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December 09, 2004
Loi Kratong
The Loi Kratong festival, Chiang Rai, Thailand. Sometime late November, 2004. The troublesome two are at it again. He spends all day away from home and she spends all day at home thinking too much. Thinking can be bad for your health. Falang food for lunch. Why did I do that? Bad choice. Where should I eat next? Thai food down the street. Good choice. A little boy holds a stick full of fireworks as they shoot into the night sky over the passing motorbikes. It seems to be finished and he points it right at his mom. She screams and takes it from him. He laughs. Everybody's gotta learn sometime. Candles line the streets and floating candles fill the cloudy sky. The moon may be full or crescent, but the clouds are in full effect tonight and no stars or moon can be seen. The floating candles create dynamic constellations of yellow in the sky. I thank the Earth for the clouds. A quick stop home for the camera and a change of clothes and we head out. The parade marches through the colorfully lit streets and provides some frustrating but interesting low light photo conditions. After ten minutes, we've had enough. At his request we drive out past the closed roads with the traffic gaurds blowing their whistles endlessly to a deserted no-falang feeling place on the river. It's dark and raining. There's nothing. He says he didn't know and feels bad. No problem, but all I want to do is be free. Back into town we go through the pouring rain on the motorbikes. The girl at the red light speaks for a minute and gives directions in Thai. She continues through the entire countdown of the green light and as soon as she finishes the light turns red again. I smile apoligetically and she just smiles back. We ask the traffic police, we ask people at their homes. Why is this so confusing? Isn't this the biggest event in town? Finally he gives up and leaves me with her...thanks a lot.
Anyway... We wander and ask for more directions... Finally we make it to the right brige on the right river and it turns into another Nevada County Fair and instead of seeing everybody I never wanted to see again, there are, of course, Asian people everywhere. I'm at least six inches taller than the tallest person there, around a foot taller than most. Instead of imported handcrafts from India and Thailand and Africa like Nevada County is full of, there are imported garbage products from China. Toy cars, guns, watches, calculators, shirts, hats, pants, food, cds, vcds, more food and more toys. The "big" ferris wheel, that would be dwarfed be any American ferris wheel, spins through the night sky speckled by the floating candles rising and falling through the clouds. A candle rocks back and forth in the breeze and ends up plumeting into a chair on the ferris wheel. Everyone is okay, nothing to worry about. I contemplate throwing darts at colorful balloons to win a prize, but to tell you the truth I don't want to win the player at my side a prize. She bumps into friends at every turn. I feel awkward standing next to her, and then she holds my hand. Get me out of here. Turn these spotlights off of me. I want to reflect, talk, relax. I'm sure the riverside is quite nice right now...but how would I know? I suppose this holiday could be quiet, peaceful, and spiritual, but the experience is always based on who you share it with. Next year I know.
Posted by Tom Bodhi at December 9, 2004 07:30 AM
Comments
Oh, and I'll post some pictures from that night sometime soon...whenever I get around to it...we'll see.
Posted by: Bodhi at December 9, 2004 08:34 AM
Interesting "slice of life." Your use of pronouns seems to work alright, but i can't help wondering what it would be like as "Life with Paco." ;)
Posted by: gian at December 30, 2004 11:55 AM
Hah funny.. actually it wasn't Paco at all that lead to my frustration with the night. He was the smart one for getting out while he still could. Twas a spoiled, selfish princess with quite cold insides. Tis all I'mna say.
Posted by: Bodhi at January 1, 2005 04:54 AM
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