I realize today how truly lucky I am as I sit in a circle, wrapping sticky rice and banana in banana leaves with the women of Prayoon's family. This is Thailand as I pictured it, and how I want to remember it. We traveled to Na Peong, where Prayoon is from, to attend his ceremony as he becomes a monk.

Although we aren't able to talk much, everyone has smiles as Scott tries out scraping the coconut and the women laugh (pretty sure men don't often cook here.) The women cook tons of food, and of course feed us:) At first the mat is set just for us farang, but slowly some of the men join us and we use the few words we have, 'aroy' and 'eem,' to say how delicious the food is and then how full we are! Prayoon shows us around the rice fields and lake as the sun sets, I feel strangely at home here, like Montana with water buffalo and rice fields:) The women continue to cook until we leave, preparing food for tomorrow's guests and gifts for the monks, although it is alot of work, it is also a chance for the family to talk and makes me feel like something many families in other places miss out on.

The next day we start early, and then wait:) The women are still cooking, the men now fashioning decorations out of coconuts and banana leaves, gold foil and wood. I sit on a mat and watch, and slowly the older generation of women, who aren't cooking, sit and begin creating the pah kwan, the centerpiece for the Bai See Sukwan ceremony. I smile to myself as they all gesture and debate over the best way to do things, I wonder how many of these ceremonies they each have attended.

The members of his family, take turns clipping pieces with scissors first, then shaving his head. His hair is collected in a leaf and his father goes to the river to let it drift away, chok dee (good luck!)

Prayoon changes into white robes, the monk will dress hiim in the saffron robes at the Wat.

The whole experience is too hard to write down, it was amazing and I felt so lucky to be a part of it (korp koon mahk ka Prayoon!) The concept of choosing to spend time as a monk, with the sole purpose of reflecting and taking time away from all distractions is, I think, a piece of the Thai way of life that enthralls me, it will be hard to leave this place.