Songkran
is going strong, and it ain’t over yet.
It is the biggest holiday of the year.
Technically, it is a three-day festival starting on 13 April, the
traditional Thai New Year, but since two of the days fell on the weekend this year
they have extended the holiday to include Thursday the 12th and
Monday the 16th, making it a five-day weekend. Bangkok sees a mass exodus as people head
up-country to be with relatives in the provinces, as well as folks flying out
of the country to many places. The
highway lanes heading north were jammed Thursday and Friday. Our neighborhood is deserted.
The
roads are incredibly dangerous. Thailand’s
highways are recognized as the most dangerous in the world, with more
fatalities per capita than anywhere else.
(Libya had been number one in this dubious distinction for years, but
their civil war has eased a bit and thus many of their road deaths.) TV news has coverage of the carnage, with
dash-cam shots of accidents as they are happening as well as the aftermath
wreckage.
We
also see TV coverage of the water-throwing in the city. This tradition has evolved through the
years. Because it is the most
uncomfortably hot and humid time of year, sprinkling of small amounts of water
on the hands and/or head of elders was a gesture of respect. Now it is a free-for-all. Venturing outside may get you drenched. In the farang and tourist parts of the city
there are the most chaotic mass water fights, but even in our neighborhood one
might anticipate getting wet.
In
the last several years I have seen a lot less water and have usually returned
home dry from trips to the neighborhood store.
I never take my daypack at these times, and I put any valuables in
Ziplocks. Yesterday, the 13th,
I went to the store and passed two groups of kids with water hoses. They looked at me but let me pass by without
hosing me down. Maybe they feel
compassion for the old guy (or, Tuk suggests that I look menacing when I wear
shades).
Today
I walked the same route. The only
water-throwers were some very young kids (with parents nearby) on the corner
just outside our house. The deserted
sidewalks didn’t give them much action, and when I walked past them they didn’t
dare to wet me with their squirt guns or bowls of water. When I returned I stopped and said some of
the few Thai words I know. “Hello.” Then I held out my hand and said, “Please,
water.” They carefully poured water on
my hand, and I then wet the back of my neck with it. Then I thanked them. Smiles all around.
We
don’t go anywhere. Tuk would rather
spend her five days off at home. Myself,
I would like to go into the city to see some movies that will be discontinued
soon and then catch a gig at the Rock Pub.
But I don’t want to get doused with water and then sit in a cold a/c
venue like a theater or pub. Also, the
holiday highways scare me.
The
neighborhood is quiet and peaceful.
-Zenwind.
.
