12 days...

Each country celebrates a bit differently, each religion has their own ways of trying to give honor. Here is no different. In the days leading up to the celebrations I understood that there would be music and dancing and things to buy. One thing the people with whom I talked, forgot to mention was that these would be taking place not just in the day or evening but throughout the night. One might think what follows is a bit exaggerated but I assure you I write this in a way that communicates the events of the ten days as well as my feelings around them:

Day 1: Curiosity is aroused as Foreign words to me blast through the speakers lashed onto a pushcart going down the street, and bamboo and tarps are being strung together into stalls of little treasures. I am Curious.

Day 2: new foods I have not seen before line the street along with ones I know are delicious. That night I hear the music. A mix of modern music and traditional drums and my imagination stirs up images of people down on the streets below eating and laughing and enjoying their festival.

Day 3: My friend takes me around and I see the stalls and the Ferris wheel and the bouncy house and I am amused at the things I see. There is a special stage for the group of three women who perform a dance show three times during each day. The sounds I hear out the window make a bit more sense.

Day4: The music sounds like surround sound. What a gift, eh?

Day 5: We normally play Taize songs or Benedictine chants, but why bother when there is music provided for us.

Day 6: I try to lean back and find pleasure in the music, as I take in the soft evening light through the open window; the birds flying the breeze is blowing…and the gongs clang, and the banging of bells ring out over the open air speakers. We like the traditional music, yes we like the traditional music…we LIKE the traditional music….I tell myself half convincingly.

Day 7: All Night. Wow that's intense I try to imagine them dancing...one traditional, another Techno, and on and on and on...

Day 8: And on and on... They have played music from last night all through today and long into the night. I struggle through the day wondering how to hold today as a day of prayer and “silence” as we had planned.

Day 9: The power went out tonight! Such a small thing as no power didn't stop our neighbours; they give the energizer bunny a run for his money. I think they ran the generator just so they could keep the music going.

Day 10: I am pretty sure they turned the music up at 3am tonight.

Day 11: Modern upbeat music all night again. 3 nights in a row. Is it punk, techno, rock,? ...It is is loud and all night, this countries has a style of its own.

Day 12: The music stopped at 3am and the shouting out numbers began. They looked as if counting a long line of monks. At 5am all was silent, and the sun rose a new day.