Editor�s Note

At the risk of making a lot of people angry, I have to admit that Songkran is not my favourite holiday. Some of my friends get really upset with me because I haven�t embraced what they consider the �funnest� celebration in the world.

This is my fifth Thai New Year in the Land �o Smiles, and I�ve celebrated the festivities in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The first year that I was here was certainly an eye-opener for me. I�d never experienced such a level of chaos in my life. My first day of Songkran was actually a lot of fun, and I got into the spirit of things pretty well, throwing water and acting silly right along with everybody else. By the middle of the second day, I was ready for it to be over with.

I understand the childlike joy of a good water fight � especially when the heat makes you feel like you�re standing three inches from the sun. But I guess I�m just too much of a stick in the mud to maintain my enthusiasm for very long. I mean, at some point you just can�t get any wetter. But that doesn�t stop the deluge.

My woes are magnified by the fact that I�m a big white guy who usually stands at least a full head taller than everybody else in the crowd. During Songkran, that�s like wearing a sign reading: �I dare you to splash me, dummies!� And splashed I get. Try as I might to stoop down and hide behind my friends, I�m pretty easy to spot and usually take the brunt of what seems like a year�s worth of pent up frustration from half the population of the kingdom.

And don�t even get me started about the powder.

But it�s not all bad. Songkran can be fun, and if I make sure I have enough breaks and don�t have to run to the store very often, I can get into the spirit of things. And there are a couple of things about it that are really good.

For one thing, it�s a long weekend, and I get paid for not going to work. Another great thing is that Bangkok really slows down during the holiday. There�s never another time of year when you get to experience the City of Angels with such clean air and so few cars on the roads.

So once again, I�ll make an effort to endure the things about Songkran that I�m not fond of � icy water down my back, screaming crowds and being touched by people I don�t know � and enjoy a few days off, breathing clean air and getting across town in less than two hours.

Have a safe and happy Songkran.

Sean Vale
Editor
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