http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Manora Travel Manora Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=459979&ca=Travel After marriage, every couple eagerly awaits the birth of its first child, children having a high position in rural and cultural values - obviously, there is strength in numbers, a vital sense of continuity is ensured, and many hands make farming activities easier. Almost inevitably a child is born d... Travel Manora Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=459981&ca=Travel The following day more callers arrive, many bringing small gifts of money to help defray funeral expenses. A family member receives such offerings and keeps a list of contributions so that reciprocal offerings may be made during future funerals. The body is removed to the temple on the day of the fu... Culture Manora Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=459983&ca=Culture The most important Thai literary work is the Ramakien. This uniquely Thai version of the Hindu epic, The Ramayana, was also a source of inspiration for classical dramatists and painters. An allegory of good’s triumph over evil, the Ramakien chronicles the war between the 10-headed, 20-armed demon Ki... Culture Manora Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=459984&ca=Culture Drama In the purely classical form, Thai drama and dance are indivisible. The khon masked drama is derived from Indian temple rituals and dancing and draws its story lines from the Ramakien. During the Ayutthaya period, the khon was acted by accomplished male court retainers playing both male and fe... Culture Manora Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=459985&ca=Culture By far the most popular dramatic form is likay, a burlesque of lakorn containing elements of pantomime, comic folk opera and social satire. Generally performed against a simply-painted backdrop during temple fairs, likay commonly presents court-derived stories and embellishes them with local referen... Travel Manora Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=458063&ca=Travel By late November or early December, rice in the North and the Central Plains is ripe enough to be harvested. Wherever possible, water is drained to allow fields to dry. Harvesting schedules are determined by common consent within each village. Early each morning, cooperative work groups use sickles... Travel Manora Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=458040&ca=Travel The Thai villagers life follows three distinct cycles - a daily cycle, a seasonal cycle of farming and festivals which follow the same annual pattern, and a personal life cycle of infancy and early childhood, childhood, adolescence, maturity and old age. A day begins before dawn when the wife awaken... Travel Manora Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=458044&ca=Travel Family members are usually home by five. The animals are brought to the house, fed and tethered. At seven or so the whole family gathers around a kerosene lamp to eat supper and then review the day, chatting together for some time or visiting neigh-bours. By nine the household is asleep. Unless it i... Travel Manora Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=458060&ca=Travel Shortly after transplanting is completed, the annual monsoons arrive to inundate farmland. Daily rainfall replenishes the fields and much of the family’s time becomes occupied with Rains Retreat observances. During the annual three-month Rains Retreat (Phansa in Thai), Buddhist monks are committed t... Travel Manora Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=458062&ca=Travel Except during the formal ceremony-such as when the naag swears to uphold ten major precepts to become a novice monk, and an oral examination to become a full monk -neither the laity nor the monks feel constrained to remain silent. They talk, sip tea, smoke cigarettes and chew betelnut, reflecting th...