Chiang Mai Sunday Market

January 3:
I have a memory that almost brings me to tears each time I think about it; a memory that makes me realize how many blessings we have and how very fortunate we are. A memory that makes my heart ache for so many who don’t enjoy our privileges, our freedoms, our rights.

The Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market was, overall, a wonderful experience. There were hundreds of vendors, each selling their wares for almost ridiculously low prices. The night was warm, the quality of the merchandise was good, and the vendors were friendly. There were no hassles and many “sawadeekaws” (hellos) and “copkoonkaw’s” (thank-yous).It was a shopper’s and a food taster’s paradise.

The oddity in this paradise was the number of blind people we saw singing in the streets for money. While it was difficult to know their age, many appeared to be in their 40s. Some sat hunched under a blanket, a microphone to their lips; others wandered slowly down the streets using their cane and the crowd of people to guide them along. Some with voices so beautiful one initially wondered if they were lip-syncing to recorded songs. All were blind, some with visible disfigurements.

I was curious and asked what this was about. The story goes that as young children these people were promising singers. Because of this, some had acid purposefully thrown on their eyes to make them blind. As blind children they were fully dependent on their perpetrators. They earned money by singing and begging; money that benefited the very monsters who crippled them.

Imagine as a young child not only losing your eyesight, but losing everything familiar. Imagine as an adult continuing to be dependent, needing to sing and beg for money on the streets. One can only wonder what their life has been like; it is hard to imagine that they have enjoyed any of the privileges, freedoms, rights or dignity that we take so much for granted. And all because they were born with a beautiful voice in a country unlike Canada.

While I saw many smiles at the Chiang Mai market none came from the blind singers; I wondered if they ever have anything to smile for. My heart weeps for them.