0
It started on the 1st, with everyone in the village gathering at the temple, with money "trees" ( each house had made a money tree ) and also obtaining packs with the gold colour robes, and then singing and dancing around the village following a truck with a big black ball ( which is important i'm told ) to live isaan music played at deafening volume.
When we had danced around then whole village everyone then proceeded into the temple to pray and throw the packs of robes into a small pit under the black ball, I now discovered there were nine of these balls in total, one in the temple and eight around the outside of the temple. The money trees were also placed in another part of the temple grounds.
The next day started early, back to the temple again, obtained some robes, flowers, a pack containing school books and pencil, and nine small slithers of gold leaf. First we went into the temple and after praying, dropped the robes and school materials into the pit below the black ball. After this we took one of the slithers of gold leaf and stuck it to the ball, after being blessed by the monk we proceeded outside, and did the same by the other eight black balls, the only difference being is that we had a gong to strike three times, each one a different note.
This carried on for a few days, sometimes we would put small change into the pits below the balls and sometimes charms.
In addition to this we also had to put 1 baht into 100 pots for good luck and also some money into a pot which had the day we were born with, all good luck.
All the women took turns in the kitchens making food fo all who wanted it over these days, and they did a fantastic job.
On the last day everybody gathered at the temple one last time. They were all the to witness the balls being released into the pits, this was dome by taking an axe the rope that held them. As soon as this was done a mad rush took over, everyone wanted the rope that held the balls and also some of the masses of white string tied all over the temple wall, this I'm told is very good to have, my wife has some and is now proudly situated at the Buddha shrine in the house.
I'm told that a temple only does this once and I was very lucky to have the opportunity to be there. I just wish I understood it more.
Anyway it was a fantastic few days and to round it all off, a great big bloody stage was erected and some "superstars" came and sang for us everyone got absolutley plastered and then got a good bashing from the "police".
Can anyone give me a good explanation as to what I have been doing, I have asked my wife, but she cannot really explain it very well.
Cheers
Totster
