The morning breaks softly and the family house in Sukhothai has a lovely soft buzz of anticipation. I take off to breakfast at Michel’s Lotus Village guest house where the two of us enjoy our coffee and chat. Returning home things are picking up, relatives are starting to decorate and a crew is setting up speakers and a tent and tables for lunch. The energy level is up a notch in a nice enough way and things seem under control. I take off on my new chopper to swim laps, have a massage and then a light lunch of som tom (spicy green papaya salad) and grilled chicken – a few hours of peace and solitude. Good things don’t always last…
I meet up later at Lotus to greet the fifteen co-workers who have come up from Bangkok via the five hour drive, to attend the wedding. It’s wonderful to see them and after checked into their rooms they head-off sightseeing at the fantastic Sukhothai ruins of the ancient capital of Siam. After seeing them off about three o’clock I head back to the house to see what’s up
Now there is a tower of speakers in the front yard with cones pointing to the stars above Thailand. This is only for tonight and tomorrow morning to make sure everyone in a couple kilometer radius knows we are having a party. Across the street there will be a stage, even more speakers and seating for four hundred for the nightlife part of the affair. Meanwhile at a volume that would bring the police in the US the Thai music is turned on and the party must be starting. Outside the house assorted cousins, grandchildren and other kids have started to assemble, attracting more until we something approaching the childhood version critical mass. In the middle of this Cody, face caked with talcum is going between squealing ecstasy and screaming frustration when he doesn’t get his way. The two oscillate at a frequency that is starting to make my teeth hurt. He’s over stimulated, saturated with candy, tired beyond sleep and having the time of his life. Escape crosses my mind.
People keep coming, the decorating of the house continues, and people keep coming. The soft and gentle Thais are gearing up and having fun at full volume as plates and cookware arrive. More people show up including a car with our maid Fon, the maid next door Nit and assorted more relatives. God bless this car because it has reinforcements of wine from Bangkok. I think the music is louder if that is possible, the house is chaos, two young monks are decorating quietly in the middle of all of this – I must get away. Or get drunk. I have a better idea which is to get away and go get drunk at my pal Luc’s Poo Bar nearby. About to hop on the chopper Meow gives me a “where are you going look” like isn’t this the most fun ever – errr sure I guess it is. A strategic retreat is in order. Later I can make a break.
Meanwhile the music is even louder, more people have come and they are louder too, the ladies are doing nails next to kids blowing up balloons; meanwhile the car with the wine has left. We call them because we need it for the party we are hosting for the Bangkok crew and they say “back soon”. OK it’s only been an hour since they took off to 7-11 to buy ice about a kilometer away. Soon could mean anything.
More pickup trucks with more stuff and more people arrive. I think the music had been turned up. Surely my friend Ed is behind this. The car with my wine is lost for sure and my one attempt to have one thing under control – bottles of wine at the right temperature, is a lost cause.
There is a growing party at the house now, old men with chocolate brown skin and sparking eyes smile and ask me if I’m having fun, I don’t know I guess, more people come and the young monks keep working away – they are on another level. Everyone is busy doing something and I am writing this. At one point I had six kids watching me write asking me if I had any games on my laptop. Thank God no. Tubby the puppy is exhausted. Smoke is rising from the kitchen as the charcoal stoves get ready, decorations continue, the tempo of the music has gone up a notch and I’m sure more people have arrived.
Time for a shower where I find in the bathroom Tim the nine year old cousin filling up a balloon with water with a not so innocent and up to no good look on his face – boys will be boys the world round. Turning on the shower the tax of all these people has reduced the water pressure to something that could be best described as a leaky faucet. Cupping my hands under the drips I capture precious handfuls of water and splash them on my body in a meager attempt to wash off the day’s sticky sweat. It works OK I guess.
I suspect there will be more than twenty people sleeping on the floor of the typical Thai house tonight. Sharing two bathrooms we will all be walking around wrapped in towels, in PJ’s, brushing, grooming, shaving and whatever all in the great room tomorrow at five in the morning. And at that time I am sure the music will be blaring. It’s the day before – you know just getting ready for the party tomorrow…
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