Happy New Year

Other than our 50th anniversary another reason we wanted to come this time of year was to be here for the Khmer New Year celebrations.  I’ve never seen it and don’t really know much about it, so I felt it would be a great way to be introduced to another aspect of the culture.  

From the research I’ve done, it is described as a nation wide water fight, with color powder as well.   I believe its roots come from India.  The celebration is to denote the end of the hot dry part of the year and the beginning of the rice season.  

I know we in the US think we have national holidays, but we don’t.  We have days where everyone says the same words to each other and maybe think about the history behind them. But that’s nothing like this. 

When I said nation wide water fight that is what I meant.  Everyone has water guns, some have buckets and some just stand with a hose.  For the most part you can be safe if you don’t have a water gun, but not always.  People will shoot you with water regardless.  Walking down the street you hear laughter and screaming every other second.  

The water actually feels good because it is still hot and any relief is welcome.  Some street where the fighting is extra heavy, the streets stay wet, and usually nothing stays wet here for very long. 

My boys got a couple of squirt guns and started some a couple of skirmishes riding home in the tuk-tuk.  I am expecting them to be more involved later tonight.  

I’m looking forward to seeing them have some fun with the local children.  The smiles they get when they are just being kids is my heart and my soul. Those moment are fleeting as they get older.  

(These are the best I could do, and one of them isn’t mine). 

Tourist, locals, young and old have water guns.  I know I will get a gun too.  It looks like too much fun not too.  

The second part is much less common as far as I can tell.  I’ve only seen a couple of people with colored powder on their faces.  But I’m sure that too will kick off soon.  

I decided to celebrate the new year with my first tattoo.  

It’s called the Sak Yant and is a traditional Buddhist blessing for protection, heath and prosperity.  It is written in Khmer but is in Sanskrit. I feel a connection to this important blessing to my people and their history.  I also plan on using it as a rule in my forensic classes to measure bone (100% for the humor of it)

John, Tree and Christals daughters got inked too.  Tree and I are the only first timers.