Metatah is an interesting ritual carried out by Balinese Hindus, that generally takes place during this time of year. The ceremony marks the passage from childhood to adulthood and filing the teeth is said to cleanse the body and mind of invisible evil spirits. Balinese belief systems view teeth as a symbol of lust, greed, anger and jealousy, among other vices.
Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival – Do Son, Vietnam
The small village of Do Son, two hours South East of Hanoi sees it’s fair amount of excitement each year during the month of August. Not for everyone, the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival involves matches between local buffalos that have been trained for months prior to compete in this important event. Buffalos are embellished with red cloth and a riotous crowd beat drums and cheer as the buffalos sweat it out in knockout heats!
Koh Samui Film Festival (6th – 8th August)
The Koh Samui Film Festival is the sister event to the popular Koh Phangan Film Festival. Now in it’s second year, the event will take place from 6th – 8th August 2010 in Lamai, Koh Samui – and tickets are 400 baht for the day or 900 baht for a festival pass. Showcasing diverse independent films from all over the world, the focus is on cross-cultural learning between local communities and travellers. The themes for the festival this year are ‘nature’ and ‘spirit.’
