Editing Photographs, a trip to Klong Toey Wat in a storm, and Thai music

Yesterday I edited and prepared the CD from Oowon funeral. I sent the pictures in to be printed, 88 of them. Today we can pick them up and give them to the family. Today will be the cremation and we will be at the Wat by Klong Toey dock all day. I also got the pictures back from the cremation ceremony for Jit's Aunt. I still have a lot of work today to prepare the pictures from both cremation ceremonies.

The day before yesterday I also took a picture of the women in black, who now wears flowers, at the Klong Toey dock 7-11.

I took a long nap in the afternoon and then we left for the ceremony. It was dark and there was lightening and light rain. Four of us, Jit, myself, Star, Juke's wife, and Jit's dad all walked to the big boat dock. We used umbrellas. It was beautiful, but I could see the clouds were coming our way. When we got to the Wat it started to rain heavily and the lightening and thunder got much nearer.

At the ceremony there was music that played before the chanting, and between each chant. There were three sets of cymbals in a golden upright U shaped arch. Players set in front of the arch and played, there was a set of drums surrounded by a golden fence being played by a boy about 12 or 14. He was very good, sometimes he looked like he was playing snare drums when he closed his eyes and played the rhythm. It looked like about half the players were family members. Some of the young kids were sitting and playing with their parents. The music had very complex rhythms. It was almost like different rounds of rhythm. I closed my eyes to listen. It felt like a river of music flowing like the current.

Jit's dad's sister came from Nong Chok area. She must be in her middle 70's. Her back is very bent, she is a strong presence. Margaret and I had met her before in 2004.

When we came back it was raining medium hard, there was still lightening around, but the heavy storm had passed. We took the small boat, Git's son came with us. Crossing the river in the small boat, in the dark and rain is an experience. The tide was very high. You can see the small high intensity light bulb, like a flashlight bulb on a stick, on each of the boats. The motor on our boat stalled briefly and another boat came near, the people on our boat yelled a warning so that the boat would not hit us. We did not keep our umbrellas up because it would hurt visibility. We walked home from the small boat dock, sometimes it is hard to see the concrete paths in the dark, but I just follow people who know the way. We made it home just as the rain intensified. The water in the canals was very high.

When we walked around to the dock to take the big boat it was because it was too dangerous, when we returned on the small boat the conditions were worse. Sometimes things are hard to understand. I asked Jit and she said that on Saturday and Sunday there is no large boat after 8:00! That makes sense.

This morning Jit's dad is playing with Git's son. Git's son stayed over last night. There are getting some Walkie-Talkies to work. They are having fun.

I am getting ready for the cremation. Ton is going to classes and then will pick up the pictures. I want to give the family the pictures as soon as possible. The experience today can be very emotional and I want the family to see the kind of photographs that I take. I feel much more comfortable when the family can see the results of my photography.

Tomorrow we will be going back to STOU, maybe I will go to Alaska for a vacation this spring :)