Easter / Holy Week 2023

My Easter/holy week began last Sunday in Maehongson at the Huanam Mae Sakud church where Ninae talked about trees in the Bible, taking us from Genesis to Revelation, pausing midway to mention Christmas trees and the connection to the Cross. The Christmas decorations often are still up this time of year at this church but through 'high tech craftsmanship', they were magically transformed into crosses as the kids waved Palm branches while they sang.

Most of the week was spent at the beach which can always be an odd juxtaposition during a week commemorating significant suffering and loss. Yesterday (Holy Saturday) I had two good meals with friends in Bangkok - which is often/usually the best thing to do when suffering loss - be with people and feed yourself. Both the company and the food were so good!

This morning I realized I couldn't face a raucous Easter service but I needed quiet contemplation so I was up early - but definitely not before those sleeping rough on the streets and the street involved - making my way to the first of my favorite three parks here in Bangkok. It was starting to get light as I crept out of my guest house and across the khlong bridge where a neighbor I know from former visits, who is usually intoxicated at most times of the day, was frying up mackerel for the 50-60 cats he feeds, thereby helping to increase the feline population that roam this particular corner outside the temple where he lives.

At each park I joined the early morning walkers and joggers, contemplating/looking for signs of life overcoming death. At Rommaninat Park (stop #3) the site of the former Khlong Prem Prison, this becomes painfully obvious. Initially built by King Chulalongkorn, it was converted and officially opened in 1999 as a beautiful park - but cells and guard towers remain in place. At Saranrom Park there is a beautiful monument that King Chulalongkorn dedicated to his Queen Consort and young daughter who both drowned in a boating accident. (And if you're looking at the map in the photos, I did end up adding a 4th stop to my holy trinity of parks - seriously - if you are ever in Bangkok, they are all worth visiting.)

And so from beginning the week contemplating trees, to being nourished by the waters of Huahin to celebrating Easter walking along the waterways of Bangkok and through the beautiful green oases that contrast with the grit of the city, I am grateful for reminders of life overcoming death, providing reminders that death is not the end and that love wins. Happy Easter!

Duncan

Baby it's hot (and really smoky) outside...

As March continued to march forward, all of a sudden I could smell smoke creeping into my air conditioned room for the first time one night. Now I just smell like I have been living in a camp fire the past two weeks. This is the season of burning fields and forest hillsides throughout much of Asia - especially here in Thailand - even though it is supposedly illegal. If you look at any sort of map showing what parts of the world are literally on fire at the moment or check in on the air quality index, you will see that Thailand is mostly shimmering red at the moment. A hazy, hot, horrendous, smoky month of March is usually to be expected - but on a recent Saturday I woke up, thinking I would go for a usual morning walk/run and I realized it was worse than usual. I checked online to see what the AQI was and was quite surprised to see 549! The week before I had seen a news report that Maehongson and Chiangmai had the worst air in the world and it was only in the 240 range - but 549!? Needless to say, the run didn't happen that morning or for several weeks as the numbers just continued to rise

One night I went to a meeting at church and all the hills around us were on fire. I knew the next day would be bad - and it was. Often the temple on top of the hill - even the hill isn't visible in the morning.