PHUKET: We thought we'd seen it all in Phuket's Vegetarian Festival processions. Guns, knives, beach umbrellas, small trees, all stuck through cheeks. And then today, along came something completely different: a mah song pierced warrior with a friend in each cheek. Well, the still-attached forefingers of two friends, one in each cheek. The friends, both wearing sunglasses, appeared to be willing accessories from the Bang Neow shrine. The mystical properties of such a venture are still unknown to us. However, in the context of Phuket in 2013, here was proof if ever it was required that Phuket is now truly international.