I went to the festival honoring the rainy season at Wat Lao Buddhist Temple outside Burlington, IL today. It was a lot of fun, but due to going by myself and not being southeast asian, I stood out. Everyone was really friendly and nice, but it still felt weird. Not at all like the temples in New York City. Then again, I dont usually go to Therevada temples. I still had a lovely time despite the heat, though. And one of the monks was especially nice. Even though he could barely speak English, I got the chance to speak with him for a few minutes. He brought me inside the temple and showed me where the restroom was.