Post-Songkran

After Songkran Festival, Bonpong returned to its more normal state of peacefulness. Many of the visiting relatives of the residents of Bonpong now returned to their homes in Bangkok, or other places throughout Thailand.

Lout’s time to head to Cambodia has come, and he bid his fare-well to us as well as thanked the Abbot for his kindness and generosity. Leang had planned on returning with Lout to Cambodia where they would travel together for a few days before parting ways for a week while visiting family in their own villages. After that week, they would meet again at the capital to fulfill their teaching duties of young monks newly ordained after Songkran for the remainder of their holiday break from university.

Things changed when I became ill, before Songkran. Now that Songkran had passed, and my visa was expiring, we needed to speak with the officials the hospital as to what I would be able to do. At my next appointment, my fever was around 99 and only with minimal flare ups over 100. I was still receiving shots for the Rabies, and since it was a confirmed case, the hospital was not so keen on letting me leave the country. Also…they did various blood tests on me to try and figure out what was going on with my fever. Still the same answers as before and it will take time to get better. A few weeks back they discovered it was H5N1, and since then the hospital had reported it to the government. Only now was the severity of my situation sinking in.

A letter was written to the government officials, as well as a ban on my passport prohibiting me from leaving the country for another 2 ½ weeks. The Thai embassay was contacted and I literally was placed on something similar to house arrest…but more like country arrest to ensure I recovered more fully as well as no longer a Rabies threat. I wasn’t in trouble or anything, but just not allowed to leave yet. The villagers were welcoming of this news, as they really had grown to care about me, and Leang would remain with in Bonpong for another week and a half, and then he would go to Cambodia to see family for a few days. At this point I would depart to Bangkok where I would rest for a few days attending a hospital there for more tests, shots and treatment. This is getting so expensive….sheehs.

During the week following Songkran, I preoccupied myself while recovering with a variety of different things. The monks were still very busy frantically cleaning the temple and removing decorations for storage once again, so I made sure to keep myself busy as well, since I was not really much help to them in my current state.
The temple was still very active since now that Songkran was over, an array of other ceremonies now took place. The ordination of new novice monks was first. There were about 30 visiting monks that came from surrounding temples to help the Abbot perform this ceremony.
After the novices had chanted with the monks, it was now time for the dressing of robes. The new novices are not allowed to help with this ceremony, but to stand still and follow instructions as a monk dresses them, while their families and friends are there to witness it all.

Although continuously going to the hospitals, I was now able to walk much better as I was healing, and be a little more active though out the days since my temperature was dropping day by day.
Ma was teaching me to cook some simple dishes (yum!) and one of the Abbots close friends, Ton, even took me out on his motor-bike a few times for some sight seeing of other temples, as well as a few famous ancient temple ruins in the province.

He doesn’t speak any English, yet with my mounting Thai proficiency, I was able to maintain a bare-bones conversation with him as well as learn a little about the history of these areas.

I visited the Abbot often, but only in the evenings during the time reserved for teaching the children; the Abbot was terribly busy with the post-Songkran madness of organization. If the children were busy working, or decided not to come (often the case after Songkran since everyone was pretty well worn out) then the monks, ma and I would visit late into the evenings out in the common area enjoying the cool evening temperatures.
These are some ancient heads of Buddha that the Abbot has collected from various places over time. The top left one is Thai style, while the one on the bottom is Khmer style (Cambodian). The one on the right is not a Buddha figure but another figure from Thai culture.
One evening after a heavy storm during the day, the common area was just teeming with wildlife. This is a photo of a turtle who is a temple grounds resident, and you can often see him wandering the common area in the evenings. You will also find tons of millipedes as well….some big and some huge.


A funeral also occurred at the temple that week. The woman had been diagnosed with cancer a couple of years before and although attending hospitals, there wasn’t much to be done for her. Her husband had been long caring for her, and it was quite a sad event for everyone in Bonpong.
Another major ceremony was the ordination of a monk. Unlike the novice’s ceremony, this was much more serious of an event.

It was one of the village boys who is 19 and wanted to become a monk.

A huge parade took place with music from the villagers as well as the circling of the temple 3 times while the about-to-be-monk was lifted high on the shoulders of his friends and family shrouded in white lace.

A tree with money attached on it donated from the villagers was given to the Abbot, as well as chanting by the monks and men of the village.

After the ordination ceremony inside the temple, the monks took the boy outside the temple where he would now be dressed by the monks with his family and friends as witness. This was quite a long procession; it took up one full day.




My last few days in Bonpong, Thailand were difficult to say the least. These people have come to mean so much to me it was not a wonderful feeling still being ill and having to leave their warmth and care to head to Bangkok before leaving the country. I couldn’t keep Leang any longer away from his duties as a monk. He has responsibilities to teach the novices in Cambodia as well as a promise to visit his family, and his mother was ever looking forward to it since it had been a couple years since she had seen him.

The Abbot had been so graceful and generous to me, I will dearly miss him as well as the other resident monk for their care and loving kindness to me in my time of need. As for Ma and Pa, well….lets just say it feels like I’m a baby bird about to leave the nest for the first time; unsure of my wings and worrying if I will be okay on my own as well as missing them as my own family. Nongkim and I for sure shared a special bond, it was hard to leave her as well. When people tried explaining to her that I was leaving and would be going to some place called America, seem became upset. She doesn’t know where this America place is, but when asked if she wanted to go with Dton Mai, she replied with yes, she does; America with Dton Mai is more better-so cute. Yeah…leaving is hard.