Being at the change of season I have been working at my home where I have been restoring the shape and form of terraces in our fruit orchard. The sort of work that at my age doubles as fitness class. I was also busy recently clearing a area of the home garden where my wife has decided she will build a house. Its all been hard work in the hot sun broken by the occasional heavy rain storm. My bike was parked long enough to get a covering of dust, ash and cobwebs until the terrific sunrise on Sunday had me longing for a day out in the hills. By 7.30am I was under way and took the longer but scenic route to Fang with a plan to ride to Doi Chang via the 109. Not being particularly religious minded I had forgotten it was a big day in the Buddhist calendar and had no intention of visiting a temple, but that was soon changed after passing through Ban Lo on the small country road 3023 and seeing the traffic jam at the Shan style temple that I have seen under construction for some 10 years or more. What had previously been a deserted building site was now the venue for what appeared to be a large part of the Thai Yai ethnic group spread around this district. Pick-ups were pouring in loaded with villagers in their best dress and motorbikes fully loaded with mum, dad and the 2 kids were weaving between the stopped cars. Thai traffic bedlam on a minor road.
Yes, the traffic jam had stopped my progress but it was the excitement and joy of the people that had me park the bike and have a look at the attractions. This was something more like a country fair (fayre), a meeting with a party atmosphere not some solemn, pious religious prayer. The dress was colourful, many were families with young kids all in their best ethnic attire and almost everyone was smiling and laughing. They were having fun just getting together and showing off their costumes.
The Shan-Tha Yai group are very numerous in the far north and speak a language used in both Burma and Thailand that sounds very much like Burmese to my ears. Many have arrived in Thailand looking for work and have taken poorly paid jobs on arrival hoping to finally get allowed to settle in a more permanent way. They work on the orange farms, do other agricultural labour and often get involved in local market food stalls. They are probably looked down upon by high society Thais who see them as just foreign immigrants but in my village they are recognised as hard working, honest and reliable. My village would stop without them.
The state of the temple compound left a lot to be desired, its still a construction site and the recent heavy rain storm had left a lot of mud to be negotiated. There was the usual lottery seller, food and drink stalls, a herbal medicine seller and perhaps even more around the back where I never ventured. I was after all headed for Doi Chang.
The musicians were giving it everything they had, not being that way inclined I have no idea if it was good but they certainly made a lot of effort. No-one looked likely to complain. The kids were obviously the pride and joy for many but I didn't want to get right in their faces so missed some of the fancy gear they were wearing. Maybe next time.
In a past life when I did tour work in Burma I saw similar colours, styles and designs, no surprise when you think that 5 kms from where I live is the border. And why not, those unmentioned missing years in Thai history when Chiang Mai was under Burmese rule lasted 200 years and these Shan across the hill have far more in common with northern Thais than the Bangkok people do. Its the country cousins.
Yes, the traffic jam had stopped my progress but it was the excitement and joy of the people that had me park the bike and have a look at the attractions. This was something more like a country fair (fayre), a meeting with a party atmosphere not some solemn, pious religious prayer. The dress was colourful, many were families with young kids all in their best ethnic attire and almost everyone was smiling and laughing. They were having fun just getting together and showing off their costumes.
The Shan-Tha Yai group are very numerous in the far north and speak a language used in both Burma and Thailand that sounds very much like Burmese to my ears. Many have arrived in Thailand looking for work and have taken poorly paid jobs on arrival hoping to finally get allowed to settle in a more permanent way. They work on the orange farms, do other agricultural labour and often get involved in local market food stalls. They are probably looked down upon by high society Thais who see them as just foreign immigrants but in my village they are recognised as hard working, honest and reliable. My village would stop without them.
The state of the temple compound left a lot to be desired, its still a construction site and the recent heavy rain storm had left a lot of mud to be negotiated. There was the usual lottery seller, food and drink stalls, a herbal medicine seller and perhaps even more around the back where I never ventured. I was after all headed for Doi Chang.
The musicians were giving it everything they had, not being that way inclined I have no idea if it was good but they certainly made a lot of effort. No-one looked likely to complain. The kids were obviously the pride and joy for many but I didn't want to get right in their faces so missed some of the fancy gear they were wearing. Maybe next time.
In a past life when I did tour work in Burma I saw similar colours, styles and designs, no surprise when you think that 5 kms from where I live is the border. And why not, those unmentioned missing years in Thai history when Chiang Mai was under Burmese rule lasted 200 years and these Shan across the hill have far more in common with northern Thais than the Bangkok people do. Its the country cousins.
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