about the beauty right around my home here in the Taweewattana area of Bangkok. Lush and lovely, surprisingly low-key, all built around canals.

---------------------------------------

Above you see the view of Wat Sala Daeng as I walk to it from my apartment. The canal is home to private houses, shops, restaurants, and of course the temple.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I wonder whether I'll think our deciduous trees are exotic when I return--I realize I think of these wonderful palms as being quite familiar by now.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both views in walking distance from my apartment along the canal. Note the "garage doors" on the driving bridge into someone's home. The closed gate is all it takes to provide a private entrance, as no car could drive through the canal...

----------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is plant growth over much of the surface of our canals; often it's limited within net-gates, so they actually encourage growth in some areas (usually where they go to catch fish).

--------------------------------------------

I have become spoiled by the chance to stroll each morning for my 5-minute walk to school, or in the other direction to Wat Sala Daeng. I love noticing new flowers in bloom, fruit as it ripens, people leisurely fishing, a much gentler "change of seasons" than I remember from Massachusetts.

-------------------------------

It isn't the mountains of Chiang Mai or the ocean views of Pattaya; still, I like my tropical canals.

orchids

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We had a chance to see orchids from their inception; as I understand it, on the farm the little orchid sprouts spend three months in their bottles, and then another fifteen months looking like asparagus stalks. Then they're painstakingly tied individually to support strings. By the time they look like beautiful orchids, they represent a lot of human effort.

Orchids also grow in the wild, of course, and live as graceful decoration for temples and gas stations. But orchid farming is big business in Thailand, labor intensive and admired by all.

--------------------------------------------On the tray are orchids at the temple; money for the flowers goes to the temple upkeep (and the monks' upkeep as they get no salary). Then the bundles of flowers are presented reverently at the "altar" area, usually a grand statue of Buddha with a space for people to kneel in respect.

And orchids in arrangement with other flowers, usually for presentation to somebody you want to honor. A common occurrence, honoring with music, dance, flowers--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This was a display made by one of our students for Honor the Teachers day; note the folded banana leaves and variety of flowers.

-----------------------------------

Below you see a flower display in central Bangkok, special for the Queen's birthday. And our school dancers, each with orchids in her hair.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the tallest Buddha in Thailand

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Putthamonton is a lovely park and "outdoor temple" about 3 miles from my home. Too far to walk but an easy, short drive. I've been there three times now: by car, by bus and by motorcycle. I'll gladly go again any time the opportunity arises.

The Buddha is 52 feet high (as I learned from the internet before I came); he's visible from many vantage points and is serene and beautiful from all angles. The park is well-maintained and serves as an excellent example of the diversity of Thai gardening.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some photos couldn't upload; I'll show you more after I return to the states--you get the idea, and I love Putthamonton!

khon performance, Dipangkorn students

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These are Dipangkorn students performing for the school on Tuesday morning, August 17. Just an ordinary morning, but with music and dance. First we had the school songs and announcements, then a demo of dance-fighting, culminating with the dance above which depicts the story of Tosakanth (king of Longka), Hanuman (king of the monkeys) and Pra Ram and Pra Lak (brothers who are rivals of Tosakanth). It's a continuation of the story I saw at the royal khon presentation last month.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that afternoon, I happened to be in the building where the same performers were being sewn into their costumes. Also note the make-up in the background, for the two whose faces show in the performance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and finally the performance. Our traditional Thai musicians and the four costumed performers were transported to a nice hotel in Bangkok where they provided a stunning portrayal of the ancient Thai story.

For the four-day weekend of Queen Sirikit's birthday, YaJing from China and I were invited by a student SaiParn and her family to take a trip to see something new in Thailand. The dad asked us both: what would you like to see? YaJing said "the beach" and I said "I don't know, Ayuttaya or Chiang Mai...". A thoughtful expression from the dad; he made one phone call, said "My friend would like us to join him in Chiang Mai." And so it was...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a seven-hour trip from our part of Bangkok to Chiang Mai, so we left at 4:30 am after a lovely breakfast of rice-and-shrimp soup. We saw the town give way to green rice fields; I think the green is even prettier than the tobacco fields of Western Mass. As we drove north, we saw mountains in the distance on both sides. Soon we were in the mountains: lush forest and cool breezes convinced us we weren't in Kansas any more--nor even in Bangkok.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lush green forest of Chiang Mai is quite different from the lush floral environment around Bangkok. Moss, mist, cool breezes--all in our party were shivering in jackets except me--I felt fine in my t-shirt, enjoying the first "fall day" since my arrival in Thailand.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wat Doi Suthep is wonderful, a wealth of environments within the same temple. Above is the magnificent staircase leading up to the temple area; the balustrade is tile dragons, undulating from the base upward to elaborate dragon-tails. The little girl is dressed in traditional Chiang Mai dress--she will pose with you for a fee, and they also have the clothing for sale.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chiang Mai is famous as a tourist attraction, and with good reason. Our first morning at the hotel, SaiParn's brother Palm did a google search with everyone gathered 'round, and we narrowed down our options. In our three days we saw quite a variety...

----------------------------------------------

The Great Holy Relics Pagodas of Nabhamethanidol and Nabhapolbhumisiri were built in 1987 and 1992 within walking distance of each other in honor of their majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit on their respective 60th birthdays. Each pagoda is a temple with a Buddha statue inside, artwork all around, and each is surrounded by a wonderful park, and then by the lush deep forest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SaiParn and YaJing had fun boiling eggs in the hot spring. You buy raw eggs in a little basket, then hang the basket from the hooks in the mineral water, a natural 105 degrees C. A sign tells how many minutes for soft-boiled, firm, or hard-boiled. There were also a guyser and some hot streams to dangle your feet. I found it interesting that many of the Thais, despite their acclimation to hot weather, exclaimed in dismay at the heat of the water. Generally baths or showers here are cold water...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The brown structure is among the oldest Buddhist edifices in Thailand. Next to it is a newer temple building, and saffron-draped Buddhas in front. I love the variety of Buddha faces...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We didn't go any closer than this to Wat Pra Bpa Daeng, Temple of the Red Forest. It's architecture is typical of the Chiang Mai area, and this shows the lovely valley with its rice fields.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We also saw the Temple of Twenty Pagodas (Wat Sao Lang in Northern Thai dialect), went to Doi Intanon, highest point in Thailand. We spent lots of time and some money at the famous Chiang Mai night market, also had dinner at the Chiang Mai Cultural Center, lounging on cushions and entertained by traditional dancers. Our last evening we had dinner at the family friend's home, and I was invited to watch its preparation. Then out for another repast and karaoke before heading home. You'll need to wait for more photos after I return...

Mother\

--------------------

Queen Sirikit's birthday, August 12, is also celebrated as Mother's Day throughout Thailand. We had life-size pictures of Queen Sirikit up from early in August--replacing the large pictures of Crown Prince Vijarilakorn (I should know the spelling, but am not sure) whose birthday is July 27.

-----------------

Schools have holiday for the Queen's birthday and the next day, making a 4-day vacation. Our school thus celebrated Queen Sirikit's birthday on August 11, and a fine celebration it was!

---------------------

We started the day with assembly as usual, but extra long as we presented birthday greetings to the Queen in seven languages: Thai, English, Chinese (YaJing), Japanese, German (Julian), Spanish (Toto), French (me), plus a special Thai poem composed by my Thai teacher Ajahn Siribuhn and delivered in lovely poetic cadence by a student, then music provided by our own student bands--both the Western style band in white wool jackets and the traditional Thai musicians as seen here. Our student dancers were lovely, as always.

-------------------------

All the students prepared for the celebration for days in advance, and at lunch (after a special feast provided for all the teachers), we three AFS teachers were invited to judge the artistic presentations to the Queen--an honor for us, but not easy to choose!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After lunch we all gathered in the upstairs auditorium for the celebration of Mother's Day. You see the students seated as usual on the floor of the auditorium; along the wall are assembled a number of mothers. They were honored by being brought up to the stage in groups of eight; speeches were made and then students came up to greet, honor and hug their mothers.

The surprise for me came after all the mothers had been honored (I got to give certificates to one group of moms). Students cleared chairs from the stage until only one was left, and the announcement was made: Thai, Thai, Thai, Mrs. Sue Richardson, Thai, Thai...I don't really know what was said, but they motioned me up onto the stage and I was soon surrounded by six smiling students. They bowed to me, presented me with jasmine garlands, bowed again. Tears were streaming down my face even through my wide grin...completely unexpected.

I don't know whether Queen Sirikit could possibly feel more honored than I did on her birthday.