December 5, 2022 ASIA / PACIFIC THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 5 Monkeys in central Thailand city mark their day with feast By Tian Macleod Ji The Associated Press L OPBURI, Thailand — A meal fit for monkeys was served in late November at the annual Monkey Feast Festival in central Thailand. Amid the morning traffic, rows of monkey statues holding trays were lined up outside the compound of the Ancient Three Pagodas, while volunteers prepared food across the road for real monkeys — the symbol of Lopburi province, around 93 miles north of Bangkok. Throngs of macaque monkeys ran around, at times fighting with each other, while the crowds of visitors and locals grew. As the carefully prepared feast was brought toward the temple, the ravenous creatures began to pounce and were soon devouring the largely vegetarian spread. While the entertainment value of the festival is high, organizers are quick to point out that it is not just monkey business. “This monkey feast festival is a successful event that helps promote Lopburi’s tourism among international tourists every year,” said Yongyuth Kitwatanusont, the festival’s founder. “Previously, there were around 300 monkeys in Lopburi before increasing to nearly 4,000 nowadays. But Lopburi is known as a monkey city, which means monkeys and people can live in harmony.” Such harmony could be seen in the lack of shyness exhibited by the monkeys, which climbed on to visitors, vehicles, and lampposts. At times the curious animals looked beyond the abundant feast and took an interest in other items. “There was a monkey on my back as I was trying to take a selfie. He grabbed the sunglasses right off my face and ran ... to the top of a lamppost and was trying to eat them for a while,” said Ayisha Bhatt, an Connect w ith M iddle/Upper ͠Ά̥͖̳̊̊͠Ύ˼͠˟͋Ύ˼̭͋͠͠ School ͠Ά̥͖̳̊̊͠Ύ˼͠˟͋Ύ˼̭͋͠͠ Panelists INFORM ATION ͠Ά̥͖̳̊̊͠Ύ˼͠˟͋Ύ˼̭͋͠͠ EVENING W ED NESDAY JANUARY 4 • 7 PM Jª(0²׆Àׁׂن§ª0yÀ²ۋ²ÀÇ(0yÀ²ه §ª0ّjÀJª(0ׅن§ª0yÀ²ymæه oes.edu/ infoevening PRIMATE PARTY. Monkeys enjoy fruit during the annual Monkey Feast Festival in Lopburi province, Thailand, on November 27, 2022. As the carefully prepared feast was brought toward Ancient Three Pa- godas, the ravenous creatures began to pounce and were soon devouring the largely vegetarian spread. (AP Photo/Chalida EKvitthayavechnukul) English teacher from California working in Thailand. The delighted onlookers were largely undeterred by the risk of petty theft, although some were content to exercise caution. “We have to take care with them, better leave them to it. Not too near is better,” said Carlos Rodway, a tourist from Cadiz, Spain, having previously been unceremoniously treated as a climbing frame by one audacious monkey. The festival is an annual tradition in Lopburi, the provincial capital, and held as a way to show gratitude to the monkeys for bringing in tourism. This year’s theme is “monkeys feeding monkeys,” an antidote to previous years where monkey participation had decreased due to high numbers of tourists, which intimidated the animals. Department of Consumer & Business Services Oregon Division of Financial Regulation We are here to help with your financial services questions Have questions about a state chartered bank, looking for resources to get out of debt, or want to learn more about a financial services company or professional? We have a dedicated team of consumer advocates who can help free of charge. Call at 866-814-9710 (toll free). Additional resources • File a complaint Welcome Home! 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Now, Enjot is visiting his hospitalized loved ones and trying to rebuild his shattered life, one of thousands of Indonesians reeling from the disaster. “My life has suddenly changed,” said Enjot, 45, who goes by one name like many Indonesians. “I have to live with it from now on.” The epicenter of the quake was just south of Enjot’s hometown, Cianjur, about a three-hour drive from the capital, Jakarta. After getting a call from his daughter, Enjot hopped aboard his motorbike and raced home, arriving within a few minutes to see his neighborhood flattened. “Men, women, and children cried while people who were trapped in the collapsed houses were screaming for help,” he recalled. “I saw terrible devastation and heart-rending scenes.” His sister-in-law and her children, who were visiting from a nearby village, were among the more fortunate. Others heard their screams from the rubble and pulled them out. 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All products are subject to credit and property approval. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. Equal Housing Lender. PICKING UP THE PIECES. Earthquake survi- vors collect usable items from the ruins of their house in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, on November 22, 2022. The earthquake toppled buildings on Indone- sia’s densely populated main island, killing a number of people and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) with hundreds missing and injured, almost all in and around Cianjur. Like many other villagers, Enjot desperately dug through debris looking for survivors, and managed to rescue several. But blocked roads and damaged bridges meant that authorities weren’t able to bring in the heavy machinery needed to remove larger slabs of concrete and other rubble. Throughout the day, relatives wailed as they watched rescuers pull mud-caked bodies from the destroyed buildings, including one of Enjot’s nephews. Not far from Enjot’s home, an aftershock triggered a landslide that crashed onto the house of one of his relatives and buried seven people inside. Four were rescued, Continued on page 7 Subsidized and affordable Private Pay Rates Call or e-mail for more information: (360) 696-4375 or lori@koprc.com We offer options for a lunch meal, housekeeping and laundry. Centrally located in uptown Vancouver, WA Mark your calendar! The Year of the Rabbit begins January 22, 2023. Display advertising space reservations for our special Year of the Rabbit issue are due Monday, December 19 at 5:00pm. The Asian Reporter’s Lunar New Year special issue will be published on Monday, January 2, 2023.