11,250 Monks On Neimenhamen

[wedders]

Early risers might be interested to know that there's a mass alms offering on Neimenhamen tomorrow, starting at 6am ... apparently to 11,250 monks (are there that many in CM?)

Worth a look for anyone capable of getting up that early...

(No, this is not a hoax ... )

[dave2]

Nahhh

Not a hoax but i dont do 6AM things any more : )

enjoy .... dave2

[JuniorExPat]

Please post some photos wedders, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to see some shots of that.

Cheers,

JxP

[SomNamNah]

ditto. good on yer

[john b good]

Early risers might be interested to know that there's a mass alms offering on Neimenhamen tomorrow, starting at 6am ... apparently to 11,250 monks (are there that many in CM?)

Worth a look for anyone capable of getting up that early...

(No, this is not a hoax ... )

I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were 11,250 monks in Chiangmai as after all there are more than 500,000 of them in the realm.

[wedders]

Was there before 6 along with most other people... good job too, because not long after you couldn't move an inch in any direction, it was so packed. The announcer claimed 100,000 people present, as well as the 11,250 monks.

Here are a few photos...

Comments about the army doing something useful at last should be avoided

I suppose it can all get a bit monotonous after a while ...

[happy7]

Beautiful photos!

[happy7]

By the way, the monks came from 16 Northern Provinces (not just Chiang Mai), and apparently some of the food donated will be sent down to the wats in the Southern Provinces. Apparently some of the monks left their temples at 2am this morning to join the ceremony!

[wedders]

Thanks!...

Are you sure about the 16, though? The woman announcer, in reading the prepared script in English, said "5" -or so I thought. I was half-asleep, mind you...

Edited December 6, 2008 by wedders

[happy7]

Thanks!...

Are you sure about the 16, though? The woman announcer, in reading the prepared script in English, said "5" -or so I thought. I was half-asleep, mind you...

Just checked with a couple of other people who were they, they also said 16.

[JuniorExPat]

Wonderful stuff wedders.

Stuck in the cold UK looking forward to getting back made me appreciate those photos even more than usual - not that I would be up early enough to actually witness the event if I were at home!

Thanks very much,

JxP

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

What is the significance of 11,250 ? Anybody know? That's a lot of monks but why not 6,666 ? or 11,111 ?

[wedders]

Nice to see some smiles back on Thai faces after the past few weeks...

That said most Thais I know were acting as if nothing was going on, in public anyway.

[wedders]

Wonderful stuff wedders.

Stuck in the cold UK looking forward to getting back made me appreciate those photos even more than usual - not that I would be up early enough to actually witness the event if I were at home!

Thanks very much,

JxP

It took some doing, crawling out of bed - cold here too - but I'd booked a tuk-tuk in advance, so didn't have much choice.

I'm back in France mid-December (come back PAD!) - not looking forward to it. Three months too .

[kilt]

Here's another. Count 'em - 11,250!

[plastacasta]

They are lovely and clear! What camera do you use?

[wedders]

Me, I use a Nikon D2X ... don't know about kilt ...

[kilt]

Canon 5D

Me, I use a Nikon D2X ... don't know about kilt ...

[plastacasta]

Me, I use a Nikon D2X ... don't know about kilt ...

Bit off topic - but can tell it's a good camera! I don't think I've ever seen such clear pictures! Great Wedders, simply great!

I assume the d2x is a professional camera rather than a point-shoot? I don't know much about photography - I was thinking about going along to the local camera club to learn more while I'm here in Chiang Mai. But, I'm a complete novice.

I guess you'd need to buy lenses for a camera like that too. About how much would I be looking at in B - do you know?

[Bill97]

Enjoyed the photos. Many thanks.

[wedders]

Me, I use a Nikon D2X ... don't know about kilt ...

Bit off topic - but can tell it's a good camera! I don't think I've ever seen such clear pictures! Great Wedders, simply great!

I assume the d2x is a professional camera rather than a point-shoot? I don't know much about photography - I was thinking about going along to the local camera club to learn more while I'm here in Chiang Mai. But, I'm a complete novice.

I guess you'd need to buy lenses for a camera like that too. About how much would I be looking at in B - do you know?

Don't know these days, the D2X is a bit dated (4 years old). Weighs a bit too. If that doesn't bother you it's going to be easier to pick up a second-hand or discounted model for a good price - the latest Nikon equivalent - the D3 - costs about $5000, body only!!

[plastacasta]

And if I may ask, what lens/es did you use and how much for those

[wedders]

Nikkor 17-55 as my 'daily' lens (about $1,000), plus a 70-200 VR zoom ($1,600) with the 1.4x converter ($400).

[kilt]

Canon 5D ($3000.00)

Canon 24-70mm T/2.8 (about $1200.00)

Canon 70-200mm T/4 (about $1000.00)

The Canon 5D has a full sized 35mm imaging sensor resulting in depth of field equaling 35mm film photography.

My shot was at 200mm wide open resulting in very shallow depth of field.

Nikkor 17-55 as my 'daily' lens (about $1,000), plus a 70-200 VR zoom ($1,600) with the 1.4x converter ($400).

[KevinHunt]

Early risers might be interested to know that there's a mass alms offering on Neimenhamen tomorrow, starting at 6am ... apparently to 11,250 monks (are there that many in CM?)

Worth a look for anyone capable of getting up that early...

(No, this is not a hoax ... )

 I would really have liked to see that but I just can't stay up that late anymore. By 5 a.m. all I want to do is sleep. 

 I'm not exagerating when I say that, although I'd seen the nice photos of monks taking alms, I thought it was an old tradition that was no longer practiced. I usually went to bed about 1am but it wasn't til I opened the pub and more importantly I found out about 'Hot & Spicey' as it was called then - (the open air one at the back of Nice Illusion) that I found myself staying out late. You know the routine - the stories get longer the attention begins to wander and lo and behold - before you know it , it's 5am and here they come.  

  What a lovely site. And to think that I never saw this for the first 10 or so years that I was here just because I was too lazy to stay up for a couple of more hours. 

   So, going to 'Spicey's' has it's cultural benefits too!!!  That's my excuse anyway - It's too cold outside ,,,I'll just wait in here ..

   Anyway, thanks for sharing the very nice photos. I'm sure it was well worth staying up for.

[hill16]

Who gets those goodie boxes? Is it the poor orphaned kids, the infirmed elderly, the exploited Burmese illegals or those apparently quite well-fed monks with the latest in mobile phone gadgetry? Lays crisps go down so well with the disadvantaged!

Nice tradition but a complete sham in my book. Also, so nice to see so many "devout" worshippers there. "Wouldn't it be nice if we got our pictures taken with the monks and then go back to our daily irreligious ways?"

Good photos though! Just had to get that little outburst off my chest. Sorry.

Regards,

Hill16