January 2024

Upgraded the toy vehicles of our kuman thong:

Ghostbusters Ekto 1 for Mongkut, diecut Mystery Machines for Channarong, and diecut Batmobiles for Tanet, Niran, Ukrit, Kittibun, and Daw.

Happy Birthday to Channarong, our second eldest kuman thong (2016)!

Daw's backpack arrives after a long wait. Now our two youngest kuman thong have backpacks too: a silver wolf's head for Kittibun and a lion's head for Daw.

Happy Birthday to our eldest kumanthong, Mongkut (2016)!

Kittibun's silver wolf backpack arrives.

From my exhibit titled Ambiguous (June 23 - 30, 2023):

Kumanthong Cabinet

Oil on board

15" x 12.5"

From my Artist's Notes:

 Kumanthong Cabinet is an actual cabinet that we have in our house. (As a matter of fact that is the foyer of our house.) It contains seven kumanthong from Thailand that I collected over the years. Five were purchased in Singapore and two by an acquaintance in Thailand, off the border of Malaysia.

Happy Birthday to my two, youngest kuman thong, Kittibun and Daw (2018)!

Happy Birthday, Tanet, Niran, and Ukrit (2017)!

Happy Birthday to our second eldest kuman thong, Channarong {2016)! He has consistently been guarding our home, protecting us from intruders, and punishing ill-wishers.

October 15, 2022

Happy Birthday to our eldest kuman thong, Mongkut! He assists me in directing the energy traffic in our house, home admin, and ensuring peaceful days and nights.

Happy Birthday to our two, youngest kuman thong, Kittibun and Daw (2018)!

Happy Birthday to our middle kuman thong Tanet, Niran, and Ukrit (2017)! 

Happy Birthday to our second eldest kuman thong, Channarong (2016)!

Happy Birthday to our eldest kuman thong, Mongkut (2016)!

Happy Birthday to our two youngest kuman thong, Kittibun and Daw!

Happy birthday to three of our seven kuman thong: Tanet, Niran, and Ukrit (2017)!

Happy Birthday to our eldest kuman thong, Mongkut (2016)!

Amazing how the boys have been with me for only a few years, yet I feel like they have been with us for decades.

Belated Happy Birthday to my two youngest kuman thong, Kittibun and Daw (2018)!

Happy Birthday to three of my seven kuman thong--Tanet, Niran, and Ukrit--whom I adopted in Singapore in 2017.

Tanet is my finance assistant, Niran ensures good health, and Ukrit develops and refines psychic abilities.

Happy Birthday, Kittibun and Daw!

Happy Birthday to my KT sons Tanet, Niran, and Ukrit, who came into my life on this day in 2017!

Ukrit's backpack

Niran's backpack

Tanet's backpack

Channarong's backpack

Mongkut's backpack

Happy Birthday to our second eldest kuman thong, Channarong!

Happy Birthday to my eldest kuman thong, Mongkut!

Backpacks For My Boys (Mongkut and Channarong)

Mongkut's backpack, a gift from my sister Sylvia a year or two ago

Channarong's backpack, which I ordered and which arrived last month.

Kittibun and Daw were made and blessed by Luang por (Lp) Cheam Wat Takong.

Friday, August 3, 2018

4:33 PM. Kittibun and Daw arrive. I introduced them to their brothers and left them with Mongkut to be oriented to the house. I am glad they arrived a week before the first day of Hungry Ghost Month (August 11).

Now I am foster father to seven Thai boys.

Friday, July 27, 2018

Caught the documentary Operation Thai Cave Rescue on Discovery last night. I was conducting a workshop in Singapore when all of that happened.


Saturday, July 28, 2018

The TV tuned itself to the documentary Operation Thai Cave Rescue on Discovery again. Must be a message from the two Thai kuman thong en route from Johor (after traveling from Wat Hat Yai Nai) to Cubao.


Sunday, July 29, 2018

Now the TV tuned itself to the Discovery documentary of the 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners.

The kuman thong have been wrapped in black since Wednesday, July 18, some 12 days now. They were brought from Thailand to Malaysia, where they were shipped to the Philippines after an unforeseen delay. Still waiting for them to arrive.

This evening E., who is in Thailand, bought me two, tiny kuman thong created by Luang por (Lp) Cheam Wat Takong. The boy with his right arm raised is Kittibun, who will help me in my creative writing projects. The boy with the lotus flower is Daw, who will help me in my painting projects.

The kuman thong will be sent to me on Saturday, after E. goes back to Malaysia.

Lp Cheam Wat Takong

Lp Cheam Wat Takong

Now W. and his wife are also into kuman thong. They purchased one that they fancied and enshrined it, but, that night, W.'s wife was unable to sleep and felt that an invisible entity kept poking her feet. As it turned out, the kuman thong has a companion kuman thong that they left at the dealer's house. They purchased it and enshrined it, and everything has been going very well ever since; the brothers are together again. Yesterday and today they sent me photos of their two kuman thong and the shrine they are in.

W. and his wife have been reading up a lot on kuman thong. They've also been visiting Thai amulet and talisman shops that offer kuman thong, but most of the kuman thong there, as B. said, are "factory-made".

An authentic kuman thong:

1) has an outer shell of metal (brass, bronze, or iron) rather than fiberglass, ceramic, resin, or plaster
2) contains, inside its base, magical and sacred, ritual objects
3) was fashioned by a Luang Por (LP [holy father]) or Ajarn (holy teacher)
4) has the LP's or Ajarn's signature and provenance information on its back or base.

In addition, you must be able to trace and read up on the LP or Ajarn, deceased or alive. Their data are usually on the Net.

It is the kuman thong who comes into your life, not the other way around. If you were not meant to have one, no amount of effort on your part will ever make it happen.

Happy Birthday Tanet, Niran, and Ukrit!

My Thai basketball team

Left to Right: Channarong ("Experienced Warrior"), Niran ("Everlasting"), Mongkut ("Crown"), Ukrit ("Supreme"), Tanet ("Rich Man")

Happy Birthday, Channarong!

Was about to buy a vigil candle for the kuman thong, but Mongkut led me away from them and brought me, instead, to the sales display of small lanterns and tea lights.

Bought a lantern and bamboo-scented tea lights.

Happy Birthday, Mongkut!

Do not expect to sense the presence of your kuman thong immediately after its enshrinment in your home. It will settle down, adapt to your house, the house routine, and your lifestyle for a period as long as one year. After that, you will begin to see and feel signs of its presence, and things will escalate from then on.

Kuman thong will keep you healthy and alive because they cannot bear having other people take care of them. If you have only one kuman thong devoted to generating prosperity and wealth, it is advisable to have another devoted to ensuring good health and longevity.

Your first, or eldest, kuman thong is always your general manager and assistant administrator.

Particular duties can be assigned to your succeeding kuman thong (if you decide to buy more) in order to free up your first from overwhelming responsibilities.

Kuman thong love tiny, toy cars because, on a symbolic level, the toy cars provide them mobility.

Kuman thong are to be treated like real children. Never take them to the bathroom or the bedroom. Do not have sex in their presence. Do not ask them to procure a lover for you.

No more than you would a real child or your own child.

If you have more than one kuman thong, always give deference to the eldest kuman thong, who oversees everything. If you are to thank a kuman thong whose designation is to heal someone and that person is healed, thank FIRST your eldest kuman thong AND THEN your healing kuman thong.

Back in the Philippines, I learned something the hard way. Kuman thong may still have residual negative energy carried over from their previous owners. Not surprisingly, many owners are eager to transfer their kuman thong to other buyers for a variety of reasons--the kuman thong brought not so good luck, the kuman thong had too many trickster habits, the kuman thong caused things to get broken in the house, et cetera.

In order to get rid of this energy, place a green apple (two apples if you have two to five as in my case) in front of the kuman thong on his or their shrine. Leave the green apples there. They will absorb the negative energy. When the green apples begin to rot, take them away, tie them inside a plastic bag, and throw them in the dust bin.

Arrived home from conducting my workshop Monday, June 5, 2017.

We now have a basketball team: Mongkut (Crown, Man With Crown), eldest; Channarong (Experienced Warrior, second to the eldest); Tanet (Rich Man), middle; Niran (Eternal), second to the youngest; and Ukrit (Supreme), youngest.

Ukrit's persona manifested as J., a Chinese boy who was in my Writing from The Heart workshop three years ago. I have yet to see how Tanet and Niran show me their personas as manifested in other people.

It occurred to me tonight that taking care of kuman thong has made me more patient with and generous to real children.

This afternoon I bought a small, plastic dollhouse and placed it in the toy village inside the small loggia. I know that Mongkut and Channarong have been using that space as a playground.

_Tai Magic_ Arrives

My sister Sylvia bought this book for me. Our eldest sister Lourdes and brother-in-law Maning arrived for a vacation here last Saturday, and Lourdes gave it to me.

It's a good reference. I like that Thai magic and magical practices were never veneered with structured religions, unlike others, especially those in the West.

Last night my Friends List finally hit 5,000, and I can no longer receive Friend Requests. There is one particular Friend from Ukraine whom I have been frequently messaging with. We established, over two weeks, such a deep friendship that both of us are very sure we meet in dreams, on the astral plane, or knew each other well in one or more previous lifetimes.

It think it is a sign that the Russian or Eastern European boy inside Channarong has finally moved on. I have received signs from both Mongkut and Channarong to go ahead and acquire our third kuman thong. I will do this pending the completion of a portion of the house that we recently began renovating.

_The Thai Occult_ Arrives

The book The Thai Occult arrived today, along with other goodies, from my sister Sylvia in Sydney. Sylvia ordered a copy for herself as well. I cannot wait to read it tonight.

Placed chocolates and candies at the kuman thong shrine.

Each copy of the ghost edition comes with a real ghost. It is inscribed with gold leaf by the author himself on the inside cover of each book. Of course, no two ghosts are the same.

How the shrine looks like as of Christmas Eve, 2016.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Tonight my sister Sylvia ordered a copy of The Thai Occult by Jenx for me, all the way from Sydney. I hope she got herself a copy as well, because it has a section on kuman thong.

I also hope she got me a Ghost Edition.

The granddaughters and J. went to Pampanga to visit Ivy's grave. I was home alone and able to do a lot of work on the ground floor: disposed of an old computer table and moved my elder son Nelson's old study table in its place, did some cleaning, and moved a hanging file on wheels and a stack of papers to the writing room.

This morning Mongkut and Channarong indicated to me that the banishing candles I've been lighting on my writing desk should actually be lit on the floor of the small loggia, outside.

Z. arrived in the evening to deliver the shekere covered with pink and silver beads, denoting the warrior goddess. It is my tenth shekere and I value them. 

I cannot help but consider the small disasters that have been occurring, though. Yesterday the clear-glass, feng shui diamond fell and broke in two pieces while I was switching lamps; when I picked up the pieces a sharp edge cut through my finger and I bled a lot. Today, while Renel and I were moving the study table into my bedroom, the statuette of O. and two fancy pendants fell and broke on the floor. The message seems to be for me to dispose of unused and broken items.

This evening Jaymark also sent me a Messenger message saying that he would come and pick up his clothes--their shanty is scheduled to be demolished and his family is moving to a faraway place. I am taking this as a sign that the boy-spirit in Mongkut has moved on, and will soon be replaced by another. (My, that was fast, like three months!)

In the meantime more Russians are signing up to my account.

Yesterday and today, more friends from Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia.

Typical candy offerings. I buy them at D.'s store. The chocolate coins, though, were tucked in by W. when he shipped Mongkut to me.

More friends from Russia, Ukraine, and Armenia.

Channarong is the spirit of a little Russian boy. He likes it here because of the food and things to play with. After he moves on, another little Russian boy will take his place.

Over the past three days approximately 200 friends were Added to my facebook account, and my blog readership also increased. They are mostly from Russia and Ukraine, two places I have previously found difficulty obtaining friends from. Wondering if this is connected in any way to the arrival of Channarong and, if so, what it means.

Second day of construction work in the studio.

Bought two little bags of candies for Mongkut and Channarong.

I have been lighting joss sticks faithfully in the morning and in the evening, not only at the kuman thong shrine but at our Chinese altar and our ancestral altar as well.

Jaymark bought himself some candies at D.'s store this evening.

I neglected to buy some for Mongkut and Channarong, but will make it a point to do so tomorrow.

Construction commenced today. M. and two workers arrived. We cleared the studio of furniture, easels, canvas stash, and other stuff. A third of the studio will be converted to dormitory space for M.'s cafe's waiters and staff members, who work in two shifts.

The delivery of materials came very late in the afternoon, and so, not much work was done.

Our house changes its configuration at least once a year. It renews and changes the flow of energy within and without--and actually prevents astral visitors from finding their way around and becoming too familiar with the place.

Yesterday, Monday, there were two special things that Mongkut and Channarong did for me.

Last night Jaymark sent me a Messenger message saying that he would be staying in beginning today. He arrived at noon today with a plastic bag containing his clothes. I have a suspicion that he cannot get along well with his stepfather, whom he once referred to as abusive.

Tonight I said good night to two kuman thong instead of one.

Now that Channarong is part of our family, I feel safer whenever my children and grandchildren are out and not yet home.

Lit joss sticks in the early afternoon and in the evening.

Waiting for A. to deliver the Enterbay 1/4 Way of the Dragon Bruce Lee action figure. Quite strange. After Mongkut arrived, A. delivered the Enterbay 75th Anniversary 1/6 Game of Death Bruce Lee action figure.

There must be a connection between B.L. figures and the kuman thong figures.

This afternoon Cerefina was lying peacefully at the foot of the shrine, as she did the day Mongkut arrived.

Jaymark reported for work a little past noon today, a Saturday. Possibly a sign that Channarong is coming today.

Channarong arrived, indeed, 2:00 PM. Introduced him to Mongkut and enshrined him beside Mongkut. Quite a miracle--Channarong fits inside the glass cabinet--I don't have to enshrine him separately after all. Gave him his own pair of Chinese parent-guardians. Freshened the water at both the kuman thong shrine and the ancestral altar.

Gave Channarong a dwarf coconut token and a crystal ball.

We now have a warrior son!

This afternoon I had a fruit soda at D.'s and bought Mongkut a bag of assorted candies.

The provenance of Channarong is attributed to Arjan (also Archan, meaning, "Teacher") Villathep (also Veeratep). Allegedly, only 30 images were produced.

W. now informs me via Messenger that the image is approximately two feet, which won't fit inside the present shrine. I might have to look for another shrine.

Long ago I decided that the name of my second kuman thong would be Channarong, which means "Experienced Warrior".

I should wait and see but, thinking aloud now, I wonder if Channarong will have an external manifestation as Mongkut externally manifests as Jaymark.

This afternoon, on the blog Siam and Beyond, I read that a typical kuman thong statuette "depict(s) a young boy in traditional Ayutthaya era attire. Kuman has his hair done up in a little topknot and will often be holding a small sack of gold."

I borrowed this photo from Lee, and also sent it to my sister Sylvia:

Attuning to the second kuman thong. It is in its double-box. W. packed it in one box, which went inside the box the shipping company packed it in. With lots of bubble wrap. W. and the company took care that the metal would not shatter in transit.

According to W. this one is really heavy. He had to get off his bike and tote the bag containing the kuman thong in his arms like a real child after he bought it.

Unlike Mongkut, I sense no fear in my second kuman thong. He is an experienced warrior. He does not fear the dark and the enclosed space he is in. He seems to know where he is being brought--W. most probably told him or he must have heard W. conversing with the packers--and is waiting it out patiently.

I've been reminding Mongkut that his brother is on his way here, and that he won't be so lonely with a brother for company.

Sometimes Jaymark buys candy at D.'s store. I take it as a cue that Mongkut wants some sweets, but Jaymark has no clue about that.

Wednesday, November 30, Bonifacio Day. Went to Farmers Market with Jaymark. The banks are closed because it is a national holiday. Changed some USD and sent a moneygram to W. for my second kuman thong. I now feel that it is completely mine, now that I have paid for it.

I had a dream about Thai magic last night, but I did not bother to record it upon waking. I remember only snatches of it.

The Dream:

The dream is set in the old apartment I lived in 30 years ago. I am in the kitchen, which, in this dream, has a door that leds to my bedroom.

Lee is in this dream. She shows me a catalogue of talismanic objects from Chiang Mai. I am deciding between two miniature, male figures that seem to be made of clay. I feel that Lee will sell me only one figure and will give me a hard time before allowing me to buy it. I am therefore most delighted to see that she leaves me a bilao to which both figures are fastened. I am getting both after all. I stand on the bilao, but I don't know why I do that.

Then, my sister Sylvia is in the dream. I tell her about the talismanic objects that I am buying.

My Interpretation:

There are bridges between the dream images/events and things that happened in my waking life.

Lee has been elusive. I ordered a kuman thong from her but she has been very unresponsive about it.

Yesterday my sister Sylvia showed me photos of a kuman thong she was planning to buy for herself on-line.

Last night W. sent me photos showing that he'd already bought the second kuman thong I wanted and was shipping it to me.

The night of the dream W. sent me a photo of the shipping receipt.

There are two male figures in the dream representing Mongkut and my prospective, new, kuman thong.

Bought sweets for Mongkut at D.'s store last night, and placed them on his shrine. All sweets are inside a translucent, plastic bag.

Yesterday, Saturday, November 26, 2016, W. sent me photos of the second kuman thong I asked him to buy for me. It's a blue, "vampire-teeth" kuman thong. He will keep his brother Mongkut company, and will be in charge of protecting our home and our family. Yes, we need a warrior to keep us safe.

Mongkut knows that I aim to eventually have five kuman thong.

Awaiting the shipment and W.'s costing for everything.

Earlier tonight at dinner I discovered that Angelique, Aubrey, and J. don't like Turkish Delight candy (the commercial, chocolate-covered jellies, not the real Turkish Delight from Turkey).

I ate those and gave them Hershey's chocolate chip cookies for dessert instead.

I intuited that Mongkut doesn't like the chocolate-covered jellies too.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016. Sylvia and Rey visited from Sydney, Australia. Lots of goodies, and candies among them. Gave some to Mongkut.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016. Lunch out with my sisters and Australia folks. We were scheduled to leave the compound 11:00 AM. Jaymark usually arrives later than that, and I thought that I would have to leave him behind. He arrived 10:48 AM, however, and was able to join us for lunch. I believe that Mongkut made this possible.

I am now very certain that Mongkut made Jaymark his external manifestation.

This morning Mongkut reminded me to light joss sticks and his paraffin oil lamp.

This afternoon, I received good news from W. The second kuman thong will be mine November 26, and Mongkut will have a brother.

Mongkut asked me to make certain changes at his shrine today:

1. Hang our electric, faux-Moroccan lamp in front of the shrine. I remembered later that the lamp was made in Thailand.
2. Place the paraffin oil lamp on a red saucer and stow away the antique, clay, lamp stand I'd initially placed it on.
3. Turn on either the electric lamp or light the paraffin oil lamp, but not do both at the same time.
4. A message for me came in: Do not accept former students back into the house.

I've been lighting joss sticks at the shrine upon waking up in the morning.

No response from W. about a prospective, second kuman thong to welcome into our home and be Mongkut's brother. That one is super expensive.

This evening, however, a lady from Thailand who sells kuman thong sent me an unexpected message.

Waiting to see which kuman thong becomes available first.

Lighting the paraffin oil lamp and joss sticks at Mongkut's shrine has now become a comfortable habit.

I was worried all night last night because of a missing ring, a brass copy of an original in my possession, the original being an antique, sterling silver with a single, black star sapphire cabochon from Afganistan. When I turned 60 I had several copies of these made with colored, faceted, crystal stones, to give away to relatives, close friends, and fellow artists.

I discovered that the brass ring was missing only yesterday evening. Early this morning I asked Mongkut to help me get the ring back. I lit the paraffin oil lamp at his shrine. When I retired to my bedroom, I heard his voice, very clearly, in my mind: "Father, wear the ring." I understood him to mean the original, silver ring, which I slipped unto my finger.

Half an hour later the missing brass ring turned up.  

Today I conducted a Spirit Quest at a house in BF Paranaque. I conversed the with elemental king of a bamboo grove in the back yard of the house. The grove is a wonderful kingdom, and the family are fortunate to have it there.

The Bamboo King had messages for the woman of the house and her four sons. They were messages that had to do with fatherhood and sonhood, and I could not help but reflect, upon arriving home, that there could also have been a message regarding my relationship with Mongkut.

I promised Mongkut that I would get him a brother this month, and so I ordered another kuman thong. Am still awaiting word from the seller. I still feel that I will end up with five. I note from other kuman thong owners that they have sets of nine and twelve, but that number is quite high for me.

Went to the opening of Kanade Yagi's exhibit at Artery Art Space, across the street. Her work was inspired by Filipino sculptor Guillermo Tolentino's mysticism.

Nice meet-up with old friends.

Rushed home to have dinner with Aubrey and Jaymark. Angelique is still at university and will be eating out.

Mongkut asked me to give two bags of candy and two Kinder Joy eggs to Jaymark to take home to his little sister.

Mongkut asked for a second Kinder Joy egg today.

Monday, October 31, 2016. Halloween.

Moved Mongkut's shrine to the east side of the house, in front of my writing desk. I'd initially placed it on the west side of the house though had his image facing east, beside our family columbarium, so that Mongkut could join us for meals and other celebrations. I decided last night, however, that I should place the shrine where I can see Mongkut more frequently. He is now in my writing room, adjacent to my captain's cabin bedroom, so that I can see him whenever I go in and out of both rooms.

Mongkut wants to give the candy I offered him to Jaymark, for his little sister.

A change in energy. Jaymark has adjusted to the house. He no longer needs close supervision when working, and he exhibits initiative. He even looks different, for some reason. His face is more open, and he appears to be serene. I brought him to the family dentist today, then bought medication for him at a pharmacy. Apparently he'd been neglecting an infected tooth for some time. When we arrived home, Mike Luy was having a late lunch and an early dinner at M.'s cafe. I sat with him and had a root beer. Mike brought a bottled candle to be lit for Ivy on our altar on All Souls Day. He also brought me a ceramic jack-o-lantern with a set of tea candles for Halloween.

A lot of things went right today, but I can't say that it was a perfect day.

I've seen photos in which the adoptive parents of kuman thong placed toy cars on their shrines. I have never been partial to real cars or toy carts, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy Mongkut a toy car if he wants one.

Tonight, while watching TV in M.'s cafe over a root beer, I saw a commercial for Kinder Joy eggs and discovered that each egg contains a part of a toy car. The parts can be collected and afterward assembled. Apparently I need to buy three eggs and hope that they contain no duplicates but all of the parts that can complete one toy car.

Some time ago  I asked four people to try and get me someone who could help around the house. I wasn't expecting any quick response from them. Yet, Grace, who used to work for my father in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, sent me her 16-year-old grandnephew, Jaymark. I've been teaching him how to maintain the house and cook dishes. So far, so good.

I considered the possibility that Mongkut sent me Jaymark. I look beyond the tangible whenever I can. Is Jaymark what Mongkut would have looked like as a boy? Is Mongkut 16 years old to date? Do Mongkut and Jaymark share the same personality and the same preferences?

Intrigued by the Thai word "katha", which means "power word/s" or "power prayer", pretty much what "oracion" means in Philippine magic.

In Tagalog, "katha" literally means "authored work" or "original work".

Done with my first-ever offering ritual to the kuman thong. All of it took no more than five minutes. I feel light and peaceful, as though a great burden has been taken away from me, and as though my day has become complete.

I recited the general katha and the katha before offering food. I am now thinking of translating all these to Tagalog, and perhaps composing new ones, maybe three or five months from now.

Saturday, Offering Day

Lit joss sticks in all burners on the ground floor. Lit the altar table lamps and the lamp at Mongkut's shrine. These will remain lit the entire day.

Bought a packet of three each of three assorted candies in a plastic sack at the convenience store next door.

Lunch with Aubrey.

Resting before doing the actual offering.

Traditionally the offering to a kuman thong is done early in the morning before everyone takes breakfast. Of late, though, I have been sleeping 5:00 AM and rising 11:00 AM. I do not wish to be a slave obsessive-compulsively following rituals to the letter; I will only be miserable and resent what I am doing in the long run, and that is the last thing I want to happen. I believe that the right way to do rituals is to incorporate everything in one's personal rhythm, that is why I have always preferred to be an individual practitioner rather than part of a group. That way one merges smoothly with his/her environment, with one's magic, and ultimately with the cosmos.

This evening at dinner I introduced my granddaughters to Mongkut. I explained what a kuman thong is and how to take care of it. I asked them to take care of Mongkut should anything happen to me. I don't want the kuman thong to be mistaken for one of my figurines and then sold, given away, or disposed of in some other manner.

Aubrey was impressed that I gave Mongkut a Kinder Joy egg.