Just another temple fair

Youngster at a temple fair

A temple close to us is holding a fund-raising fair. I know they are raising funds, because that's what temples do. Apart from that, I could hear a monk babbling through a loud-speaker about the need to support the temple.

The temple is five minutes' walk from my place, on a side of the market which I seldom visit.

The other day, I bumped into a teenager who lives locally, and who I used to meet with his friends near the canal which runs through the market.

He and his school friends gathered there to smoke, gossip, and drink.

They stopped going a few weeks ago, probably because the police shoo-ed them away.

My friend is 15, goes to the local school, and is gay. 'Are you going to the temple fair?' he asked, when we saw each other on the street.

My friend had just bought himself an ice-cream. He offered me a lick. I said no. I walked with him back to his new hide-out these days - a small, dark, sinister looking email shop, popular with teens.

Last night when I visited the roof of my condo to look at the stars, I noticed a slowly-turning Ferris wheel off to my right where the temple sits, and heard the monk babbling into his loudspeaker. Ah, the temple fair!

It was already 11.30pm, but thought I may as well pay a visit.

Wat Klang, our local temple

First, I went back to the condo. 'Wat Klang temple is having a fair. Would you like to come with me?' I asked.

I already knew what the answer would be.

'No, I am busy making brownies,' said Maiyuu.

I went alone, which is my lot around this place, as the boyfriend seldom does anything with me outside home, as everyone on this blog must know by now.

I last visited a local temple fair two years ago, with a kathoey who used to live around here.

That visit opened my eyes to the potential weirdness of temple fairs.

When I arrived, stallholders who lined the main routes inside the temple were packing up for the night.

They sold snacks, desserts, clothes and knick-knacks which you can find almost anywhere else in Bangkok.

The convenience of a temple fair is that everyone is gathered in the one place. If you pass enough stalls you might find something you like.

Some stalls sold tiny fish in buckets. Stallholders and their children were trying to catch them in cups, before bagging them and taking them home.

Thai fair-goers stared at me. I kept a smile on my face as I walked around the place. I had never been inside this temple, and often wondered what it looked like.

It took me 10 minutes to walk past all the stalls.

At one, a gay youngster in his teens was selling perfume. He wore a white T-shirt, noticed me, and started stretching himself to show of his body. On my way out of the place, I made sure I passed him again. This time, he was chatting on the telephone.

I saw few gays, or if they were gay, they were so firmly locked in their own worlds that outsiders could but watch.

I didn't like the look of anything on offer, so bought nothing. Ten minutes later, I walked home.

A youngster outside the temple carried a whistle in his mouth. He was directing traffic, and looking over visitors' motorcycles. 

His wore his jeans in the loose, baggy style.

On my way in, I had looked at him admiringly. On my way out, I barely gave him a second look, as I had had my fill of strange Thais for one night.