This weekend in Thailand, it is Songkran, the Thai New Year and a time for happiness and extended holidays. The traditionalists, and maybe the older more reflective folks, give offerings at the temple, thanks and blessings to others. The New Year celebrations are about beauty, with cleansing, the house and the soul and spirit. Lots of flowers everywhere, jasmine garlands made and presented.
And cleansing is associated with water. In other parts of South East Asia, this is the time for the Water Festival and essentially in Thailand, water is at the centre of the expressions of Songkran.’
At the Office, the staff arranged a commemoration for us, not from Thailand, and experiencing our first Songkran. Solemn with heartfelt honouring of each other and light-hearted with the happiness of sharing.
A favourite sweet in Thailand is sticky rice with mango and a coconut sauce. Delish.
From Saturday to next Tuesday, the likelihood of being sprayed and splashed with water is 100% if you leave the dry comfort of your house. Last night driving to the grocery, the car was repeatedly hosed down and rained upon by young people, prepared with barrels of water.
And the toy retailers do grand business with water guns, coming in an array of styles, sizes and colours.
Otherwise, yesterday one of my colleagues took me to Ancient Siam, 30 minutes out of Bangkok. Ancient Siam is a re-creation of the glories of Thai architecture. and how splendid, how imaginative, wonderfully crafted, those buildings. And while amazed that someone had the vision to do this (one man from the private sector), you have to wonder at how much tradition has been lost in the thrust for high volume, western-style urbanisation. A globally common tale.
Anyways here are some pictures of Ancient Siam.
Happy Songkran! Looked like fun but still recognising the significance of their festival.
besos
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Beautiful Roberta,
Indeed a different experience.
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WOW!!! As you share your delight with all your wonderful experiences, you are also continuing our education in geography and history and a whole lot more. As you document and share various aspects of life in Asia, you are laying the foundation for another phase of your life, when you will have the time to write for wider distribution! Think about it and prepare for it by careful storage of your documents.
Love,
Auntie June
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Like Jeewan I thought of Holi/Phagwah. I will definitely read more about this. Love the buildings! Thanks for sharing.
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You look so serene. Thanks for sharing. Jan loved it and we are definitely going to try the mango dish, although neither of us knows how to prepare sticky rice. Continue to enjoy.
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Very enlightening. Experiencing your first Songkran. you look so beautiful and relaxed. love you.
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Amazing. I will get there
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Interesting stuff. Songkran appears to be very similar in concept and practice to Hindu festival Phagwah or Holi celebrated in Guyana and Trinidad and recently observed a week and a half ago. In Guyana, everyone is fair game for a wetting or a powdering.
Cheers.
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Yes, pretty much the same. water and powder. I went this evening after running to one of the main thoroughfares. But beat a hasty retreat in the face of the gleeful, water gun toting adolescents and young people.
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I totally enjoyed hearing/reading about this. Never heard about it before. Sounds lovely and makes me want to come and experience it myself.
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Oh yes, I saw the “water fights” on TV the other night! I wished I could have joined them! What exquisite buildings, like flowers… Thanks for the lovely photos.
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