Thailand, Take Two

David and I are still in Chiang Mai. Last night, we went to a program called "Monk Chat" at Wat Suan Doc (Suan Doc Temple) and sat and talked with several Buddhist monks from Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand.

If you're thinking of monks, you're probably thinking of old guys in robes, but most of the monks we talked with were men in their late teens to early twenties. Some were still novices (under the age of twenty) though they had been robed for nearly ten years. When I asked them what they do for fun, they told me they've lately been watching the World Cup Soccer games on TV!

Talking with foreigners gives the monks the opportunity to practice their English with native speakers, which must be interesting, though they laughed appreciatively when I asked them if it didn't get boring answering the same questions over and over again. They were also quite flirtatious (they aren't allowed to touch women and women coming to chat are asked to dress conservatively), commenting on my hair and smile and asking of Dave, "What is he to you?"

The monks sat and we chatted about everything from politics to comparative religion to daily life to their feelings about being monks. One said that he was a monk so that he could get an education (they attend university in Chiang Mai), but then he would leave the temple to become a tour guide. Another said he wanted to be a monk all his life and eventually to be in charge of all the monks in Laos. They all have their own reasons and their own opinions and they all wonder about what one of them called "outside life." They're not allowed to sing or to play sports or to dance or see movies. They study five days a week at eleven different subjects. They major in various subjects at university, but all of the ones we spoke with were English majors.

We spent about two hours chatting, then went off to Chiang Mai's night market where we bought many, many souvenirs and some omiyage and had dinner from street stalls. (Yes, I'm eating street food, and no, I'm not paying any mind to the Bangkok belly I've acquired!)

We'll be home soon!