The Best Waterfight on Earth!!!!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Songkran is here. What is it you say.....here is a definition.....
The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. Thais roam the streets with containers of water or water guns (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc), or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends and neighbors.
So yesterday, from about 9-5, the streets were packed with Thai people and foreigners celebrating the Thai new year, or Songkran. It was, to say the least, the best day ever. We walked up our street down Naklua (about six km I would guess) and there was not a break in site of people soaking each other, wiping powder of each others faces, and wishing each other a happy new year. Waterguns, pails, buckets, shooting tubes, and whatever else could be used to throw water was used, and it was awesome. Also the government chipped in with trucks of water on the sides of the roads so that you could refill as much as you needed. The cool thing about this day is that there was no difference between people, we were all celebrating as one. Both Thais and foreigners, middle class and lower class, children and adults, we were all in the celebration as equals, and what a day it was. Jasmine and I bought water guns and gave them to two little children who didn't have any. The little girl I gave mine too had an expression of pure delight as she recieved her new present. She filled it up with water, looked at me with a smile, then blasted me right in the face with a stream of water. It was so funny. The pic above and the video below do not justice to how fun a day this was in Thailand. Happy Songkran everyone!
Here is a video I made of it....hope you enjoy.
