New Years Eve

New Year's eve in Amphawa is a really special experience.  This is normally a sleepy fishing village, but it comes alive on New Year's eve.  People from all around the area come to town to enjoy the celebration, including the floating market and all the food available from local vendors.  We are just about the only farangs (white westerners) here because this is not a tourist area.  We ajarns enjoyed the activities until around 9:00, then went back to the hotel, but passed the students who were on their way to town.  So I don't have pictures of them yet.  But I'm posting photos that I took this evening. Even though I don't know what a lot of the food is, not much text is necessary... the photos speak for themselves.

Thais prepare and sell food from the boats

Phad Thai nachos!!!

horseshoe crab with veggies and other stuff.

I have no idea what these are.

I see tentacles....

The same singing group comes to town every year.  I'm told that this is the best singing group in Thailand and they're from this area, so they return home to celebrate the new year in Amphawa.

Suk sahn wahn pi mai !

The kids found a neat little place next to the floating market where they ordered food and drinks, sang karaoke and danced for most of the night.  The guy that owns the place would not let our kids pay for anything.  Everyone had a great time and two of our students said it was the best New Years Eve they've ever had... or ever will.  The Thais are such happy, warm, and inviting people...  The world would be a much better place if it were inhabited only by Thais.