Sao Lao

I don’t know if it is customary to have the Morning Alms Giving after Boun Loy Vanh or not. It must be important enough for my Grand-Mama to have the Morning Alms Giving and then Phook Khuan afterward. Since I’ve not been able to sleep for days, I got up at 3:30 AM and got out of bed right before 4:00 AM. My Grand-Mama was already up and getting ready for her morning chewing habit. The others were also getting up and doing their chores.

By 6:30 AM, I went next door to check on things and watch the sunrise. The view was breathtaking and I couldn’t help but to fall in love with Pakse. I could really get used to getting up each morning and watching the sunrise, while having a sip of Lao coffee.

By 6:40 AM two of my aunts were waiting outside to do their Morning Alms Giving. Even though we were going to have our own Thuk Bahth, there was no excuse or reason to miss the morning ritual.

By 7:00, the Morning Alms Giving has started. The ceremony lasted for about two hours, with the offering, the chanting, and the meal for the monks. I got to sit in the center, one row behind all the men and less than a meter away from my Grand-Mama.

Afterward it was time for Phook Khuan for the guest of honor and that was no other than myself. It was a very emotional morning for me. My tears started to flow after Thuk Bahth. I started out with saying hi to the relatives in the US with a smile and gigle on the DVD recorder. Within ten seconds the words became nothing more than background for the sobbing noise. I still can’t figure out why I cried that morning and why I was not able to control myself.

After the Phook Khuan ceremony, the entire family got a chance to sit down and eat a meal and chat with one another. We didn’t take too long eating because there was a field trip arranged for me. My aunts thought it would be fun to take me to Khone Phapheng and Wat Phu.

I was just happy being there with my Grand-Mama and sharing another meal with her.

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