Sue ties the string around Bhu’s wrist, giving her blessing.
A month has gone by since the last post. Too many things to do here. Yesterday we brought in a narrow scoop backhoe to dig the water supply trench. Just short of 500 meters total. I could not watch them start because I was busy that morning at a graduation. One of our girls graduated from sixth grade yesterday. Another graduated this morning and we were there also. I have just a little time now before we go out to the village to meet with a volunteer group of teachers from Singapore at 4 PM.
6th grade graduates just before marching into the building.
We got there a little before 8 AM for Bhu’s graduation so she could show us where to sit. Ceremonies started at 8 with the school Thai band playing. There were four speeches from dignitaries of decreasing importance. It seemed like the last guy, who was least well dressed and had by far the shortest speech was the only one really listened to. I think he was a teacher they liked. The sixth grade Thai dancers performed after which the students received their degrees.
At one point the students all came and kneeled before their mother or father to show respect and had a string tied on their wrist signifying the parent’s blessing to the student. Bhu’s mother was unable to come so Sue took her place, as shown in the picture above.
We did not get breakfast and the proceedings lasted almost 4 hours. We were grateful to some of the foundation staff who also came and provided a few snacks. Otherwise I think that last hour of Buddhist chanting would have done Sue in.
Sue entering the school for Mai’s kindergarten graduation.
This morning it was Mai’s turn to graduate from kindergarten. Thai schools have graduations at kindergarten, 6th and 12th grades. This time there were no long speeches and no chanting. The kindergartners, 4th and 6th grade dancers performed.
Mai’s class. She’s in this picture.
We are leaving Nang Rong on the 18th or 19th of this month. There are still a number of materials to buy for the new houses, I need to do something about grab bars in the bathrooms for the elderly ladies coming in, check on water main sizes, the contract for the third house is signed next week, meetings… Regardless of all the things to do, we still would like to stay longer. We always want to stay here longer. Well, it will be getting hot for a few months.
Your photos and comments are so well integrated. I leave each posting with more questions, a very good sign that you said just enough. Is this school in the nearest town? If so, what name has the town? Does each kid travel to school by bus from your little settlement? You’re doing such a great job of integrating yourselves as farang. An anthropologist friend from Cornell labelled the Thai as having a “loosely structured society”, especially when compared to Japan. Hope to see you both soon, but Texas is a fir piece from Seattle!
Thanks for the comment. Both schools are in Nang Rong city and quite close to the Opportunity Village in which the girls live. Our village is also in town almost across the street from the community vocational school and the main police station. We are still far enough from the schools that we have a small bus (actually a song taew) for transportation. Nang Rong is the second city of the province, so it contains these and a number of other schools.