1. Yuki Matsuda
TSEA: Period 7
October 5, 2009
Interview’s Reflection
I interviewed to Yaowarat Pattanaprasit (K. Mai) on October 2, 2009 at High School
Office. She is 43 years old and her job is high school counseling secretary. She is a Buddhist
and she prays to Buddha (god) every night before she goes to bed. She does not have spirit house
because in general, old generation have spirit house but she is young so instead she goes to
temple and put fruits in to the statue and then pray for god. When she prays, she takes the fruit
and brings it to home and eat it. Furthermore, she had an experience with a ghost. When she
comes back her house, she finds the shadow so she comes to near it reality, it was her shadow.
However, she never goes to an astrologer because she does not want to think her future, she just
wants to think now because she wants to enjoy her life. Lastly, she goes to a bai sri ceremony
when she enters the university and graduates the university. The main purpose is to welcome the
new students and celebrate of graduation.
She told me that it is important to pray for god because for Thai people, praying is one of
the old traditional customs. I did not know that how does Thai people believe in god but after
2. the interview, I learned that praying is important for Buddhist. I surprised that she does not want
to goes to an astrologer because I thought many Thai people wants to know their future so they
want to go. In Japan, many people pray at the shrine when the person wants to grant something
or believe something. The main difference is how often the person prays. Thai people pray to
god everyday however, Japanese prays sometimes. I feel the ghost is not scary because the ghost
always have same pattern like the shadow or sound so if I accustom it, I will not scar with ghost.
However, I believe in spirit because for example, when the person dead, the person will come
back in future because the person have feeling so if the person have feeling, person can reborn.
It is difficult to interview who I do not know the person but when I ask interview’s
questions, she explains politely so I feel relax. My strength point is listen to the interviewee’s
speaking because if she explains politely and I did not answer, she feels uncomfortable so I try to
listen her words carefully. I have to improve the follow up questions because I could ask some
follow up questions but some part, I could not ask follow up questions. I enjoyed the interview
because I could learn many Thai customs and religious activity so I want to learn more about
Thai culture.
