“Why you guys go worship and make an apology to the water?”



Every year, my uncle in law joins us to Loi Kratong festival.

Yet, not this year.



“She is giving you guys a bloody floody flood. Why you still pray for her?”

He insisted on not joining us today.






On the full moon day of November, it is the day Thai people march up to water place to apologize the spirit of water, Pra Mae Kongka, by floating a small raft which full of flowers called Kratong.





Kratong is originally made from banana leave, contained flowers, candle and incenses.



As being on (e)vac(u)ation, with very little working-on-banana-leave skill, I guess I had too much free time.





I designed my own one and brought the list of materials I could think of to a morning market near the place I am staying.





With a chunk of banana trunk, banana leaves and some flowers, I started working on my hand-made Kratong.





As being greedy, I designed a couple Kratongs and wanted to combine them together.





The combination of two Kratongs



“I don’t have my own one…..,” Pai, my nephew said while staring at mine.

Thus, I split it into two.





My little boy got the bigger one.



And this was the Kratong which was just similar to me,





tiny, simple and plain….






In the evening, we went out to a pond to let go Kratong into the water.

Normally, there should be three incenses and a candle contained in Kratong to worship
Pra Mae Kongka, the spirit of the water, yet, I didn’t put any in mine.





Instead, I put a few of white flowers into my Kratong, tried to make it look different to me,

more than just simple and plain, but also pure which I am not anymore.



When you let go Kratong, you make a wish.



Normally, I always hesitated to make a wish since I thought I was doing Loi Kratong to worship and apologize the spirit of the water, so why I even ask her to make my wish come true.

Yet, I strongly had one today.





I asked the spirit of the water to have a mercy on us Thailand.

I wish she would make the flood gone soon.

And I wish the country be strong and get through the disaster bravely.





Also, I wish not to get to let go the Kratong just right in front of my front door as I could do if I were home now.