Sawat dii ka—Hello. I’ve recently returned from 3 weeks in Thailand, immersed in sweat and the culture of a small village. My daughter-in-law, Sompong was born in the province of Nong Khai, near the Mekong River. After severe flooding her family relocated four hours south to Chaijaren in the Udon Thani province. Pong, her daughter, mom, and I stayed here with immediate family, surrounded by a proliferation of relatives during their hottest season.
Our reason? To celebrate Songkran, April 12-16th. The Thai New Year was basically a 5-day water fight! Families lurked outside homes with buckets and enormous squirt guns, bombarding any brave souls that ventured by. It did provide a way to stay cool. This was accompanied by boisterous music and dancing through the village. Money trees were presented to the Buddhist monks during a temple service, ending the festivities.
This 3rd world country is a conglomeration of old and new. Smooth highways narrow down to pot-holed gravel/dirt country roads. Modern stucco and hardwood houses are interspersed with shacks of tin, bamboo, and plywood. Vacant lots of discarded debris stand next to tranquil fishing ponds bordered by coconut palms and banana trees.
Most homes displayed satellite dishes yet running water was sporadic, controlled by the government. Bathing in a tiled room consisted of lathering up, scooping and pouring stored water from a waist-high tub. Dishes were washed out back, water supplied from a ceramic cistern.
Air-conditioning was rare. Our main house used ceiling and large box fans. After several sweltering nights in a private bedroom, I chose sharing a bed with Pong and 1-1/2 year-old Charlie in the converted garage apartment, complete with a wall unit. Occasional stomach kicks and face jabs were a small price to pay for cool air!
Thai food was healthy but often stored without proper refrigeration. Fresh chicken or fish and their unlimited basket of sticky rice posed no danger. We ate papaya salad, baby eggplant, juicy atalfo mangoes, jack fruit, and several with names I can’t pronounce or remember, but were delicious—Aloy mak mak! I often inquired what was in a prepared dish because you never knew. They used anything edible: roots, leaves, flowers, and BUGS! Adventurous enough to try the giant tree ants with their sour white creamy eggs, I drew the line at the large flying bugs and some type of beetle.
Meals were eaten while seated on a woven bamboo mat. No plates or silverware. Everyone passed bowls and dipped fingers. Surrounded by indecipherable chatter, I sometimes yearned for the familiar— a simple Chick-fil-a sandwich; English-speaking TV, music, and people; my husband, family, and friends. There truly is no place like home. Out of my element and halfway around the world opened my eyes to how fortunate we are to be born in the United States. I am forever grateful.
Rejoice always, pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
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