Songkran: Bangkok's mass exodus

Tomorrow is a big day- it's the first day of my spring break and the first day of the Thai Festival Songkran.  The article will give you some information, but this is what I have gleaned so far about Songkran:

• It is the traditional Thai New Year, though their official New Year has been moved to January 1. 
• It's the biggest holiday of the year and lasts for 3 days, April 13-15.
• It is a time when people return home to be with their families, especially people who live and work in Bangkok but come from the provinces. 
• As such, Bangkok empties out- no traffic!  Several of the food vendors on my street have already closed shop.  
• It's a time when people show respect to their elders.  In an assembly on Tuesday, students came and poured scented water on the palms of the teachers to show respect.  
• Timed towards the end of the hot season, it's a water festival and many Buddha statues are washed, along with some other public buildings/places. 
• It's advertised as people "gently splashing a bit of water on each other" but it's really an all out whole country water fight.  
• If I want to leave my apartment this weekend, I need to put my phone/camera/money etc. into ziplock bags, as I could get splashed or sprayed at any time. 
• In Bangkok, they also like to douse you in talculm powder, creating a white muddy mess. 
• There are certain areas where there are big water fights, where people go to "play Songkran".  

Primarily, I hope to stay away from Songkran and make it from my apartment to the taxi and then the taxi to wherever I am going without getting wet.  But, I also figure I need to experience the festival to some degree as I'll probably travel for most Songkran breaks (whereas this year I am staying in Bangkok).   Tomorrow, though, I will join Nak Suu kids and staff when they go to one of the communities where the kids live and play Songkran.  I can't stay for too long (I need to get back to grocery shop and make dinner for friends who just had a baby) so I hope there is a bus in that community- taxi's aren't too keen to pick people up after they've had their Songkran fun :)

I'll do my best to take some pictures of the craziness!