Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!

We celebrated the arrival of the New Year 10-15 hours ahead of everyone I know in the USA. Tinu (only other volunteer here besides me at the moment) and I watched the celebration in Bangkok on local television.

Think Times Square Thai-style. Thousands of people jammed the streets singing and dancing along with the performers. Thai lyrics but Western-style music like rock and rapping, interrupted by way too many commercials advertising the "good life." Commercialism is as rampant here as in the USA. Kinda sad to see. (I was so hoping for something more Thai-ish like Thai dancing.) Rapping in Thai isn't much different from rapping in English. Both are rapid-fire and hard to understand.

Locally, folks gathered at the clock tower in Trang. We didn't go because home base is a bit far from town and getting a tuk-tuk home might have been impossible. But we had lots of fireworks around us, loud music and general celebrating--with roosters crowing in protest.

And we enjoyed that gorgeous full moon silvering the landscape. (Same moon shining down on all of us!)

Welcome, 2010--hope it's a fabulous year for everyone!

3 comments:

  1. It was a blue moon shining on you and all of us! (The second full moon in one month.) How cool it that?

    Happy New Year!

    Sara and Eddie

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  2. Happy New Year to you too !! and a great 2010 !! I'm still stuck on the snakes in the backyard, however .... maybe that's why they told you to bring long skirts and closed-toed shoes. jan

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