Letter #40

12-March-1951

pp.166-172

ME and TSU tv ceremonies at the shrine that they visit to exorcise their bad business

ME bought big candles and many food

they split and gave some to the poor

TSU thinking aloe abt the poor and how some of them is sick and handicap and some is just poor

Then they watch chinese opera abt the Three Kingdom

then TSU talks abt opera children how they ccant return home cz they can barely speak THAI since they grew up with the chinese opera company so they end up marrying other opera players

These people fascinate TSU, he calls them opera troops. TSU gets to speak to one of them and they are really friendly. Most of them emigrated from China in hope of finding a new career but stuck as an opera actor. Many opera troops are family. They run their bussiness in a family oriented way.

Finances are administered by the eldest male and everyone shares according to their position. Even baby get candy money.

TSU thinks that this structure is very sensible

Back to reality, TSU is kinda that there are many physical deformities a human could have.

At the fair or ceremony, TSU saw lots of things : lepers, handicap, dwarf baby with a large coconut head. He pities them but called them “poor monsters“

Suddenly a dude just came up and say “They are professional“ he says that they used to be farmers but when they gave birth to a deformed baby they are not sad, they choose to beg cz its easier to make a living out of pity.

Mui Eng and TSU paid their money to watch a show performed by the cripple and TSU is ashamed.

TSU calls it a “Freak show“

He says that the man who is hosting or in charge of this has no good intention and only wants profit and its sickening

Whenever TSU tries to have a good time, he is always reminded of the evil and depressing things and thats why he cant seem to enjoy stuff

They left the freak show cz TSU couldnt handle it and he persuaded ME by going to the Chinese opera

actors are mostly female unless its a warrior then its a men