Funeral again, some questions and observations, and Durian

Jit tried to get an appointment with the Mercy Foundation in Klong Toey. I have tried their email address twice with no response. We will be persistent. Jit also contacted Nednapa about Dr. Sumaree's adult education seminar.

Jit is organizing the house for the dedication. There is supposed to be a place for 9 monks in a row!

The people building the road broke an electrical line so the community was without electricity for awhile. The road location and end is still very unclear. There is some hints that the road does not have the approval for part of the planned route. We shall see.

Ton went to Phra Pradaeng to get the CD's. I will be busy organizing and editing the pictures. I need to get some of them printed to give to Jit's Uncles family.

When I first came to Jit's community there was no walkway to the house. There was a single beam or board across the canal. The workers threw us a bamboo pole that we could use to help balance as we went across. You put the pole into the bottom of the canal to help provide something to lean on. I had to take a deep breath and come across, and I did. By the time we went across again people had built a simple wood walkway. I guess this story summarizes so many of my Thailand experiences.

Jit's uncle, who is 80 years old is clearing brush on the islands between the canals. Jit calls it mowing the lawn. He comes and works everyday. He is working with his nephew, who is about 25 years old. His nephew has had some troubles in his life and is now trying to do better. I can see Jit's uncle mentoring and teaching his nephew. They create small burn piles to burn some of the brush. Jit's nephew wheels him over in the wheelchair before the cross to the islands to go to work. It is the way it should be.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live here. I have many questions, the language, my role in life, my daughters in Alaska, my love for Alaska, earning an income, the Visa hassle and bureaucracy, photography, keeping two places going, safety, and all my stuff and junk. I wonder sometimes what it will be like when I get home to Alaska.

Pan came over on the boat to see the road and visit the family. We took the boat across and got to the funeral about 5:00. The ceremony starts at 7:00 and is done by around 8:00. I thought I was going to be bored. But then I started listening and watching and wandered around the area. What could I do that was less boring, watch CNN, browse the net, do email, I needed to open my eyes and see what was there. It was not boring.

Why am I in Thailand? I am looking for experiences, visual and emotional. I am looking at who I am? Learning about my values and beliefs. Who have I become? Who will I be? What will I do with the rest of my life? If an opportunity appears and the door opens I need to go through the door and learn from the experience. If I start closing doors, building walls, and retreating then I will lose my hope and optimism for life.

When I was wandering I saw stores everywhere, food, lottery tickets, meat on sticks, Pepsi, fresh fruit, ice cream, both packaged and Thai,. I walked down a street near the Wat and there were more stores and carts. When we left after the ceremony each house is a shop front. I saw beauty parlors, barber shops, Internet Cafes, and many different small retail stores I saw Red Bull and beer, motor cycles and Tuk Tuks, dogs wandering and being ignored, or petted, Every street is a community dense with activity. I see vendors on bicycles or carrying things on a pole over the shoulder, honking a bulb horn to announce their arrival. There are layers of communities within communities. When I walked around behind the crematorium I saw monuments with pictures for the memory of dead people. There were many pictures in many different areas of the temple. When I walked into the Wat portion of the temple dogs barked and the Monks yelled at them. A couple young Monks were smoking. The light was dimming and I went back to wait for the ceremony.

When I walk alone I feel anxious. I am not sure why, maybe my introspective shy temperament. Each day I try to extend my limits, but sometimes I just want to retreat.

When we left the ceremony Pan took us to dinner at a fancy Thai restaurant. The food was good and I had a Durian dessert. It tasted OK, but the aftertaste was very persistent.

Tomorrow we will return to the funeral. I think on Wednesday Jit's nephew will go through the process of becoming a Monk. The cremation will be Thursday.