Happy Water Splashing - Thai new year!

It's called Songkrang. And be prepared to get wet!

Today is the first day of the new year. Bangkok is almost deserted. Most people return to their home town to celebrate new year. For those who are native Bangkokers, or have no money to go home, we go out to paint the town - white. People would get on pickup trucks, or just stand by the sidewalk, and use their water fun or just buckets, to splash water on passerby. This splashing water symbolizes the leaving of the old, and coming of the new. Not only that, they would dip their hands in white baby powder, or some other gooy white paste, and rub them on anyone's faces. Some British (usually) older expats really hate this festival. They leave Thailand during this week and escape to other countries.

As we walked out of church today with a few friends and two three-year-olds, we were immediately greeted by a family, with the man rubbing white powder on our faces. And a kid started shooting water at us. One of our kids got shocked and started crying. This is their first Songkrang here and their parents left their water guns home. As we walked on, other kids started shooting at us. The little boy Owen with me wasn't very happy. I asked the street kids if we could borrow their gun. The older one said to wait for a moment. We followed him to where he's refilling his gun with water. Apparently he's the son of one of the car garage attendants. The adults got out a gun and handed to Owen. Once Owen started shooting at others, he laughed with joy. Soon his twin brother Bret arrived, and the garage attendant gave him another gun. The boys started having fun and didn't want to leave. As they were playing, their mother and I got wetter as other kids were shooting at us. And the garage attendants gave the guns to the boys as gifts.

On our way trying to get to a Chinese restaurant, more water was splashed on us. By the time we got to the restaurant, the boys were drenched (they are too small I guess). When we left the restaurant, some girls on the street were drenched, as they were pouring water on themselves trying to wash off the white paste on their faces. A British university intern with us got a big hand of white paste on her face. It is great fun! She's planning to go to Kaosan Road, the famous backpacker district tomorrow to do some serious water splashing with her colleagues.

I went to the Well yesterday to visit. The women ended work early and were hanging out, ready for the new year. I asked one woman Jane how she's doing. She answered back in very good English in such joy, "I am very very happy right now." I asked her why. She answered "because I have God. I am full inside, and I am also full outside!" She laughed as she was squeezing her own belly. (she's on the heavy side) She went on telling me that her husband died, and she was very depressed and turn to beer and whiskey. She was always angry and rude, and wasn't being responsible to her two young girls. She met one of the women Tina who has been coming to the Well. Tina invited her to come, but she's afraid that she wouldn't understand a thing that's going on, as she had been to temples before and sat their meditating and listen to monk talks, but she didn't understand what's being said and only felt more despair within. She said it must be God telling her to come to the Well. After she has come to the center, she felt so happy. Now she no longer needs beer and whiskey, and she is full of happy thoughts. Her daughters are with her now and she has learned how to speak politely to others. It's hard for me to imagine what she was like before, as every time I see her, she is full of smiles.

I hope that we can all have the fullness inside as Jane, on this new year's day and forever.