Encounters of the Monk Kind

Why are monks so fascinating to Westerners? I don't know. But they are. In Luang Prabang, the Buddhist heart of Laos, monks are treated as minor celebrities, both by tourists (who can get out of hand with the picture taking papparazzi style, unfortunately) and by the locals alike. The monks, often only 12 years old or younger, seem somehow larger than life...a vision in orange.

While they seem as though they come from another world, they don't. And while we all know this, it's still so strange to see monks doing things that the normal plebeians of the world also like to do. Here are some interesting monk activities, which I like to call "Encounters of the Monk Kind":

- Monks writing emails at the internet cafe (and repeatedly asking me how to spell words like "capital")
- Monks riding motorbikes (usually side saddle on the back)
- Monks smoking cigarettes
- Monks videotaping various tourist sights
- Monks doing heavy lifting for various temple improvement projects
- Monks using payphones (mom, take me home, I've had enough of this eating twice a day business)
- Monks taking pictures (of us!)
- Monks planting trees
- Monks taking a bath in the hotsprings
- Monks doing laundry (so easy when you only have one garment!)
- Monks riding the bus wearing ski hats with a poof on top
- Monks shopping at the market for silver goods (or, more likely, just looking)
- Monks carrying umbrellas to block out the sun (they have no hair to protect their heads!)
- Monks giving out soymilk to tourists (huh?)

As simple as these activities are, they become somehow magical and ethereal when a Buddhist monk is doing them. Makes us want to sell all our earthly possessions and join a monastery.

We left Laos today and are in Bangkok, spending the night and taking a flight out in the morning for Yangon, in Myanmar. I'm not sure how often we'll be able to update the blog (if at all...they government blocks blogger I believe) but we'll do our best. If it's anything like Laos, we'll be extremely happy....