Tim in Thailand : October 2009

The Vegetarian Festival - a Fantastic experience - Mind Blowing

An UPDATE - a photoblog from The Guardian (21st Nov)

Did I understand it all - not a hope. The people who were part of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival were people who believed in what it was.

The day started early and we quickly met some people who were part of the Festival.

This MUST have hurt - i am unable to understand how they are able to this unless they are possessed or 'out of it' - click here if you would like to see more of this stomach wrenching displays.

The carnival atmosphere was electric and i was totally drawn into it all - even picking up a wrist bracelet given out by a spirit medium. There was a plethora of people who were pierced in a plethora of different ways - click here if you want to see some photographs of them.

The procession included people outside their homes with a table of offerings set up to welcome the blessings of the spirit mediums.

Following this came the noise of the firecrackers and **** they did make a noise - many photographers and people involved in the parade did have ear plugs or ears stuffed with cotton wool - click here for a small flavour of what I saw.

I tried to collate a number of videos together but nothing could encompass the feeling of being in all that chaos. I have compiled three videos which I have uploaded

Phuket Vegetarian Festival (2009) - FIRECRACKERS

Phuket Vegetarian Festival (2009) - Blessings and Offerings

Phuket Vegetarian Festival (2009) - The Procession

The meeting with the Firecracker Man was amazing (above) - I was totally taken aback and it I will certainly be going again to see the Procession next year - I will read more of my text book so I will understand a little more about it - The Chinese Festival in Phuket.

Following this I took a trip into Phuket to watch the Fire Walking - but this was a disappointment - I think that Fire Running would have been a more appropriate title to give it! I did hear that one person did fall over whilst he was running over the flames however ............... BUT I have since read that the injured party failed this because of his own failure to stick to the rules!!

I was interested enough to find out a bit more about Fire Walking and after reading this article about Fire Walking I did feel that it was a con.

The atmosphere in Phuket Town near the Jui Tui Shrine and the Clock Tower was wonderful - a real pleasure to visit and see a wonderful phenomena.

There are a great many more photographs that I have taken, there are links to them and these are accessed best through the Cape Panwa Hotel photographic library - I will add these links later.

There are interesting reports in the Phuket Gazette - have a look.

This video was quite disturbing but interesting - click here

Phuket News: Oct 17- 23

The news that is buzzing around here is that the Vegetarian Festival is coming - I have to tell you to visit Jamie's blog for good information about this spectacular event. Follow Jamie Monk on his facebook to keep up to date of the happenings.

WARNING - DO NOT WATCH THIS IF YOU ARE OF A NERVOUS DISPOSITION

I will be going to Phuket to visit the Festival on October the 24th - if you can wait that long........

A guest (Bob Nevatte) went on the 20th - click here

WARNING - DO NOT WATCH THIS IF YOU ARE OF A NERVOUS DISPOSITION

Women's beach volleyball is coming to Karon Beach Nov: 3 - 8

Are they really going to build a road through the hill on the way to Patong?

Thank you to the Phuket Gazette for all their stories.

Not sure about GPS personal trackers............

Thank you to the Phuket Post for their stories.

Kasemkij company expanding into other areas of business - this is another excuse to visit Chang Mai for me!

Thank you to the Bangkok Post for their stories.

Happy Birthday Jemma - 2 years old

Well I thought a Christmas party with 400 people was hard - that is nothing when compared to a Jemma's small birthday party.......

We started the day off with a visit to the Thai temple - as all Buddhist's do on their birthday. Jemma was taken with all the dogs surrounding the temple. We took a gift for the monks and asked for a blessing from them.

We took some lovely photographs of her at the temple - please click here.

After the Temple visit in the morning Jemma returned home to open her presents - click here - thank you to everybody who brought her something.

After the presents were opened it was time to make the food - too numerous to list but the cook books in the left margin were used.

People arrived slowly and the food was devoured quickly!!

Toys were played with and the children had fun - the biggest fun was trying to blow up "magic balloons", that I can remember from my childhood - please click here for photos.

The day finished and we were all exhausted - sleep came very easily for all of us. Thank you to everybody who made the effort to come and share Jemma's special day with her - what can we do next year?

Miss Poland finalists stay near me!!

I did not visit the ladies; but someone did click here for some more photographs.

But I do have a friend who works where they are staying - this was Sunday!

It did remind me a little of my lucky day when the lovely ladies from Italy - a volleyball team - joined us at the Cape Panwa Hotel in Phuket.

There is gossip at the moment that Miss Belgium will be coming to Phuket next.....and staying at the Cape Panwa hotel - watch this space.

Mr Coconut Man

I visited the guests on a Sunday at Breakfast and found that there was a

draw to somewhere else – guests were staring out to the sea.

I expected to see a big vessel or the US Navy had come back but

I saw a little old man climbing the trees.

This little old man has been coming to the hotel ever since I remember

he trims our coconut trees!! It is a skill that must be seen

as there are no lines, harnesses and hats – just a piece of rope!

I wonder how this would be viewed as Health and Safety for employees?

Claude (our General Manager) did tell me that I could not learn the skill when

I was Father Christmas one year – but I live in hope.

Phuket News: Oct 10 - 16

The Phuket Gazette is always an entertaining read and I am glad that that the Phuket Regional Blood Center is launching a fresh donation drive - apparently in time for the Vegetarian Festival.

I will be visiting the Festival with some of the guests so watch this space for a plethora of photographs and videos.

Try here

My thoughts are turning to Education at the moment - and imagine my horror when I read about a Social Studies Teacher at a school giving a pupil a kicking because of an argument they had whilst they were playing football!

I am getting old though - there was a party on Karon Beach for two nights - a RoyFest.....