Songkran

Songkran 3

Thai people were crowded onto the backs of pickups with large barrels of water, driving down the street yelling and splashing water on cars and pedestrians and motorcycles in all directions.

On the corner of a sidewalk on Nimmanhaeman a young boy hid in a large metal barrel of water, body immersed in the water with only his head peeking out, jumping up, screaming in joy and soaking anyone passing by.

A group of people on the side of the street wandered into the middle of the road every time a motorcycle cruised up, obstructing the way and forcing every motorcycle to come to a halt, dumping bucketfuls of water over everyone’s head.

I went to a coffee shop on a Nimmanhaeman Soi where I was safe and dry for the moment, to read Invisible Man and listen to Eric Dolphy live at the 5 Spot in NY.

A group of people including a police officer huddled around a teenager collapsed and motionless on the ground. Apparently he got in a drunken motorcycle accident. Ambulances came blaring down Nimmanhaeman.

Antalai mak mak! Mao! exclaimed the girl in the coffee shop as she brewed some green tea (Very dangerous! He’s drunk!) Eventually he regained consciousness and drove off with two of his friends on the bike.

Songkran 2

Young kids on the side of Sirimankalajarn were laughing, splashing buckets of water over every car and motorcycle passing. An ambulance with sirens flashing came blaring down the street.

Book – a Thai musician who has performed for the royal family – allowed me to practice on the grand piano at his house. I rode to Soi 11 and worked on 10-12 and Nocturne in F Minor.

I jumped in a songtaew with some people from Bangkok to get to Wat Prasing in the old city, where I planned to meet my old friend P Tin from Singburi (central Thailand). Driving alongside the moat we were soaked with water from many people dunking buckets into the moat and throwing the moat water into the backs of songtaews and onto the cars. “Aaaa! Mai sa-aaht!” screamed a Bangkok transvestite from the back of the songtaew (the water from the moat isn’t clean!)

The old city was overflowing with people, and I felt claustrophobic among all the bodies; it took about half an hour just to walk from Wat Pra Sing to Wat Chedi Luang. But it was so good to see my friend P Tin, who drove 6 hours to see the festival in Chiang Mai. Last time I saw her was over a year ago in Singburi. We lit candles and paid respects at Wat Chedi Luang and then talked near Rajadamnern over fresh pad Thai.

Songkran 1

I’m listening to Thelonious Monk on Sirimankalajarn / Huay Kaew. It’s Saturday, the day before Songkran festival and the streets are already soaked.

During this holiday, Thai people release the bad of the previous year and welcome the new year (2552) by splashing water around the old city of Chiang Mai for 5 days straight; an epic water fight in which no one is spared.

Chiang Mai is the chaotic center of the festivities; the city fills up with Thais from other provinces and international visitors, but many of the Lanna people return to their provinces of origin during the holiday to visit their families.

Cruising on my motorbike past the 3 Kings Monument to pick up some fresh watermelon juice from a local vendor, a young girl squirted me with a water gun and laughed.

I went to Lanna Music school to work on Revolutionary 10-12 and practice Chopin’s Nocturne in F Minor, when it started pouring rain from out of nowhere, sky booming with thunder and lightning. The rain died down as quickly as it came.

Riding home out of the old city on my motorbike from Wat Chedi Luang along Moon Muang was terrifying. I cruised slowly and cautiously, in survival mode. The streets were not only slick and wet from the rain, but people along the moat were already filling up buckets of water and splashing them onto the street. People soaked me with bucketfuls of old water and laughed as I was riding my motorbike down Moon Muang.

According to the Bangkok Post thousands of people get in accidents and hundreds die every year during Songkran. I have vowed not to ride my motorcycle into the old city during Songkran…I don’t want to risk it!