The Periodic Cameo Blog with your pal, Nick Watt

I’d like to start by thanking Lisa for letting me cameo in her Thai blog. We can all agree, her blogging is wonderful and I couldn’t be happier that she has so many readers. That being said, I feel it’s necessary to have a second opinion on our amazing experiences in Thailand from time to time. So, here’s my crack at it..

At last, we are completely moved in to our final apartment in Thailand. I honestly can’t recall the how many living arrangements we’ve had over here. Ballpark figure? Nine. Also, we’ve started full-time teaching. Well, it’s not completely full-time; just summer school, so our Monday to Friday is a simple 7:30-Noon with the new school year starting on May 16^th.  I’m pretty sure Lisa’s already brought all that good stuff up, so I’ll jump into our newest adventure: The Songkran Festival.

It’s Thailand’s new year, and celebrated with ample supplies of water and grey clay. To join in on the festivities we visited a popular area in Bangkok for tourists from all over the world, along with thousands of Thais, of course. Almost everyone participating is armed with some form of water gun. If you find ice-cold water for loading, use it. Cold water reigns supreme in most battles. Those unarmed should be holding a small pail filled with the grey clay. The basic routine is: you shoot them with water, they smile and walk over to you while covering their fingers with the clay, then they wipe it anywhere on your face while saying either, “Happy New Year!” or “Thank you, sorry!” The oceans of water used by everyone celebrating represent the washing away of the year’s sins, and all that good stuff. The clay used in the event is a sort of a “spin-off” of the holy clay used by the Monks to bless Buddhists with good luck. So, with three full days of non-stop face smearing and water drenching I should be pretty set for the New Year, 2554.

The festival was better than I thought it would be. In fact, it was spectacular! The Thai people are overly gracious and light-hearted, and their hospitality towards foreigners is remarkable. Regardless of the obvious translation gap, it’s very easy to tell that they are filled with pride seeing so many walks of life joining in on their favorite religious ceremony. To sum it all up: I loved Songkran and I love Thailand. Happy New Year, Everyone!