Speaking about Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday, I completely forgot to mention the infamous **Jatukarm Amulets**! These lil, seemingly unobtrusive discy thangs are taking over Thailand, one neck at a time. Originally conceived by a coppa from Nakhon 20 years ago, who has since departed this world, the craze has gone beyond all reason. Previous to about a year ago, they were merely just another Buddha image to have in the car, on the mantle, perhaps around your neck concealed under a shirt.... well today these little suckers are EVERYWHERE being shown off loud and proud. You surely can not be considered Thai if you don't own a Jatukarm Amulet.
The bigger the better. The more the better. People will be in awe of you for wearing 68 amulets around your neck so you have to force the grin through your back pain. Think "my car is my penis extension" type thing and you'll have an idea of where this is going. Think I'm just kidding? Behold - the largest penis in Thailand...oops, that is, the largest collector that shows how much Buddha really means to his spiritual growth...apparently wearing 1000 amulets.This dude is not alone. In my own little nondescript village we have more of these special people than you can poke a stick at. This one
here is the leader (pu yai ban) of the village next to mine. He is shite hot and anyone who thinks diffently...booyah! He has finesse, grace, style and that belt buckle does strange things to me (I've never seen him not wear this get up!). And from reading this on the com, you just can not appreciate the cowboy swagger (the walk of someone just getting off an obese cow after riding it aall night) ..oh what it does to the lay-dies. The funny thing about Mr T Booyah is that about a year ago he was shot at (as in a gun to his face) and the bullet missed him from practically point blank range. Stranger tidings was that I
was attending the local footy match when a shot rang out followed by Mr T absolutely piss bolting across the field (half time so it didn't affect the match, thank goodness) in a lightning streak, leaving everyone wondering if they had in fact witnessed it (think bionic man or the road runner running). Not that I like to gossip but to fill in the blank he (40+) hooked up with a senior school girl and her parents were pretty pissed about it...do.do.doo anyhooo. This little episode obviously convinced the larger population that to be doused in Jatukarms really and truly wuly saves your life. Irrefutable evidence. Bullets just bounce off you!Did I succumb to the Jatu song you ask....ermm, I did indeedy. How could I possibly pass up a 100 baht (A$3.50) Jati in a plastic box?! Looks just like the one at the top..my pride and joy, too bad it's not 15 times larger so I could fit in with the crowd...
If you want to know the history of the Jatukarm check out this web site
3 commentaramas:
LOL Mel - Those bloody things are everywhere (and yes Chris and I have succumbed too). My fav story was in that newspaper famed for it's great Journalism 'The Pattaya Mail'. Apparently there was a guy who had decided to stop his truck on a railway crossing (not at the railway crossing ON the railway crossing) and he was then astonished that his truck was hit by a train (I know who would have thought eh). Anyway, both the blokey and his wife survived and he claimed it was because he was wearing a huge f**k off Jatukarm (there was even a pic of the grinning eejit holding up his Jatukarm).
Honestly.....If it actually works The Darwin Awards may be a thing of the past - god help us all!!
C x
My boyfriend's family have a business selling them and the mark up is huge! Guess people will pay silly prices if they have faith it's going to work.
C - how could you not, I mean really! I forgot to mention we saw one for
60 000 baht! That is just obscene! How funny about the rail dude! So have to believe it living here!
Rach - that's the whole point of why the industry's taken off..sooo much money to be made off people's faith..quite sad really. Apparently they're made of all sorts of stuff including babies bones! eww, disturbing!
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