One of the stranger experiences Julie and I had was at the Sunday market in Chiang Mai. Every Sunday evening, the main street in the old city is closed to traffic and filled with vendors of almost everything imaginable: silk, leather, clothing, carvings, food, massages …
It’s a noisy, crowded, active place.
Then all the locals stopped talking and stood still. The few of us foreigners standing there stopped and looked around, confused, and then I heard music being played over loudspeakers. It was the Thai national anthem, and everyone stopped out of respect.
As soon as it was over, it was as if someone had shouted, “Play ball!” and the Sunday market was back in full swing.
David Abbott says
I’ve observed this in the Philippines as well. The addition there is the rosary being prayed.