Yesterday our Educational Travel Group had the honor of visiting the largest Thai Buddhist temple in the world outside of Thailand. It's official name is Wat Nawamintararachutis or "NMR Meditation Center" for short.Our visit began with us taking off our shoes as we entered the building which is the section of the temple where the monks reside. I was amused to see the row of the monk's LL Bean winter boots stacked neatly on the shelves lining the hallway.
We progressed to a small and ornately decorated meditation room in which the five monks who currently live at the temple, were waiting for us. We proceeded to make offerings of fruit and flowers and participated in a blessing ceremony complete with monastic chants and incense. One of the male members of our group had to make the offerings to the monks since women are not allowed to touch the monks or directly hand then any object.
During the next hour we learned about the 5 Precepts of Buddhism and had a question and answer period. Following this informative chat, we toured the temple which is still a major construction site. The multipurpose room is almost complete and had a larger-than-life Buddha at the far end. The temple will not only be for daily mediation for the 4000 Thais who live in the Boston area but for anyone from the community who would like to benefit from the daily classes, lectures and exhibits. There will also be a museum in honor of the current King of Thailand who has been on the throne since 1946 and who was actually born in Cambridge, MA.
After the American construction company is finished with their work, then the Thai craftsmen will come from overseas to finish off the temple with ornate wooden carvings and detail work. Hundreds of Buddhist monks from Thailand, other countries and the United States will all be present for the opening ceremony in June. A few princessess from the Thai rural family will also be in attendance for this auspicious occasion. I can't wait for a return visit when the temple is completed later this spring.
Boston Globe Article About Buddhist Temple Construction
Hi Mrs. Verra,
ReplyDeleteLots of great information up on your blog. I hope you have shared this with students and colleagues! I'm sure they will enjoy seeing your own pictures posted to your blog once you are exploring this fascinating country.
Yes...I have been sharing my blog with my students and we will have a GeoQuiz contest when I return in which the student who has posted the most comments or questions will get a special gift from Thailand , along with the student who does the best on the post Thailand Blog quiz! I will have a lot of fun looking for something very special for them in the "Floating Market" in Bangkok.
DeleteHI Mrs. Verra!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, out of all the places in the world to travel to, how did you chose Thailand?
Good luck on your trip!
-Emma McNamara
When I was in college around 25 years ago, two of my very good friends each spent a semester studying at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. I remember hearing their stories and looking at their pictures and just having a desire to visit there ever since. I flew into Bangkok, the capital city about 20 years ago when I went on a trekking trip in Nepal, but only got to stay in the airport hotel for the night so that didn't count for me to have added Thailand to my list of countries I have traveled to.
DeleteEmma, where would you like to go to in the world?
One place I want to go to is Antarctica, because in Antarctica you can see the northern lights. Another place I would like to go is Texas, because at night there, you can see the Milky Way galaxy.
DeleteI am hoping to go to Antarctica in 2-3 years. Make sure you keep up with my blog on my future trips as well! I also want to go to Antarctica more than any place in the world. The tricky part is that you can only go in December before the pack ice that surround Antarctica freezes. I have lots of books about Antarctica in my personal library if you ever want to borrow one.
DeleteWhat is the most sacred natural recourse in Thailand? What is their most important mineral?
ReplyDeleteFunny you should ask this very interesting question Emma...we went to a gem factory and I learned that Thailand is the source for many beautiful gems such as diamonds, sapphires, rubes, and emeralds. As far as natural resources, they have some oil. Probably the export they make the most money from is rice and other food stuffs such as fruits and vegetables.
DeleteHi Mrs. Verra.
ReplyDeleteWhat types of food have you had in Thailand?
Was it good?
-Max McNamara
Hi Max. I have been eating very well in Thailand. Tonight I had red curry with Duck, Pad Thai (noodles and scrambled eggs and green onions) and lots and lots of fresh fruit. My favorite dessert is mango sticky rice which is sweet and sticky and delicious! We have been staying at some really nice hotels and going to great restaurants. Make sure you check out the rest of my blogs. I miss you Max and can't wait to share my stories with you....almost forgot to tell you something. When I returned to my room after dinner and went into the bathroom to wash my hands, the cutes little froggy was hanging out in my sink. I carefully trapped it into a glass and then released it onto the terrace.
DeleteHi Mrs. Verra.
ReplyDeleteIn Thailand, do most people travel by cars, or some other transportation? How many cars are on the roads there compared to America?
-Grant McNamara
Hi Grant...thanks for your great question! The majority of young adults travel by scooter or motorbike. People do not wear helmets here but the Thais are some of the most polite drivers I have ever seen...nothing at all like the craziness of New York City or Beijing, China drivers! There are a lot of Japanese cars on the road because TOYOTA has a bunch of big factories here. In the cities there are taxis (in the capital city they are hot pink) and there are also "yuk-tuks" which are three-wheeled vehicles that go really fast.
DeleteHow is the weather like in Thailand?
ReplyDeleteMax, the weather is super hot here. We are drinking at least 6-8 bottles of water . The Thai people take a few baths a day because it is so hot. I am enjoying the heat though because I know in a few days I will be back in New England where it is quite chilly and snowy
DeleteHi Ms.Verra I was wondering who were the first people to settle in Thailand and what year did they settle it
ReplyDeletei was wondering what is the population of Thailand and what is the population density of Thailand
ReplyDeleteHi Robby, the population of Thailand is 66 million people. To find the population density the best thing to do would be to go on Google Image and type in "Population Density of Thailand 2013" and hopefully a nice map will pop up for you.
DeleteHi Mrs. Verra!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you are having a great time in Thailand, and I was wondering,
I remember how you said that the protesters in Thailand who wore red were supporting the prime minister, but the people wearing yellow were against her. But, does that almost "color code" apply for other articles that you might have like hats,bags, ect.?
Hi Sophie,
DeleteNo, the red or yellow color only applies to the shirt you wear. We had to reroute the roads we were driving on the other day because protestors, who are rice farmers shut down a major road leading into Bangkok because the government is in flux and the farmers have not been paid their share of the money for the exportation of rice. The protests have continued in the capital city as well but it has to affected the majority of Thai people in the city. Our tour guide's brother is one of the organizers of the protest movement so we get updated information daily.
Hi Mrs. Verra,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are having fun on your trip to Thailand! I was wondering how the protests were going. Are they better or even worse so far?
Hi Molly. Thank you for your comment and concern. The farmers in the countryside are mad that the government have not paid them the money owed to them for their rice so there is now protesting out of the city as well but it has not affected us very much. We were visiting a school today and there was an English language newspaper in the library. There was an article about how the farmers wanted to shut down the roads to the airport which would have been an issue for us since we fly out tomorrow morning. But we arrived at our hotel near the airport a few hours ago and all looked good. Our tour guide is on the side of the protestors and has been able to explain the issues much more clearly to me so I will be talking about it in class when I see you in a few days. Thanks for your question. I have had an AMAZING time in Thailand and can't wait to show you and the other Hillers my pictures and things that I collected along the way to add to our classroom country museum. See you soon!
ReplyDeleteTim palczynski
ReplyDeletehi ms. Verra i was wondering if you have seen the Wat Pho in Bangkok?
Hi Tim. We have visited many Wats (Temples) throughout Bankok and the country. I do not recall a temple with that short of a name. Would have it been in the Summer Palace or Grand Palace? I have lots of great pictures and information to share with you when I show my pictures in a slideshow when I return. We also got to go to a few temple ruins from the 1700's. See you very soon Tim....long flights home today! Thank you for your email
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