Gettin' right with Sikhs in Lampong

Sawadee from Lampong, a bit further north and west and still inching our way northwards here in the land of the Thai. Here, I stayed with a cool Sikh family, paired up with them because they're vegetarians (though they happily eat dairy--yogurt, chai tea, etc.) I've learned bunches about Sikhism because Santi, my host "dad" (65 years old about, retired businessman) loaned me this booklet on it. Fascinating...I never knew anything really about them though in the first town we visited, Phitsanulok, it was another Sikh who was my veg shepherd.

Thus, in addition to touring of local highlights (ceramics factory, elephant hospital and rescue center, sadly paid for by "training" elephants in schlocky--to me--"skills" and appealing to Thai and foreign tourists who want to see elephants), I also am learning about Indians in Thailand, especially Sikhs. For instance, now I know that I dig Sikh music, which is much like the sufi sounds of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn.

AND, I happen to staying here for the Sikh new year, who knew?! It is a small community, just three or four families I think, and most folks goto temple on Sundays; and, supposedly, the holiday celebration of the new year happens next month. So, when Santi and I showed up, we doubled the attendance at the local Sikh temple. Santi and I were the entire audience, me with my hair covered by a bandana of sorts, the priest playing some sorta tabla and chanting, and a fourth dude fanning some sort of something. The temple was beautiful, red carpeting, a gold painted altar with four pillars and a golden roof, lots of flowers, marble floors...And the four of us meditating while seated lotus-style. Me, mostly I looked around.

Plus, I had the best Indian food I've ever chowed down upon. The first morn, I was served up fresh-off-da-grill chappati, stuffed with onion and peppers and spices. The second morn, the best channa masala, fresh puffed, hot puri, and something whose name I never knew, sort of like apple sauce yet not. I'm getting hungry just typing about it.



At first, I thought that Santi's wife hated me, perhaps because I live with Heather out of wedlock; at least that is my guess because she doesn't speak much English and I not much Thai. My teammate Jamie confirmed that my vibes were right on when she saw how "mom" looked at me that night at our Rotarian dinner. Perhaps it was my interest in the Sikh faith and my efforts to learn two words of Punjabi (hello, goodbye). Perhaps it was my efforts to speak English with her shy, reticent grandsons. Perhaps Santi put in a good word for me. All I know is that, when they drove me to the drop-off point when I was leaving town, she informed me that I was like a son and that I must visit with my "wife" when I return to Lampang, Thailand. Indeed!