Great day in the village today.
We traveled over the largest mountain in Thailand to get to a village of one of the Thai christian girls. Her name is Dream. She is a sweet girl with a heart for the village she grew up in. We spent time with her family, took shots around the village, and then ate a fresh meal prepared by her mother. The food was amazing (and, I even ate a fish eyeball...which was not amazing). All the food in Thailand is so fresh; I could get used to this type of eating.
We went to the local temple tonight to hear the monks do their evening chants. It was a haunting experience that I will not forget. In the west, Buddhism seems like a very zen and peaceful thing. It almost feels like an accessory to people’s life that they use to find inner peace. This is not what it is like over here. As I listened to the monks chant, their hollow repetition was overwhelming. There is a darkness in Thailand. Those monks, who were mainly boys, were smiling as they walked to the shrine. But when they sat down on their mats, their entire expression changed. Many of them had fear, or sadness in their eye. They did not do anything to deserve this; they were just born in Thailand.
My heart is broken for the people of Thailand because I can feel the weight and darkness over this place. Behind the smiling faces and golden temples is darkness and heaviness of spirit.
We are staying in the village tonight, so that should be an interesting experience. Although it is much nicer than I anticipated. I am getting some great shots this week. I can’t wait to share more when I get home and can edit with my normal computer.
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