The Catwalk

This was some kind of promotional event at my university, Ramkhamhaeng.  Almost all of the garments were Thai silk.

Almost all.  I was invited to participate by my buddy, Ajan Wanida (that's her walking across the floor in the pink dress about half way through).  I don't own a silk shirt, so she told me to wear one of my Mahom shirts.  Mahom is a denim-like cotton fabric; it's very, very Thai but it's really just the opposite of a silk shirt.  The silk is what we call "high-so" over here, as in high-society.  Mahom is a farmers' shirt.   In my little Northern Town, almost everybody wears a Mahom shirt on Fridays.  The days have colors here, and Friday is blue.   Up there it's a worker solidarity thing, solidarity with the farmers and all of the salt-of-the-earth working people.  Everybody working at every bank; teachers and students at many schools; hotel and restaurant workers; most people join the fun.  The tradition goes back to the days when there were communists hiding out in the mountains, the early Seventies. 

I told another ajan that I know that it was perfect for me, because I am, after all, a man of the people.

No pictures of me on my camera.  Maybe next week, if I can bum a few from others.