I never met Sky before ( my wife's friend whom she knew while taking part in a summer camp in the states). Sky is from Chiangrai,Thailand. The only image of her is from the pictures that was taken at the summer camp but through words from my wife i roughly expected the person i am about to meet when we set foot in Chiangrai Airport after a short ride from Bangkok.
My wife was nervous because it has been 3 years since they last met. But it is all good when we pop our heads out of the exit finding a cheerful dark skinned lady donned in a hawaiian like shirt waving at us. My wife and Sky hugged ( the usual ) yet somewhat special because it is the first time each of them has met since the summer camp that took place in the USA. I must say I find it somewhat special to see them finally hugged again.
It is already late afternoon when we reached Sky's house ( which is a drive away from the city into the suburbs of a suburb chiangrai) so it is really very suburb. With nothing but paddy fields racing pass your view on either side of the car it is almost immediately a refreshing sensation for city dwellers like us.
Sky and us chatted a little. It took some warming up but it is getting better by the minute.
It is the Songkran period, a festive season for the thailanders. It is also known as the water throwing festival because during this time thais will throw water at people to celebrate their new year. Along the way to her place we already saw some people lining the roads with water buckets splashing water at cars passing by.
To our surprise, Sky wanted us to join her to do the soil ceremony ( getting soil from the river bank and bringing it to the temple. A truck reversed into her house and many friends or relatives came around it to prepare the truck for the Songkran stuff. I saw buckets being loaded onto the truck . Immediately i know we are in for very very native fun. Soon i found myself sitting at the back of the truck holding a water hose filling up the buckets with water.
While the truck set off the whole village ( not the whole but a handdful ) jumped onto the truck holding containers to scoop the water ready for songkran water war. The truck drove slowly, the wind blew nicely on our face, we are on the dust roads, bumpy but the view is great. Paddy fields and corn fields and in the backdrobe, mountains. I felt peaceful for a snap moment. But was awaken when the first water spalshed into my face . I was not prepared to retaliate but that was the moment i felt that i am in the midst of a truly genuine celebration and i feel honoured to be part of them (Sky's family).
We continue with the splashing when we pass by any groups of people holding the same water buckets. It was really fun even though they mumbled a language that i did not understand. But i think i understood the emotions behind the mumbles. I was handed a cup of beer by Sky's brother's friend. What a gesture. On one hand i hold the beer cup on the other holding a bucket ready to play my part in the songkran. With the wind, the bump road, the paddy field , the endless laugthers and the cold cold water that splash onto you, i am not sure whether this joy could have been replicated.
Like the locals we hopped off the truck once we reached the river bank to fetch sand ( for the temples). We visited two temples and unloaded the sand and prayed before we left. Sky was explaning some of the stuff to us ( trying really hard to make sure that we understand what was going on ) . I felt that she really love us to be part of this party.
We arrived back to her house and washed up. Somehow we sat on a stone chair and along came Sky's father. He tried to talk to us but it is immpossible to understand him or for him to understand us (despite him working in singapore for a year as a construction worker many years back ). He called for Sky and ask her to bring us to his paddy field on the motorbike.
Imagine me, my wife and sky on a small scooter driving into the paddy fields. The scooter went slow but Sky did well in bring us their. Paddy fields literally brushing through our ankles as we moved into the centre of the plains. It was then evening time. Sunset at the paddy field is quiet, peaceful and hopeful. I cannot explain the joy but the very fact that i could remember so clearly now makes me feel thankful that all these has happened.
Night falls. We went back for dinner. Dinner with the villagers is worth another article by itself.
It is only the first day but looking back it is the best day of this trip because it is genuine, undisturbed culture that was flashed in front of us. Welcomed by them into the family, into their culture is priceless.
Thank you Sky.
