There are some fun cultural things we are learning here, more than I was ever aware in the countries previous to here. I list a few here, mostly learned by making a mistake in public. Whoops. 🙂
You are are not really supposed to cross your legs or expose the soles of your feet; take off your shoes at the door of all homes, and even some public shops; don’t touch the tops of people’s heads, don’t hang things above your head, (such as laundry) where it would touch your head; never bring up the king, and if He comes up in conversation, the only reply is “He’s a great man.” Respect the money because it bears the king’s face; don’t step over things – books, food on the floor, people laying on the floor; don’t kick your purse because the king’s face in on the money inside of it.
Most people wear yellow on Mondays this year to honor the king’s 60th anniversary of the assencion to the throne. There are so many more interesting culturally sensitive things we are learning each day, usually by making a mistake and then the girls here laugh, and are appalled, then tell us what we did. It makes me appreciate growing up in the states where we don’t have so many little cultural rules. Some of the aspects here though are great, as far as respecting elders, royalty and authority, and we could use some of that I think, at home.
While in Bangkok, we toured a couple of Buddist temples, where monks still abide. Every Buddist man is expected to be a monk for at least a couple weeks of his life in order to be a good Buddist. They are young and old, dress in orange garments and sandals, and shave their heads. Women are not allowed to touch them, or even hand things to them directly. I have watched several times from my window here as monks have walked by, and the women and children at the small food stands remove their shoes, kneel down, and give an offering, in exchange for a blessing from the monks. When people drive by the temples, they honk their horns to honor Budda.
Many people have ‘spirit houses’ outside their homes and shops that look like fancy wooden birdhouses. People leave offerings of drinks and food on the house to keep the spirit happy so it stays there and not in their homes. From my window now I see the ‘spirit house’ across the street, with the table in front of it, covered in bottles of soda, opened with a straw, a coconut to drink, a bowl of rice, and other food. There are often ladders to assist the spirit to it’s house, since it usually sits on top of a stand. We will likely to continue to learn more of these interesting aspects of culture and religion as we stay here longer.
