I t’s a weird world
MOCK FUNERAL RESTORE FORTUNES In a temple on the outskirts of Bangkok, participants at a daily ritual clutch a bunch of flowers and lie down in a coffin with a sheet pulled over them as monks chant.
The Wat Bangna Nai temple in the Thai capital draws more than 100 people a day who choose to perform the ceremony in the hope it can improve their fortunes or give them a fresh start.
And for some at least, the pressures of life during the pandemic have made the ritual take on more importance.
“I have to admit that I’m stressed these days because I am earning less income because of the pandemic and I’m sure everyone here is feeling the same,” Nutsarang Sihard, a 52-year-old food stall owner, who took part in the ceremony, said.
Participants pay 100 baht (US$3,30) for the flowers, candles and clothing that are part of the ceremony.
They follow the instructions of the monks, by at first lying in a coffin with their heads facing to the west, the direction bodies may be buried, before switching sides to symbolise rebirth.
“I felt like I was reborn, came back to life again and became a new person,” Nutsarang said.
Another participant at the ceremony, Chonlathit Nimimenwai, 23, said she attended because a fortune teller told her that her life was in danger.
“It made me feel stressed. That’s why I’m here today because I want to feel better.”
Many temples in Thailand hold similar ceremonies and Prakru Prapath Waranukij, a monk who performed this ceremony, said that while the ritual had received some criticism online he felt it was important to ponder death.
“It reminds people that one day we will die, so we must be careful about the way we live our lives,” Prakru said. — Reuters. BERNIE SANDERS CROCHETED DOLL Tobey King used a little yarn, a crochet needle and some inspiration from Bernie Sanders to create a crocheted doll version of the Vermont senator and raise US$40 000 for charity.
After photographs began circulating on social media of Sanders wearing a parka and a pair of mittens at United States President Joe Biden’s inauguration, King sprang into action.
“On Inauguration Day, when I saw that that meme was trending, I said, ‘Oh, I’m going to go get that pattern, I’m going to modify it real quick to make it look like his inauguration outfit’,” King, 46, of Corpus Christi, Texas, said. “I made that in about seven hours.”
King later decided to sell the doll on eBay to benefit Meals on Wheels after a friend told her Sanders was selling sweatshirts with the meme to raise money for the charity.
“He is so down-to-earth and just really somebody that I admire for his goal of really trying just to help people. It’s very inspiring,” King said.
Bidders pounced, garnering a price of US$20 300, and eBay pitched in to match the sale price for a total of US$40 600.
King, whose husband lost his job to the Covid-19 pandemic, said she has been selling dolls to help her family make ends meet.
“We are all struggling in 2020,” she said. “For me ... the best thing to do is just start to try and help others. It really makes a difference.” — Reuters.