Tales of beginnings: marriage customs among indigenous peoples

According to Katherine Warner, anthropologist, “…men move out of their natal area to another hamlet to find a wife and settle there, or go on journeys that last for years.”

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We traveled around 2 hours from Chiang Mai to the borderlands of Chiang Rai province, north of Thailand. A German, Malaysian, Bangladeshi and an Ibaloi-Northern Kankana-ey Filipino decided to end days of academic presentations and discussions with a visit to an organic coffee farm, sing songs, and witness the lives and culture of fellow indigenous peoples, the Lahu.

Suan Lahu Farm is a project started by my good friend, Carina, together with Lahu partners, which aims to empower local peoples in appreciating organic and sustainable coffee farming. Seeing the farm reminded me of home, as relatives also plant coffee along mountain slopes, breathing fresh highland air, living in a tight-knit, culture rich, indigenous community. I felt so at home, excitement flowed in each step through the farm, hearing Carina’s stories, seeing Lao-ue explain coffee processing, and asking questions of our own about her research, organic farm project, and future plans to come.

As dusk covered us, we sat around the simple cafe for coffee, alcohol; and funny, sad, and interesting stories. Yes, the coffee was really really really good, I did not need milk, creamer, nor sugar. The alcohol was even better (smoother but less potent than our Philippine 2×2 or 4×4 San Miguel gin). To make things best, our shared stories and singing sessions made everyone laugh here and there, listening to songs of various tongues and tunes, and appreciating the diversity and beauty of the moment. At around 6 pm, Lao-ue told Carina that a community dance ritual will be performed and asked us if we wanted to see it. Yes of course, but first, everyone had to sing.

I sang “Anak” by Freddie Aguilar as Carina requested it. It was just that I forgot the lyrics, and I only reached the 1st stanza! Deym! Hassan sang two beautiful Bangla songs, Kamala did a meaningful, religious Hindi song, and Carina sang a Spanish and German tune. To compensate, I did a “pitik” or a prayer to toast a newly opened jar of rice wine. I blessed everyone in the group and for some reason I cannot now remember, they asked me how young I was and if I’m married or in a relationship.

Well, I told them bluntly that I was looking for a wife (cue Katherine Warner). *lol* On the other hand, I also told them that I need to choose my future wife carefully and honestly. Marriage means spending more than half of your life with the mother (or father) of your kids, so, one has to choose wisely. Additionally, my family follow local customs, so if I ever get married, I need to feed a thousand well-wishers, as relatives to the 4th or 5th degree are invited, as well as invitations to friends and their friends who want to see one of the many traditional forms of Igorot marriages. The marriage ceremony is also an all-nighter, and the bride and groom also need to dance every now and then. To oblige to their request, I demonstrated one of the dances during such occasions.

But we had to see another kind of dance and we are now at the dancing ground of the community, seeing men stomping to a 4/4 beat (I think), while playing a flute-like instrument. They were circling around two lit candles made of beeswax, while the women were dancing in the inner circle in a forward-backward marching pattern. Carina soon joined the dancing women, and the men continued playing, either with the flute-like instrument or a stringed instrument. We sipped on tea, and watched the revelries. They said that the occasion was for a member of the community who just came back from another place.

As we were about to depart, the folks told us to stay for a while, as they had just killed a snake along the road, a bad omen perhaps. So we went to one of the houses for dinner, ate with our hands of a meal of stewed pork and highland rice, dipped things in chili, and in no time we finished our food. We said our thank yous and started our journey back to Chiang Mai.

In the car, Carina told us about a Dutch man who was looking for a Lahu wife. Arrangements were made and a ritual will be made in the morning. The Dutch man and the Lahu woman were considered married the night before, so when the people went to see the man in the morning for the ceremony, they were surprised to find the man sleeping and apparently uninterested! To make up for such grave and foolish decision, a horse (or was it a pig?) was required (and to be paid for by the man of course) for a ritual to break down the marriage.

Those and other stories made the trip back to Chiang Mai a very memorable one. There is love in Chiang Mai (oh yeah!) and I blessed everyone again as we parted and I went back to my sleeping place. Another great day indeed!

In reflection of these events on this 1st day of the year, I ruminate upon notions of marriage, love and family as a theme for times like these: new year… beginnings… life. That again, we should think of these things deeply, seeing these events as serious but happy and fulfilling moments. Let us just be ourselves then, not putting up our ideal facades, and showcase our honest, raw, and unique personalities and character. In this way, we begin with truth to know our significant other, and eventually live a phase of our lives with our lover, friend and partner in growing love and life. 😉 And for all the married folks, bless you still as you also continually grow in love and life.

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So at this point in time, greetings of a happy happy new year and of enjoying your journey in discovering yourself and your partner in life this 2016! Makko wishes you all the best this year and throughout all the days of your life!

Through the Long and Winding Track

“…full cost of air transportation for the California Corridor [USA, is] ($0.1315 per passenger-kilometer traveled (pkt)… High speed rail and highway transportation have approximately the same full cost; rail costs $0.2350/pkt and highway costs $0.2302/pkt. However, the modes have a different distribution of internal and external costs, automobiles have the highest external costs while high speed rail has the highest internal costs.”

(D. Levinson, A. Kanafani, and D. Gillen. 1998)

While there a lot of considerations needed to really determine if it is better to have cars and highways, or trains and railroads, I prefer a train, and even listening to songs by a band called Train, being with my train of thoughts while training myself to see the best in people and in life. Yes, it is good to train. 😉

Upon arriving in Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok en route to Chiang Mai, I did all my commute through train. It cost me 35 baht to Makkasan, then walked a little bit to Petchaburi station for the train to Hua Lampong Station (30 baht), and a bit more walk to the same named train station, also known as the Bangkok Railway Station.

The train departed for Chiang Mai at 13:45, for a 14 hour journey. Yes! Thoughts of sitting on a train, no air conditioning (although you can opt for one), a 391 baht fare, and just plain bliss.

And so I prepared myself for what I’m about to live. Sights that would follow rolling along plains and mountains, of villages I have never seen before, of colors and textures that would cure sore and inquisitive eyes. Anticipating smells that would tingle my nose-of diesel, dust, sweat, and countryside air. Of sounds and melodies that would whisper to my ear. Of the train track going chug-chug, and loud, alert train sirens. Birds singing along the way and recognizing people conversing in unknown tongues. The breeze and the wind, caressing my skin, as if to say welcome my brother, my son, my friend. The feeling of dust and sweat hugging the skin. And then taste the air, sensory buds accustoming itself to different and new experiences.

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Yes indeed, these anticipated feelings eventually came true, and again, I felt happy to be alive, to think and to participate in this journey called life. Of seeing the temples and monkeys at Lop Buri. Of giant Buddha statues along mountain sides. Of Ayothaya, and images of a Japanese samurai and Muay Thai practitioners side by side at a time long long gone. And although night came, and I had to sleep, I’d imagine myself drifting and conversing with these images, these memories and these lives. With a jacket as a good companion for warding of the cold in the open air train, I finally arrived around 4 o’clock in the morning. I have nothing to say except smile and say, “Thank you for the train ride, and hello Chiang Mai.”

Thailand: A Thai style of Muay

A routine trip to attend an academic conference turned out to be a pilgrimage of all sorts. Not only have I searched and found a spiritual significance in this adventure, but also discoveries and realizations about culture, philosophy, art, love (lablablab!), and life in general. These stories are forever etched in my heart, my soul, my all and I consider it to be one of the greatest beats in my symphony of life.

Thailand is known for a lot of things popularized by mainstream media, such as lady-boys, surgeries of all kinds, tropical beaches, intricate temples and palaces, a whole lot more you can Google, and yes, Muaythai.

“The history of Muaythai is the history of the Thai people” as posted in the World Muaythai Council website (http://www.wmcmuaythai.org/about-muaythai). Indeed, eight days in Chiang Mai seem to equal 8 nightly matches of Muaythai. Muaythai events are like cockfighting derbies in the Philippines; there are regular patrons and money wagers are common.

 

They say that when you are on an adventure, you travel to the place not as a tourist, but as a humble guest ready to live as a local. So, on my 2nd day, I planned to visit a Muaythai gym.

Googling for gyms revealed around 20 or so places to train. Considering that I should be near Chiang Mai University which was the venue of the conference, and be near the city center as well, Chiangmai Muay Thai Gym presented itself to be the ideal place.

Located along Viengkaew Road (you’ll easily search for it on Google Maps  or on the northwestern part of the city center), I entered the gym (which was on the 2nd floor of a large building) and introduced myself as a Filipino, excited and happy to learn about the art. Master Tawin, the head coach, along with all the coaching staff welcomed me warmly. Without further ado, I welcomed myself too, and to the changing room I goo. (Yes, it rhymes).

Chiangmai Muay Thai Gym (https://www.facebook.com/Chiangmai.Muay.Thai.Gym/) is about 400 square meters wide, large enough to accommodate 1 boxing ring, 8 punching bags and more, chairs and tables, a counter for various purposes, changing rooms, and various equipment. The floor is lined with artificial grass, and the height of the ceiling is around 20 meters. I have not seen a lot of gyms before but it would be the largest and nicest Muaythai gym I’ve seen so far.

Learning and practicing Muaythai is not merely a physical endeavor, but also an art form and philosophy. For example, a ritualistic dance called the Wai Kroo or Ram Muay is carried out before fighters engage in the ring. This tradition is meant to show honor to the fighter’s teacher, the sport of Muaythai and his or her country. The fighter will dance in each direction of the ring, touching each corner post with a prayer, showing his respect to his opponent and the spirits. The outpouring of respect to the opponent, seen as an honorable co-player, means that the sense of competition is not meant to destroy or ridicule the other but to see him or her as an essential component for knowing yourself more, measuring the result of your hard work, training and conditioning.

While I would have surely gained a ton of knowledge had I trained for a week or more, prior engagements only allowed me two days with master Tawin and the other coaches. On the other hand, those days have been very enlightening, happy and informative, I’ll surely come back to Chiangmai Muay Thai Gym again!

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Within Laguna, Philippines? Looking for fitness and some Muay Thai too? Then visit the Pugilist Muay Thai Gym in Los Banos (https://www.facebook.com/PugilistLB), co-located at Jeffrey’s Gym along Lopez Avenue, opposite Jollibee at the Manila South highway-Lopez Avenue-Junction Road. 😉