Thursday 15 April 2010

Happy New Year...(again!)

We've had the Western New Year and Chinese Year...now it's time for Thai New Year - Songkran!

This is one of the most interesting festivals in Thailand for foreigners, aside from all the deeper meaning (which is pretty much, as Christmas in the UK, hidden beneath the commercial and social aspect of the festival these days).

During these 3 days, you basically have 3 options:

1) Set up camp at the side of the road with a hose, water pistols or big tank of water (or all 3!) and throw water at passers by. Buy and mix up some lovely greyish paste to plaster on people's faces as they walk past (a sign of blessing...)

2) Get together with your mates and spend the days driving round in a pick up truck, with a big tank of water and water pistols and soak unsuspecting people on the roads, pedestrians, people on motorbikes etc.

3) Pretend the festival is not happening and try to get on with normal life without getting wet.

Last year I went out and played - and it was fun! This year however, I thought I would go for the the third option and try to avoid getting wet....it didn't work. This is what happened when Heather and I 'popped out' to find some food at lunchtime: