all pics...

Some kids chillin' watching the dancers from Makha Bucha Day.

Putting gold flakes on Buddhist sculptures and statues is pretty common during festivals and holidays.

This was also part of the ceremony. You made a donation of whatever you wanted and then received a bowl of coins. You walked around the temple putting one coin into each of the little black pots.

Here I am throwing in my two cents.

AHHH! A fat baby, Buddha statue playing with his toes!

One of my sixth grade students performing a Northern Thai dance.

One of my friends from school helping serve coffee for the holiday.

The local band rockin' out, or not.

Before the ceremony begins.

During prayer.

Lighting candles and incense as offerings.

Trip to Roi Et to see some fellow Peace Corps friends.

Monk tending the flowers.

I was really interested in this statue. At the way he is so emaciated. I didn't have the chance to ask anyone why he looks like that, but I'm thinking it may be one of the stages the Buddha went through on his way to enlightenment. Complete guess.

These were some other statues near by the previous one. Looks like the Buddha teaching under the .......... tree. Anybody know the name?

It is a yellow watermelon! I couldn't believe my eyes. They call it honey watermelon and it pretty much tastes like red watermelon, but it's so entertaining to eat something you've always had, but in another color. Like making blue spaghetti sauce.

Meghan and I after the race! Yeay!

Posin' with our medals.

A few post-race drinks by the pool!

A cock fight at a town about 5 kilos from me. They have this every Saturday and it was packed with gamblers. They set up about 10 of these rings and then a crowd gathers around each to watch and place bets. The cock that loses is the one that runs away first. These guys had some sweet Kung Fu moves.

The giant, standing Buddha in Roi Et. It must have been at least 10 stories high. A monk let us climb up into the thing and out on an observation deck, which was really cool.