I was told that school started for teachers on May 13 and for students on May 16. I showed up for work ready to do whatever it was for the teachers to do on Monday and found out that I would have my own classroom, but which of two rooms would be mine was undecided (one room was the meeting room, the other was just built and has no fans). Other teachers cleaned their rooms. After a couple hours, I was told I could go home and not come on Tuesday. OK, Thailand. On Wednesday morning I woke up and it was one of those things where you know that something is happening.
There were a lot of people riding motorcycles and bikes and walking in the opposite direction that most people go in the morning. They all had baskets of sticky rice and bags of M-150 (like 3 Red Bull in one). Gee (my 18-year-old host sister) had her hair and make up all done. Everyone wanted to know if I was going to the school because something was happening in another part of the village. So I call and find out maybe I don’t need to go to school. OK, so off I go with my host grandma to the park down the street.
The only equivalent I can think of Stateside is a block party. Everyone in the village was there. My host sister and her friends performed traditional Thai dancing. There was loud music (because it wouldn’t be Thailand otherwise), traditional rituals, tables with junk food for sale, rockets being set off and even a carnival game set up.
When I got there, we first went over to the spirit house to offer the M-150 to the spirits. Everyone was offering two bottles, so those spirits are going to be restless for quite some time. Everyone also set down a bucket of water near the spirit house. Then, I sat down with all the old ladies that my host grandma is friends with and who have visited the house in the past. They all loved it when I sat down right in the middle of them. I just took everything all in and before I know it some of the yaais are wanting to dance to the music and pulling me along with them. Of course I go.
Not too long later, Gee and her friends come out in traditional Thai clothes and they take their place in front of the spirit house and perform their dance. After their dance the monks sprinkle some water on the house. After, some men just start throwing the water at the house and a yaai goes around pouring the water on people. It was almost as it was a mini Songkran. There was even a giant sandcastle-like thing that I had read about happening during Songkran but didn’t see myself. I go back to sit with the yaais and watch Gee do her dance on the stage now. Afterward a man performed traditional Issan music (northeastern Thailand is known as Issan). Once again the yaais pulled me up to dance with them.
Not long later a woman is walking around with her arms in the traditional flexing pose and saying things in Thai. I don’t understand much other than something having to do with one person. Everyone gathers around her and then kneels down. She is still shouting and no one is doing much other than watching her. People tell me that I should take pictures of her. After a little while, she collapses and some people take her over in front of the spirit house. I later see her sniffing menthol balms. I think this was a “spirit possession.”
Around lunch time I went home with my yaai and took a nap. It was really a fun day and I’m not entirely sure what was going on, but it was really neat.Maybe it was their way of celebrating the end of the summer vacation. I have no idea.
