We are all that we have met.

I figured I’d do it big for my 21st; bigger than a house party or an elaborate dinner, even bigger than Bangkok. A larger than expected group of us flew down to Phuket Island, a world famous Province known for James Bond Island (where one of the movies was filmed), its white-sand beaches, clear greenish water, it’s enormous Buddha overlooking the land below, and it’s bustling nightlife. Phuket is also Thailand’s largest island, about the size of Singapore!

We found a flight deal with a friend of a Thai friend’s who also goes to IC and he offered us a ticket priced at USD$90 instead of what were originally going to book, USD$125. We were a little weary because he didn’t give us a receipt or our tickets when we forked over USD$1800 (for all of us total). With a combination of desperation and faith in our friend who knows him, we went along with the plan nevertheless. We eventually got our tickets the morning of our one-and-half-hour flight and found ourselves on the island by evening time. Since we showed up with an entourage of 10, we were able to bargain down our hostel price at Pineapple Guest House from USD$5/night to USD$3/night and we had a dorm room all to ourselves. The British owner, Steve, and his Thai wife Lek, were incredibly welcoming and helpful. Some of us wasted no time taking a dip in the ocean water of Karon Beach, a nationally rated 4.5 star beach where we stayed. We threw on our swim suits after dinner and went for a night walk along the beach. The sand felt squeaky smooth under our soles and the ocean was as lukewarm as bath water. Apparently, Thai people never go to Phuket unless they work there because after the 2004 Tsunami, locals claimed to see ghost Farang dancing in the water (although more Thai people died than foreigners on the Island due to the Tsunami). Thai people believe very strongly in spirits and ghosts. I’ve seen trees wrapped in brightly-colored ribbon that are offerings to the spirits who reside in the area. Karma and spirits come in to play often, especially since 95% of Thailand’s population is Buddhist. Not only are Thailand’s architecture and customs heavily influenced by other cultures like that of India and China, but its religion is too. Three major forces have influenced the development of Buddhism in Thailand. Folk religion is the a major influence on Thai Buddhism; it attempts to propitiate and attract the favor of local spirits (known as phi). Thais also believe that tattoos are often religious passages or symbols which offer protection to the wearer. The more superstitious the person, the more tattoos they are apt to have. If any of you watch the program “Lost,” remember when Jack was in Thailand; he got a controversial tattoo from his Thai girlfriend, it could have been to protect him from the dangerous spirits (specifically her Thai male friends/family members who were after him at the time) and eventually the forthcoming spirits of the island! Anyway, I don’t believe in ghosts but that night, the light reflecting off the water tricked my eyes into seeing white figures dancing on the surface and then being washed away with the waves. I couldn’t help but get chills.

The Vegetarian Festival was also celebrated famously in Phuket and we hoped to have better luck there than we did in Chinatown. The next day, we arrived in Phuket Town, the center of the gala, and were pleased to discover ceremonies taking place at a brightly lit Buddhist temple, children decorating the streets with a variety of firecrackers, and yellow flags everywhere. Not only did I finally get to taste Mango and sticky rice (which, mind you, is delicious!), but I got to experience a cultural snippet of this 10-day festivity and I realized that it’s about more than just vegetarian spring rolls. We witnessed a ceremony where men shook their heads and rolled their eyes back while falling into a trance to the heavy beat of drums. After doing a bit of research, I learned that these men are named “Ma Song,” or entranced horses. They are devotees whom the gods enter during the fest. They manifest supernatural powers and perform self-tortures in order to shift evil from individuals onto themselves, and to bring the community good luck. Fireworks and drums are sounded loudly, especially during ceremonies so the noise drives away evil spirits. They even had 10 rules for the festival that reminded me of those which we must follow before entering the praying room in a Jain temple.

10 Rules for the Vegetarian Festival
1. Cleanliness of bodies during the festival
2. Clean kitchen utensils used separately from others who do not join the festival
3. Wear white during the festival
4. Behave physically and mentally
5. No meat eating
6. No sex
7. No alcoholic drinks
8. People at mourning period should not attend the festival
9. Pregnant ladies should not watch any ritual
10. Ladies with period should not attend the ritual

We ended up purchasing a diverse batch of fireworks for ourselves for about USD$10 and marveled at the glitz and sparks for a short and exciting time on the beach. The firecracker-bursting occasion made me reminiscent of Diwali (which is coming up really soon!) but I had a lot of fun. The following day, we took a tour to Phi Phi Island and went snorkeling. Although Phi Phi was incredibly touristy and therefore expensive, it was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a full-day tour and by the time we got back to our hostel, it was time for dinner. We went out with a friend named Gary, who lives in Phuket. He took us to a fabulous restaurant called Farang Restaurant (so creative) where I began my early birthday celebration with some quality red wine and delicious, dark chocolate cake. Post-dinner, we went to Patong, a town renowned for it’s collection of bars, clubs, and lounges. We met up with the rest of our friends from IC (who were staying on a different beach) and danced until night passed. For the rest of the vacation, two of my friends rented motorcycle scooters so they took us around the island. We spent the rest of our fleeting time lounging lazily on the beach and floating until wrinkly in the water. Also, thank you all so much for the calls, emails, and wishes; it was a magnificent 21^st birthday jamboree :]!

On Monday, the day we were to fly back to Rangsit, we realized that some of our Finnish friends who had an early flight had troubles getting on the plane because supposedly, their tickets were canceled. As more of us turned up at the airport, we learned that more of us were in the same predicament. After anxiety and confrontation, we discovered that fraudulent credit cards were used to purchase these tickets. Three of my friends and I were all on the same flight and our tickets were not canceled so we got back on time. However, the rest of our group not only had to wait at the airport for four+ more hours, but they had to eventually pay an extra USD$90 upfront to get their flights back. Although they were reimbursed upon arrival by the charlatan himself, we have reported it to the school and things are currently being taken care of. The assistant dean of IC, Gessy, who is helping us sort out the dilemma is as concerned about us as a good friend would be, so that’s at least comforting. In Thai culture, “losing face” is a vital affair to be in so I’m hoping, because of that, someone will come straight and justice will be served. As for us, we’ve learned our lesson about not trusting any “friend of a friend” despite how worthy the deal may seem.

C