Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2013 - Friday 11th - Procession

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a Festival that I have written about previously so I have chosen not to repeat but simply to comment on my experiences and put links in for previous visits.

Our Holiday in Australia meant that I did not go to every event as I did previously! After speaking to Jamie I was not too upset as I heard that there was rain during the beginning of the Festival.

But this did not mean that I did not join the Procession through Phuket Town.

Starting at Jui Tui Chinese Shrine in Phuket Town at 6am I watched some of the piercing - i did fell that there was an increase in the number of women which were taking part in this part of the Festival this year.

The beginning was rather sedate as the possessed and the pierced made their way through the very large audience - all wearing the white clothing.

The sedate walk was soon 'disturbed' when the Shrines left with enormous explosions.

The parade wound itself around Phuket Town and the crowds got bigger - reaching a peak at the ClockTower circle - there was even an enormous crane which took photographs of the parade as they walked past.

The Shrines were noisy and the atmosphere was possessive - fabulous.

Fire Walking 2012 
Propitation of Seven Stars 2012 
Lantern Pole Raising 2012  

Lost keys and the beauty of Thailand

What started off as a dreadful day with a power cut in the early morning could only get worse - unless you count the Candy Crush Level I completed in the bus on the way to work?

My keys!

That's right - they were missing and no matter of explanation to Chuen I really thought that I had left them in the car!

BUT as with the Culture of living in Thailand it was worth stopping and having a little think. Now where was I last night - Laem Panwa with a beer and then waiting by the side of the road?

Were they there? - No... Oh dear...

I decided that I had nothing to lose but to go to the side of the road in front of The Chalet Cuisine. Oh dear - my heart sank when I had seen that it had been freshly cut...

BUT there in the sun put carefully on the curb were my keys - quite clearly picked up and put there.

So thank you to whoever picked them up and placed them there.

Thank you to the Thai people.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2013 starts tomorrow

I do not know where I will be when the Phuket Vegetarian Festival starts so I suggest that if you need to know what's going on go and have a look at  my friend Jamie's Blog (pic below). I am NOT wearing flipflops again!

I previously posted here about Pae Leng - the Lee Loh Chia Medium who manages the spectacular event.

He was asked whether he was worried that the Vegetarian Festival would lose it's customs overtime and he replied.

The actual meaning of the Vegetarian Festival - not only not eating meat but;

                      1) no killing

                      2) no intercourse

                      3) no alcohol

                      4) no bad-mouthing

                      5) no stealing

Can you do this for the period of the Vegetarian Festival?

Phuket Happenings - September 2013

Dinner at Laem Panwa

This month was the month of the Full Moon Festival - NOT the party but the Mooncakes!
Bubble Tea and school uniforms and trying to use Instagram daily (not doing that well).

Schools Out! So we have taken a trip to Australia - follow us here.

Thai airways jet skids off runway in Bangkok 
I hope they do not blame the weather, the runway....

Then the tail is painted over

is this standard procedure?

This is painting over - photo Telegraph - thanks Dawn

DSI make arrests on the Taxi Mafia at Central Festival

and Central Festival were not aware OR threatened?

Taxi Drivers make complaints about being threatened 

 - I am walking!

“These are the rules of our group that we all follow: taxis have to run on queue and cannot refuse customers."

  Ban the Jet-Ski but this would be too difficult...
because? - a comment made on the article -
"They banned smoking on airplanes. That effected millions of people ......

...... But they cannot ban 200 plus jet skis. What a sob story"

Phuket's people must be given back it's beaches 
"The VG's frustrations were boiling over as local officials continued to obfuscate,
 dodge and weave around attempts to goad them into action."
 a comment made from the article
Good Luck!

Patong Tuk Tuk drivers complain about illegal Taxi Drivers
someone hasn't received enough?
 Taxi fares are set to rise in Phuket in an attempt to thwart the illegal-taxi trade and to provide legitimate taxi drivers with a decent standard of living....
is this a joke?
Concessions are then not given to the operators at Phuket Airport
things are changing...
Concessions are given 
I was wrong
Alleged extortionist is re-elected to head the new Taxi Team
Good Luck!

Illegal workers on boats are a focus for arrest 
- but they were building one in their garden as a hobby?
- so what is illegal - if money is given?
- volunteer work?

Jet Ski operator arrested in Patong - drugs and illegal jet-ski 

Patong has the blueprints for a lit sign for 7.3 million Baht 
do that many people get drunk and don't know where they are?

Phuket Walking Street begins - taking it's nod from Chang Mai
Good Luck

The Phuket Airport Express does not seem to be working
- schedule cut
- lights not there....
but I am cynical...

Klong Koh Pee (nr Sapan Hin) cleared for major construction 
but it is protected mangrove forest - whoops!
and
Sirinart Marine National Park encroachment
Trisara Resort
Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach

China and Russian tourists to drive the market for Tourism
- get learning quickly...

BUT the Tourists need Medical Insurance!
Phuket pays that much in medical bills!

Sun, Sex and Suspicious parents - Parents spy on their children on holiday 
- this is BBC television, disturbing?

Raw sewage on Patong Beach 
- disturbing visions of Pattaya flashing past my eyes....

The Tiger Disco Trial is postponed...
for how long?
reminds me of that other trial that is postponed 

Okay - Ladies dress dirty get 50% off @ Indigo Pearl
- but not men - is this sexist?

Pitbull didn't meant to kill him 
what did he mean to do (sic) - give him a shave?
Johan Ljung denies intent

Central Taxi Mafia
Central did not get involved because 'they had guns'. 
- a good answer!

Spiralling corruption sparks Patong anger
- i thought this was how they did business in Patong?

Jet-Ski Operator checks - drugs and no licence
Good luck

image from Thai Visa 

Greek man tells us that his Thai girlfriend swindles him out of his 2 million baht.

What nationality was the man who stole money from the Temple?

Who is coming here from Europe?

ME!?

images from ThaiVisa 

School Uniforms are described as...

“Did you have to wear uniform during mid-term?”
“Is sex better in uniform?”
“Uniform is challenging.”
“Unleash your identity.”

translations  by -

and last comment

Rhianna and the Slo Loris on Bangla Road 
Luck with arresting everybody

but I prefer these Instagram ones.

There seems to be an increase in Road accidents again...

View Accident black spots. in a larger map

'Pae-Leng' and Lee Loh Chia who is he?

at Katu Shrine at the beginning of the Vegetarian Festival

There is always one man that I have witnessed at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and this is him.

Ever since I can remember (10 years) this man has helped lead the people in the celebrations during this time.

When he was 19 he had a death defying incident and it wasn't for 10 years that he understood that he was blessed - read the full story in The Phuket Bulletin - September 2013. 

Lim Hu Thai Su Chinese Shrine

He then found out that he was being used by the Chinese God 

- Lee Loh Chia as a medium.

Jui Tui Chinese Shrine

Lee Loh Chia is a General who served the Jade Emperor and can be recognised by the gold hoop that he always carries and the sharp ornate spear. 

Bang Neow Chinese Shrine

Yellow flags scatter the ground that he walks on!

Sam Kong Chinese Shrine

Thank you to The Phuket Bulletin for this information - now if I can only give names to the rest of the Gods?

Bang Neow Chinese Shrine on the 1st day of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 

Ideas anyone?

View Chinese Shrines in Phuket in a larger map

More signs in Phuket?

We have all read about the signs that are going up to explain the red flags on the beach BUT can anyone tell me what this sign means?



What happened here to make them put up signs about not climbing on the 'anything'?

It is on the stairs to Tunk-ka Cafe on Rang Hill...
a pleasant place to visit...

Emergency Drinking Water and the beach

Along the beaches I find that the same thing is repeated again and again.

I have contacted a Jiaxing Rongsheng Life Saving Equipment for
 their Emergency Drink Water.

What did they say?

Serpico and Thailand - a connection?

As we left the Twin Palms / Bake Coffee Shop opposite Wat Chalong we followed this truck. The first thing that got me was that we really should not follow it too closely because the concrete was a little too close...

That is not what this is about however.

"What is the attraction between Al Pacino / Serpico and Thailand?"

Moon Festival in Phuket Town (18-21 Sep)

This is always something that is worth making a visit - there is a great deal of information about the Festival and I thank the TAT for giving me some details.

The actual celebration for the moon (fireworks are going off as I speak) is actually this evening - Thursday 19th September BUT there was the beginning of the Festival set up in Queen Sirikit Park.

This looks like it is going to be fun but I will not be able to make this one - the photographs are of the stalls which were set up on the Wednesday.

Information below was used in a Teaching Lesson

The Moon Festival is held in honour of the Quan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy) and the moon – which is why it is always celebrated at the Full Moon period.

It is a Festival of Harmony because it is a time where all the family members come back to the home and they will eat the Mooncakes together.

The Mooncake

Traditionally the Mooncake was a full rounded pastry – approximately 10 cm in diameter and 4/5 cm thick.

The filling was usually made of read bean, Chinese peanuts and spices and a lotus seed.

Many of the more expensive Mooncakes would be baked with a salted duck egg in the middle – giving it a beautiful pattern when it was cut.

Now you are able to purchase the Mooncake with a number of different fillings - Swensens ice cream also make one!

Ko Hor Mooncake Shop

Do you want to see them being made? Phuket Old Town (near Robinsons)

A wonderful place to visit.

Graffiti and blaring car stereos with obscene words - welcome to?

Okay my rant of the afternoon is here!

Graffiti may well be an art but I do not think that it is recognised as an art in Phuket?

Unless Coach Art is? 

 But as I am watching the development of the Underpass next to Central, the painting of the bridge over the road and the land opposite I wonder what (or who) manages the property on the corner of Central.

But more - the graffiti of Deadmau5 has got bigger and I am seeing it more around in Phuket - than I wait whilst my daughter plays with the local children and I listen to obscene blaring music!

There are some things from the West that Thailand definitely does not need!

(Rant Over)

Rain, noodles, cheescake, crash!, homework and LEGO Ninjago

Phuket Vegetarian Festival begins 4th 

This morning - Friday 13th - started off with taking Jemma to school and it was raining so the morning was put on hold whilst I watched a couple of movies and the rain stopped!

Then it was time to try a new noodle shop out - Chuen was in charge and this one was behind the International Hospital - near a popular restaurant for Jamie - Dairy Hut.

This was when I realised the date.

Lunch was at  ถูกปาก ก๋วยเตี๋ยวไก่มะระ - the review will be coming shortly here - but I would have to add that this is certainly for the locals so it was not for me...

Then it was my choice - back to Cheesecake by K.Reed, i went last week and was impressed but this week... serving the cake and the telling us that the person making the coffee was not there!?

Jemma has had a lot of tests at school so I thought that I would replace her copy of Bambi II - but to no avail (nothing for me neither).

So we set off a little grimaced - there had been a BANG - as we waited for the crossroads outside TescoLotus we see a recent accident with a trailer in the middle and a taxi (air-bagged) in front - Ouch.

It was Friday the Thirteenth.

Jemma could not get her treat to I told her that we could pop quickly to the Indy Market in Phuket Town because she had two good ticks in her book but at 4:30 it was not ready yet - as the rain began to fall we went home.

At home we did our homework and we made mini-pizzas - exactly how Jemma wanted them. We ate mini-pizzas and watched LEGO Ninjago again

Friday the Thirteenth is finished.