Our second week in Myanmar was Water Festival, and Thursday was the Myanmar New Year. During Water Festival, people party on the streets with music and dancing and WATER. It's impossible to stay dry. People are on the streets, toting water guns, hoses, buckets of water, shampoo bottles full of water, bottles of perfume... And every neighborhood has a station where people with fire hoses are lined up. There is usually a stage nearby with traditionally costumed dancers. Groups of friends or families ride around in pick up trucks, from neighborhood to neighborhood, dousing and being doused. Trucks and dancing areas play techno, R&B, and other (modern) dance music. Some neighborhoods have fair-like areas. Of course there's food everywhere. In Thailand this holiday lasts 3 days, but in Myanmar it is 5 days. And as far as I can tell, only monks are off limits as targets. It would seem that getting the foreigners gets you bonus points (not that there are really points)--especially my blonde travelling companions.
By the way, there are very few white tourists here--less than anywhere else I've visited. We are always received very warmly, and treated very kindly. People have been so genuine and are very happy to have visitors. Please look to my soon to come posting about the situation in Myanmar...
