The happenings of Friday April 11, 2025 until Saturday April 12, 2025 in Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand
Our first day in Thailand was the Friday before Passover. The boys did minimal schoolwork and then we put them right on screens. Chaim had to work and I was stressing about getting ready for Pesach/Passover before Shabbat started. Everything in our villa needed to be kashered for Pesach, which also meant I needed to figure out where to go and what to buy so we had everything we needed for the chag/holiday. Sadly, we could not kasher our camping pot and pan for Pesach. And so, in storage they went.
I walked to Chabad just before noon. The heat and sun were so intense that the globs of sunscreen I put on that morning couldn’t prevent me from burning. Also, I was so sweaty. To most people this would have felt gross and terrible. However, I felt like I was being given a warm hug from Houston, where I grew up. Except for sunscreen getting in my eyes and slipper hands, I basked in the oppressive heat and humidity. At least in the beginning…
While walking, I passed a scooter rental along the way. I’d always wanted to rent one and never had the opportunity. So, I rented one for the first time ever. The lady renting them out was slightly terrified when she found out it was my first time. To be fair, I, too, was slightly terrified. After a few laps up and down the side street, I got the hang of it… for the most part. The hardest part was putting the parking brake up and down because it requires lifting the whole scooter. And, well… there might have been those few times when I almost flew off a road into a ravine because the turn was just at the crest of a steep hill and tight.
Gratefully, I’m still here to tell the tale!
Zooming around town on my new scooter, I picked up provisions from the local Chabad and a large open store that functions as the “Costco” in the area – selling pots, pans, and incredibly delicious fruit and vegetables. Finally, I stopped at the 7/11 that had pasteurized milk and bug spray. It took three excursions there and back on the scooter to get everything needed to set us up for Shabbat and Pesach. I kashered the kitchen in record time, whipped up food for starving children, and finally returned the scooter before walking back to our new, temporary, home. By the time Shabbat started, I was exhausted and oh, so glad it was here.
That night we walked to Chabad, which was hopping! As was true in India and Vietnam, most of our fellow Chabad goers were Israeli backpackers. There were also several families and singles who had moved to Koh Pha Ngan for a break from everything going on in Israel. There was a small swing set and playground for the kids to play on and numerous children to play with. The boys loved the ruach - loud, proud Jewish singing and great vibes. The food was good, too.
Our walk home took us along dark roads without a single light to guide the way. Thankfully, it was almost a full moon and no one drives that fast on the island.
The next morning we slept in and enjoyed a relaxing start to our day with games and imaginary play. We had assumed that lunch would be around noon, forgetting that some Jews make a point of eating chametz/leavened bread before the cutoff time the morning of the first seder night. When we arrived at Chabad, we quickly realized that we’d completely missed lunch, which they hosted at 10AM. This miscalculation was a real problem for our kids. I had bought our food provisions based on the plan to eat at Chabad for almost every meal through the end of the first set of yom tovim (holidays that have Sabbath-level related restrictions). We walked home hungry and a bit deflated.
The day was hot and humid. When we returned home, the boys jumped straight into the villa complex pool with their clothing on.
At home, all we had was fruit, a few small kosher l’Pesach/kosher for Passover snacks, and matzah. Matzah we couldn’t have yet because Pesach hadn’t technically started. The boys ate a ton of fruit and some snacks while Chaim and I essentially fasted. Thankfully, the boys felt full enough before seder from the hodgepodge of snacks and fruit.
With nothing else to do that day, the boys jumped back in the pool, this time with their bathing suits on, when there was more shade on the pool.
Finally, it was time to return to Chabad for first night seder. Oh. My. Goodness. We did not realize just how big seder is in Koh Pha Ngan. Later, we found out there were 1200 people for seder! It was hard for our family to acclimate. The mass of people was overwhelming.
It was hard to hear, hard to follow, we were hungry, tired, and overwhelmed. Amazingly, Matanel fell asleep after Kadesh/the opening part of the seder. We were busy second guessing our choice to be there when the Chabad shluchim/emissaries connected with some of the Israeli backpackers and the ruach kicked in. The excitement was palpable.
Amichai and Eitan joined for Ma Nishtana/The Four Questions at the Rabbi’s table with twenty other children. Every time there was a song to sing the boys stood on their chairs or danced with the backpackers and other children. They also asked great questions that we couldn’t answer due to the noise and cacophony. Alas, I can’t remember any of them now.
Matanel woke up for Karpas/blessing on the green vegetable. At some point we tried having a semi-independent seder, which sort of worked.
Jews living in Israel keep one day of yom tov. As Jews living outside of Israel, we keep two days of yom tov when not in Israel. This tradition harkens back to a time when identifying the first day of a new month involved communicating via fire messages. Although it isn’t an issue anymore – because modern technology allows us to map out the calendar dates for the next infinite years, many diaspora Jews continue with this tradition as a reminder that we live in the diaspora. Many Israelis don’t keep a second night, even when not in Israel.
As we fell into bed, well past midnight, we wondered how many people would join for seder on the second night. Would it be just as chaotic and overwhelming, or small and familiar?
