Sunday, April 12, 2009

Holy shit! The world's biggest water fight!

I land in Bangkok today, and what a scene. The roads are quite empty, as I've been told people don't drive much here Sundays.

Empty except for massive protests, and the tanks the government has called out, promising to use force if necessary. Oh boy.

More to the point of this post, it's Thai New Year: Songkram, a 3 day celebration featuring parties, food, and...water fights!

I'd heard of this and was excited to participate tomorrow. On a whim this eve I thought, sure it's dead out and I'm tired, but why not take a Tuk Tuk to Kho San Rd, a very bustling part of Bangkok with lots of restaurants and guesthouses.

Oh my god. It was a madhouse!

Thousands and thousands of people, overwhelmingly Thai, dousing each other and rubbing clay on each other's cheeks and dancing in the streets. You could spot the Westerners from a mile a way, because they are a foot taller and had the biggest grin on their faces as they carried around giant super soakers.

Within 10 minutes I was drenched. Within 20 I purchased a small water gun and began to fire away.

30 minutes into it I come across two topless young German men with red bandanas on their heads, dripping wet carrying large water guns.

Germans: (full on accent) Hey, what is with zee small gun?
Me: Yeah, good point. What do you have? (Fucking Nazis)
Germans: We have super soaker 2000. Zee best. AAAA!
Me: Awesome! (Fucking Nazis)

And then something clicks. I'm like, 'Yes I will join these Germans and we will kick the shit out of these Thais - Israelis and Germans together, for the good of the world!'

I buy a super soaker 1500, tie on the red bandana I carry everywhere with me, practically tear off my shirt, and roar, much to the glee of the Naz - I mean, Germans!

Well it isn't long before we are split up. But now I am feeling all sorts of bad ass with this huge gun, dousing and getting doused just as bad. And it's night, in Bangkok, and everyone is doing it, and I'm like, 'Is this really happening?'

Yes, it is. And I get another day of it tomorrow!

Love Roni

2 comments:

Ellis Garvin said...

you fought with the naz, i mean Germans??? i don't believe it!

Anonymous said...

at least they weren't commie-nazis.