?

[sukanyacondo]

When I first knew my wife she used to sit on her bed at night just before sleeping sort of waiing almost like saying prayers, I did ask her but she couldnt explain so well or Im a lousy listener so what was she doing???

Interestingly she doesnt do it now?

[kayo]

It may have been a private moment of prayer.

And you may -just maybe - have made her think you don't approve and hence she's stopped.

Might be worth letting her know - just for clarity sake - that you have no objection to her undertaking her private ritual as it may be something important to her?

[Goshawk]

When I first knew my wife she used to sit on her bed at night just before sleeping sort of waiing almost like saying prayers, I did ask her but she couldnt explain so well or Im a lousy listener so what was she doing???

Interestingly she doesnt do it now?

the "prayer" - 'please let my efforts tonight endure me to this farang and let him take care me the rest of my life..'

no more? - she got her wish

[cdnvic]

the "prayer" - 'please let my efforts tonight endure me to this farang and let him take care me the rest of my life..'

no more? - she got her wish

Did you mean endear or was that a Freudian?

[kmart]

the "prayer" - 'please let my efforts tonight endure me to this farang and let him take care me the rest of my life..'

no more? - she got her wish

Did you mean endear or was that a Freudian?

Well spotted.

[sceadugenga]

My Lao ex-girlfriend used to do it as well. Seeing there was a considerable age difference between us, (in her favor) I suspect I know what she was praying for.

[lazeeboy]

My Lao ex-girlfriend used to do it as well. Seeing there was a considerable age difference between us, (in her favor) I suspect I know what she was praying for.

mine does it as well ,probably hoping i wont wake up in the morning .

[WaiWai]

Would it not be better to ask her about this, rather than a forum of equally clueless foreigners ?

[Mighty Mouse]

Mine does the same thing occasionally but I think it's her way of building up her energy levels for what is about to occur.

[Pink Mist]

My Lao ex-girlfriend used to do it as well. Seeing there was a considerable age difference between us, (in her favor) I suspect I know what she was praying for.

she was praying for you to see the error of your ways and barrack for the crows

[siamamerican]

When I first knew my wife she used to sit on her bed at night just before sleeping sort of waiing almost like saying prayers, I did ask her but she couldnt explain so well or Im a lousy listener so what was she doing???

Interestingly she doesnt do it now?

My wife did it in Thailand but rarely in the US. Many Thais grewup praying before they slept. Just as many of us Farangs did. As we get older, many Thais and farangs make there own choices and choose not to pray. Nothing extrordinary - Thais as farangs discard many rituals of their youth.

My wife just told me she prayed for things she wished for and now she has everything she would ever want. She is full of it, but a nice gesture

[sukanyacondo]

Would it not be better to ask her about this, rather than a forum of equally clueless foreigners ?

"I did ask her but she couldnt explain so well" (In My OP)

Waffled on about her Mother a bit who'd been dead 2 years.

[WaiWai]

Would it not be better to ask her about this, rather than a forum of equally clueless foreigners ?

"I did ask her but she couldnt explain so well" (In My OP)

Waffled on about her Mother a bit who'd been dead 2 years.

Yes, I saw that; I was thinking you could raise the topic again now.

[Kf6vci]

I observed the same, but infrequently and just before going to bed. ** Waking past a squashed frog, a similar wai was made. I wonder, why? It happened kind of subconsciously, like some Catholics bowing when entering a chapel.

[Neeranam]

When I first knew my wife she used to sit on her bed at night just before sleeping sort of waiing almost like saying prayers, I did ask her but she couldnt explain so well or Im a lousy listener so what was she doing???

Interestingly she doesnt do it now?

She was speaking to 'sing suk sid', no doubt, or simply praying. Most Thai women do it, so do I!

[CarlBkk]

Most traditional Thai women pray at night before sleep. My wife has a printed script with the full Buddhist script and just wais and softly concentrates on reading it. It's called "sud morn". My ex gf did it now and again (a shorter version) and some more westernised Thais don't do it at all.

There's one more very very traditional act called "wai teow" that only very few Thais will do nowadays on the evening of marriage :-)

[bina]

husband does same when he feels like it; in a specially good mood, or wan phra night or after we've done a particularly intensive house cleaning and eveything is in place...or we got his visa approved, that sort of thing...

he will not wei phra or suotmon if he is in a grumpy mood or 'mai wang' (mind is too noisy and full so cant concentrate properly); the opposite of when most western religiousy types would pray...

bina

[wileycoyote]

I think it is good for her & you.

She is obviously devout and the fact that she prays ,shows that she trusts you enough to be at ease not to mock.

There is nothing wrong with being spiritual.

Wiley Coyote

[sceadugenga]

My Lao ex-girlfriend used to do it as well. Seeing there was a considerable age difference between us, (in her favor) I suspect I know what she was praying for.

she was praying for you to see the error of your ways and barrack for the crows

You couldn't have been praying too hard this afternoon, bye bye.... see you next year.

[WaiWai]

There's one more very very traditional act called "wai teow"

... and that is ??

[Texpat]

My wife and I got married at my Embassy in Bangkok in 2001. Just me n' her and a consular officer.

The first time she met my parents two years later, she asked them if it was OK to do a Thai ritual.

As they sat on a sofa in their living room, she sat on the floor and waied them and then touched their feet with her hands and her forehead.

Sorta wierd.

She doesn't pray at home but visits her temple (where both of her parents are interred) often.

Edited September 8, 2007 by Texpat

[alexth]

Why doesn't the poster just ask HER?

Edited September 8, 2007 by alexth

[sukanyacondo]

Why doesn't the poster just ask HER?

In the words of the great Homer dohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Did you read my OP?

"I did ask her but she couldnt explain so well "

[JetsetBkk]

My g/f does it every night. A couple of wais and touching the pillow with her forehead and then a final wai which is like she has some water in her cupped hands and raises her hands to let the water fall over her head. She does all this facing a picture of her (now deceased) grandmother and a small metal Buddha image.

I've never asked her what it means - just assumed it's a Buddhist equivalent of a prayer.

[pointofview]

sounds like she may be a little nuts - a lot of poorly educated thai girls tend to invent thier own sudo religious habbits, because they cant really read that well , so dont understand the true Buhddist teachings

[LinkPopularity]

one of the things Buddha was trying to teach is not to pray ... his dying wish was not to worship him and/or make golden statues of him ... well, not many people seem to understand the teachings of my dear friend

whatever, I'm more into Confucius anyway ...

[cdnvic]

one of the things Buddha was trying to teach is not to pray ... his dying wish was not to worship him and/or make golden statues of him

This is all according to legend of course.

[bina]

jetset

thats what husband does:

my husband just says its when his mind is quiet, its a little extra 'quiet time' and concentration, sometimes he will also meditate a bit after too... he was a monk for a year and enjoyed his studies. it just seems to help him feel more at home away from home. many thai men here do this in the evening whereas if they were at home with family in thailand, their wives would be the ones to go to the wat or 'pray' but since they are far away, its a way to keep up the connection.

we light candles when the mood hits, incense about once a year

we have a buddha image (actually mine), several amulet pieces (the cheapy ones) , one amulet my daughter got me and some other bits and pieces from various wats... all up over the bed. anon doesnt care whether we have the stuff or not, he doesnt believe in it like some of his family do, he will wei phra anywhere with or without the image . he says that comes from being a monk, and he is pretty close to the 'real budhism' in that he doesnt hold much with ghosts and ghouls, let alone some guy hovering in the air up above granting wishes... on the other hand he does have a yansant on one arm.. go figure.

pointofview: that would make most religious practioners a 'little nuts' since they dont know the 'real version'... anon reads pali and knows exactly what he is doing when he 'suotmon'. maybe u should take a 'scroll' over to the budhist area in the forum for some education.

bina and anon

israel (land of some of the craziest religious practicioners u could ever meet)

[pointofview]

jetset

thats what husband does:

my husband just says its when his mind is quiet, its a little extra 'quiet time' and concentration, sometimes he will also meditate a bit after too... he was a monk for a year and enjoyed his studies. it just seems to help him feel more at home away from home. many thai men here do this in the evening whereas if they were at home with family in thailand, their wives would be the ones to go to the wat or 'pray' but since they are far away, its a way to keep up the connection.

we light candles when the mood hits, incense about once a year

we have a buddha image (actually mine), several amulet pieces (the cheapy ones) , one amulet my daughter got me and some other bits and pieces from various wats... all up over the bed. anon doesnt care whether we have the stuff or not, he doesnt believe in it like some of his family do, he will wei phra anywhere with or without the image . he says that comes from being a monk, and he is pretty close to the 'real budhism' in that he doesnt hold much with ghosts and ghouls, let alone some guy hovering in the air up above granting wishes... on the other hand he does have a yansant on one arm.. go figure.

pointofview: that would make most religious practioners a 'little nuts' since they dont know the 'real version'... anon reads pali and knows exactly what he is doing when he 'suotmon'. maybe u should take a 'scroll' over to the budhist area in the forum for some education.

bina and anon

israel (land of some of the craziest religious practicioners u could ever meet)

I agree with you fully most religions practioners are a little nuts - they blindly follow rituals prescribed by othere men - to me thats a little nuts. Pick your creed for the most bizzare. If i ever found the need to adopt a religion i personaly would opt for Buhddism. It is more of a moral philosipy - without a history of persicution of non believers and the belief in hocus pocus.

[JetsetBkk]

jetset

thats what husband does:

my husband just says its when his mind is quiet, its a little extra 'quiet time' and concentration, sometimes he will also meditate a bit after too... he was a monk for a year and enjoyed his studies. it just seems to help him feel more at home away from home. many thai men here do this in the evening whereas if they were at home with family in thailand, their wives would be the ones to go to the wat or 'pray' but since they are far away, its a way to keep up the connection.

we light candles when the mood hits, incense about once a year

we have a buddha image (actually mine), several amulet pieces (the cheapy ones) , one amulet my daughter got me and some other bits and pieces from various wats... all up over the bed.

Hi bina - thanks for your post. My g/f is also a long way from home so I think she likes to think about her home and grandma for a minute or so before sleeping. We also have some trinkets, amulets (not Jatukham ), etc, at the top of the bed just to remind her of home.