No offense to countdowns, confetti, and Auld Lang Syne, but you know who knows how to usher in the New Year with real style? It's the Thai, folks. This past week we celebrated Songkran, the new year according to the Thai calendar, which simply entailed symbolically washing away our sins and bad luck... with water guns and non-stop buckets of water.
If it really worked, let me tell ya, NOTHING unsavory will dare approach me this year, because my bones were dripping by the end of it! Also it was enormously fun and entertaining, surprisingly even more so than Holi (the Hindu festival of colors we celebrated last month).

Smearing paint on strangers' faces at Holi felt much more personal and therefore more intimidating than pelting buckets of water in random directions. Friends and strangers alike splashed each other with reckless abandon so it was extremely easy to get caught up in the battle. Indeed it was inevitable, as water gun vendors began assaulting us with streams of ice cold water before we'd even entered the temple grounds, and filling your bucket from the tubs meant getting repeatedly doused before you could retaliate. All in jolly good fun, unless you're Millie.
On any old scorching day in Penang, a water fight is just about the best thing that could happen to me, particularly if it also removes internal blemishes and bad fortune!
The water festival was held at the Thai Buddhist temple in town, which is adjacent to the Burmese Buddhist temple, so we got to explore the grounds of both and enjoyed juxtaposing the elements of worship we observed there and at Kek Lok Si, the largest Chinese Buddhist temple complex in the region.
All this temple hopping has prompted us to explore the origins and practices associated with Buddhism, and I readily admit the study has proved far more fascinating and meaningful than when I memorized the 8-fold path to Nirvana for a college history class.
We relate to a lot of the truth in Buddhism, and if I couldn't be Christian, I'd probably give Buddhism a go. Kyle and I have even been trying out meditation, which is not necessarily religious, but of course a common technique applied by Buddhists. It's much harder to clear my thoughts than I'd expected, but even more so for Kyle. He never got past the suggestion to count "123" as you inhale and exhale while meditating. He ended up just singing in his head,"123, 123 drink" from Sia's Chandelier for the entire meditation session, hahaha!

Well, Buddhism is great and all, and life is indeed suffering, but I'd much rather place my suffering and sorrows on the altar of Jesus and let Him help me overcome, rather than have to discover and root out the cause of my suffering alone in my mind.

The day after we celebrated Songkran was Easter, and we left our sin/sorrow rocks out the night before, as per usual (this is our only consistent Easter tradition). We'd simply written down our shortcomings or anything we're struggling with on jaggedy, smelly rocks we pilfered from the community garden.
By morning we discovered that Jesus had removed our "sins and sorrows" and replaced them with gifts-- in this case, bags of chips, graphic tees, and craft supplies. In reality, of course, the gifts of forgiveness, hope, and healing are what it's all about.
After church we stewed up some tasty chicken Rendang with sides and treats and enjoyed a picnic Easter dinner on the beach at sunset. I scattered a slew of ping pong balls into the ocean in lieu of a traditional Easter egg hunt, and the kids cashed in every ball they claimed for a chocolate almond. So it was still Eastery enough.

Actually, the week had been quite a mentally and emotionally exhausting one, so a balmy, relaxing Easter dinner on the beach was exactly what I needed. I never feel more connected to the Creator than when immersed in His creation. The ocean in particular speaks to me in such a powerful and reassuring way.
I'm too terrified of marine life to channel my inner Moana and literally embrace the ocean, but I'll happily burrow myself into the sand and gaze, hypnotized, at the rhythmic waves, letting the sun, wind and salty ocean spray both invigorate and soothe me. This is where I feel most alive. This is where I feel the full force of God's plan, and my own place in it.

The kids snuggling an adorable Burmese python

The Temple of the Azure Cloud--or Snake Temple--is one of the most memorable Buddhist temples I've ever visited. Why? PIT VIPERS, just hanging around. People come from all over Asia to worship in this one-of-a-kind environment.

For weeks, Cosie (2) has been obsessed with snakes--her new favorite animal. Anything long and skinny merits a gleeful 2-year-old comment about it being a snake (pencils, wires coming out of the wall, a scratch on her knee...). So, we HAD to get this girl to the Snake Temple, ASAP.
According to legend, snakes sought refuge from the surrounding jungle soon after the temple was built in the 1800s. The head monk saw this as a sign of good luck and let them stay. Devotees believe that the snakes are spiritual protectors of the temple.

Is the Snake Temple Dangerous?
I don't think so--though I wouldn't poke the vipers. Thankfully, this species (Wagler's viper) is very lethargic throughout the day, lying completely motionless. Some say the thick smell of incense from the temple subdues them, though a worker told us they're just nocturnal. He said the snakes roam free at night. Every morning, the team walks around to collect any lose snakes, resting them on circular branch structures for the day. We asked: "How do you collect them?" He answered: "With a long stick" and mimed a shoveling motion.

After some questioning, we also learned that there is one snake that had its venom removed so you can handle it for pictures. They've marked this little guy's head with red paint. This way, workers can easily identify the de-venomed one after he has mingled with the other snakes at night. I get it--if you're going to handle a viper, you'd want to grab the one that can't kill you. Here's the pitiful little cutie below--notice the dot of red paint? ...I feel bad for him; he doesn't even have his own venom for comfort... And the other snakes probably make fun of his weird red head.
Out back there is a small courtyard area with some trees. At first glance, it looked like a normal small wooded grove, but we knew what was hiding. After a few minutes of searching, we found about a dozen vipers, some camouflaging better than others. Our excitement grew with each find. It was really fun, just like treasure hunting. The only difference was that the priceless treasure was actually poisonous serpents.
There is a Snake Farm next door to the temple, which apparently has a large collection of snakes (cobra shows, etc.) and other animals. We ran out of time and had to get Erik to piano lessons, so we'll report on the farm after next visit.

Overall, we highly recommend a visit to the Snake Temple--an experience you'll only get here in Penang.
P.S. My hawkering dream was crushed when I saw this sign in the parking lot: NOT ALLOWED! Don't even think about it... :(

•  A job in the future
• A chance to understand and comfort a person
• A time to learn about yourself and/or your companions
• A time to find your weaknesses and correct them
• A time that will give you spiritual strength and bring you closer to God
• A chance to make yourself stronger (both physically and emotionally)