HAPPY THINGYAN 2012!!

So I survived Water Festival 2012...barely.

Kerry and I, along with 3 other teachers (Whim, Suzanna, Michelle) from Yangon hopped on an overnight train to Mandalay. We had a whole train car to ourselves, and we were prepared! Whim brought the burritos (15 of them!!!), Michelle made the Guacamole, and Kerry and I brought the Whiskey and Rum. Out 16 hour train would be smooth sailing....or so we thought.

Since it was the first day of Water Festival, we didn't think we had much to worry about. W-R-O-N-G!

As soon as the train started moving, we were bombarded with buckets of water being thrown into the train. We scuttled around closing windows, and putting our valuables in protective places. Whew! We spent the rest of the train ride keeping lookout if the windows were open and pigging out.

We arrived around 9am in Mandalay and were greeted at the station by Birney!! We hopped on the tri-shaw (think of a bicycle with a 2 seater passenger cart) and headed to her hotel, getting water dumped on us. After all, it was THINGYAN!!

Once settled, we headed over to meet some of her friends, and throw water. 

As the day we went on, we made lots of friends, threw water, and got thrown water on.

At one point, the t-shirt store beside us came out and put NLD (National League for Democracy) headbands on us. Then they invited us to their store to pick a t-shirt to keep as a present from them. We got some really awesome Aung San Suu Kya t-shirts that we wore around. 

Some of our new friends took us to their stage where we danced all afternoon and threw water on people from hoses.

Here are some water fest pix from the various days.

Apes getting Thingyan-ed!

SwanPai - my driver for the weekend (and male model)

Making friends on stage

That's the stage we are headed too - that big green sign

Most Myanmar people don't smile in pix..and yes, I am hoarding a bag of chips

View from the stage

Panoramic - the water hoses from the stage, and the crowd in front

Kerry and Me from the stage

I met the DJ...he let me yell over the MIC. It was pretty epic.

Taking photos.

All decked out and rocking the dance moves.

After a few days of waking up to stage music, dancing and drinking whisky by 9am and going all day I was pretty spent. Here are a few highlights:

- Being in a Myanamar Mosh Pit to "Hey Mickey"
- 3 marriage proposals
- Finally riding on a scooter again!
- Dancing on stage with a Myanmar Pop Star
- Getting to yell over the Mic in the DJ booth and having my friends here my voice and know it was me!
- Meeting the family of one of the 2 male models we hung out with
- Getting my Myanmar nickname: May Thingyan
- Getting more than my fill of Green Tea Salad :)
- Being on 3 different stages through out the whole time!!!

It was a crazy Thingyan, and I couldn't have enjoyed it any more than I did!

Minglabar,
Apes "May Thingyan"