Big day!

Today is Friday April 11th, and it is a good day! Today is the first day of Songkran, which is the Thai New Year festival, and the most important time of the year in Thailand. Everyone parties hard and splashes water on each other. Water runs deep in the Thai New Year traditions, both as a symbol of cleansing, blessings, and as a symbol of renewal. As part of the water sprinkling or water splashing, you may also encounter a person with a small silver bowl filled with a white powder or pasty substance. This is one of the oldest Songkran traditions. The white paste is a sign of protection and promises to ward off evil. The person with the paste is often older and he or she applies the paste to various parts of the face, neck and torso of others. One is expected to leave this paste on until it washes off of its own accord.
This festival lasts an entire week! :D
People come from all over the world and congregate in Chiang Mai to celebrate Songkran. I am so lucky to be here to experience this!
I've already been drenched by super-soaker water guns while on my bicycle from people driving by. It's awesome!

Another reason today is important on a more personal level is because I graduated from my Thai massage and foot reflexology courses at the Shivagakomarpaj school at the Old Medicine Hospital. We had a lovely ceremony and lunch afterwards: all the students and teachers together. The teachers offered beer and whiskey in celebration after the ceremony, and blasted Thai pop music. Tonight we're all meeting at the Wild Rose Yoga studio to take an Acro-yoga class, and then go out dancing. I really appreciate the company of all my new friends. They're such unique, fun, and compassionate people.
Last night we went dancing at the Rasta Art Caffe, and tonight for the festival we're heading down by Taipei Gate to party and celebrate our graduation. A few of the girls: Guilia(Italy), Mawla(Spain), and Helena(UK) are going to accompany me up to Pai next Wed. after the Songkran festival for a few days before we all go our separate ways. I'll be sad to leave say goodbye to my new friends and Chiang Mai, but I'm ready to move on. After Pai I'm making my way into Laos and Cambodia, and I'm really looking forward to it! I'm not sure where I'm heading after that, maybe the Malaysian Borneo, but what I now know is that I'm leaving for India around September. Guilia and Arthur(France) have given me the low-down, and I feel like I should go. I have to visit the Indian consulate in BKK around Aug. when Nichole has her baby.
Basically, this weekend is going to be wet and wild.