An 'In your face' Festival?, a photo from Phuket, South

Photographer's Note

Every year at the beginning of the ninth lunar month, the people of Phuket participate in the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Ten days of purification rituals such as hot oil bathing, fire-walking and abstaining from eating meat include street processions during which the participants (in trances) walk through the streets with skewers, swords and a variety of other objects pierced through their cheeks in order to bring good luck on the community.

avene has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

posternpete (203) 2010-01-28 8:43 [Comment]

Show Comment

danielswalsh (13597) 2010-01-28 9:13 [Comment]

Show Comment

avene (12675) 2010-01-28 12:45

hello Gavin,
I'm having a difficult understanding the phrase "I don't like the picture as a subject" in the first comment. you don't have to like the subject to realise the PHOT is good, and that's exactly the case with this image. otherwise we would be drowning in cute kittens and what not.
it might be a silly question, but what happens to this person AFTER the festival? do the holes from the objects are allowed to heal? do the scars carry any social/cultural meaning?
thanks for this post, it once again reminds be of the most fundamental truth - people are different. not better or worse, just different. and it is not at all easy to truly accept this fact.

best,
Kristine