Tales From The Crypt - Saturday 24th July 2021

This will be a different entry for a Saturday, as I've been busy 'doing' rather than writing about it, hence not a lot of time to write.

Saturday did begin as usual with shopping, accompanied by son #3, however we're rushing this in order that I can leave the house by 9:20 to go to a Thai Buddhist house blessing ceremony, which is called Tambun Baan.  I changed into the shirt from the temple robes one of the carers brought back from Thailand for me, then set off to find out what it entails.

Well that was an experience! I'm back from the ceremony which was really special. I was the only English person present for the whole thing (the partner of one of the Thai women joined a bit later) and I felt honoured to be there. All the Thai women were in traditional Thai clothing, which was impressively brightly coloured. There were three monks in robes conducting the ceremony which was in several parts. After the main ceremony the monks were given lunch. Once they'd finished eating for the final part of the blessing they invited us to have coloured string with tiny beads on tied around our wrists as they said a blessing for each of us individually.

Once the monks left to return to Oxford, the rest of us had lunch. There was such a lot of food: all sorts of Thai curries - chicken, lamb, vegetarian - plus vegetables followed by the most wonderful desserts. I sat at the table whilst most of the Thai women ate sitting on the floor. The food was wonderful - shame I couldn't try all of it, but if I did I'd be too full.

After eating the Thai women started breaking out the Thai whisky and I could tell it was time to go home, change into my party gear and ditch the car.  I was already aware that when they partied, they took it very seriously!

Home for a brief pitstop: time to pick up the housewarming gifts, alcohol, cards and a change of clothes. Taxi arrived fairly swiftly and so I'm off back to the party proper!

[This next section was written on Sunday, for reasons that will become apparent]

When I arrived back at the house, the party was getting in full swing and the women were already getting very merry.  It's a slightly strange feeling when lots of people are talking about you, but you don't understand what they are saying.  There was a lot of laughter and innuendo (that's pretty clear, whatever the language), but I don't know exactly what was being said.

More people started arriving and soon the music was on and the dancing had started.  I was shown how to do Thai dancing (it's all in the hands), and as I'd been drinking for a while by now the dancing and conversation was in full flow.

More food was cooked and so it was time to eat again, this time even more really interesting dishes and flavours.  Given the amount of alcohol I was drinking, the food was welcome, and not just because of how good it tasted.

Gradually, as it got much later, people started to leave and somehow I found I'd drunk at least three bottles of wine (possibly a fourth, I stopped counting).  I called for a taxi home and somehow found myself at my front at around 1:30 to 2:00 a.m. unable to get in. I had to keep ringing the bell so that one of my sons would let me in.  I remember drinking some water then lying down on my bed and that was the end of the day.  

Super Furry Animals / 'Mario Man' / 'Fuzzy Logic'

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