Nakhon Pathom (50 km west of Bangkok)

Nakhon Pathom Province

Thailand

April 25, 2019

Hello,

My girlfriend Jenjira (Ooy) and I climb the steps to pay our respects to a tall standing Buddha inside the Pathom Ma Chedi.  At 120 meters (394 feet), the bell-shaped Chedi or stupa is the tallest stupa in Thailand. 

Thai people are here to pray.  Young couples pray for fertility.  Lovely aromas of lotus flowers and burning incense fill the air.

The golden temple has a two-thousand-year-old history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phra_Pathommachedi

The stupa is the focal point of the surrounding temple complex:

https://thailandtourismdirectory.go.th/en/info/attraction/detail/itemid/1367

I have visited this temple before, but today I am drawn to the many Buddha sculptures that are installed in the niches of the temple walls.

And after our stroll in the sun, Ooy and I are drawn to a food shop on the temple grounds.  They are selling ice cream pops …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“About as golden as golden can be.”  The huge Buddha statues gleam under the mid-morning sun.  The Buddhas encircle the temple and beckon the faithful to Wat Si U Phalaram.  Ooy and I discover the temple by accident as we drive through a small provincial town.

Except for the few local monks, at the moment, the temple grounds are deserted and quiet.  But at the next moment, truckloads of colorfully dressed, chattering, cheerful townspeople arrive.  They are attending a Buat Nak – the obligatory monk ordination ceremony for young Thai men.

Ooy immediately engages in a warm conversation with the strangers.  Thai people often treat each other as if they are close cousins.  And as I have experienced countess times in Thailand, the folks are delighted with my presence and insist on taking photos.  They are also curious, so the usual litany of personal questions ensues.  I am sure they would be honored if we stay for the festive ceremony and plentiful food and drink.  But we politely take our leave.

On the way back to the car I have a final conversation with a middle-aged man.  He’s wearing a cap that has a flag embossed on its side.  Two green stripes and a red stripe.  If it’s a national flag, I cannot recall the country.  Neither can the man wearing the hat.  He thinks it’s Spain, but I know it’s incorrect.  Finally, a young woman in the group exclaims, “GooCHEE. GooCHEE!” 

GooCHEE?   I am puzzled.  

Then the “clouds” clear and it hits me. (Thai people tend to emphasize the final syllables of foreign words.)   I respond to them in my broken Thai, “Oh! Same-same rong tau.” 

Everyone laughs and congratulates me on speaking Thai so well.  It’s a wonderful moment for all of us.

Welcome to Thailand.

Jan

PS Just in case you haven’t already guessed, “rong tau” means shoes.

**   Ooy is driving her Honda with automatic transmission.   Despite Ooy’s encouragement, I dare not drive here.  British style, the steering wheel is on the right and traffic proceeds on the left side of the road!   I prefer to encourage Ooy with safe driving tips.  She’s a new driver.