Long, Long Loy Krathong

My feet hurt from the six inch heels I'm wearing, my eyelids are heavy with makeup and fake eyelashes, my face hurts but I keep my smile plastered on my face... I can't believe what I am doing right now... that brings a new smile, a sincere one. I'm laughing inside. What a ridiculous thing this is!

The beauty contest is over and boy am I glad. Parts of it were fun and parts of it were painful but it was most definitely an experience (and I definitely have a new respect for people who often do pageants, it's harder than you think)! Here are a few photos of the crazy, hilarious outfits I wore.

There were four rounds in the contest. The first with everyone, the second with less people, the third with only ten people and questions to be answered and the last where they crowned the winner. I was in the first and second round. I got to skip out on the questions because they were difficult and asked in Thai but then was asked back for the fourth round to receive a trophy for friendship between cultures. The judges were glad I joined the Loy Krathong festivities.

I left home around 1pm to go to the salon to get my makeup and hair done and I didn't get home until about 1am. After changing my clothes I headed off to float my Krathong on the river, possibly the part of the evening I was most looking forward to. The Krathong I made is made from a round from banana tree trunk, though you can also make them out of styrofoam or bread, banana tree trunk is most commonly used. Flowers, folded banana leaves, candles and incense are used to decorate them. Just before we floated our krathongs on the river my host aunt slipped a few Baht coins between the flowers. We held lit the candles and incense, then, with our shoes removed, held them up to our heads as we made a wish for the new year and then let them down into the river where they floated off and joined the many other little lights floating slowly down the river...

...and then I went home... it was around 2am. I scrubbed as much makeup off my face as possible, fell into bed and slept for ten straight hours.

All the people who won awards at the beauty contest

on the first evening, wearing traditional Thai clothes

Also on the first evening

with a few other girls from my school who were also competing, the other girl in red is in my class :)

turtles and crocodiles made of bread! they are another sort of krathong! If you float a bread krathong you're feeding the fish too :)

the inside of banana tree trunks fascinate me

my krathong all done!

my krathong!

Brook (a girl in my class) and I ready for competition day 2!

Loy Krathong Fireworks!

Loy Krathong is a really beautiful holiday and I look forward to sharing it with everyone back home next year!

-kearn