When I completed the last time-restricted Quest sequence, I had hoped to have seen the end of massive rice production for quite some time. Nonetheless, as Rice features heavily in the Kitchen recipes as well as providing feed for more than one type of Animal, I began to restock on Rice by growing more during the 'downtime'.
Well, a new dual sequence of time-restricted Quests in the form of the Songkran Quests also spelled Songhran in some of the quests) has begun and over 400 Rice in my Barn went the way of all things in the first hour of the Quest! You will need massive amounts of Rice once again to complete this Quest sequence. You need it for the Turkey who provides Turkey Meat for the Turkey Sausages that are an ingredient in the Turkey Burgers that randomly produce Orange Shirts. You need to grow it as a requirement in one of the sequences of the traditional Mission as well as for use in many of the Recipes that are required during the course of the Songhran Quest. So prepare to see your Farm once again converted to paddy fields if you wish to complete this Quest.
I really am not a fan of the Tuk-Tuk that is one of the Rewards for completion of the Collection Mission, although the Tuk-Tuk recently has made its way into many popular games, including the most recent Animal Crossing for 3DS. It is one of the International items there. I suppose my own reason for not being overly excited about it is that I prefer the old-fashioned, non-mechanical devices, a rickshaw, for example or a simple cart drawn by oxen or horses (or even Cats, if you happen to be a Nordic Goddess named Freya). The other Collection reward is exquisite, though, as it is a Jasmine Bush that produces beautiful Jasmine flowers. If you do not have the heart or will for this Mission/Quest, you can find the Jasmine Bush in the Market for 7 RC.
As previously indicated, the Songkran or Songhran Quest has two separate elements. The first is a Collections Mission wherein you will collect four different colours of Tropical Shirts randomly from specific Crops,
Collect Tropical Shirts
Make farm produce to try and discover all the Tropical Shirts
70 Green Tropical Shirts from Cabbage
50 Blue Tropical Shirts from Blueberry Jam
30 Orange Tropical Shirts from Turkey Burger
10 Red Tropical Shirt from Wild Rose Fruit
The Rewards are a Tuk-Tuk and a Jasmine Bush. You can purchase another Jasmine Bush in the Market for 7 RC if you wish. You will need to harvest it for the Quest.
Songhran Summer Splash
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Songhran Summer Splash 1
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Since we were really impressed by the Thai cuisine, Darrly and I accepted my Thai friend's invitation to visit them in Thailand! But as they say, 'An Army marches on its stomach', so let's find some food first!
Prepare 6 Almond Omelets
Skip for 6 RC
Prepare 10 Cherry Flans
Skip for 10 RC
Produce 20 glasses of Apple Juice
Skip for 10 RC
Reward: 85 Coins, 17 XP
Great food is the best way to start your day! We have plenty of energy now, so Thailand here we come!
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Songhran Summer Splash II
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Wow, I am so touched by the people over here. They are all so warm and friendly! Wherever I go, the people always smile! Oh, what's that? I've seen that before. What is it called again? It is on the tip of my tongue, Mango Sti...
Harvest 6 Mangoes
Skip for 6 RC
Harvest 40 Rice
Skip for 20 RC
Prepare 6 Mango with Sticky Rice
Skip for 6 RC
Reward: 90 Coins, 18 XP
Eureka! it's Mango with Sticky Rice! Yummy! And the best is yet to come: Tomorrow it's Thai New Year!
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Songkran Summer Splash III
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Songkran, Thai New Year, is the day that people go to a temple and do charity work. People also build sand pagodas to pray for good fortune. So let's go to the seaside to build one and we can also have lunch over there!
Fish 12 times with the Squid Hook
Skip for 12 RC
Produce 10 Smoked Hairtail
Skip for 10 RC
Produce 5 Crab Meat Yi Mein
Skip for 10 RC
Reward: 100 Coins, 20 XP
Check out my sand pagoda. Isn't it beautiful?
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Songhran Summer Splash IV
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Is this really happening? I see everybody splashing water over each other! Also, I seem to have slipped into a traditional golden Thai dress. Have I turned into a Songkran Beauty Queen?
Harvest 50 Red Roses
Skip for 25 RC
Harvest 50 Lilies
Skip for 25 RC
Harvest 50 Lotus Flowers
Skip for 25 RC
Reward: 100 Coins, 20 XP
Wait, I'm not a queen after all... It was only a dream. I must have been too excited about Songkran. Time for some sightseeing!
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Songhran Summer Splash V
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I cannot believe my eyes! Going through the city on a tricycle. I see every one splashing water over each other as a blessing! This is exactly like my dream last night!
Collect 12 Buckets from your Neighbours
Skip for 12 RC
Fertilise your Neighbours' Farms 30 Times
Skip for 30 RC
Place a Tuk-Tuk on your Farm
N.B. The Tuk-Tuk is one of the Rewards for completing the Collections Mission
Skip for 10 RC
Reward: 110 Coins, 22 XP
My friend says Songkran is not complete without a good dessert!
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Songhran Summer Splash VI
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We cannot skip the most popular Thai dessert: Tong Yip. The name and shape symbolise good fortune Let's taste it!
Place a Jasmine Bush on your Farm
N.B. The Jasmine Bush is a Reward for completing the Collections Mission. Unlike the Tuk-Tuk, it can be purchased in the Market now for 7 RC
Harvest 50 Wheat
Prepare 8 Tong Yip
Reward: 110 Coins, 22 XP
My friend was right. It was a delicious dessert. Now it's time for some action!
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Songhran Summer Splash VII
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Let's join the people on the street and celebrate the Songkran festival with some water splashing madness! So what do we need to fit in? Seems like we are missing a jasmine garland and a water gun.
Harvest 6 Jasmine
Skip for 6 RC
Collect 12 Water Guns from Neighbours
Skip for 12 RC
Harvest 50 Daisies
Skip for 25 RC
Reward: 110 Coins, 22 XP
Ah, the lovely smell of jasmine. Who needs perfume?
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Songhran Summer Splash VIII
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Brrr... the water is so cold! I really need some hot food to warm myself! My friend suggested sweet soft dumpligs in warm coconut cream.
Harvest 60 Sweet Potatoes
Skip for 30 RC
Harvest 8 Coconut
Skip for 8 RC
Prepare 8 Dumplings in Coconut Cream
Skip for 8 RC
Reward: 120 Coins, 23 XP
Unbelievable! The ibgredients mixed together perfectly! Is this the charm of Thai desserts people always talk about?
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Songhran Summer Splash IX
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Time flies when you enjoy yourself! Songkran was so much fun, but we need to shop on the local Thai market to buy some souvenirs!
Produce 60 Red Teddy Bears
Skip for 30 RC
Produce 40 Maple Sugar
Skip for 20 RC
Produce 40 Lemon Cakes
Skip for 20 RC
Reward: 120 Coins, 23 XP
This beautiful journey has come to an end. Thank you all for the great welcome and I will definitely come back again one day!
The Final Reward is a Songhran Beehive that produces ordinary Honey only from Lily Flowers
New Recipes in the Kitchen are as follows:
Sweet Dumplings: 1104 Coins, 1 XP
Ingredients: Soft Dough, Sweet Potato x 3
Jasmine Coconut: 365 Coins, 1 XP
Ingredients: Coconut Milk, Jasmine
Dumplings in Coconut Milk: 1525 Coins, 1 XP
Ingredients: Sweet Dumplings, Jasmine Coconut
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Tong Yip Dough: 152 Coins, 1 XP
Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Duck Egg
Jasmine Nectar: 43 Coins, 1 XP
Ingredients: Jasmine, Nectar
Tong Yip: 424 Coins, 1 XP
Ingredients: Tong Yip Dough x 2, Jasmine Nectar x 2
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Thai New Year Festival: Songkran or Songhran
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As with respect to many ancient Festivals, the main thrust of the Thai New Year Festival originally was a prayer for rain so that the crops would grow. Fertility for the land, in other words, was the reason why people celebrated this Festival as water is the source of life and could be the difference between life and death for people who depended upon the land for sustenance.
Most New Year Festivals involve cleansing rituals and Songkran/Songhran is no exception. The images of the Buddha are bathed ritually and homes are cleaned thoroughly in preparation for a new Year. Water fights, even with the use of 'weapons' such as water guns and cannons are an offshoot of the ancient cleansing rituals and are extremely popular in modern Thailand. People give alms to monks and visit their families.
A sign of respect towards elders is to pour perfumed water on their palms. This is similar to the ritual of bathing the statues of the Buddha. Water fights may be fun, but the foundation of the tradition is that of cleansing the body and soul of all negative influences. The streets are inundated with water during this festival.
A visit to the beach to build pagodas from sand is part of the Songkran/Songhran tradition.
Beauty pageants are a contemporary way of choosing a Songkran Queen. The origins of the Songkran Queen may be found in a tale that involves King Kabilaprom and his son, Prince Thammaban. The King asked his son to describe the attributes of a good person during the morning, at noon and finally in the evening. If the Prince were to answer correctly, the King would forfeit his own head. If the Prince were to answer incorrectly, the Prince would be beheaded instead. The Prince gave the correct responses which were the head in the morning, the chest at noon and the foot in the evening. The King then had to submit to beheading.
(This obviously is a corruption of a very ancient worldwide sacrifice ritual of the King in order to allow his son or heir to take power. By sacrificing his life, the King or Ruler made certain that the land would be fertile.)
In this case, the King was so powerful that, if his head had touched the ground, a drought would occur, scorching the land. Nor could the head be tossed into the sky or into the sea. (This tale has parallels in the legends that surround other heroes in other cultures, among them Imam Husayn.) His seven angel daughters in turn carried his head clockwise round a sacred mountain, the Phra Sumane Mountain.
Each angel daughter has her own specific attributes and each has a specific day. When Songkran Day, the New Year Day falls upon the day that is associated with that Queen, her attributes will determine the course of the Year:
Tungsatevee, Sunday: Red clothing, prefers wild fruit with discus in the right hand, shell in the left hand, rides a Garuda
Korakatevee, Monday: Yellow clothing, pearl ornaments, prefers butter oil, dagger in the right hand, walking stick in the left, rides a Tiger
Ragsotevee, Tuesday: Light red clothing with agate ornaments, prefers blood, trident in the right hand, arrow in the left hand, rides a Pig
Montatevee, Wednesday: Emerald green clothing, cat's eye ornaments, prefers milk and butter, sharp iron in the right hand, walking stick in the left, rides a Donkey
Kirineetevee, Thursday: Yellow-green clothing with emerald ornaments, prefers nuts and sesame seeds, elephant hook in the right hand, gun in the left hand, rides an Elephant
Kimitatevee, Friday: White clothing with topaz ornaments, prefers bananas, dagger in the right hand, Indian vina in the left hand, rides a Buffalo
Mahotorntevee, Saturday: Black clothing with onyx ornaments, prefers hog deer meat, discus in the right hand, trident in the left hand, rides a Peacock
The Songkran Queen or an image of the Buddha is carried through the streets in many cases:
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