Another Day in Beautiful Mae Sai

Daeng told me last night that she was going to help make Som-Tom Papaya Salad for the Monks at the local Temple today.  I ask her what the occasion was.  She tried to explain it to me but I just could not get the substance except this was done every year is this part of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma).

We got up late, around 7:30 AM, showered, dressed and headed to the Pa Thong Ko shop for coffee.  To our surprise it was already closed.

After having coffee at another little shop in the back corner of the Ban Pa Meat morning market, we headed over to the Temple. 

The place was pretty busy at 9:00 AM with lots of folks and hundreds of baskets full of stuff, wrapped in cellophane, for the Monks.

I wondered around the place and make a little noise hitting the big drum in front of the Temple.  It made more noise than I expected. 

Daeng hooked up with her friend, Com New Wan (spelled like it sounds), and they started the process for making the Som-Tom Papaya salad. 

The process was an example of momentum.  It started with the two of them, Daeng and Com New Wan, getting things going with the crabs and papaya and ended up with over 15 people helping out.

I asked a lot of folks what this celebration was about.  No one could really make me understand except that they did it every year. 

Like I said, toward the end of the food preparation, a lot of folks helped out.

At around noon, the Monks came and sat at the tables that food had been placed.  I would guess that about 80 Monks sat down to the tables.  After a blessing they all ate.

After the Monks eat, they got up from the table and the regular folks sat down and continued to eat.

As for us folks helping, we ate on a little porch by the food preparation area.  We had lots of food and stuffed ourselves.  Everyone had fun helping and eating.  It is always nice to see folks having fun.

The Som-Tom Papaya Salad we great, as well!

After that, there was a ceremony for all the Monks and then each Monk got a paper with a number of the gift basket that was for them.

They each came and got their basket and then sat and prayed for the person that gave it to them.

It was a nice celebration but I still don't know what it was for.  The next time I talk with my friend "Cola", who runs the Internet shop, I'll see if he can make me understand.

Oh, before I forget, we had this desert that I call "worms in coconut milk".  It is sweet and tastes like chicken.  Come on, I'm kidding.  It tastes like a sweet gelatin in coconut milk.

By the way, a couple of things happen when we get older.  I just can't remember what they are.