| Delivery by pick-up truck: July 4 | | | | Life could be worse!Chanting resumes but this time it is |
| 7.30am and I am waiting outside my building with my | | | | very brief, no more than five minutes. The monks |
| car and driver. No Neung and no Khun Ying, her sister. | | | | collect their goodies, climb into the pickup truck and off |
| Oh well, it's Thailand so I guess I just have to wait. I get | | | | they go. Formalities are over with. Neung's mother is |
| an sms and it seems the taxi they called could not find | | | | now at peace.Lunch begins for all the guests. We split |
| their place so they are going to be very late. Mai pen | | | | into two groups. I sit with Neung, Khun Ying and seven |
| rai.8.15am Neung and Ying arrive carrying 6 large bags | | | | other ladies. Most are in their 50s and 60s and I am an |
| of cat food. Hmmm, this is looking interesting. Not quite | | | | object of fascination. They see me struggling with the |
| sure how this one gets explained. We set out for | | | | sitting postures and so, to a lot of laughing, a stool |
| Rangsit. Neung explains about the cat food. Her | | | | appears and I am told to sit. My cheeks are red but |
| mother had four cats. The neighbor has been feeding | | | | the pain is gone so it's a good tradeoff. Then the real |
| them but ran out of food 4 days ago, so the cats | | | | challenge begins. Am I going to eat the food? Luckily I |
| have not eaten. Ok, that explains the cat food well | | | | like Thai food at least as much as kon Thai so the |
| enough!9.15am we arrive at the house in Rangsit and | | | | food is no problem for me. They even begin to realise |
| go see the neighbors. Cats arrive, fast! We give them | | | | that I speak quite decent Thai.Everything is going well |
| some food and then they are joined by the neighbor's | | | | until we come to the durian mixed with sticky rice and |
| dog, who seems to eat cat food as willingly as she | | | | coconut milk. Durian is actually ok to eat but this one is |
| eats dog food. Well, it's Thailand!We are going to do | | | | not ripe enough. Sticky rice is not something I enjoy. |
| tambuun at the house. Neung explains that sometimes | | | | The mixture all together? Well I manage not to throw |
| people do it at the temple but it is considered "luckier" | | | | up but only just and, of course, the whole group finds |
| to do it at the person's house. Something to do with | | | | this very entertaining, myself just about included. These |
| releasing the spirit. I don't pretend to understand but no | | | | are all good people. They are having fun. They are |
| problem. I ask when the monks will arrive. Around 11am | | | | being very welcoming to me. It has been a good day |
| I am told which, obviously, means 11.30am. everyone is | | | | so far.The food is cleared away and we all start to |
| always late here. All the monk's gifts have been | | | | clear up. Neung pays for the food which means, |
| prepared. Money in envelopes, flowers and the usual | | | | necessarily that I pay for the food. There's a lot of |
| bucket of goodies - washing powder, toothpaste and | | | | celebrating and five minutes later what seems like a |
| so on.10.30am and the monks arrive. What's going on | | | | million bottles of beer arrive. Seems I gave a good tip |
| here? No one in Thailand is ever early. We'll get back | | | | too! So now everyone really loves us.It's time to go, |
| to this shortly, but it turns out to be about food. The | | | | time to perform many wais, to say goodbye and to |
| monks arrived, all nine of them, in the back of a pickup | | | | drive home. Neung is leaving for Amsterdam tonight to |
| truck. Dressed in their orange robes it is a somewhat | | | | spend 10 days with her gay Thai friend and his Dutch |
| surreal scene. The strangest pickup delivery I have | | | | boyfriend. She tries to insist that she won't be spending |
| ever seen! We now have nine monks seated on the | | | | the entire 10 days finding a new boyfriend but doesn't |
| floor of the house, with about 25 guests seated all | | | | sound too credible. Mai pen rai, this is not my problem |
| over the place. The rituals begin with an offering of | | | | anymore. If she is happy then I am happy too. She |
| water to the monks. The candles are lit, the string is | | | | may be my ex but she is still my friend and she has |
| unwound, we all settle down and the chanting begins.I | | | | had a tough few months.The first Thai funeral I |
| can't be sure but it seemed to me that the chanting | | | | attended was for Neung's mother and it is for her also |
| was much the same as at the funeral ceremonies. It's | | | | that I have made my first tambuun. It has been another |
| quite interesting to watch and listen. It is melodic without | | | | fascinating experience. The Thai people manage death |
| being musical and mildly hypnotic. Hypnosis would have | | | | with a lot of grace, humor, tact and respect. That's an |
| been useful because I was in agony from sitting with | | | | odd mix of words perhaps but it's an appropriate mix. I |
| crossed legs. My knees are shot from too much | | | | like the way they do this and I like to think that Neung's |
| running at the gym and I find these very basic sitting | | | | mother would have been pleased with what she saw |
| postures almost impossible to manage. So, for me, the | | | | today. I don't pretend to understand Buddhism or Thai |
| chanting is an exercise in pain and the constant | | | | culture, but what I do see I like very much.As for |
| thought running through my mind of "how much | | | | Neung it has been a difficult time. Her mother was her |
| longer"?A couple of dogs wander in and out as we sit | | | | only family. Her father did not turn up today and has |
| and a little 2 year old girls comes to join us, holding her | | | | apparently been asking her for money. Her stepfather, |
| hands up in the praying position. It's a very cute scene. | | | | aged 75, has been trying to transfer his affections for |
| She gets bored quickly, as 2 year olds do, and decides | | | | her mother to Neung herself.She has been unhappy |
| to examine and take apart the padlock to the garden | | | | and she has cried alone a lot. I have not been able to |
| gate. Then she decides to try everyone else's shoes, | | | | spend much time with her. Today she seems happier |
| flip flops, high heels, they are all of equal interest. I find | | | | than I have seen her in a long time. In part it's because |
| my eyes wandering much more to her than the | | | | she is going to Amsterdam but I think it is more than |
| business at hand.The chanting ceases and now I learn | | | | that. She has finally learned to say goodbye to her |
| why the monks arrived early. We are their lunch. I am | | | | mother.Thailand is sometimes truly a crazy place. |
| told that the monks eat twice a day, breakfast and | | | | Crazy but wonderful and so very much alive, even in |
| lunch and that they may not eat after midday. They | | | | death. I am privileged to be here.The end. Original article |
| turned up early to be sure that they could get lunch. | | | | available at from England, Adam Bryan-Brown has |
| Well that makes perfect sense to me. After all, this | | | | lived in Bangkok for one year having spent many |
| country more than most, marches on its stomach. | | | | years working in businesses in the United Sates and |
| Lunch is a feast. A mass of different foods. They eat, | | | | Switzerland. After graduating from Oxford University, |
| we wait. Everyone seems happy and there is a lot of | | | | Adam spent 20 years working in public relations.At the |
| laughing from everyone.I am, of course, the only farang | | | | beginning of 2005 Adam set up his first independent |
| and the object of some attention. Many are asking | | | | company, 2nd AB Associates, a virtual public relations |
| Neung if I am her boyfriend. She says no, just a friend | | | | agency. artThailand was created in January 2006 and |
| and that I am gay. Hmmm, ok. Now where did that | | | | is his second independent venture. The company is |
| come from? Neung explains. If I say u are my friend | | | | committed to promoting Thai contemporary art across |
| (puan) they will wonder why u are here so I called u | | | | the world.He is also a published writer and is currently |
| my gay friend. Hmm, ok. Why not say I am ur ex | | | | working on a book about his life in Thailand. His main |
| boyfriend. No way she says. If I say that I lose face. | | | | interests are contemporary art and writing. |
| So the price of not losing face is that I am now gay. | | | | |