I was able to participate in a very unique and unusual experience this past weekend. I traveled to another volunteer's site about 4 hours away for her wedding. She's a volunteer in her 60s and she married her American boyfriend in a traditional Thai wedding. Everything about this wedding was 100% Thai except the two people getting married. Quite a few volunteers traveled to be there for this momentous day, which made it extra fun.
In true Thai form, the wedding day started at 6am; the bride and groom had been up since 4am getting ready. Her whole community was there and the monks arrived for chanting, praying, and traditional wedding activities. Then we all feasted on delicious Thai food. Yes, that's right we had a huge fried fish and seasoned pork for breakfast. Then the elephants arrived and a big marching band led the huge crowd of us through the streets of her village. We all danced while the bride and groom rode on elephants. Pretty cool, right? The parade and dancing ended at her house and by this point it was 9:30am. At this point, the day was getting quite hot, so it was time to rest and regroup. Like all Thai events, it's better to do things early in the morning before it's too hot.
The wedding festivities resumed in the evening with another feast, dance performances, speeches, and karaoke. All of the volunteers had a blast dancing and singing and surprised all of the Thai people with our love of Thai music. There was some American music, but honestly we all went crazy for the Thai music.
It was a great weekend. This event made me realize how much Thailand means to me and how much I truly appreciate and value this experience. As I prepare for my Close of Service conference soon, I'm reflecting on my time here with a very different perspective and point of view. Thailand is my home and I have adapted to so many aspects of Thai culture, which I'm really starting to internalize and appreciate in a whole new way. For all my complaining and struggles, I love this place and the wedding with my PCVs made me realize that all over again.
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