DAY TO DAY...
Projects in Asia and fund raising anywhere
Six-hand Frisbee
26 happy kids and
krathongs
Krathong launch at
Children's Garden fish pond
Choose your weapon
Small kid, big fountain
| 28 November 2004: Children's Garden, Doi Saket, Thailand
There's more to give than money. I never need an excuse to visit them, but luckily Thailand has more official holidays than any other country and an important one was upon us: Loi Krathong...translated literally, launch the boat or let go of the bowl. In the city, I think it means "legal chaos" and you can read about that in my Life in the Laugh Lane column in the newspaper: If Chiangmai were in America, the entire city would be arrested. Ornately designed "boats" are made from banana leaves, stems, flowers, candles, incense and, in the upper right parade float photo, beautiful Thai women, or men, or somewhere in between. Over here it's hard to tell which they are unless you hear the voice or see the apple (Adam's). Loi Krathong broadly celebrates the rivers and water which bring life and honors the harvest. It also honors the fire that keeps us warm in the winter months. All those lights in the sky (second upper right photo) are fire lanterns, thousands of little bonfires that somehow don't burn all of Southeast Asia to one big cinder. It's your holiday but can I help you blow things up? We brought the party to the kids and gave them their own holiday to remember vividly. Frisbee until dusk, then off to the fish pond to release loi krathongs and try not to become fish food ourselves. We created our own sweet incense, aqua candle constellation with 30 krathongs floating in the darkness. Next I got to indulge in my own personal passion: fireworks. In the local markets, anyone can buy huge rockets, fountains and shells that would be classed just below nuclear weapons in America. Everyone assumed I knew to unroll the circle brick of 3000 firecrackers. I lit the tiny little fuse and explosions began immediately... actually I think it was just one explosion. I was busy running for my life AND wetting my pants. Barely surviving activities one, two and three, I was ready to learn how to launch a fire lantern, made from very thin paper, a light bamboo ring, a bit of wire and a sort of roll of tape/whatever soaked in kerosene, eye of newt and pixie dust. It starts to burn slowly, then vigorously, heating up the air inside the paper and singeing stray eyelashes. Then comes a precious weightless moment just before you gently set it on its way to burn the other side of the horizon. They rise till they're out of sight, following the same wind current. If you're a few hundred meters away, you see a line of fire dots in the sky. If you're right below them, you create your own personal constellation right above you. After few more star bombs into the sky and a few hundred sparklers on the ground and it was time to head back home, something many of these kids don't have. Well, yes, they do and it's called Children's Garden, a warm place to grow. You can buy food and mattresses and seeds and books, but you can't buy sharing, smiling, laughing, clapping, oooing and ahhhing together with a friend: especially a big, old friend that looks like your parents but acts like your kids. Previous DAY TO
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