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Goodluck Ceremony
I have 60 cotton strings tied around my wrist nowSo here I am... it is the night before I leave for BKK.
The past week has been very emotional... I attended a "goodluck" ceremony on Friday. Afterschool the teachers all had a meeting and then afterwards they held a party for the volunteers and a former teacher who is moving to another province. Some of the students stayed late and did some Thai dancing and played traditional folk music. Probably the most memorable part was when I sat at the front of the room and every single teacher tied a cotton string around my wrist and wished me goodluck. I started to cry before the first one was tied and have been spontaneously bursting in to tears ever since. The ceremony was very beautiful, and all of the teacher's wishes were genuine. Never in my life have I experienced such a heartfelt thank you from a community. I will remember it forever.
Then today, in the morning after the prayer and school song, the students and teachers gave me another goodby ceremony. They presented me with over 200 roses! It was very beautiful! And you should have heard the screams and giggles when I gave Pa Song a
Thai dancers
Some of them are my students! kiss on the cheek! At school he is very stern b/c he is the disciplinarian, but at home he is very sweet and kind. I miss my family already.
Last weekend I went to Mukdahan Province. We went to an amazingly huge six-story temple.. I only saw two other farang there... I think it is built mostly for Thai people. Then we went to Mukdahan city and went to a tower to look across the Mekong River to Laos. It was very beautiful! I also got my fortune told (again!) and it said that I will run in to an old friend when I go south :S
On Monday, Ikue, Pituy and I went on a field-trip: we went to a primary (like elementary) school in a small farming community. In the morning we both taught (me: English, Ikue: Japanese) and then had lunch. The school had only 100 students, and most of them will not go on to secondary (read: junoir high and high school) because they will have to help on their parents farms. It was a very fun trip for me... the school was very poor, but they had very good values: at lunch all
Miss you!
Po-Or (the school's head director), Mama Tu, Me, Pi-tuy and Pa Song of the teachers ate together, and after lunch all of the students brushed thier teeth! (tooth decay is as rampant in Thailand as obesity is in Canada!)
I can honestly say that I have been totally present for every moment up north here... I have smelled every orchid's scent, savored all the tastes of Isan food, listened to the geckos at night and seen every shade of color that is in front of me. Like I said before, living up here has been every meditative. I have slowed down enough to be totally present for every event, and not lost in other thoughts or worries. I am very happy here. I will miss it a lot.
I'm tired of typing, so I'll let you look at the pics. I leave tommorow for BKK... I am getting a ride with my Thai uncle and aunt, and their children (my cousins) Dee and Ec. They are going to BKk for university and will not see their parents until October, so they are driving down in their car. They had room for me, so it's a pretty sweet deal! I'll spend four days in BKK until Jeremy gets here and then
WhatI'll be eternally famous for...
If it's not my mad English Teaching SKILLZ, it will be for kissing Pa Song on the cheek in front of the students hahaha it's TO THE BEACH!
Love you all! Miss you lots!
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Sandi
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about the only time....
Okay, this is about the only time that I get to dream (aka live vicariously through you) about going someplace far AND let you read what I'm thinking... Since your last journal, the Oil has played their first game against the hurricrap, and lost; the cops busted 17 people in Ont. for having sort of ties with bombing (?) various parliament buildings in Canada; and me and Craig bought a new car!! A Dodge Caliber. Anyways, sounds like you're having a blast, and glad that you're taking care of yourself. Have fun, be safe!! Loves!!