New Years Eve- Khao Sok National Park.....
The evening began with food, Leo (my favorite Thai beer) and good company at the bungalow bar I was staying at. After a few hours, Mathias and Manuela (my German friends) and I decided to venture down the road to see how other people in the village were celebrating their night. We came upon a bar with lively music and lively people. We sat down to enjoy another Leo anticipating the midnight cheer. I noticed a Thai man standing near the bar speaking with the bar owner. There is something interesting about this man I thought. He stood up and walked to the dance area and began performing a fire show. A while later Manuela and Mathias decided to head home to bed. The left me with kisses and hugs and wishes for a safe night.
I sat on the stool, sipping my beer observing the many interesting people surrounding. After a few moments the Thai man approached me and we began talking. He told me he was a tattoo and oil painting artist living in the village for the last eight months. He left and came back with two picture books filled with his oil painting art. Such beautiful work-- most paintings were of Buddha. I asked him how long he had been an artist. Thirteen years as an oil painter and seventeen years as a tattoo artist he answered. Strange, I thought-he looked to be in his early twenties. How old are you, I asked. He chucked and answered thirty-seven. He left Thailand to travel to Laos and Cambodia some time after the tsunami- he lost a lot. He is the first Thai person I met to live in another country that was not married to a foreigner.
He continued to tell me that when he was twenty he was getting into some trouble with fighting and drinking and his parents sent him to a monastery as a result. He explained to me that every man in Thailand is expected to go to monastery at least once in his life- from one week to a lifetime. Imagine a society where there is a peaceful, spiritual community you can escape to if you stray from a life path less desired than hoped for. After a short time in the monastery, his sister called him with sad news of his papa. He had fallen very sick. Later that night he sat with Buddha--- papa has to care for mama, sister and brother- If he is stays healthy, I will give you one year here at the monastery. A couple of days later her heard the good news that papa was going to be OK. He stayed one year. When it was time for him to leave, his mama came to him and said "you gave papa one year, you give me one year." He stayed one more year. After the second year was up, he was preparing to leave when the head monk came to him and said "you gave your papa one year, you gave your mama one year, you give me one year. So he stayed one more year.
What a lovely human with much light. It was nice to hear his story and to start the new year with such an interesting spirit. Meeting people and hearing their stories has been my favorite part of my journey- I am blessed.
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