Boun Ok Pansa / Loy Katong at Watlao Rockwall
I heard there was going to be a big celebration at Watlao Rockwall, TX. I grabbed my trusty Sony Cybershot digicam and quickly head over there. I got there around 2pm. There wasn’t anything much going on. Vendors were busy setting up their booth, dancers were rehearsing and the monks were making preparation around the temple.
I notice young monk carrying a pile of lumber wood on his shoulder walking toward me. It looks like he was just recently ordain. What struck me about the monk was that he was smoking. Yes, I kid you not. I guess no one told him about the precepts he has taken. Oh well.
We met a friend there. She just recently came back from Laos a week ago. She took 2 weeks off and went all over southern part of Laos. Sorry, I forgot to ask her if she have any pictures. She was too busy talking to my wife. Our friend was there to help her sister cook and sell stuff. Since she was so busy talking to my wife, I end up help out for long long time. But, I got free beer and food out of it. Not bad.
Click link below to see my photo album.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dallaslao/WatlaoRockwall?authkey=6HKDX5irGOI
Better hurry up and send me your Meal submission as time is running out. 
Thanks Dallas. Looks like they put a great deal of work into the temple. Usually we only hear about big event in the east coast or west coast. It’s good to know the Lao community in the mid west is active as well.
What were you cooking? Something fried to go with tum maak houng? It looks like a tum maak houng stand behind you.
Nice post Dallas, now we know what you look like.
She was selling Tam Mak Houng, Laos sausage, Fried Fish, beef on a stick, fried banana, Fried chicken gizzard and bunch of Thai and Laos desert. I don’t know the name of them. I was chopping up a squash for her. She is going to make a dessert. She sold a lot of stuff last night especially papaya salad. I think I peeled 15 papaya yesterday.
Thanks Dallas. Sometimes I wish I live near other Laotians. Have to wait till I get to Laos to eat all of the mentioned dishes. At least I had tum ruba for dinner tonight.
You are a good man… to be able to peel 15 papayas.
Also to answer your question from your photo gallery, the one about donating the money in exchange for 2 needles. They are sewing needles that you drop into the "Seem". It’s like an underground pit usually located under the reclining Buddha. People can drop gold, diamonds, jewelries, even strands of their hair too. Every temple is suppose to have one of these Seem.
I have dropped a few of these needles, gold and silver ones into the Seem. My mother said the needles represent "a sharp mind" in your next life. (And I asked here "why not in this life?" But that is a whole other topic.)
Well, I hope in between your papaya peeling, you were able to drop a few needles that day. And thanks for sharing the photos too.