New Years Eve, Chiang Mai Style

 

Well, Happy New Year Every One!

New Years here in Chiang Mai was big and crowded with lots of big bangs going on all weekend and culminating with sounds of bombs going off all over the old city.  Needless to say this old man had peddled his trusty golden stead (bike) back home to avoid the inebriated people trying to navigate movement on their motor bikes.  It was, for the most part, pure chaos.

The next four pictures are a typical Thai tradition on New Year's Eve.  The lighting and releasing of these large paper bags called Krathong.  The bag is held up and the wick lit and the hot air builds up to fill the bag and at the right moment the Krathong is released to float up into the dark night.  The Thai people believe that you send up all the bad things in your life that you want to be rid of for now.  That might be a nice holiday for us.

There are some draw backs and some danger too.  The hot air bag can go up and get caught in the branches of trees or on electrical wires.  Not good for getting rid of bad things that you don't want any more.  Not good if you are bald headed and don't like the close contact with fire.

This is the area know as Thai Phai Gate.  Where crowds gather when ever there is a holiday to celebrate.  A small version of Time Square in NYC.  It was so crowed that I couldn't find my friends and couldn't hear them on my cell phone when we were trying to make connection.  A few years ago it was great but not as crowded, but not this year.

This 4 storey pile of balls was very cleaver as the silver surface that you are seeing all lit up are old CDs.  I showed it in a previous blog during the day when it was being assembled.  A number of lights were bouncing colors off the CD surfaces to add an animation component to the sculpture.

The old city of Chiang Mai is surrounded by a mote and in this pictures you are seeing the reflections off the water of all the lights from the food stands that were out on the streets for the night.  The food is fresh and by far the safest food I eat over here.  it is prepared right in front of me.

These last 2 pictures are of the Thai people doing a spiritual practice at a newly reconstructed stupa.  It is covered with sheets of some shinny metal that radiates gold light and energy.  People enter on the right bow and make prayers carrying a lotus blossom that they will eventually offer as a gift to insure merit.  I am not sure how many times that actually walk around the stupa with hands clasped in prayer.

 

Well, this is a small glimpse of how I spent a few hours bringing in the new year in Chiang Mai.  Just as about exciting as I could wish for in a foreign culture.  My travels away from home have been a huge learning experience.  The biggest one is not to have expectations.  And I didn't that night, and it was good.