Songran

Songran – aka. Thai New Year, aka. If You Go Outside, You are Asking to Die, aka. Why I haven't gone out of my house during daylight for the past week, nor added to the blog.

Take this photo for instance, you might think that you're safe riding down the street in a school bus, but noooooo there are trash cans filled with water and about 10 people on every block with buckets ready to douse you as you drive by.


Or maybe you're posing for a photo-nope still not safe.


Or maybe you think, oh nooo, I'm operating a motor vehicle during a rainstorm, why would you throw a bucket of water at my face? Still not safe. (and don't forget the velocity factor of driving and having water thrown at you - feels like lead).

Kelly and I went with some students to help wash the school bus during Songran. Fun for numerous reasons:

1. They start off with buckets of water on the psychedelic school bus to throw at children along the side of the streets.

2. The people outside weren't worried about getting the inside of the vehicle wet.


3. You got to see children cower and duck in fear as we drove by.


4. After you do a drive-by-dousing they smile and wave at you.


5. You would think that being inside would keep you relatively dry. Nope.


6. We drove the bus into a river during a rain storm to wash it. Isn't it Ironic?


7. But a little convenient too. All one motion, just bend and splash. While we were at the creek, three other parties showed to wash their trucks, cars and even motorcycles-so we gathered that it must be a well known spot to car wash. (click to enlarge and see it in action)

Since it was the New Year Holiday all of the volunteers got together for a nice dinner out. Right after we ordered, a mini hurricane whipped thru Mae Sai. Its not usually so rainy this early during the year, April and May are hottest months, then June-October is the high rain season. But oddly enough, its rained some everyday for the last week.

Dinner was stopped, and the lights were turned off, as to avoid causing an electrical fire from all the water blowing through the restaurant. We all turn around and watch the rain and the wind. So we're looking out at the street, and I'm looking at all the water that's collected on the side of the road and quickly flowing away, then in typical Beky fashion I shout: "Ha Ha there goes some one's helmet! Oh wait, that's MY helmet!" (notice the water is almost up to the car's bumper.) It had blown off my bike seat, where I had placed it as to try and keep the seat dry.


Here's my retrieved helmet with two pieces of hail on display.


Next day...As part of Songran festivities they have a small parade showing off their beauty queens.


Day two of Songran was celebrated in a town two hours away- Chiang Saen. We were waiting for a pickup truck taxi to come down the road, but got impatient and decided to try our luck hitchhiking with some fellow celebrators. Here we are from left to right: me-hitchiker #1, Pilar-hitchhiker #2, truck rider #1, truck rider #2, truck rider #3, inside truck rider #1, truck rider #4, inside truck rider #2, Kelly-hitchhiker #3, and Jamie-hitchhiker #4, and not pictured: Carole-hitchhiker #5. And yes all the truck riders and hitchhikers fit into the back of the pickup truck behind us. whew. and please note how wet we all are. And if you would like to note Jamie's leg wounds acquired from the previous day's Songran + motorcycle driving accidents


Now you observant ones might have noticed the odd packaging I was sporting in the previous photo. Here it is in detail. Yep its me plus baby, aka -my overnight clothes disguised as a baby to avoid getting buckets of ice water poured over my head while you're walking down the street.


Carol actually thought of the idea. The day before we were brainstorming together "Who does NOT get doused during Songran". The following people- monks, old grandmas, pregnant ladies, and ladies with babies. Thus the idea was born, and Carol and I were the proud mothers of a bouncing bundle of clothes. Worked pretty well. Only one person walked up and poured some ice water down my back.


Once in Chiang Saen we spent all afternoon sitting at an outdoor cafe/restaurant eating and drying off, while watching people get doused, and people dousing others. This was a typical scene that afternoon- pickup trucks and farm vehicles filled to the brim with wet people with buckets and buckets of water.