Songkran: WATER FIGHT!

In my other Songkran post you can read about the background of the Songkran Festival. Nowadays, the tradition of pouring water to bless or cleanse has evolved into a 3 day, country-wide water fight. It is a very unique experience and I don't see it EVER working in America! If you don't want water on you, than you pretty much need to lock yourself in the house for 3 days, because there is water everywhere! Anyone who has a pick-up truck is very popular during this holiday. People cram into the back of a pick-up with large clay or plastic tubs of water (and sometimes ice..brrr!). By cram, I mean I've seen over 20 people in the back of 1 truck before!Other people fill large plastic or clay containers of water (and/or ice) and find a spot along the road to stand. When the pick-up trucks pass the people along the roadside both parties grab their buckets and scoopers and try to soak one another. Out in the countryside, there are groups of people here and there, but in the middle of the city, there is stand still traffic and hundreds of people.

The water fight is a lot of fun, but there is a downside too that makes you realize how much this culture needs Jesus...there is a lot a drinking that goes on. You mix that with water, people in backs of pick-ups and in the streets, and it translates into a lot of accidents and fatalities. Also this seems to be a big holiday for transsexuals to dance provocatively in front of everyone.

Songkran: Cultural & Religious Significance

Songkran is the Thai New Year celebration that takes place every year on April 13th-15th. In ancient times, this was really the beginning of the Thai calendar year. But nowadays, even though the new year begins January 1st, this festival is still acknowledged. It is the largest holiday of the year and involves a lot of traveling because most people make their way back to their hometowns to be with family. There are a few different elements of the Songkran festival. One of the traditions that all Thais observe, including Christians, is to pay respect and honor to elders. This is done by pouring scented water over the hands of elders and pronouncing a blessing on them. This year, I observed and participated in this element both at the Thai church I attend, and in one of the villages.
Another aspect of the festival is to cleanse the Buddha images. This is primarily done at the temples, but also at other public places where a Buddha figure is set up. People will pour water over the Buddha as a way to make merit and symbolize cleansing at the New Year.

English Class

Here are a few pics that Joelle took of the neighborhood English class that Liz and I taught during her time in Ubon. There was quite a variety of ages in the class...3 yrs old to 60+! But there were a lot of beginners in the class, so the material was pretty basic. It has been fun to see some of the students around the neighborhood :)

Vietnam: Sights Around the North

Vietnam: Kids

Vietnam: Trek in the Hill Tribes of Sapa

Angela and I did a three night, two trek up in mountains of northern Vietnam. We arrived in a city right on the border of China. Then we road up some steep and scary mountain roads to the little town of Sapa. As you can see from the pictures, the mountains have been turned into rice field terraces. The first day we hiked about 15 km (9 miles?) up some steep and slippery terrain. The second day (after we spent the night in a Vietnamese woman's home) was much more laid back. There are many hill tribes scattered throughout the mountains. Since treks are a big draw for tourists, many of the hill tribe members can speak some conversational English and like to follow the trekkers around in hopes that they might be able to sell some of their handicrafts to them.

Vietnam: Halong Bay Boat and Cave

Angela and I had a great time on our vacation to Vietnam. One of the tours we did was a 2 day boat ride in a Chinese "junk" boat in Halong Bay. It reminded me of one of the bays in Southern Thailand. It was great to have a break from the sun and heat. The clouds and the mist even offered a neat, but eery effect for our time at sea :)

Recent Animal Sightings

The Dok Bua Games

This year Ubon Ratchathani province was the host for the 24th Dok Bua Games. In Thai, "dok bua" means the lotus flower. This is a national youth sports competition held over a period of 10 days in an "Olympic style". I was able to catch a glimpse of several of the different sports (gymnastics, Thai boxing, swimming, ping pong, badminton, soccer, etc. ) I think swimming was my favorite :) In the pictures above, you might notice that the mascot for the games is a Red Ant (or mot dang in Thai).

Easter 2008

This year's Easter was celebrated with my roommate and a couple other families living in Ubon. We met together for a brief worship service followed by communion and prayer time. After that, the kids were anxious to start their Easter Egg hunt. I'm not sure if all 65 eggs were found or not! We ended our time together with grilled "picnic food" lunch!

WI Visitors

The month of March brought some visitors to Ubon. This couple belongs to the church my parents attend. They came to Ubon to visit one of the teams and myself. It was a blessing and an encouragement to have them here in Isaan. My roommate and I took them to see some wild monkeys :)