11 October 2008 Phuket Vegetarian Festival Day 6

Phuket Vegetarian Festival - Day 6 Monday 06 October 2008

This morning was the best morning - weather-wise. It was bright and sunny without a cloud in the sky. We walked from the hotel to the area where today's parade will pass.

As we walked we passed the area along the main road where we had been stunned the previous afternoon.

After taking our customary cool-off and rest-up break the previous day, we had set off to walk to the shopping center. We took a left on to the short street that connects our back street with one of the main streets of Phuket Town. Just as we made the turn there was a large bang and flash. I saw some men across the main road and I thought that perhaps they had set off a huge firecracker or 1/4 stick of dynamite. After hesitating to ensure that we were not going to be walking into a bad situation, we walked down the street and turned onto the main road. We came upon a group of motorbike taxi drivers and found out from them that a snake had gone up a tree onto the power lines. When the snake crossed to of the bare conductors it electrocuted itself and tripped the ciruit breakers at the nearby transformer.

I asked the men through Duang if they were OK and then performed a pantomime about checking their pants to see if they had soiled themselves when the snake got zapped. We all had a hearty laugh and we continued on our walk. Duang and I were very lucky to not have been walking underneath the snake when it short circuited the power lines or they would not have had to check my pants - it would have been obvious!

This morning there was no excitement on our way to the parade route.

Because of the bright conditions this morning, I changed my strategy for photography. I decided to utilize my 80-200 mm zoom without flash rather than the 28-70 mm with flash that I had been using the previous days. This change would allow me to shoot at higher shutter speeds and get close ups without having to get as close which was necessary with the shorter lens. The variety was refreshing and I believed that it would also add to the total experience that I want to share with others through my photographs.

I had only been shooting a short time when Duang called me over to her location. She was standing there with a beautiful little girl all dressed in white. The little girl wanted her picture taken. She was not shy at all. She was 2 years old and loved posing for the camera. She was adorable and a little ham. Her parents were very proud of her. It was apparent that they enjoyed Duang and I paying so much attention to their daughter.

I returned to shooting the parade. I saw the little girl several times afterwards with her father and I acknowledged them. Later Duang informed me that the little girl had walked back to her and just stopped. After awhile Duang realized that the little girl wanted to be photographed some more! I ended up taking some more pictures of the little darling and enjoyed sharing them with her on my camera screen. She truly loved seeing herself on the monitor.

As we were leaving the parade her parents came by with her to say goodbye. Duang told them that we would send them some prints of the pictures after we returned to Udon. The man gave me his business card. It turns out that he is a MP - Member of Parliament. He told Duang to call him before our next trip to Phuket because he wants to take care of us. Once again strange and interesting things always seem to happen on our adventures.

The parade as on previous days was very exciting. When the staues arrive, they are on chairs that are carried on the shoulders of young men. The men carrying the idols are joined many other young men. They work in shifts to carry the statues along the route. When they approach an area, all hell breaks out. Masses and masses of firecrackers are thrown by spectators at the idols. Firecrackers are exploding in the air and on the ground all around each idol. It is at this point in the midst of the fire, smoke, flashes of light, and sulfur fumes that the alternative idol carriers serve another very useful purpose - they start waving yellow towels frantically to clear the air around the idol carriers and to extinguish any fires that may start due to the exploding ordnance. All the young men continue their march oblivious to the maelstrom around their heads and feet. The smoke is choking. The percussion of the exploding firecrackers buffets the body. The young men run this gauntlet the entire length of the parade. Their bodies and white clothing become red from sweat and the accumulation of bits of red firecracker paper and gunpowder. The men do stuff their ears with cotton and wrap a towel around their head to prevent their hair from catching on fire.

It was an awesome day.

So concluded our journey to the 2008 Phuket Vegetarian Festival. It was a wonderful experience for both of us and we learned a little about another culture as well as got many photographs. Duang is getting into photography and she took about 250 pictures during the trip.

Some people have commented "WHY?" in regards to the piercing.

I have given it some thought.

The piercing is not a macho thing. I saw women being pierced.

The piercing is not a youth rite of passage into adulthood. I saw many elderly men and even one grandmother who must have been over 75 years old being pierced.

The piercing is not a family expectation.

I met and spoke with a young man in the Pub Pub Digital Lab who had been pierced the day before. He confirmed that his piercing earned merit for himself and his family. He added that he had participated against his family's wishes. They were opposed but he was pierced because he wanted to be.

I believe that the people get pierced out of pure faith. They believe that their pain will help their community, earn themselves and their family merit for their next life. They believe that their gods will give them the strength and power to overcome their ordeal.

I find it very interesting to witness this devotion and sacrifice in today's world where so little has been demanded or expected of us. These people's strength emanates from their complete trust and confidence in their beliefs.

Their trust and confidence in the institution guides them through their trials and tribulations during this festival.

Each generation seems to get tested. Our grandparents prevailed over the Great Depression (economic – not curable by today’s plethora of miracle drugs). Our parents endured the Second World War. Our generation managed to make it through the 60's and Vietnam aka "American" War.

Our sons and daughters, as well as we are currently being challenged by the developing world wide economic crisis.

The erosion of confidence in our institutions, the loss of respect for our "leaders", and the loss of faith in our systems makes prevailing over the crisis more challenging.

It is inspiring and an honor to have witnessed the faith as well as confidence of others supporting them in their struggles.