Five Months, Four New Years, and a Little Holiday Called Song Kran

Me, Catherine, Cristabel and Oivinn - Soaking wet

Thai New Year, also called Song Kran, but really known as the Water Festival, is potentially the weirdest celebration I have ever attended. For an entire week, Song Kran involves everyone in town, piled into the back of pickup trucks, drinking beer, inching down the street, while throwing water on passersby and everyone else who is piled into the backs of their pickup trucks, drinking beer and inching down the street who are throwing water on them. It is a time to pay homage to Buddhist images, clean house, meet girls. Historically, the "sprinkling" of water on the elders is to wish the receiver good luck and blessings in the new year. Perhaps it started out that way. These days, it's an all out free-for-all that bears some resemblance to a water park/club scene where major streets are blocked off for public partying to a degree that is certainly illegal in the US - and where anyone has permission to soak down anyone else with a Super Soaker. Any medium for transferring water is acceptable - buckets, as stated, garbage cans, water guns, hoses. Everyone participates, and, surprisingly everyone has fun. It would never work at home. Oh, can you imagine the lawsuits, the scantily-clad women, the drunken brawls that would take place? It would not exactly be a family-friendly event.

A few quiet moments with Cristabel and The Great Gatsby before the water started

Day One started out - dry - peering around the corner and assessing my options. The two kids are currently hosing down the scared-looking white couple clutching tightly to a camera bag in a Ziplock. The middle-aged British guy who owns the hamburger restaurant has a bucket filled and ready to go. The old Thai lady on the corner is grinning ear-to-ear, cheerfully spraying down a truck of people with the water gun that is as big as she is. I quickly decided there was no hope. I attempted to dart behind them all without being noticed. I made it around the malicious Brit with no problem, but the old lady and the kids saw me, and ambushed me with heavy artillery before I could devise my next evasive tactic. "Stop it!", I yelled. "I don't want to get wet!" Ha, you scoff. Your blogger exaggerates, perhaps. I can run fast, you inform me. It can't be that bad. Your plan is resistance, I ask? On the grounds of personal liberties, perhaps? Politely informing your would-be assailant with a gleam in his eyes and a overflowing water bucket in his hand that you prefer not to get your hair wet? Ha. You better just hope there is no ice in the bucket.

I was at first annoyed, feeling rather guilty for being so boring when everyone else was clearly having so much fun. I have decided that people all over the world can be divided into camps - those who like being splashed at the swimming pool, and those who don't. I am afraid I am in the latter. "Don't shoot me in my FACE", I hollered indignantly, to one particularly obnoxious shirtless white dude, who was having a blast reliving his frat days. "You don't even know what Song Kran IS!" I begged, ducked, evaded, grumbled until finally, dripping, aware that I could not possibly get ANY WETTER, decided that it was time to play. Grabbing a water gun, I began hosing down obnoxious frat boys, little old ladies, punk little kids. We hopped in the back of a truck, armed with small and heavy artillery, and for hours cruised the streets spraying down everyone spraying down us. I have never had more fun.

1. Cat getting attacked 2. Cat's retaliation

Riding in a tuk-tuk is the WORST for getting wet. Because traffic is just inching along, the tuk-tuk occupants are sitting ducks.

I would upload the really great video I shot of the whole water dousing event, but as COMMUNIST THAILAND HAS SHUT DOWN YouTube it appears that this will no longer be possible. Please, whoever made fun of the king - you've made your point, now TAKE IT DOWN!

Note to those still confused by the Title of this post: Karen New Year, Our New Year, Chinese New Year, and now, Thai New Year = 4. You're welcome.