Ron and Sally Jo Blog

kami berdua

Buddha Park is located on the outskirts of Vientiane near the Mekong River. It is full of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures—the vision of an eccentric man. Luang Pu Bunlea Sulit was a yogi-priest-shaaman who merged Buddhist and Hindu philosophy, mythology, and iconography into one bizarre park. The concrete structures were built in 1958 all cast by supposedly untrained artists under the direction of Lung Pu. There are statues of Vishnu, Shiva, Buddha, and many other deities.

The large pumpkin-shaped structure has three levels, joined by interior stairways. It is supposed to represent hell, earth, and heaven. We climbed the stairways which lead to the roof and had a panoramic view of the park.

(Since we are not very familiar with the various deities, we have not labelled them.)

Within ten days of our arrival in Laos we experienced two “baci.” (bai-si)  Baci is an important ceremony practiced in Lao culture. It is a phi (spirit) ritual used to celebrate important events and occasions, like births and marriages, and also departing, beginning a new year, and welcoming. The baci is important to the Lao people as it emphasizes the importance of life and the bonds between family and friends.

Another term commonly used is su kwan. “Su” means togetherness or unity and “Kwan” means soul or guardian spirit. Ancient Lao believes that the human body has 32 organs and it is the Kwan that watches over these parts and protects them. Sometimes the Kwan may wander away from the body, causing the body to be out of balance. If the body is out of balance then a person may have illness or bad luck. The baci is performed to call the Kwan back to the body.

The two baci were celebrated by the MCC staff. The first one was to honor an MCC service worker who was returning home and also as a welcome to us. The second one was to honor three young people who have been here for a year and are returning to their respective countries—U.S. and Indonesia.

gathering

The ceremony is performed seated around a conical shaped arrangement (pha kwan) of banana leaves, flowers, and fruit from which hang white threads. (White is the color of peace, good fortune, honesty and warmth.) There are two lengths of white strings. Long strings are used for people to hold on to during the ceremony and the smaller ones are used later to tie around people’s wrists. These white cotton threads symbolize continuity and a brotherhood in the community and through tying the strings on to each others wrists it is a way to keep this community together.

Pha Kwan with chicken and fruit

Around the base of this is the food for the kwan. The food consists usually of hard boiled eggs (symbol of the fetus), fruits and sweets symbolizing the coming together of several parts to create a community, a bottle of rice whiskey for purification, and boiled whole chicken with head and feet with claws for divination purposes.

The pha kwan is usually placed on a white cloth (though you will see a different color in our photos) in the center of the room, with the leader sitting facing the it. The person(s) for whom the baci is being held sits directly opposite of him, on the other side of the pha kwan.

tying string on wrist

An elder/leader (ideally an ex-monk) says a long Buddhist mantra while he and guests lean in and touch the arrangement. The elder calls upon the wandering Kwan to return and inhabit the body of the person who the ceremony is intended for and to bring well-being and happiness. The elder will place an item of food into the upturned hand of the honored person. When the chanting is finished, he and others take the threads and tie them around the wrists of the honored guest(s). The strings are a symbol of binding the guardian spirits to the guests.

food!

Afterwards, everyone shares a meal which includes the meat of the boiled chicken of the Pha Kwan. One is supposed to keep the strings on their wrists for three days and then untie them, not cut, them. We know there is much symbolism in the ceremony which we do not understand. However, the overall, ceremony can be meaningful.

The Buddhist Lao see the baci as a part of their identity. Community is very important to Lao people and is reflected in this ceremony.

We have returned to Laos as interim country reps for MCC for two months. In February we were here ”record-sorting” for MCC. You can see our blog from that time at MCC Laos  and Sites in Vientiane. It was nice to have had that experience so that we knew some of the staff when we arrived and we at least knew the physical surroundings of our house and office.

During our first three weeks we have been welcomed and been involved in saying good-by to a number of people. (Later there will be a blog specifically on one type of ceremony.) One of our responsibilities is to assist a local staff member in all the details of the IVEP/SALT/YAMEN program here. There are three young people who have been here a year and will leave this weekend. There have been parties with lots of good food and debriefing sessions. There have been financial reports to approve. We are usually given seats of honor and there have been speeches to make.

There are five young Laos people who will leave in a few weeks to spend a year in Canada/U.S./Indonesia/India. There are forms to complete. There are visas to apply for. There is an orientation to plan before they leave. And then there are two young people coming to Laos for a year from U.S. and Indonesia. There are again forms to complete, host families to locate, and questions to answer. AND there are two young people who have been in Canada and the U.S. this past year who will be returning home in a few weeks.

In the meantime we will be welcoming a new service worker in two weeks. Again plans need to be made for orientation, host family, and language study. And we want to continue to inform churches and young people of the opportunity for them in MCC’s young adult programs for the following year through informative sessions in the next several weeks.

However, we do not do this all by ourselves. We are assisting a young Lao woman who is trying to learn all the procedures/processes and is able to do much of the leading. However, she needs our support in the various tasks.

kami berdua

Fifty years of marriage required a whole month to celebrate! We first spent a week on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, with our entire family. When we returned to Goshen we celebrated with our extended family and many friends. And last of all, on the actual day we celebrated with new friends here in Laos.

On Kauai we stayed at a resort in Poipu where our rooms overlooked the ocean. It is known as the “Garden Isle” and is filled with beautiful beaches, steep cliffs, and canyons complete with stunning waterfalls. One day we drove to Waimea Canyon Park. It reminded us of a “little” Grand Canyon. Another day, some of us drove towards the north end of the island. One day three of us hiked a trail to the bottom of a gorge which had a sign at the beginning, “Hazardous Cliff” and another which said. “Area closed. Do not go beyond this point.” However, our guidebook said we could disregard the sign and just take care! And still yet another day, some of us visited a Buddhist monastery. We also just spent time together, watching waves, walking, taking hula and ukulele lessons, swimming and eating.

50 years

Jessica and Lucy were able to spend a week in Goshen after the Kauai trip, when we did more fun activities and got ready for a party, held at Rachel’s Bread with extended family and friends. Jessica had previously made a flag banner with 50 flags using material that reminded us of our experiences. Andrea, Jessica, and Michelle put together a timeline with photos of some of our highlights. The two of us had a wonderful time talking with friends from many aspects and time-periods of our lives.

final celebration!

Our actual anniversary date, June 25th, found us working with MCC in Vientiane, Laos. The staff surprised us with a cake in the morning and in the evening we ate at a nice French restaurant with another MCC couple who were celebrating their 4th anniversary on the same day.

*kami berdua = Indonesian for “the two of us”

Before we went to SE Asia we needed to look at the map to see where we were going. We also needed to look at a map several times when we were there. This was an area of the world where we did not know our geography. So—-in case you may be in the same boat, this is a map of our travels.

We flew to Hanoi, Vietnam first.  While there we traveled overland to Halong Bay.  We then flew to Phnom Penh, Cambodia via Vientiane, Laos.  While in Phnom Penh we traveled by bus to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat.  Next we flew back to Vientiane, Laos to do our MCC work and then flew to Luang Prabang, Laos.  Lastly, we flew to Chiang Mai, Thailand.  (Purple lines are flights and yellow lines are land travel.)

travel map

from launch

Mae Ngat Reservoir lies within the Si Lanna National Park about an hour’s drive north of Chiang Mai. There are tributaries, islands, and forested hillsides. We spent our last full day in Chiang Mai relaxing at this beautiful spot with our friends. We rode a small long boat about 10 minutes to a floating platform at the edge of the reservoir. There was swimming, food, and generally peaceful spots available. One could also spend the night here; we would love to come back and do that. (We saw a pig’s head being transported in our boat but did not order pork for lunch!)

Dan & Jeanne’s home

While in Chiang Mai we stayed with our good friends, Dan and Jeanne who are the MCC Area Directors for SE Asia. The live in a wonderfully comfortable traditional Thai house. It’s a mostly open house which is great for the hot weather we experienced while there.

One day we explored the city of Chiang Mai, founded in the late 13th century. The “old” city is enclosed by a mile square moat and parts of the brick defensive wall. We walked around half the moat and wandered inside the moat also. Suan Buak Haad City Park at the southwest corner of the moat was a very pleasant public space to relax. There are formal gardens arranged around a series of pools and bridges, a children’s play area, an exercise route around the inner walls, and places where refreshments are available. We stopped mid-morning for refreshment.

There are more than 300 Buddhist temples in the Chiang Mai area. We visited only one within the city walls. Phra Singh is one of the famous temples with a famous Buddha statue claimed to have been brought to Chiang Mai from Sri Lanka in the 14th century. The paintings on the walls were especially interesting.

We also visited three museums which helped us understand a bit of the history of Chiang Mai and learn about the Lanna culture of the north. And we are always intrigued by open air markets found through Asia.

We were also able to meet up with MCC workers who we previously had known in Uganda and South Sudan. They were staying in Chiang Mai awaiting their first child. We were able to do some “touristy” things with them and then the day before we left, Lillian Juniper was born. It was fun to be able to share their excitement.

Our first day in Chiang Mai we visited Doi Suthep – one of the north’s most sacred temples—and Phuping Palace – the royal winter residence. Both are located outside the city about a 45 minute drive.

The temple was established in 1383 under King Keu Naone and enjoys a mystical birth story. A visiting monk instructed the Lanna king to establish a temple with the twin of a miraculous Buddha relic. The relic was mounted on a white elephant, which wandered the mountain until it died at this spot, interpreted as the ‘chosen’ location.

The temple is reached by a 306-step staircase, intended as an act of meditation.
The 1st-floor terrace documents this history of the temple with a shrine to Sudeva, the hermit who lived on the mountain, and a statue of the white elephant who carried the Buddha relic up the mountain. On the 2nd-floor terrace is the picturesque golden chedi that enshrines the relic; it is topped by a five-tiered umbrella in honor of the city’s independence from Burma and its union with Thailand.

🙂

Bhubing Palace was built in 1961 to accommodate the royal family during state visits to the north of the country. There is also a guesthouse for receiving foreign dignitaries. It is built in the mountains overlooking Chiang Mai, to take advantage of the cool mountain air. We were not able to see the palace itself because it is closed January-April when the family may be there, but the grounds were beautiful. The flowers were especially bountiful. The large reservoir with fountains has music composed by the king broadcasted across the water. There are three log cabins built of eucalyptus wood among the trees.

We have included a lot of food photos in our blogs recently. But now we have an entire blog dedicated to food! We are always intrigued by the food we see in the markets we visit and the street foods that we sometimes eat or just pass.

Here in Chiang Mai we attended a morning cooking class at the Siam Rice Thai Cooking School.  We first went to the market where a number of the foods were identified and then were given time to look around and ask questions. At the school (which was held in a home) we were asked to choose a soup, noodle dish, and curry from the menu that we wanted to make and eat. There were six of us with one instructor (Pot). Pot was helpful, fun, and instructive. Even though sometimes there were four different dishes being made he was able to help us each chop the correct ingredient and put it together in correct order.

Ron made Hot and Sour Soup, Drunken Noodles, and Khao Soy (a popular curry here in northern Thailand). Sally Jo made Chicken Coconut Soup, Fried Glass Noodles, and Pumpkin Curry Northern Style. We also made our own curry paste to use in our curry dish. All of the food was delicious!

curry paste ingredients

In this photo are the ingredients to make curry paste.  Starting at the top of the plate and going clockwise — lemon grass, shallots, ginseng, garlic, kaffir lime, galangal, tumeric, coriander stems, and in the center shrimp paste.

We ate at various restaurants — sometimes with our hosts and sometimes by ourselves. First we ate at a Middle Eastern one – took a photo of our “table” but forgot to take one when our food came. It was delicious. We also ate Pad Thai and the famous mango sticky rice, a dessert made with sticky rice, fresh mango slices, and coconut milk drizzled on it. Yum!

We have included a number of photos taken of various foods in the market and at food stalls.

We spent two days in Luang Prabang, the first capital of Laos. It is situated at the merger of the Nam Khan and the Mekong Rivers and encircled by mountains. The city government has provided main roads around the city so that in the city proper there are no trucks or buses—mostly motorbikes, bicycles, tuk-tuks, and pedestrians. It has beautiful brilliant new and old temples with the orange-robed monks, old French-Lao colonial buildings, flowering trees, fascinating morning and evening markets, river traffic, coffee, and thousands of tourists. Our days were spent meandering around the town and climbing the one hill to look out over the countryside. We didn’t hurry because it was hot and we needed time to refresh ourselves with drinks and rest.

One evening we attended a royal ballet performance of classical dancing and music. It reminded us of classical performance in Indonesia. Another evening we attended a storytelling time with music. The Lao khaen was a new instrument for us and we found it interesting to hear and see played. Both performances were fun and provided a respite from the many temples we visited! We also visited the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) with information about Laos’ ethnic groups, traditional lifestyles, and handicrafts emphasizing women’s role in society.

Early mornings (6:00 am) we got up to watch the feeding of the monks. It is an interesting process. The monks file through the streets and collect food (rice, fruit, crackers, etc) from the devout—and from tourists. Local women along the street are happy to lend you a mat for a price and sell you food to give. We did not give any food but joined other tourists in taking photos. What each monk collects is what they will eat for that day.