After
I've finished washing my elders' feet, it's time to trim the hair. I
sat down on a chair with my hands put together at the chest level, get
ready for the next step. Then all my elders, my relations and the older
people I know are starting to form a line. They are all going to take
turns to come and cut some of my hair. At the same time, they will also
give me a blessing for a prosperous future and also forgive me for all
the bad things I've done to them in the past.
Once
everyone had finished, it's time to shave all my hair off. My uncle wet
my head and put some shampoo on it while the monk standing in front of
me waiting is to shave my head!
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| My grandmother (mae yai)
is cutting some of my hair and putting it on the lotus leaf that my
friend, Ton, is holding next to me. All the hair in the lotus leaf will
be kept at home for three days before my grandmum floats it in the
river. About the reason of doing that, I am not so sure why. I've asked
my grandmum about it, she said that's how it's done since the old
times, even she doesn't have a clue. |
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| After
my elders and other relations have finished taking turns cutting my
hair. My uncle then comes to pour some water on my head and shampooed
it. He is getting my head ready, to make it easier, to shave. Now, here
comes a monk with a razor. It's show time! |
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| The
monk is shaving all my hair off with a razor. He actually did a pretty
good job and fast. But unfortunately, it seemd like he wasn't being so
careful because I got quite a few small cuts on my head!!! |
After
all the hair on my head had gone, it's time to come lower to the
eyebrows. Once he got them off, everyone started to queue up again.
They then took turns in pouring water over my head and body to wash out
all the hair, they also give me a blessing again. Finally, the end part
of the hair-shaving ceremony, some turmeric herbs crushed into powder
mixed with water are rubbed all over my head and body. The idea of
doing this is to wash away all the dirty things on my skin and make it
clean.
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Here goes all my eyebrows! There is no going back now!!!
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| My grandmother is holding my lovely daughter, Grace, while she's pouring some water over my head. |
Here comes some turmeric herbs crushed into powder mixed with water which is being place on my head. |
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After the powdered-herb was placed all over me, my dad and my relations
then start to rub harder and harder. They were doing it for about 3-5
minutes and then they washed the yellow herb out with the water. |
