Thai Mother's Day

For the past couple of years I've had some of my students come to church on Mother's Day. That's been a nice thing since I don't have children, and their moms don't come to church. So I've been on the receiving end of lots of kind words, hugs, cards, and even some tears. :) This year was a bit different as none of my students came to church. It's been a bit disappointing for a while now with the students. They haven't been faithful to come, and I'm not sure what all is going on with them. They still come to our evening class at our house, but we don't get to spend much time with them outside of that anymore. Anyway, I'm side-tracking so I'll get back on topic.

This year we did something a bit different for Thai Mother's Day. The kids at the kindergarten performed at the city-wide celebration and invited us to come and watch. I like going to events outside of the city because we can still go some places and be the only white faces. Haha! Those kind of situations used to make me feel uncomfortable, but now I look at it as a good opportunity.

The teachers said that the kids would perform about 6:00 so we were there by about 6:10. When we arrived the monk was still speaking.

 He basically talked about how important the work of a mother is and how to be a good mom then led in the chants.

 Then it was time for the performances. All three of the kindergarten classes performed, but we just teach the older two classes.

 The performances were cute, and the students did a great job! I haven't seen that many couple dances before.

 After the students finished, their mothers were called to the stage so that the students could show respect to their moms. Don't be surprised if you see a lot of tears during these ceremonies.

 The students sit at the feet of their moms. I always think it's quite cute and symbolic. Then the mc's encourage their students to bow respectfully at the feet of their moms.

 The students bow with their hands together (think of a praying position where the palms are together) placed between their heads and the floor. This is not to be confused with a worship position. The worship position is with the palms of the hands on the floor. After the students finished, many of the moms hugged and kissed their students, and the students often sat on their moms' laps.

Rusty's always a superstar for pictures. Parents like to get pictures of their kids with their teacher. :) After the ceremony we spent a little time walking around the market and then went back home. It was a fun evening, and we enjoy it when the schools invite us to be a part of their community.