Tam Boon Baan

[livingthedream]

Having built our house and moved in 2 years ago, we had quite forgotten the day we woke up the next morning to find a four foot ngu singh slithering round the living room. We had literally moved in the day before and couldn't understand how it could have gotten in as the house is raised and there are several steps up to the door level. I surmised that it had probably been there some time whilst building was in progress and had kept out of the way of all the moving in activity and now it decided it wanted out, or that it had been in one of the many packing cases which were left lying around awaiting attention. Whatever, it was there now and my immediate thoughts were to 're-house' it. The word got out and a posse of experts were suddenly on hand to remove the offending reptile. By now the soothsayers and mor doo's were issuing portences of doom and that it was bad kharma for a snake to enter a house. Now I'm pretty open minded and not wishing to diss the Thai culture went along with the flow. A ceremony was held, monks attended and everyone got fed and drunk. I do like a nice party.

Last week we decided it might be a good idea as it's Khao Pansar (Lent) to Tam boon baan again and so we held another ceremony with five monks and sixty people and everyone got fed and drunk. Wonderful, I slept well and satisfied that any begrudged spirits were well and truly pacified and the villagers were happy that we had done the right things.

Thats when the lightening struck the house last night and tore a great chunk out of the roof and shorted all the electric and blew the kitchen light off the ceiling in a shower of glass.

I tidied up, made good the fused wiring and examined the roof of which 4 tiles and topping were laid fragmented around the garden. It was quite a strike and luckily no real damage had been done. I counted my blessings and thought of all the times we had slept through lightening storms with ne'er a care. Then word got out................!!

everyone and their dog had to come and have a look at the roof and charred remains of the kitchen light. There was a lot of discussion and wise knowing looks..

I fended off the ineveitable interrogation, was the TV plugged in?..no, was the computer plugged in? ..no, etc. My Thai unfortunately doesn't stretch to " we were hit by lightening because thats what lightening does, it doesn't discriminate it just finds the shortest root to the ground and we just happened to be in its path. " at least thats what I believe. Oh no but now we have to Tam Boon again and this time for three days and whilst everyone is organising who will cook what and which Wat will supply the monks I'm looking like a lost farang amid a babble of superstitious locals wondering how much this is gonna cost me. Heaven forbid another snake should put in an appearance!

Just thought I'd share this with you. Jai yen yen.

[Roadman]

Now I'm pretty open minded and not wishing to diss the Thai culture went along with the flow. A ceremony was held, monks attended and everyone got fed and drunk. I do like a nice party.

It seems your monks love a good party too.

My other half informs me that a snake in the house is good luck. She says when Isaan girl dreams of snake cuddles her at night means she will get good luck with good husband.

But hey thats the tales (legends? myths? truths?) that have been handed down to her. I suggested it was the other big snake that was playing with her mind...

Roll with it. Likewise the lightening strike could be good or bad. Another Tambon party will decide that. And the monks said they want JB Black not that 100 Pipers crap...

[473geo]

Now I'm pretty open minded and not wishing to diss the Thai culture went along with the flow. A ceremony was held, monks attended and everyone got fed and drunk. I do like a nice party.

It seems your monks love a good party too.

My other half informs me that a snake in the house is good luck. She says when Isaan girl dreams of snake cuddles her at night means she will get good luck with good husband.

But hey thats the tales (legends? myths? truths?) that have been handed down to her. I suggested it was the other big snake that was playing with her mind...

Roll with it. Likewise the lightening strike could be good or bad. Another Tambon party will decide that. And the monks said they want JB Black not that 100 Pipers crap...

Hey if anybody knows about parties it will be somebody who moves between Tauranga and Udon.......

Great place Tauranga.....but I think I understand why you came to Thailand........

[torrenova]

My other half knows far better than to bother me with village fairy stories of old witches frightening the younger generation with tales of spirits or other mumbo jumbo.

Now if the envelopes given were making a profit, I'd say go ahead but I doubt that is the case.

Not wanting to pee on your bonfire but just when is the OP going to draw the line and put a stop to this nonsense ?

[Dave the Dude]

I was biten on the @rse whilst in bed, last week by a centipede

Hey, Livingthedream will you have a party and pay for us all to get fed&p!ssed???

I respect and leave them to their beliefs/traditions but most educated people do not indulge (Thai or Ferang)

Dave

[Chinavet]

Op, thanks for sharing. I can relate to some extent but my missus grew up in Bangkok since 11 years old and seems to have a good handle on how much lip service is needed to local customs/belief and when. Clearly it's not really causing you big financial grief and you get some fun out of it all. Good approach.

Spirits aside, I am curious if your house has a lightning rod and if so, where did the lightning strike in relation to the rod?

[binnsy]

I think that the lucky number of monks is 9!!!

If you are short of a few i can come along and act as one as i enjoy e free piss up

[Macx]

My sympathies. The local wat has taken a bit from my pocketbook too

Obviously, your local monks aren't up to par. I mean, hey, they'd just blessed the house the week before the lightning strike, right?

I think that if I find myself in your situation, I would get one of my friends, a bald stocky Aussie bloke, to dress up in white and come over to bless the house. Hopefully, a bunch of other local farrangs will come too and act out a farrang-style house blessing. Maybe play an Italian opera in the background for good effects. We'll put the word out for the locals to stay away because they might get infected with the the bad luck that the farrang monk expelled from the house.

Then afterward, we'll have a nice bbq.

More fun and cheaper

[livingthedream]

Thanks for all for the words of encouragement, I've had a good laugh out of this. Thanks for the great idea Macx ! We don't have a lightening rod attached to the house but I will certainly be installing one now..only thing is which is the luckiest day to install it and have it blessed? Knowing my luck I'll get fried trying to put it up! I see the spaceshuttle got delayed due to a lightening strike, how many monks would that require to put right?

One other thing, this morning whilst taking the gash out I nearly tripped over a rat snake making off into the shrubs! I decided I wouldn't mention this to the missus.

[Dave the Dude]

Thanks for all for the words of encouragement, I've had a good laugh out of this. Thanks for the great idea Macx ! We don't have a lightening rod attached to the house but I will certainly be installing one now..only thing is which is the luckiest day to install it and have it blessed? Knowing my luck I'll get fried trying to put it up! I see the spaceshuttle got delayed due to a lightening strike, how many monks would that require to put right?

One other thing, this morning whilst taking the gash out I nearly tripped over a rat snake making off into the shrubs! I decided I wouldn't mention this to the missus.

Seriously, good luck mate

Its nice to see you take it as seriously as its intended.

Chock Dee

Dave

[Macx]

lol

Yeah, I remember there's a thread here somewhere in the DYI housing forum about lightning rod. I'll be putting one up myself once the house is done--thanks to your post.

Certainly, won't want to get dragged into an extra Tam Boon Baan ceremony.

[bina]

i can send u a mezuzza (google if u dont know what that is) or three for your door jambs: i'll get the rabbis to check first that all the letters are complete so that if a letter is missing, u wont get an illness or disease that starts with that particular letter.... if that doesnt work, ill send u a hamsa and a blue bead necklace to hang near the door (gave one to sis in law in korat, seems to be working...).

really. who says these things are just for the uneducated. im surrounded by docs/lawyers/et al that do all the changing mezuzas and stuff for the same reasons: jinxed house, sick kids, financial stuff......

and it always is followed by plenty food and drink too......

only the thai way involves pork too.....which i do enjoy. thais will do any reason for a party as my korat husband says. )

bina

israel

[farmerjo]

Just on the lightning rod,make sure you get one thats a minimum of 1.8 metres long,recommended by the pea.

Local guys will give you a short one as its easier to bang into the ground.