water festival and Pichet

Water Festival still going on in Thailand, lasts for about 4 days, be almost kind of glad when it
is over tmrw as it is next to impossible to go anywhere in town without getting drenched by someone. However it has been an incredible experience being able to be here for this celebration. The streets are madness with revelers getting drenched and spraying up every vehicle and motorbike that drives by.

No way this kind of thing would be able to happen in the US. Would always be someone who doesn't want to get wet or others with bad attitudes starting up fights, eventually leading to shootings and other mayhem. I haven't seen any fights or anything remotely close to an altercation during the whole 4 days of the festival. U can tell some people don't want to get wet but they mostly accept it as part of the holiday. If they are traveling in certain hotspots of activity they are bound to get splashed, unless they are monks or quite old. After dark the watering dies down with the exception of some walking around with water guns. I haven't seen any accidents on the roads but apparently there are thousands of automobile and motorbike accidents throughout the country during the festival from people getting splashed with water as they are driving along or being drunk. Not too much of a problem here in the city in the main sections as the vehicles are all backed up and moving at a snail pace.

Was feeling a little moody earlier today after drinking a bunch of coffee and coming down off the stuff while sitting on computer, went outside back into the madness and felt instantly uplifted. Everybody is so happy and having a good time, dancing in the streets and getting drenched. So funny to see peoples reactions and facial expressions when they are splashed with icy cold water. When your getting splashed you never know if it is going to be tepid, regular temperature water or if it has been sitting in ice blocks getting super cold. It can make you cringe getting a nice bucket of the cold stuff dumped on you when your not expecting it. It's great seeing the theatrics and moaning noises.

Some very cool parades and other celebrations going on as well in the town during the daytime and evening. Saw some Thai girls dressed up very elaborately in traditional wear on a stage doing some dance routines, was very beautiful too watch. One of the main boulevards in the old city is closed off to auto traffic and is filled up for about a mile or so with vendors selling food on one side and all kinds of cool stuff on the other. Lots of beautiful artwork, tribal stuff from the hill tribes, jewelry, silk, the usual t-shirts, etc.

Was riding my bike through town today and saw a girl from yoga class from about 2-3 months ago on Ko Phangan. I had also seen her about 3 wks ago in Bangkok on Khao San Rd. So funny how you keep running into familiar faces like that. She had also stayed at my guesthouse while on Ko Phangan. One would almost think it is some kind of destiny that I keep bumping into her like that. I think her name is Mika or something like that, she is from Belgium and in her mid thirties. Nice girl but pretty average looking. She was telling me earlier when I saw her in Khao San Rd. about trekking for 1 month in Cambodia and how much of an amazing time it was.

Went and met one of the primary thai massage teachers I want to learn with. Named Pichet Boothume, he is very highly regarded as perhaps the best teacher in the Chiang Mai area. He is about 20-30 minutes south of town so I had to rent a motor bike to go figure out exactly where he was located. Took me a while trying to figure it out with the address I had written down off the internet while asking various Thai people. They had me going in all directions. The language differences can get quite frustrating at times. Eventually I drove by a police office and stopped in to ask for help. His address didn't make too much sense to the police officer but fortunately I had his phone # as well. The officer was able to give him a call and then write out a little map for me.

Was an interesting experience meeting him. Speaks decent English but I still didn't know exactly what he was talking about at times. As I drove up to his place he was just sitting in his drive way no doing too much of anything. Was kind of surreal to meet someone I had heard so much about and been looking forward to learning with. Chatted with him for a little while, he seemed a bit out there but had a huge smile as most Thais do. He explained how his teaching philosophy essentially revolves around learning to really sense, perceive, and feel the body, instead of merely mechanically going through the thai massage postures as most schools and practitioners do. I look forward to starting learning with him on the 21st if all goes right.