Goodbye, Grandma Sunan
August 22, 2010 – First day of the Funeral....
(I sent this to everyone in the family)
First written on August 23, 2010, edited and posted to the website on September 2, 2010
(* Moved to neocities.org in Nov 2019 )
After Ken finished the piano class at noon their dad took the boys to the barber's, then we all rushed to the hospital to the morgue in the basement of Paolo Memorial Hospital. Na Pong and everyone were already there. A monk was there too. There was some chanting and incense offering before Grandma was moved into the casket and then to the temple (Wat Tepsirin).
One grandson had to carry a picture of Grandma. The colored picture in big frame. She was smiling beautifully in the picture.
Another grandson had to carry the incense holder that had a stick of incense in there.
The incense must be kept burning during the way.
A van carried Grandma to the temple while we the rest followed by our own cars. We went up the expressway. The traffic was still bearable.
It poured before we got out of the car. Sala 14 (the biggest hall of this Wat) was full of flowers. Na Hui and her parents arranged everything so nicely.
The monk that came with us left after that.
In the near distance across the big pond we saw soldiers doing some ceremony in front of another hall. We were told it was the funeral of a high-ranking military person. If I did not get confused I think I also heard that Crown Princess came to that funeral.
Before ours started Na Hui and Na Pong talked to the temple people to make sure everything was perfect. My boys played with their Iphones. Then Tony was asked to teach Pink her Physics homework. It seemed Tony was a good teacher! (Surprise, surprise! ) Na Pong and Na Hui were very glad!
Na Nid bought noodles and chicken with rice for all of us. Good to have something to eat!
I helped out at the reception desk for a while. It was fun sticking 4-inch red thread on to the (thank-you) cards that had the funeral dates and time, Grandma's names, her children's names, etc. It says the funeral lasts four days and on Friday Grandma will be moved to America.
But we know the schedule on Friday has not been confirmed yet.
You may have already known that there will be no cremation. Na Mark had told us not to cremate Grandma.
Dew and Ken also helped me with the cards thing for a while. Ken was with me longer as he had nothing more interesting to do. I found Ken quite good at arranging work process. We finally did the entire pile that had 300 cards!
Our guests and relatives started to arrive around 5 pm.
In return to every guest's white envelope we had to give a thank-you card with red thread and two pieces of candies (wrapped in red). Many guests came without envelopes and they asked for one at the desk. Na Hui had prepared a box of those for us. Pink and I recorded the names on each envelope, then we put the envelopes into a big bag.
If a wreath was sent to us by a messenger we had to give that messenger a pink envelope with two 20-Baht notes inside. If the guest brought the wreath with them (although it was carried by someone that looked like a messenger) we did not have to give out the 40-Baht pink envelope. I was told this was the custom. Na Hui had arranged for the books, the pens, the notes, the envelopes, etc.
Many thanks to everyone for your wreaths - and the envelopes.
There were VIPs among the guests. The list was impressive: a judge from the Supreme(?) Court, high-ranking policeman (or military person?), businessmen, etc.... and Toyota people from Na Piak's office.
4 monks came to our hall when the funeral started. They sat along the wall on the elevated side. We the survivors had to go sit on the huge (but somewhat stained) carpet in the center of the room and put our hands together facing them while they chanted. There were two breaks between the chant.
All the time Grandma's casket was behind the huge flower walls. There was a small table with a set of food and incense in front of the flowers.
Another set of table with a buddha statue was on the right corner of the room on the side that the monks sat.
We had to pay respect to the buddha before the funeral started.
I could not recall me doing that last night.
Maybe it was not needed for me to do so, or maybe I had missed that out....
After the chant food boxes and chilled drinking water were distributed to the guests.
Then the VIP's names were called out by the MC in the Thai and Tae-jiu languages. They came up to form rows in front of the flower wall.
They bowed and did the offering.
This was carried out while we the survivors sat on both sides of the carpet: female on one side, male on the other, in order of seniority of Grandma's children's.
At the end everyone left the carpeted area.
Then the guests started to leave.
Day one of the funeral ended.
Na Pong suggested us to go eat this expensive fish congee in China town. We agreed and followed him. We were surprised to see that the tables were on the pavement... No, actually they were on the street! But it was a quiet street. The place is old but is well known, said Na Pong. Too bad Tony, Ken, and I did not enjoy the congee but it was fun being with everyone. It was a rare occasion, too, to get together with everyone in the family, to "enjoy" the very expensive (more than 300Baht per serving!) fish congee while watching the pouring night sky in the old section of the once familiar Chinatown....
We got home very late last night!
We are looking forward to seeing Na Mark from America.
I will write more.
Bye for now.
Kanda