Strange Things Lao/Thai People Do On Their Birthday
My mind is a bit clogged up today, as I was sitting here thinking about a good topic to write, then I received a phone call from my GI Joe sister, she’d normally call me, to tell me about her son, or about her business, which me on the other end would only listen and say, ‘Yes, Uhuh…’. She calls me because I’m a good listener, never once did I disagree with her.
Our conversation started with, more like her telling me, ‘I think I told you last week that I called the Thai TV and got connected.’ I vaguely remember the conversation, and of her telling me that, so I said ‘Yes you did, it was that channel about the horoscope or something like that.’
She said, ‘Yes, I was so surprised that I got connected, and had to turn the TV down low, I was only able to ask the lady 2 questions.’ She paused to catch her breath then continued, ‘I started to ask her about my son, and she told me that he is doing great, and that my husband date of birth helps to enhance his career, but on his birthday, for him to release 8 fish for good luck.’
I’m still saying ‘Yes, Uhuh….Uhuh….that’s great….really?…..Wow’
She continued, ‘I told him to go buy 8 fish and to release them in the lake or the ocean, but he has to make sure that the types of fish that he’s buying is for the right types of water that he’s releasing the fish into, otherwise instead of Tum Boun (good deed), then it’d be Tum Barp (commit sin).’
I though for a moment, because I remember hearing a news similar to this where a boy took a turtle from the zoo, and released it in the wrong types of water, the turtle died, but the boy didn’t know, he thought he was doing a good deed and helped to set the turtle free; then I said, ‘That makes sense, where would he buy these fish?’
She said, ‘They sell them in Chinatown, or any pet store’, I keep thinking to myself, such a waste of money, in the back of my mind, I’m still thinking about the topic to write for LP.
Then I thought of something, it wouldn’t hurt for me to ask, I said ‘If he doesn’t have any place to release his fish, he can buy them at Pet Smarts and come to releasing them in my pond’.
Surprisingly she likes the idea, she went on and said ‘That’s great, you know my birthday is coming up also, and they told me to release 17 fish, plus 43 snails, and my husband has to release 17 fish.’
I pause for a moment, I keep thinking to myself, I already have 6 coi fish and 12 comets, and if her son is releasing 8 next week, and her 17 next month, and her husband 17 the following month, and not counting the 43 snails on top of that, I’m not sure if my pond can handle that.
There were a long pause on the line, she obviously waiting for my reply, which didn’t take me that long to decide, I told her ‘I think it’d work, the fish and snails should be very happy in my pond’
She said, ‘Wow, why didn’t I think of that before, see we are Tum Boun together, we’ll be releasing the fish for good luck, and you’ll help taking care of them.’
I’m not sure if that’s a smart move on my part or not, but since her family is Tum Boun, I couldn’t decline on the offer, for I have nothing to loose….Kor Hai Jouh Parp Jung Ja Lern (May her family be prosperous)
I’m not sure what’s going to happen next year or the year after…Do I need a bigger pond?
Better hurry up and send me your Meal submission as time is running out. 
You have to get a bigger pond. Maybe you can extend your land by buying a piece of land from your neighbor.
Last year I saw on Thai TV a commercial about donating money to a charity on your birthday. I found that idea to be very noble.
I don't like to make fuss on my birthdays and often told my friends and family members to donate the money that they would give to me on my BD to a charity of my choice. Of course most don't like the idea and said I deserve to spend the money to buy nice things, like clothes or shoes.
When asked for what I want for my birthday I always asked for a simple birthday card or a plant or flower in a pot. I understand that people want to make a big deal for me and sometimes I don't make a fuss and take the money and donate it later myself.
People to plant a tree on their birthday. It’s a simple way to give back to mother nature.
Hi Darly, that land is not for sale, and I think if it is, he wants an arm and a leg for it, I can’t afford to give that up yet, I still have to write blogs and other stuffs.
What I find noble is that some Thai people (not known of any Laotian practicing this yet) would host a luncheon at the children’s home, or the nursing home, I think it’s a nice gesture, they spend their time and money.
My GI Joe sister has gone to Wat (temple) in the past to Tum Boun. Back in Laos/Thailand, some people would get up early for morning Alms (tuk badt), then the monks would give them blessing.
Some would buy birds and releasing them, symbolically to set a life free, therefore to extend your own life, but you have to be careful as to where you buy these birds because some of theme are given addictive substances and they’d fly back to their original owner, wanting more of that stuff, and they’d be selling them same birds the next day, and so forth. You can’t even trust the ones that stand in front of the Wat (temple) selling it.
What an amusing story to read. I guess your sister would have many good merits for all the fishes she's releasing. This sounds like a much believed customs for some people in Thai-Lao culture. I can see many Americans looking confused or bewildered about this subject. I say, all you need to bring in good fortune (whether it's your birthday or not) is to believe that you are a lucky and deserving person. The rest will fall into place.
Hi Salat, my sisters are a bit strange, there’s only one that I officially referred to as ‘My Crazy Sister’, and she is not this one, you’d have thought she is. My GI Joe sister is crazy about fortune teller, if I tell her that Salat is a great fortune teller, you can’t hide, she’ll hunt you down, and she’ll be there in a flash. She forgets to live life sometimes because she’s too busy trying to find out when is her next fortune, afraid that she might miss it, by doing this, I think she’s wasting her time, when she could be making her own fortune. Releasing the fish symbolized that you’re saving a life, or many lives because of reproduction process of fish, and therefore you will live longer…that’s just a common belief amongst Lao/Thai people. American people would say ‘Duh!’
[...] and she got them from the man on the Thai TV that she watched, the same man that told her about the releasing of fish on her birthday. She has to treat them as if they were alive and as her pet; which means that she has to pat them [...]