My shoes have been stolen! (Living in the Temple, No. 5)
Everyone knows that the temple has thieves that are difficult to catch. Rarely can you catch one. But then we hand out punishment like a good beating on his bugger and force him to leave the temple. No, we do not file a declaration; that is a waste of time for the police. But he does not enter the temple anymore.
The guys here are a mix of good and evil. If we chase one away, another will come back… The reason is poverty, and for some, stealing is a habit. Most boys come from poor families and what they can spare at home is barely enough to get by. Some can cut down on food but most cannot.
Then they try to steal something here and there to borrow in the pawn shop. Especially clothes when they are hanging to dry on the washing line and many boys go there to wait for the clothes to dry. Yet it happens that soaking wet laundry disappears… I haven't lost anything yet, although I occasionally leave the door of my room open. But there are those who ran out of clothes and then how do you go to school?
Then comes Kasem…
He enters my room looking sad. Kasem, the 'lucky one' that means, comes to ask if he can borrow a pair of shoes. "Where are your shoes then?" 'Get it, go ahead! And they stank in the wind for an hour but the thief took them away.' he says angrily.
"Has more been stolen?" "No, just shoes." 'Strange…' 'No, because they were in the hallway.' 'Well, you know they steal like the ravens here. You must also put them in your room.' 'But, those filthy old rags? Who could possibly think that someone is stealing it?' Kasem shakes his head uncomprehendingly.
“When they're that old, what are you worried about? Buy some new…' I suggest. 'Yes, but I don't have money until the end of the month. How am I supposed to get money now? That's why I go to my friends. I have a test at school today and I can't go without shoes.'
'Take these' and I hand him some of my old rags. They fit him perfectly. "You'll get them back at the end of the month," he says, a little embarrassed at the situation.
New ones! Or not?
Then he brings them back. "Have you already bought new ones?" I ask him. 'Uh…well um…I found them….' "And who stole them?" 'No one. Damn Klahan used them to throw at those bastards. He came to tell me himself. Look, the dogs have chewed on them, but they're not broken.'
"Buy a new one," I insist. 'No, not at all. You have to polish new shoes and I don't like doing that. Moreover, worn-out shoes are not stolen that often. I just have to put them in my room or the goddamned Klahan is going to throw them at the bastards again…”
Living in the Temple; adaptation of stories from the last century. In addition to monks and novices, studying teenage boys from poor families live in the temple. They have their own room but depend on money from home or a snack for their food. On holidays and when schools are closed, they eat with monks and novices. The "I" person is a teenager who lives in the temple.
I experienced it in Myanmar. Stepdaughter came along, but she wanted new shoes for that. No, not cheap shoes, but expensive shoes. Because why would you buy cheap shoes if they can also be expensive? They cost me 1000 baht.
In a temple in Myanmar, the shoes had to be taken off the old-fashioned way again. But there were wooden cabinets with compartments. So we put all our shoes in there. There even seemed to be security, an elderly lady. Back from the temple visit, stepdaughter noticed in dismay that her shoes were missing. The other cheap shoes were still there. The thieves had seen that only her shoes were worth anything.
She couldn't go on without shoes. So buy new shoes anyway, but now the cheap version: 200 baht.
It's a different style but I like it/good. HG.
Recognizable story, just not in the temple here, but in the internet shop that the family had for a while years ago.
There was always a mountain of footwear in front of the door, often the same version as the brown school shoes, but also the better private versions.
Several times a week where my shoes were often accidentally changed, sometimes brutal theft, the better brands were regularly sold privately with the excuse of 'theft', after all, someone must be to blame or have paid and that was of course not the user.
The sale of second-hand shoes along the railway line is still very active.
I live on big feet, size 47 and have never been stolen.
Jan,
i think size 47 is not available in thailand..
I thought I saw this in a shopping mall in Bangkok .
Once lost, I am curious how you will continue your journey / stay.
spare pair at ?
Indeed spare pair is ready. Buy my shoes in the Netherlands
My new slippers were also once stolen at the entrance of a temple.
Nowadays old plug-in shoes.