Thailand is a land of charming and different tastes for worldwide visitors as I was to learn when I experienced the Water Holiday of Loi Kathong on the island of Ko Chang.

Koh Chang

A few years ago the travel bug severely bit me. The symptoms led me to sell my company Nico Siragusa Jersey , pack a small rucksack with essential items and roll into Los Angeles International Airport with a major credit card and an attitude. A few days later, I was in Thailand and en route to the island of Koh Chang, positioned near to the border with Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand.

Ko Chang is a densely forested island with little towns full of beach huts. This is exactly what I was after; spending days lounging in the sun and contemplating my navel. Regrettably, I soon experienced the local bacteria, which was not what I was after.

Since I had leased my beach bungalow for a week with payment in advance Tim Williams Jersey , the family running the place looked me upon graciously. They took pity on me and I was soon growing plumpish on Tom Yom Kung and other soups and curries. After four days, I had finally kicked the bug and felt halfway human. This was good news as it was the night of the full moon water festival.

I had heard of full moon festivitiess in Thailand. For hard partying tourists, this was apparently the night the big beach parties happened. In Koh Chang, it was a little different as the night was tailored to the local Thais, not tourists.

The Loy Kathong Holiday happens every year during the full moon of the 12th lunar month – usually at the end of November. Offerings are given to pacify the water spirits. These offerings come in the form of banana leaf bowls (krathongs) with flowers Chris Wormley Jersey , fruit, candles and incense. The candles and incense are lit and everyone heads down the beach and starts putting them in the water. It is one of the more amazing light shows you will ever see and beats Las Vegas hands down. Thousands, and I mean thousands, of little lights bobbing on the surface of the smooth sea.

After the bowls, comes one of the most visually amazing things I鈥檝e ever seen. Everyone is familiar with the paper lanterns used in Asia. Typically Tyus Bowser Jersey , they come in the form of a rectangle form with a bamboo or light wire frame. Very popular with college students since they are cheap and look better than a bare light bulb.

For the celebration, Thais would take these paper lanterns and close off the top. They would then affix a small this paper plate to the bottom with a candle on it. Light the candle, wait for the heat to do its work and they had an instant hot air balloon. Once the lanterns could float, you simply let go and off the slowly went over the ocean. It was a sight to see as there were thousands of them floating over the water.

As the festivities wound down, the sea had been transformed. The air was full of gracefully floating lanterns while the water itself was dotted with slowly bobbing points of light.

If you intend to travel to Thailand Marlon Humphrey Jersey , make sure you schedule your trip around a full moon in late November for Loy Krathong. It is a scene you鈥檒l never forget.

Larry Westfall is a retired expat living in Thailand and loves resort and spa koh chang

"

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. defense chief James Mattis said Sunday en route to the Philippines that he will discuss regional security challenges with his counterparts of U.S. Asian allies and Southeast Asian nations there, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.

Mattis will participate in an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM+) to be held on Oct. 23-25, to discuss issues with his counterparts of Japan, South Korea Lamar Jackson Jersey , India and ASEAN countries. The United States and ASEAN this year marked the 40th anniversary of their cooperation.

The 10-member regional bloc groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia Hayden Hurst Jersey , Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Mattis said the bloc has played a strong role in Southeast Asia's peace, stability and economic prosperity since it was founded five decades ago.

""The U.S. remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN Justin Tucker Jersey ,"" he noted.

During the ASEAN meeting, Mattis is slated to have a trilateral meeting with South Korea and Japan to discuss things ""in a trilateral setting.""

Mattis also hailed the Philippine military for liberating the southern Marawi city from pro-Islamic State group militants.

""It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao. And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists,"" he said.

The U.S. defense secretary embarked on his trip on Saturday to the Philippines. On Thursday, he will lead the U.S. presidential delegation to attend the royal cremation rites of late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok.

Mattis will conclude his tour with a visit to South Korea to co-chair the 49th annual security consultative meeting with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-moo.

He said he will discuss with Song how to ""reinforce the diplomatic efforts ...to return to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.""

" The human brain works in mysterious ways and this is what makes every person unique in their own rights. No two people will ever show same characteristics and this is a bad and a good trait to have. If you put two people in a stressful situation, you will realize that both of them will find out a way to face the situation in two different ways. It is this ability and thinking power that makes every human so unique. However Jimmy Smith Jersey , it must be noted that in spite of all these different traits and special capabilities in individuals, everyone is different and can be better. The personality of a person is what distinguishes them from the rest of the crowd and having one is extremely important if one has to survive in this world. Every person w. JuJu Smith-Schuster Womens Jersey   Jimmy Garoppolo Womens Jersey   Jason Witten Womens Jersey   Jared Cook Womens Jersey   Jalen Ramsey Youth Jersey   Ezekiel Elliott Womens Jersey   Drew Brees Womens Jersey   David Johnson Youth Jersey   Dallas Goedert Kids Jersey   Bradley Chubb Broncos Jersey