Building a cultural community

On a quiet stretch of land in Hallsville, Kirk Ouk watches from a distance as about a hundred people – men and women dressed in their regal best – sit in a field on colorful reed mats, all clasping a flower in their hands, which are held together as if in prayer. The silence is a stark contrast to the laughter that was heard just moments before. Now, the ear discerns only the chanting of the monk standing at the head of the group.