The Giant Swing and Wat Suthat

Posted by Miles , Friday, May 7, 2010 2:37 PM

The Giant Swing and Wat Suthat
Bangkok, Thailand

Together with my sister, we went to see the famous giant swing in Bangkok, Thailand on the 10th day of  December 2009.  A very tall structure situated right in the middle of the roads accessible to public vehicles.  Adjacent to the Giant Swing structure is the Wat Suthat.  We went inside the Wat Suthat and took off our shoes when we entered the Thai people's known sacred place of worship.

A GLIMPSE TO THEIR HISTORY

RAMA I, the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, reigned between 1782 and 1809 period.  He ordered the construction of Wat Suthat just right after his coronation.  RAMA I walked barefoot while bringing the temple's main Buddha bronze image to Bangkok through the river from Sukothai and was said to have been exhausted all throughout the procession as he staggered his way into the temple Suthat afterwards.  A seven-day festivity was then ordered and declared by RAMA I upon the arrival of the bronze image at the temple.

Wat Suthat was continued by RAMA II during his reign (1809 to 1824) but was completed during the reign of RAMA III (1824-1851).

The Giant Swing was designed under the reign of RAMA II for the sole purpose of celebrating and thanking the god Shiva for the bountiful rice harvest and for still future blessings.  The rice minister in the company of Brahman court astrologers would normally lead the parade across the city walls to Wat Suthat's vicinity.  Groups of men would then ride the swing on the arcs as high as 82 feet afloating the air while holding a bag of silver coins with their teeth.  But because of a notably recorded injuries and deaths incidences, the dangerous swing ceremony were discontinued  although the thanksgiving ceremony was still observed in the middle of December of the year 1932 after the rice harvest.  The huge teak arch in red color presently found in the middle of the road is all that remains of an original giant swing. 

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Mother's Day

Posted by Miles , Thursday, May 6, 2010 10:40 AM

As Wikipedia would put it, "the modern Mother's Day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world."  And I can personally attest to that.  I stayed, lived and worked in Thailand for 2 years and 8 months and witnessed that Thai people celebrated Mother's Day on the 12th day of August (declared as a public holiday) in accord to the birthday of their current beloved queen, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.  To Thai people, the mere presence and lifestyle of their queen is the very essence and symbolism of true motherhood: selfless devotion and tireless care to her people.

And yes, that makes sense to me.  The true hero of all times is the mother - our respective mothers.  We always expect them to care and tend to all of our daily (both usual and special) needs and wants.  But how often have we thanked them for such tremendous devotion, love and spirit of volunteerism they gave to their family - to us?  Let us take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to our loving mothers.


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO MY MOTHER! MAY YOU HAVE ABUNDANCE OF BLESSINGS IN ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE!!

Happy mother's day to all mothers across all countries and continents.

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Lakawon Island Resort

Posted by Miles , Wednesday, May 5, 2010 8:06 PM

LAKAWON
Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, Philippines


I had an awesome 2 days and 1 night stay at Lakawon Island Resort together with my family.  The very minute I set foot on the island, I felt serenity and calmness around it. 
Unlike Boracay, this island is very much accessible to all Negrense.  One can just simply take a busride from Bacolod City to Cadiz City for as low as 35pesos, then take a tricycle from Mantissa Crossing to Lakawon port for 20 pesos, pay a baranggay entrance fee of 5 pesos and a boatride of 150 pesos.  See?? Very affordable, isn't it?  You should try spending a night there, too.  The food that the resort provides is not of a commercial quality but of a homestyle-like cooked food.  My tummy was full.  It was a lovely scenery. 

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31st Pasalamat Festival

Posted by Miles , Sunday, May 2, 2010 10:00 PM

01 - 02 May 2010 Pasalamat Festival
La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, Philippines

I enjoyed my first visit to La Carlota in relation to their 31st Pasalamat Festival.  Colorful Dance Parades presented per tribe followed by their respective muses on floats.  Farm Products and Handicrafts were also showcased at the fair...not to mention their very affordable price at an exceptional quality.

Fun, fun, fun!!! That's all you can expect when you are at a festivity such as Pasalamat Festival. Thank you, La Carlota for making my first visit a memorable experience!!

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The Ruins

Posted by Miles , Sunday, March 28, 2010 10:00 AM

THE RUINS
Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines

The inscriptions read as follows, "The Structure of the mansion of the sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson (1865-1948) is of Italianate architecture with neo-Romanesque columns."

"In New England, they often were homes to ship's captains with shell-like crowns around the top of the mansion. It is believed that the father of Maria Braga, who was a captain of his own ship, had much influence in the design and architecture of the mansion. It was built after the death of Maria Braga (+1911) and became the residence of their unmarried children. It was the largest residential structure ever built at that time. The structure met its sad fate in the early part of World war II when the USAFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East), then guerilla fighters, burnt the mansion to prevent the Japanese forces from utilizing it as their headquarters or garrison. Despite the inferno that it underwent, bringing down the roof and the solid wooden floors, the structure has withstood the ravages of time mainly due to the oversized steel bars and the A-grade mixture of concrete used in its construction."

Here are 3 of the pictures I have taken around The Ruins:

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Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year

Posted by Miles , Sunday, February 14, 2010 8:00 PM


VALENTINE'S DAY
and
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Celebrated together in Bangkok, Thailand




Celebrating Valentine's Day in Central Bangkok, Thailand for the first time was really an exceptional experience.  I really invite everyone out there who's got the chance to visit Thailand, to make it a point to join the Thai people in celebrating the Special Day of the Hearts which is altogether celebrated with the Chinese New Year and thus, you can expect a really grand treat from them.

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Dusit Zoo Thailand

Posted by Miles , Sunday, January 17, 2010 8:00 PM

From Phra Nang Klao, Bangkasor, Nonthaburi, we took a free ride via bus number 18 to Dusit Zoo; although, normally, the bus fare was 7 baht per person.  We paid the required entrance fee and enjoyed the child and adult-friendly ambience of both people and animals.

Dusit Zoo is situated at Khao Din Park in Bangkok's Dusit Distric next to the Parliament House and Dusit Palace.  This zoo is the oldest zoo of the Kingdom of Thailand and was built by King Chulalongkorn, otherwise known as Rama V, being his private garden adjacent to the royal palace.  When the king died, the said garden had been unattended for years.  In 1938, Rama VIII or His Majesty Ananda Mahidol from the 2nd monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, gave this park to Bangkok City Municipality to be open as a public zoo in response to the request of the revolutionary government.  Rama VIII himself willingly donated deers and a number of various animals from the palace for public exhibition.  Bangkok City operated the zoo from 1938 to 1954 and has transferred its handling and governance of the zoo to the state Zoological Park Organization which is the same organization operating the Khao Khiao Open Zoo, Songkhla Zoo, Chiang Mai Zoo and Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo.

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