Happy New Year!...Let's get wet!!! Are you ready?

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Four more days to go and Thai will celebrate their traditional new year and Hatyai City will be "watery"!...Actually, what I'm talking here is about Songkran which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for 3 days. It is also known as the "Water Festival" as people believe that water will wash away bad luck. At this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival. Thus, when the time come, Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted city.

During this time Thais pay homage to Buddha images, clean their houses, and sprinkle water on their elders in a show of respect. Anyone who ventures out on the streets is likely to get a thorough dousing of water, all in good fun, but also quite welcome at the peak of the hot season.

http://thaijournal.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/songkran-1.jpg

http://thedailyexplorer.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/37-songkran-2.jpg

Last year, some of our Filipino friends went out on the back of pick-up trucks armed with buckets of water and water guns. Others stationed themselves on strategic intersections in order to douse motorcyclists and passersby. It's truly fun but I have never participated nor dared to venture the street during this time. I felt not safe to venture the street during this time. It's good if you'll only get wet...you'll get "powdered" too with that "icy, cool" effect...grrrrrrrrr...I'll be terribly shaking with cold! Also, I don't want to experience what my friend had experienced before. A black, big man approached her, poured water unto her, powdered her cheek while pinching her cheek and dared to touched her breast! How dare him to do that!!!! He abused the celebration.

I'm not ready to get wet. I rather stay at home with my baby and just watched the celebration on TV.

http://www.pattayamail.com/769/pictures/f5-celebrates-Songkran-1.jpg

On Sunday, we'll be doing what was shown above. We'll sprinkle water over the hands of the elderly in our church to show respect to them. The water is scented with jasmine or rose.