Travels with Tricia

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Photo du Jour: A Novice Monk in Luang Prabang, Laos

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Tricia A. Mitchell

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In the Southeast Asian nation of Laos, it’s common for boys and young men to temporarily commit to monkhood, even if they do not remain in service for the rest of their lives. This custom brings a merit to both the novice monks and their families. As the elder monks do, the boys shave their heads and don the saffron robe. Shawn and I noticed that the monks tended to do so all on a set day.

During our travels through Laos, particularly in Luang Prabang, but also in Phonsavan and the capital city, Vientiane, we saw novice monks sporting cellular phones and MP3 players. It was an interesting example of tradition coming face to face with modernity.

Where in the World?

Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.

Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar

About the author

Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.

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21 responses to “Photo du Jour: A Novice Monk in Luang Prabang, Laos”

  1. Madhu Avatar
    Madhu

    What an adorable little boy :-)

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Hello Madhu, and nice to hear from you! Busy weeks here…

      The saffron robe gives him a rather serious air, but he does have quite a photogenic and delicate face!

      Reply
  2. Rachael Avatar
    Rachael

    That is a lovely portrait. He looks so serious.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      I agree, Rachael – he looks quite wise beyond his years. :)

      It must be a bit sad that the Olympics are over now. How many events did you make it to, in all? How exciting for you and your family!

      Reply
  3. travelerlynne Avatar
    travelerlynne

    We also noticed the monks’ attachments to cell phones, etc.Apparently it isn’t considered a distraction. This young fellow looks so serious.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Hi Lynne – I was initially surprised that the novice monks had such technology in hand! Did you get a chance to attend the early-morning almsgiving procession in Luang Prabang? If you did, I’d be curious to hear what your experience was like. In my reply to Jo below, I expressed how disappointing it was to see the ‘paparazzi tourists’ at work, especially since there were so many signs around the city explaining dos and dont’s relative to the almsgiving tradition.

      Reply
      1. travelerlynne Avatar
        travelerlynne

        We did attend the almsgiving procession and I was quite absorbed watching the entire process. I would hate to see this tradition come to an end. rhttp://onthegowithlynne.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/luang-prabang-laos-buddhist-monks-alms-giving-procession/

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  5. rigmover Avatar
    rigmover

    Great capture, he still has more hair than me.

    Reply
    1. fotograffer Avatar
      fotograffer

      Rigmover, is that envy or jealously?:))

      Reply
    2. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Thanks and smiles, Ron and Mark. :)

      Reply
  6. Travelbunny Avatar
    Travelbunny

    What a solemn face…

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      The expression on his face makes one wonder what is on his mind… Was he reflecting upon his studies, perhaps missing family that is far away? It’s so fascinating to learn about different cultures. I wish I’d had more time to converse with him.

      Reply
  7. restlessjo Avatar
    restlessjo

    And don’t they make stunning photos, Tricia!

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Indeed they do make stunning subjects! To risk acting like the paparazzi, I tried to keep my snaps of them to a minimum, though. :)

      If you’ve been to Luang Prabang, Laos, and observed the early-morning almsgiving procession, you’ll probably remember how invasive some photographers/tourists were with the monks. It was quite sad to see this spiritual procession marred by insensitive tourists. Apparently, there’s even been talk of stopping the tradition.

      Reply
  8. Arindam Avatar
    Arindam

    Beautiful picture. There is some kind of seriousness in his eyes. Great portrait.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Thank you so much, Arindam, and it’s a pleasure to connect! I look forward to seeing more of your work.

      Reply
  9. In Search of Perfect Avatar
    In Search of Perfect

    Hi Tricia,

    your blog, your photos and your travels inspire me, so I nominated you for an award here:

    http://insearchofperfect.com/2012/08/19/how-stella-got-her-groove-back/

    Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us!

    Yulia

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Yulia,

      How very kind of you; I’m really flattered to be recognized for something that I enjoy doing so much. Thank you. And, I congratulate you on your new career path too!

      Until next time,
      Trish

      Reply
  10. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    Thanks for the follow. This post reminds me of the time I was teaching English in a Buddhist Uni in Chang Mai. The Laotian monks were my favourite pupils, so friendly and outgoing, more so than the Thais, (its a cultural thing about teachers I think). Anyway one of the monks, a real sweetie did a rehearsed dialogue with me in front of the class but I found it really difficult to concentrate ‘cos he was extremely effeminate and was wearing blue eye shadow and blusher. The juxtaposition with the saffron robe just seemed so odd. I loved teaching there, entertained some of them in our home, took day trips out of the city with them and was heart broken when we had to move on. Looking forward to getting to know you better!

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Karen, I’m happy we connected!

      I loved reading your animated anecdotes. How long did you teach English in Southeast Asia? We visited a few English classes in Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia, and enjoyed meeting the monks in the Cambodian classes. None with blue eye shadow and blusher though. :)

      In hindsight, I wish we’d ventured to Chiang Mai. After the calm we experienced in Bali, I guess we were overwhelmed by the bustling nature of Bangkok and yearned to move on to calmer destinations (Cambodia, Laos). Next time!

      Reply