A New Lease on Life... from the Grave

At 5:30 in the morning, I woke up to get ready for a trip outside of the city... to yet another World Heritage Site. I met my friend at the train station and we started to look for our group- yes, we were tagging along on a tour, and yes, it was only going to be in Japanese.

We boarded the bus and found our seats. It would be a 5-hour journey to our destination. A woman got on the mic- she was a guide for the tour company- and affecting a genki (overly energetic), high-pitched accent, started to narrate our voyage... in increasingly agonizing detail. I later had to describe to my friend the meaning of "like nails on a chalkboard."

The ride was made even more terrible once we got into the mountains- I'm not always the hardiest when it comes to evading motion sickness in the back of land transport vehicles, so the winding mountain roads, not to mention the previous night's festivities at a bar, combined to drive me into a general state of misery.

enjoying the veggie lunch

Finally, we arrived, after several unfortunate detours to souvenir shops (gotta love package tours!) We had a delicious vegan lunch of generous portions, the lack of animal products being necessitated by the values held at this sacred site. The weather was perfect and greatly improved my spirits- sun shining brightly overhead; crisp, cool mountain air drifting past carrying the scents of the forest- a great cure for a hangover. Our first stop on the tour was the one I was most looking forward to seeing- an ancient graveyard.





Okuno-in is the largest cemetery in Japan. It's located on Mt. Koya, where a particular sect of Buddhists founded a town in the year 819. The entire town is now owned by the government so no one can own property there, but the population carries on daily life- its residents can attend school even up through university there.

coffee died?

We wandered into the site, first passing some of the newer tombstones. I had recently learned the two Japanese phonetic alphabets, so I practiced reading the engravings and asked my friend to interpret.
"What does shi-ro-a-ri mean?"
"Ant."
"Oh like aunt and uncle."
"No, ant like the insect."
???????
Apparently, a pesticide company had purchased the grave to try to make amends to the six-legged creatures that they make a living by killing. This information thrilled me, as I positively love discovering things about other cultures that mine makes me consider quirky.

I was now nearly giddy to be off the bus, out of town, and far away from the stress of work. We passed through some massive cedar trees into the old part of the cemetery. The effect was like sticking your head underwater. It seemed like all the air, including our breath, had been sucked out of the place. Not even birds were chirping. The scene felt as though it would evaporate if touched. (The phrase "silent as the grave" comes to mind.)

Moss-covered gravestones, some more than a thousand years old, stood staggered uphill amongst the foliage. Ethereal shades of green and grey blurred together to obscure the path ahead, a composition of exquisite decay. Dashes of red-brown cedars, whose nettle-laden branches didn't protrude until more than 20 feet up, were spread around to liven up the picture. All of the trees were several feet wide in diameter, some of them having fused together to become giant monoliths.

The atmosphere made me feel more calm and happy than I have yet felt since I've been here in Japan. The truth is that my time here has been tough. In addition to the normal stresses of getting used to a new job and culture, the expectations set forth in my contract were also not being fulfilled. I feel like I've barely kept my head above water. The timing of this getaway couldn't have been more perfect. It was, quite literally, a breath of fresh air.

We passed around the back of a big temple. Here, we were instructed to be silent. The scented smoke of incense wafted around us. We filed down a crowded walkway where some monks were chanting. Golden statues of lotus flowers rose in the garden, twisting around themselves as if moved by an invisible current. A small bird lit on one of the rafters overhead and began to sing. It was a true picture of peace.

We walked on, down into to the temple. The darkness was alleviated only by some small hanging lanterns. Thin shelves supporting tens of thousands of small Buddha statues formed a maze for us to pass through. This was said to be the place nearest to the meditation space of a certain monk-in-residence who had dedicated his life to absorbing visitors' problems for them. People stood quietly, inwardly asking what they would of this altruist. We then went back up into the light of day.

On the way out, we were given a chance to purchase omamori- silk talismans as sacred mementos of having visited a shrine, which would continue to provided a particular function for the visitor long after leaving. In this case, they acted as "substitutes" similar to the prayerful monk, siphoning away your problems and relocating them elsewhere. My friend suggested we get them. 


We visited several other temples and listened to some short talks from monks explaining... who knows what- there was no translation. One of the temples even had its mascot (?) come out to wave to us. My friend explained that it was a way to promote tourism at the temple (??) We shopped around a bit for omiyage, souvenirs that are generally edible- I wasn't going to make the same mistake I had last time I traveled by not bringing something back for my co-workers. 

Too soon it was time to get back on the dreaded vehicle. Having a break was just what I needed though. I felt more prepared to return to work and try to sort out the problems there. I wouldn't mind someday going back to this graveyard of rejuvenation... provided that I do not have to take a tour bus!

Journeys in Japan- Rain or SHRINE

Golden Week lived up to its name. The national holiday gave me, as well as my fellow trainees, the golden opportunity to travel outside of the city. We met up on Monday night for drinks, which turned out a bit more raucous than originally intended; but the next morning we were up bright and early and hungover to get on a train. All except one, who no longer felt up to it after the previous night's debauchery. By some miracle, another trainee, who we hadn't gotten in touch with for weeks and assumed had fled the country due to the stress from work, showed up to take the other's spot. He hadn't gotten internet in his apartment until the night before. He only carried a skateboard and a wallet- not even a passport- for our overnight trip. Typical carefree Californian =P


The ride to Kyoto wasn't terrible, considering the collective low level of functioning amongst the group. We made all of our transfers correctly and decided we had better go immediately to one of the sights we wanted to see... before exhaustion truly set in. We got on another train and headed to the outskirts of town. After a short walk- the lack of signs in English leaving us feeling generally unsure of where we were going- we stumbled upon our destination. A forest unlike any I had ever seen. Thousands of stands of bamboo, a frosty mint color and too thick to fit your hands around, shooting straight skyward, thinning at the top and swaying gently in the breeze. The otherworldly atmosphere inspired quiet amongst all visitors. During the rest of the week I would have this experience over and over; so much about Japan seems too unique, too perfect to be real.




Wandering out of the bamboo forest (or since it is technically grass should it be called a meadow?), we found ourselves on the grounds of a temple. Again a fairytale-like quality permeated the place. I soon saw that this illusion was very carefully and purposefully executed. Throughout the serene garden, a few workers could be seen delicately pulling minuscule weeds from the moss-covered ground with their fingertips. I can only imagine the patience it takes to do this particular activity, not to mention the pruning of all the other plants. It was evident that everything in that garden had been put there meaningfully. The rocks, the shape of the pond, the most beautiful koi I've ever seen, the pine tree branches propped up with poles whenever their boughs became too heavy with nettles... The temple itself surely had been designed for the enjoyment of nature, where its inhabitants could sit and contemplate the beauty before them against the backdrop of a green mountain. It's a shame they're not looking for tenants; I would set up residence there in a heartbeat.

We had drinks in the river district, spying several geisha as we walked along the tight cobbled streets. The next day saw us strolling through more temples and gardens, including the famous "Golden Temple," Kinkaku-ji, and Ryoan-ji, which had a large rock garden in the Zen Buddhist tradition. We had a curry lunch and then the rest of the group went on their way back home; I, however, would be staying longer to explore on my own. There's something freeing about traveling alone, relying on your own wits to get you around in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar language (I still know hardly any Japanese). I meandered about through twisting alleyways and found myself at several more temples. One was so small that no one seemed to be around. I walked in and tooled around the garden without ever seeing a soul. As there is no record in anyone else's memory but my own of me ever having been there, I do somewhat wonder whether my imagination, in a haze of exhaustion and misty rain, invented that visit.

There are dozens of temples and palaces (not to mention their obligatory gardens) to see in Kyoto, so I chose a few in the southeast area near the guest house and planned a sightseeing route for myself for the next day... by bike. The weather was perfect for this self-guided venture, as it wasn't raining but it was also not hot. The first shrine I went to actually took up an entire mountainside! Thousands of torii- red arches symbolic in the Shinto religion- lined the pathways up and down the hill, winding maze-like and obstructing most of the view of the surrounding woods. They continued on and on- I was there for hours with no end in sight. Every so often there would be a clearing; there, stone fox statues stood watch over other shrines, messengers of the agriculture/industry spirit, Inari.

This shrine was so captivating that I had a hard time dragging myself away to see other temples on my tour. But soon enough, I was back on the bike. The temples do start to seem similar after awhile- bridges, ponds, rock gardens, etc. One had a massive hall full of a thousand many-armed Buddha statues. My final stop was Kiyomizu-dera, a temple high on a hillside overlooking the city. The view was quite beautiful, framed on one side by a pagoda and encircled by nature. I will definitely be back to Kyoto; my friend suggested that I witness every different season there, and I fully intend to!

Journeys in Japan!

Since moving back from Thailand nearly 7 months ago, I was living at home in Wisconsin. I got really busy serving at a restaurant (Olive Garden) pretty much everyday, but it helped me save up for my move- I didn't even have much time between quitting that job and leaving the country... 

So now I'm in Japan! I've now been here for nearly a month now and it seems I've done nothing but training and work- it's been pretty intense. I meant to write long ago but only just now have I felt like I've had time to breathe. I'm teaching English here in a city called Nagoya. It's the third largest metropolitan area in Japan- Toyota headquarters is here. The city is very centrally located in Japan, about halfway between Tokyo and Osaka, which should allow me to do a lot of traveling.

On the first day I arrived, I was picked up at the airport by my trainer and then taken to my apartment by my manager. All of the appliances are in Japanese, and the trash/recycling system here is super difficult to understand- it's all a bit overwhelming. The apartment was also shockingly tiny, but after about a day I got used to it and now feel quite cozy. The bed is simply a 2-inch thick mat on the floor; I also have a small floor table.

My work schedule has been crazy, but the people here make it so much better. In the first week, I was given a welcome party at an izakaya- a Japanese style pub where food comes second to drinks and everyone sits on mats on the floor. My co-workers are incredibly helpful and friendly, and the students are a fun bunch as well. I had brought some cheese curds from Wisconsin for us all to enjoy- they were quickly eaten. My good friend Emi, who I met in Bangkok, is from the nearby city of Ichinomiya, so I've been able to meet up with her on the weekends as well. Not only is it great to have a friend here, but I also have a translator; which is extremely useful considering hardly any English is actually spoken or written here.

The day after I arrived, I dragged my jetlagged self out of bed and went with Emi to Meijo Park, home of Nagoya Castle (yes, this city has a castle), to partake in the pastime of hanami: flower-viewing. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom when I arrived, which is lucky considering the short time they are around for. The white and pink buds spread out over the entire park, transforming it into a fragrant impressionist painting. It still feels like a dream- I can't believe this is my new home!

Furry Fury: When Rats Attack!

Police Report- Bangkok

Date: Saturday, June 4, 2011

Time: approx. 8:30pm

The victim was walking on the sidewalk with friends towards their residence. From a distance on the same sidewalk, the group took note of several rats, which had been temporarily displaced from their hiding places by the monsoon rains. Suddenly and without provocation, the victim was attacked.

It happened extremely fast- victim stated that the event transpired “in a blur”. She first felt a mass of wet fur and claws on her foot, and when she looked down she was able to catch a quick glimpse of the attacker before he fled the scene. The victim provided the following description: approx. 11” long, (16’’ including tail), brownish-blackish fur, weighing approx. 4-5 lbs (“a chunker”). One friend was also present to bear witness, while the other was up ahead, about to enter a convenience store. Both the victim and the witness stood screaming, paralyzed by shock. The other could only hear the screams of the two women but could not decipher the reason as to their cause.

When the victim and witness had “snapped out of it”, they sprinted into the convenience store and devolved into hysterics. That was when the witness noticed blood on the victim’s foot. Upon processing this information, the victim started to cry. The manager of the convenience store quickly calmed her down by bringing her alcohol and iodine to clean the wound immediately. She was then able to see that the scratches were quite small.

Due to the traumatic nature of the event, the victim felt it appropriate to first have a drink and then worry about whether she should go to the hospital. (Let the record state that this is a fact related about the victim’s mindset and not a character judgment.) She admitted she was concerned that she may need medical treatment because of the risk of disease; “after all, rats do play in the sewer.” However, as the wound was not serious, and because she was aware that the worst pathogens could only be spread through saliva, she decided that she could wait and go to the hospital the next day.

In the morning, the victim went to the hospital near her home. Her doctor informed her that she would need to take an oral antibiotic… and also undergo a series of rabies shots! The treatment lasted a month, for a total of five injections. Luckily, most of the medical fees were covered by insurance. The victim has filed charges against the suspect, pending his capture.

*It has been rumored that the culprit was apprehended by authorities but was successful in paying them off. This can neither be confirmed nor denied. BPD declined to comment. 

Family Thai-m ^_^

Spending the “winter” in Bangkok has been surreal. From taking a walking photo-tour of all the strange and extravagant holiday decorations and light displays around the city (the Thais love their festivals!) to zealously celebrating my team’s big win from halfway across the world (GO PACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), I feel that the meaning of the phrase “never in my wildest dreams” is beginning to diminish for me a bit. Certainly the best part of the winter here though was the arrival of the premier customers of Come Visit Your Long-lost Globe-trotting Daughter/Sister Tours, Inc. =)

-I welcomed my guests on the first of February- my dad and my sister had arrived in Bangkok! I met them at their hotel after my shift finished at work and immediately whisked them away to my favorite Thai restaurant by Victory Monument, the location of which has been passed down from teacher to teacher at my school. As we entered the alley and strode into the eclectic teak-paneled diner, the waitress recognized me and asked me if I would like my usual drink, a bottled beverage that tastes like a mixture of red wine and coke and intriguingly named Spy. I then proceeded to order for my family a splendid journey through the world of my adopted country’s cuisine, speaking only in Thai (complete with some special instructions about specific ingredients and degree of spiciness!). The language is still difficult for me, but if there are two things I had to learn quickly it was directions and food. Spicy green papaya salad with lime and peanuts, spicy ground-pork salad with lime and mint, spicy coconut soup with chicken and lemongrass, (do I need to mention that Thais LOVE spicy food?) stir-fried chicken with vegetables and cashews, pineapple fried rice… we thoroughly enjoyed the feast, my dad proclaiming happily “There’s so many different flavors!”

-The next day we took a tour of Bangkok, via every form of transportation imaginable! We took the Skytrain to the river and hopped on a taxi boat upstream to Wat Arun- the “Temple of the Dawn.” We climbed the ultra steep stairs to the top, and looked out over the sprawling expanse of the city. Upon our descent, my sister immediately spied a stand selling coconuts; she devoured every last bit of the sweet juice and flesh in a state of delirious happiness. We crossed the river again to go to Wat Pho, home of the massive golden reclining Buddha that takes up the entire interior of the temple. The day had grown extremely hot and we no longer had energy to make it to the next temple, Wat Pra Kaew, which was not that big of a let-down for me, seeing as I was not particularly looking forward to seeing my old friend the Emerald Buddha again after what happened last time (see previous post).

-Early the next morning we woke up to start a 4-hour road-trip to an island southeast of Bangkok. Instead of taking a bus or taxi like I had been planning, we would be getting a ride from the brother of one of my students! My student had said that they had business near that area and we could ride in the company van, but his brother actually arrived in his personal car, leaving us to speculate about whether he did indeed have business to do or not. Because Sun didn’t speak much English we weren’t able to communicate much more than the limited Thai phrases I knew. When we arrived he refused to accept any money for gas, and concerned, I called my student… who assured that it was a gift for my family! In a state of incredulity I then spoke to a Thai friend who explained that this help for a teacher was not uncommon in Thailand, as “ajarn” is a well-respected profession and my student would gain much merit in assisting us. We couldn’t believe it! We decided on the way back we would buy Sun a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label whiskey, a popular choice of beverage here… still not enough to return the great favor.

After a 20-minute ferry ride from the pier, we arrived in island paradise. Our hotel was a series of rooms in round white towers connected to each other by wooden bridges over a thick tangle of tropical foliage. We did a lot during our 3-day stay, but it was surprisingly relaxing for a Sauer family vacation =) We took a half-day snorkeling trip, stopping at different reefs and an island to see bright colorful fish (my sister was too happy to step on dry land, as she had gotten motion sick on the speed boat). My dad and I got to take a kayak out from our hotel and paddle up a little inlet to the beach. We also took an elephant trek, riding through the jungle on movable gray mountains; Megan had her own elephant and both her and my dad got to take turns “steering” as the guide walked alongside! I never dreamed I would spend any birthday doing such cool activities in such a beautiful place (in such an amazing country!)

-Six days was too short for my Dad to be here but I’m really glad he came. Hopefully he might have the chance to come out again and to bring my mom! My sister settled in and got ready to spend two more weeks in this chaotic mishmash of a city. While I was at work, she set herself to exploring. She made it to some destinations I still have never been to! She even went up to Chiang Mai (the city I remember so fondly from my previous travels) alone- her first solo backpacking adventure! We also did some shorter excursions together out from the city- a day trip to Ayutthaya to see the ancient temples and an overnight trip to Khao Yai National Park so she could trek through the jungle to see wild elephants (and I could lay by the pool and absorb the vitamin D I’d been missing in pollution-shrouded Bangkok).

I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with my family and felt their absence immediately and acutely when they left. It was also difficult to talk to my mom and other sister back home while they were here. Now I’m on my own again, missing everyone back home all the more, but their visit recharged my batteries. I have a renewed energy and enthusiasm for being here. I even bought a guitar to teach myself to play! Now that I’ve passed the 6-month mark and the end is in sight, I want to make sure I do all that I had planned when I first arrived.

I miss you all and continue to keep me updated about what’s happening in your lives!

***One special note I wanted to make: the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have had a deep effect on many here- especially on my students, many of whom are Japanese. If you could please consider donating to the relief fund through the Red Cross or any other charity it would be extremely helpful and much appreciated by them and their families
Donate to Red Cross- Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund

White Sand Christmas

I have now been in Thailand for over 6 months. This is the longest I’ve ever been away from home, as my previous travels ended at 5 months to the day. The past few have gone by in a blur- Christmas and New Year came and went, and I spent January anticipating the arrival of my first two visitors! Anyway, this is what I’ve been doing =)

-Christmas Eve happened to be my day-off (which was lucky because I would have otherwise had to work). My friends called me and asked me to make egg-nog, but never having attempted that before and not being a fan of eggs in general, I decided to make coquito instead: a Christmastime drink from Puerto Rico made from coconut, milk, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg… oh and I can’t forget the rum ;) I brought it to work and served a bit as some of the teachers finished their shifts. Verdict: they loved it! We stopped at the Four Seasons and had a drink as well while listening to Christmas songs played by a string quartet and then later sung by an accapella choir. A funky Santa wearing giant green-rimmed sunglasses sauntered around the room, posing for pictures. Later, we went to another friend's apartment to hang out by the rooftop pool; we stayed until 4am mostly just because we wanted to indulge in the fact that none of us had to work the next day.

-The next morning we all went to Bourbon Street, a New Orleans-inspired restaurant that had the biggest mash-up of food I’ve ever seen: everything from traditional English roasts and desserts to spicy Cajun seafood dishes. I definitely got my money’s worth, leaving the table feeling full and exhausted. I then went to another friend’s house to watch movies, and finally, we all managed to un-mold ourselves from our chairs yet AGAIN to eat a not-so-small Italian meal. It was very strange not being with my family- it didn’t really feel that similar to any holiday in my memory. My consolation was to speak with them all on Skype, using the video camera to see all their smiling faces and receive their well-wishes. If it weren’t for technology I seriously don’t know whether I could live abroad!

-A few days later I boarded an overnight bus and then a ferry to go to Koh Phangan, an island in the south of Thailand, best known for its out-of-control Full Moon parties. I had been there as a backpacker before, although back then I had chosen to stay on the opposite side of the island to avoid the insanity of Haad Rin beach. This time I would be venturing straight into the thick of it but remained confident that I would be able to handle it in the company of my friends. The other teachers and I had rented out all of the bungalows at one resort, and we quickly made it into our own, stacking coolers and food around the picnic table in the sand, alternately swimming in the ocean and playing cards, strolling the grounds to browse the various cement plant-holders that freely dispensed timeless and clever (if not grammatically or orthographically correct) advice in the form of decorative inscriptions written in seashells.  At night we would all jump in a sawngthaew- a pickup truck with two parallel benches and a steel frame covered in canvas to form a roof over the passengers’ heads- and hold on tight as we rode to the Full Moon beach.

The way to Haad Rin is treacherous, the drivers constantly switching gears to urge their trucks up and down the steep hills, brakes squealing loudly, as if trying to make it “just one more time”. The first trip was on New Year’s Eve. The signs that we were almost there couldn’t have been more obvious: masses of party-goers in bright colors and neon body-paint carrying plastic beach buckets (the kind used by children the world-over to make sandcastles with) but filled not with fine, granulated particles the ocean has methodically polished for thousands of years and deposited on shore, but with ice, liquor, and mixers; essentially a giant cocktail. I refused to touch a drop of it, mostly because I felt I needed my senses to deal with the intense overstimulation that is a Full Moon Party.

The beach is a curve of about a half-mile, and every single inch of it was filled with bass-pounding clubs, fire-twirling performers, and glow-stick adorned, fist-pumping twenty-somethings in the midst of what had to be the biggest rave in the world (having never been to a rave, I guess I can only assume the similarity). One particular bar, the aptly named Mushroom Mountain, is perched on the side of the cliff so that one has to walk up a steep stone pathway to reach it and the “special” cocktails it doles out. This, combined with the proximity of swelling tides and burning towers that read “Happy New Year”- not to mention the perilous roads to get there- had us counting the ways it must be possible for a wasted reveler to win a Darwin Award* on that island. I took it all in, stayed to wish my friends a happy New Year, and turned around and went back to my bungalow (I’m sure with mouth still agape) to sleep and process what I had just witnessed. The next day it had calmed down significantly as many people left the island, and we went back to our previous pattern of chilling, until it was time to go back to Bangkok and work…

*Darwin Award- recognition given to someone who actively participates in removing himself or herself from the world’s gene pool by dying or otherwise losing the capacity to reproduce.

Happy Loi Krathong!

It's hard to believe I've been experienced two consecutive Loi Krathong holidays in Thailand. That's two times more than I ever expected to pay homage to a water goddess in my life =) It just so happens that this holiday usually falls in November, due to the fact that it must correspond with the full moon in the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar, which brings to mind other similarities to American Thanksgiving (which, by the way, this year I spent eating roast CHICKEN at an ENGLISH pub, haha). Loi Krathong is a day of thankfulness and time spent with loved ones (many Thais who live in Bangkok go back to their hometowns in the provinces to be with their families on this day). It is one of the most beautiful festivals I've ever seen in my life. The Thais construct small rafts (krathong) out of bamboo stems, banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense to float on any available body of water to apologize to and thank Phra Mae Khongkha (the goddess of water in the Hindu tradition), and to ask her for good luck. (I like the idea of apologizing and think this is something that should generally be kept in mind for our Thanksgiving too). It is also an honor to the Buddha.

On my first Loi Krathong last year, I purposely stayed in Thailand long enough that I would be able to witness the festival in Chiang Mai. The city in the north is unique in that in addition to loi-ing krathongs, they have a tradition of "floating lanterns" (khom loi). They really go all out. There are parades with intricate floats of flowers and electric lights (every float must be followed by another vehicle carrying a generator). There are Noppamas contests- a beauty pageant to dress as Noppamas, the beautiful consort of a king long-past who floated the first krathong and inspired the king to declare the holiday. There are fireworks of all sorts going off at all hours for the entire week prior to the holiday (including loud bangs at 3am when you're trying to sleep and mid-afternoon when you're walking down the street and children launch small firecrackers at your feet to scare you). Finally, on November 4, I went with friends to dine at a restaurant on the river, which was the perfect place to gaze in wonder at the thousands of orbs of light floating in the river and sky, making the swirling, flowing patterns seem like mirror images gliding across the twin shining surfaces. We finished dinner and went down to the river to launch the krathong that we had purchased, made a customary wish, and watched as our rafts floated away, hoping they would not capsize within our view so that our wishes would be preserved. Later we tracked down a khom loi and, standing and holding on as a group, released it into the night sky to join its twinkling would-be star sisters.

This year, I may have gained even more merit by making my own krathong and ensuring it was made of mostly natural materials. A Canadian teacher and our Thai events coordinator teamed up for an arts and crafts Social Club, where students were provided all the materials for making krathong. Many of our Thai students were old pros and quickly designed beautiful rafts with many tiers of banana leaves folded into origami-esque shapes. They were more than happy to then help our Japanese students, and myself =) I couldn't do the folding fast enough so one woman passed me banana leaves she had already creased and I pinned them to the bamboo stem in a pattern that resembled a forest king's crown. I added purple orchids and a marigold, along with a candle and three sticks of incense. We then went to Lumpini, the Central Park of Bangkok, and together with thousands of other people, placed the krathong into the water. I did alright as far as my wish last year, so I'm hoping for even better luck this year. Happy Loi Krathong =D