Wednesday, 1 December 2004
After about 9 hours of flying from Hawai'i to Tokyo, I find out my flight has been delayed many hours. So, I am told I get a free meal sometime during the next 7 hours I will be in the airport, and my new flight will leave at 10:25 pm. I will arrive in Bangkok now at 2:30 am!
So, I am checking email, trying to contact my student's family who were supposed to pick me up, and going to walk around, read, and pass time in the airport. As if my time schedule wasn't already screwed up....Uggghhhh!
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
My Birthday
Monday, 29 November 2004
After a long night of visiting with friends and having a wee bit too much to drink, I got sick and ended up sleeping until 1 pm today. My cousin Steph and her new hubby Michael took me shopping at Nordstrom's Rack for my birthday. I got a new skirt, bathing suit, and a flower ring. Then, my mom took me out to dinner so I could get my free meal at Todai, the all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet. It was great, then went to spend time with my dad before my brother picked me back up to drop me off at my mom's hotel to spend the night.
Spent time having heart-to-heart talks with my dad and then my mom. It was a very emotional trip, and even shorter this time, so it's hard to leave my family in Hawai'i. But, I am glad I came back home and was able to spend quality time with my family. In Hawai'i, 'ohana (family) is so important, and over the course of the past few months, I've come to realize just how important they are. Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes things don't turn out the way you plan or envision them, but your heart will always guide you through.
After a long night of visiting with friends and having a wee bit too much to drink, I got sick and ended up sleeping until 1 pm today. My cousin Steph and her new hubby Michael took me shopping at Nordstrom's Rack for my birthday. I got a new skirt, bathing suit, and a flower ring. Then, my mom took me out to dinner so I could get my free meal at Todai, the all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet. It was great, then went to spend time with my dad before my brother picked me back up to drop me off at my mom's hotel to spend the night.
Spent time having heart-to-heart talks with my dad and then my mom. It was a very emotional trip, and even shorter this time, so it's hard to leave my family in Hawai'i. But, I am glad I came back home and was able to spend quality time with my family. In Hawai'i, 'ohana (family) is so important, and over the course of the past few months, I've come to realize just how important they are. Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes things don't turn out the way you plan or envision them, but your heart will always guide you through.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Steph's Wedding
Sunday, 28 November 2004
Uncle Gary took me down to the Kahala Mandarin Hotel at 3:45 am this morning so I could be there in time for our 4 am schedule to get our hair and makeup done! Yikes! Yes, it was VERY early! After all three bridesmaids and the bride, my cousin Steph, got all dressed up, my aunt arrived at 7 am with breakfast, but we couldn't eat, as we were about to take pictures! We spent the next couple hours taking pictures with the photographer, getting ready pics, bridal party, family pics, etc. Then, the ceremony started at 10:30 am, out at the Koko Head gazebo, on the lawn beside the beach on a beautiful sunny, but not too hot morning.
As I walked down the aisle, I got tears in my eyes, and as I stood up there looking for my father and my brother, I got overwhelmed with emotion. It was a nice ceremony, and a fun reception. I did an impromptu speech of how Steph and Michael met at the Elektra, since I was pretty much the reason they met in the first place in Seattle. Then, at 3 pm, I got to go home and sleep!
It was nice to be surrounded by family, and to help my cousin celebrate her special day, but my heart was also sad as I stood up there during the ceremony, in front of the gazebo, and from afar I noticed my dad in the distance unable to join us. As daddy's little girl, I hope that my father will be able to walk me down the aisle one day.
Uncle Gary took me down to the Kahala Mandarin Hotel at 3:45 am this morning so I could be there in time for our 4 am schedule to get our hair and makeup done! Yikes! Yes, it was VERY early! After all three bridesmaids and the bride, my cousin Steph, got all dressed up, my aunt arrived at 7 am with breakfast, but we couldn't eat, as we were about to take pictures! We spent the next couple hours taking pictures with the photographer, getting ready pics, bridal party, family pics, etc. Then, the ceremony started at 10:30 am, out at the Koko Head gazebo, on the lawn beside the beach on a beautiful sunny, but not too hot morning.
As I walked down the aisle, I got tears in my eyes, and as I stood up there looking for my father and my brother, I got overwhelmed with emotion. It was a nice ceremony, and a fun reception. I did an impromptu speech of how Steph and Michael met at the Elektra, since I was pretty much the reason they met in the first place in Seattle. Then, at 3 pm, I got to go home and sleep!
It was nice to be surrounded by family, and to help my cousin celebrate her special day, but my heart was also sad as I stood up there during the ceremony, in front of the gazebo, and from afar I noticed my dad in the distance unable to join us. As daddy's little girl, I hope that my father will be able to walk me down the aisle one day.
Friday, November 26, 2004
Family Photos
Friday, 26 November 2004
We all met at Expressions in Ala Moana today to take family pictures (my dad, my stepmom Bernice, my brother Jay, and stepsisters Whitney and Lindsey. The first half hour they did the makeup and hair for the girls. When I was in high school, many friends of mine took pictures like these, and I also envied them. So, today we spent three hours, getting all prettied up, putting on our Hawaiian clothes (which they provide) and flowers and then posing for pictures. We took separate family pictures (me, my dad, and my brother, Bernice with the girls, and then of the whole blended family. We took so many poses, stand here, stand there, tilt your head this way and that, my dad got scolded for chewing gum, stand on this block, get closer to your sister, and SMILE! The funniest part was when they rolled out this huge block and told Jay to lie down on it face down, then we had to sit around him, lean on him, and Lindsey had to sit on him to get the full effect and look of the group picture. Then we spent time viewing the various pictures and deciding which ones to order. They had a special birthday offer if your month was in November, so we took advantage of that and got different poses and group pictures with a free 8 x 10, then we picked up the finished touched up prints tonight. I'm still all made up, and may go out on the town with cousin Steph and her fiance Michael, along with friends who are in town for the wedding on Sunday.
We all met at Expressions in Ala Moana today to take family pictures (my dad, my stepmom Bernice, my brother Jay, and stepsisters Whitney and Lindsey. The first half hour they did the makeup and hair for the girls. When I was in high school, many friends of mine took pictures like these, and I also envied them. So, today we spent three hours, getting all prettied up, putting on our Hawaiian clothes (which they provide) and flowers and then posing for pictures. We took separate family pictures (me, my dad, and my brother, Bernice with the girls, and then of the whole blended family. We took so many poses, stand here, stand there, tilt your head this way and that, my dad got scolded for chewing gum, stand on this block, get closer to your sister, and SMILE! The funniest part was when they rolled out this huge block and told Jay to lie down on it face down, then we had to sit around him, lean on him, and Lindsey had to sit on him to get the full effect and look of the group picture. Then we spent time viewing the various pictures and deciding which ones to order. They had a special birthday offer if your month was in November, so we took advantage of that and got different poses and group pictures with a free 8 x 10, then we picked up the finished touched up prints tonight. I'm still all made up, and may go out on the town with cousin Steph and her fiance Michael, along with friends who are in town for the wedding on Sunday.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Thanksgiving
Thursday, 25 November 2004
Slept in until 1 pm today (I'm still a bit jet-lagged, and going out to have a couple drinks at the Mai Tai Bar and Oceans with Jay and my cousin Ryan till 3 am didn't help). Dad and Bernice picked me up after 2 pm and we headed to her sister's in Kailua for Thanksgiving dinner, lots of deep fried turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry, ham, an assortment of desserts, including pumpkin cheesecake and my dad's pumpkin mochi (a little overcooked, but still yummy!). We played poker a bit, then Jay and I headed over to my parents' friend's house to see my mom and Gary who just arrived this afternoon from California. We hung out, ate a second dinner, and chatted with old family friends about Thailand and education.
Mom gave me the box of books that my Auntie Shelley collected and sent over for me to bring back to the classroom in Thailand, and they are perfect! Lots of multiples and books on tape, in perfect condition, and just what we need! Thank you thank you to the kindergarten teacher at my cousins' school who donated all these books to me! I'm so excited to bring them back. It's so great to have such wonderful friends and generous friends and family!
Slept in until 1 pm today (I'm still a bit jet-lagged, and going out to have a couple drinks at the Mai Tai Bar and Oceans with Jay and my cousin Ryan till 3 am didn't help). Dad and Bernice picked me up after 2 pm and we headed to her sister's in Kailua for Thanksgiving dinner, lots of deep fried turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry, ham, an assortment of desserts, including pumpkin cheesecake and my dad's pumpkin mochi (a little overcooked, but still yummy!). We played poker a bit, then Jay and I headed over to my parents' friend's house to see my mom and Gary who just arrived this afternoon from California. We hung out, ate a second dinner, and chatted with old family friends about Thailand and education.
Mom gave me the box of books that my Auntie Shelley collected and sent over for me to bring back to the classroom in Thailand, and they are perfect! Lots of multiples and books on tape, in perfect condition, and just what we need! Thank you thank you to the kindergarten teacher at my cousins' school who donated all these books to me! I'm so excited to bring them back. It's so great to have such wonderful friends and generous friends and family!
Loi Kratong
Saturday, 27 November 2004
Here is an email Christy sent describing Loi Kratong day in Thailand on Friday, November 26th:
Yesterday was one of the biggest Thai holidays, Loi Kratong. It is a cultural holiday held on the night of the full moon on the 12th lunar month (November). People make or buy kratongs (round floating boats covered in flowers and banana leaves with a candle, incense and money offering in the middle) and float them on the river in the night. “By paying respect with the incense and offering, the Thais are asking forgiveness of "mother river" for their pollution. And by floating away the kratongs they are floating their sins away.” To see photos of the day check out my Webshots page at: http://community.webshots.com/user/christymelton72
EP students started the day with making their own kratongs from circles of the banana tree fiber, banana leaves, lotus flowers, marigolds, and so much more. Miss Matt taught us how to make them. It was so much fun to be creative with these flowers and plants. I was quite proud of how beautiful mine were…..Then we had the afternoon off to prepare for the big performance in the evening.
Nakhon Pathom combines their big Phra Phatom Chedi festival with Loi Kratong so NP is packed with people right now. The festival is a week long where the Chedi is all light up and 100’s of stalls are set up with clothes, towels, pots/pans, watches, purses, dishes, underwear, DVD’s, food and anything else you can imagine are sold. I even found a stall advertising “Washington Apples” but when I looked a little closer….I saw boxes saying they were from China!! J
Our evening performance was held at the stage on the Chedi grounds. It was a great night to perform as it was the busiest night of the festival since it was Loi Kratong Day too. After the performance, I went with Matt and her boyfriend to send off our kratongs into the canal. When I got mine out of her car, it was a bit wilty and sad looking....I guess that is what happens to flowers in the heat!! Unfortunately, it was a bit windy last night so I didn’t get to experience the beautiful light rivers like I’ve seen in the pictures. It’s supposed to be a very romantic time and legend says that if you go with your boyfriend/girlfriend it means you’ll have a long life together and even into the next life. Maybe it’s a good thing it wasn’t so romantic as I was with Matt and her boyfriend and sort of would have been a 3rd wheel!! J
Actually getting the kratongs into the river was quite the event itself. They set up these 2x4’s laid out on barrels in the canal. We then stepped over the fence around the canal onto the 2x4’s. I accidentally stepped down onto one of the barrels and almost ended up in the river! In case anyone didn’t notice me as a farang…they definitely did after this!! J But, I recovered quickly and nervously lite my candle and sent it off into the canal quickly returning to dry land. At first I was appalled at the small boy grabbing the kratongs as soon as they were light (not even waiting for the owners to go away) dumping out the flowers and collecting the money inside. But then I realized…..where will this money go? Not really going to be of much use sitting at the bottom of a canal….so I came around and just wished he could do it somewhere else so I didn’t see him destroying the beauty of these boats!! After this I saw several kids with bags of money I am sure they dished out of kratongs that night.
After this I met up with Aw again and walked through the stalls again and decided we had had enough and headed back to BWS about 11 pm. I watched some of the big events in Bangkok and Sokothai on T.V. after getting back…it was so beautiful. Maybe I’ll be around next year to see the beautiful rivers!!
Well, that is Loi Kratong for ya. The festival is still going on and even today when I tried to get my Thai lessons at Silipikorn University here in town, the poor motorcycle taxi man had to go to three different entrances before he found one where they would let me in. Security is on high alert here as there are so many people around! I think we have 2 more days and it will all be back to normal.
Here is an email Christy sent describing Loi Kratong day in Thailand on Friday, November 26th:
Yesterday was one of the biggest Thai holidays, Loi Kratong. It is a cultural holiday held on the night of the full moon on the 12th lunar month (November). People make or buy kratongs (round floating boats covered in flowers and banana leaves with a candle, incense and money offering in the middle) and float them on the river in the night. “By paying respect with the incense and offering, the Thais are asking forgiveness of "mother river" for their pollution. And by floating away the kratongs they are floating their sins away.” To see photos of the day check out my Webshots page at: http://community.webshots.com/user/christymelton72
EP students started the day with making their own kratongs from circles of the banana tree fiber, banana leaves, lotus flowers, marigolds, and so much more. Miss Matt taught us how to make them. It was so much fun to be creative with these flowers and plants. I was quite proud of how beautiful mine were…..Then we had the afternoon off to prepare for the big performance in the evening.
Nakhon Pathom combines their big Phra Phatom Chedi festival with Loi Kratong so NP is packed with people right now. The festival is a week long where the Chedi is all light up and 100’s of stalls are set up with clothes, towels, pots/pans, watches, purses, dishes, underwear, DVD’s, food and anything else you can imagine are sold. I even found a stall advertising “Washington Apples” but when I looked a little closer….I saw boxes saying they were from China!! J
Our evening performance was held at the stage on the Chedi grounds. It was a great night to perform as it was the busiest night of the festival since it was Loi Kratong Day too. After the performance, I went with Matt and her boyfriend to send off our kratongs into the canal. When I got mine out of her car, it was a bit wilty and sad looking....I guess that is what happens to flowers in the heat!! Unfortunately, it was a bit windy last night so I didn’t get to experience the beautiful light rivers like I’ve seen in the pictures. It’s supposed to be a very romantic time and legend says that if you go with your boyfriend/girlfriend it means you’ll have a long life together and even into the next life. Maybe it’s a good thing it wasn’t so romantic as I was with Matt and her boyfriend and sort of would have been a 3rd wheel!! J
Actually getting the kratongs into the river was quite the event itself. They set up these 2x4’s laid out on barrels in the canal. We then stepped over the fence around the canal onto the 2x4’s. I accidentally stepped down onto one of the barrels and almost ended up in the river! In case anyone didn’t notice me as a farang…they definitely did after this!! J But, I recovered quickly and nervously lite my candle and sent it off into the canal quickly returning to dry land. At first I was appalled at the small boy grabbing the kratongs as soon as they were light (not even waiting for the owners to go away) dumping out the flowers and collecting the money inside. But then I realized…..where will this money go? Not really going to be of much use sitting at the bottom of a canal….so I came around and just wished he could do it somewhere else so I didn’t see him destroying the beauty of these boats!! After this I saw several kids with bags of money I am sure they dished out of kratongs that night.
After this I met up with Aw again and walked through the stalls again and decided we had had enough and headed back to BWS about 11 pm. I watched some of the big events in Bangkok and Sokothai on T.V. after getting back…it was so beautiful. Maybe I’ll be around next year to see the beautiful rivers!!
Well, that is Loi Kratong for ya. The festival is still going on and even today when I tried to get my Thai lessons at Silipikorn University here in town, the poor motorcycle taxi man had to go to three different entrances before he found one where they would let me in. Security is on high alert here as there are so many people around! I think we have 2 more days and it will all be back to normal.
"Over in the Meadow" performance for Loi Kratong Festival
Friday, 26 November 2004 (Thailand time)
Even though I am not in Thailand right now, here is the scoop from Christy who taught, arranged, and led our English Program students in a performance for the Loi Kratong festival in Nakhon Pathom. Here's a recap from her email:
Well, we made it through the big night!! Everyone arrived in costume at 6:30pm as I was told it started at 7pm and we were number 4 in line. Everyone was very excited and all decked out with makeup, hair and body sparkles. (Even the boys!!) It was fun to see my kids so decked out. We got there and saw the posted schedule and we were number 8. Ok..so a little farther down the line up but not too bad. We can manage. So around 7:15 we got all lined up and went toward the front to wait. We waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for almost 1 ½ hours!! Apparently we weren’t really 8th but 11th and most classes had at least 2 songs!! Ughhhh! It was crazy. If only I had known Our kids were very patient and did a great job waiting.
Finally, the time came for us to go on about 8:45pm and we were ready!! The hours of practice paid off as we were the hit of the night! Imagine a huge room filled with 100’s of people all talking and music cranked to the highest it can go! This was the scene – not a quiet performance at all. However, when our kids went on, the crowd quieted and actually stopped to watch. Our students speaking English, dressed as animals and singing with no music was something to take note of (most performances were students dressed in skimpy outfits doing dance routines to popular Thai songs). Phu dressed as a bright yellow frog hopping across the stage and Mint dressed as a lizard with sunglasses were definitely highlights for the crowd. I was so proud of them all! They did a fabulous job and it couldn’t have gone any better. No one forgot their lines and all remembered their cues.
Thanks for your prayers and support! It was a pretty stressful week and I am SO glad it is behind us. However, I am sure there is the next challenge just around the corner! J Attached is a photo of us all at the beginning of a long night. More photos will be on Webshots soon.
Hope you all are having a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Love,
Christy
Even though I am not in Thailand right now, here is the scoop from Christy who taught, arranged, and led our English Program students in a performance for the Loi Kratong festival in Nakhon Pathom. Here's a recap from her email:
Well, we made it through the big night!! Everyone arrived in costume at 6:30pm as I was told it started at 7pm and we were number 4 in line. Everyone was very excited and all decked out with makeup, hair and body sparkles. (Even the boys!!) It was fun to see my kids so decked out. We got there and saw the posted schedule and we were number 8. Ok..so a little farther down the line up but not too bad. We can manage. So around 7:15 we got all lined up and went toward the front to wait. We waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for almost 1 ½ hours!! Apparently we weren’t really 8th but 11th and most classes had at least 2 songs!! Ughhhh! It was crazy. If only I had known Our kids were very patient and did a great job waiting.
Finally, the time came for us to go on about 8:45pm and we were ready!! The hours of practice paid off as we were the hit of the night! Imagine a huge room filled with 100’s of people all talking and music cranked to the highest it can go! This was the scene – not a quiet performance at all. However, when our kids went on, the crowd quieted and actually stopped to watch. Our students speaking English, dressed as animals and singing with no music was something to take note of (most performances were students dressed in skimpy outfits doing dance routines to popular Thai songs). Phu dressed as a bright yellow frog hopping across the stage and Mint dressed as a lizard with sunglasses were definitely highlights for the crowd. I was so proud of them all! They did a fabulous job and it couldn’t have gone any better. No one forgot their lines and all remembered their cues.
Thanks for your prayers and support! It was a pretty stressful week and I am SO glad it is behind us. However, I am sure there is the next challenge just around the corner! J Attached is a photo of us all at the beginning of a long night. More photos will be on Webshots soon.
Hope you all are having a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Love,
Christy
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Loi Kratong Rehearsal and Festivities
Tuesday, 23 November 2004
Today, P'Aut arranged for our English Program class to go record our song, "Over in the Meadow" for Friday's performance at Ong Phra (the chedi). We went to a studio in a nearby Buddhist village. A little strange to drive out to this quiet village and see a full fledged recording studio with the latest equipment in a room on the top floor. This peformance has been a huge deal, as all performances are huge deals in Thailand. It's all about the image (how students look, the fancy costumes they wear), and the principal has changed the bell schedule for the entire month of November so that the students can practice for 2 hours everyday. Christy and I have opted to stick with our schedule, thinking we cannot possibly have the kids sing the same song for 2 hours straight, but have still been fitting in practice time. The students are singing this English song, dressed up as different animals, and doing actions for the audience.
P'Aut was concerned that the voices of eight children may not carry out far on Friday night, so she wanted us to record this backgroun music. This has been Christy's big project (mainly because she teaches English, and also because I am not going to be there for the performance). We spent an hour trying to record the song, and then headed to a parade in our town to see our school band and other schools represent their school in cheer, song, and traditional costumes. It was a nice event, especially because I am going to miss the big Loi Kratong day on Friday.
Today, P'Aut arranged for our English Program class to go record our song, "Over in the Meadow" for Friday's performance at Ong Phra (the chedi). We went to a studio in a nearby Buddhist village. A little strange to drive out to this quiet village and see a full fledged recording studio with the latest equipment in a room on the top floor. This peformance has been a huge deal, as all performances are huge deals in Thailand. It's all about the image (how students look, the fancy costumes they wear), and the principal has changed the bell schedule for the entire month of November so that the students can practice for 2 hours everyday. Christy and I have opted to stick with our schedule, thinking we cannot possibly have the kids sing the same song for 2 hours straight, but have still been fitting in practice time. The students are singing this English song, dressed up as different animals, and doing actions for the audience.
P'Aut was concerned that the voices of eight children may not carry out far on Friday night, so she wanted us to record this backgroun music. This has been Christy's big project (mainly because she teaches English, and also because I am not going to be there for the performance). We spent an hour trying to record the song, and then headed to a parade in our town to see our school band and other schools represent their school in cheer, song, and traditional costumes. It was a nice event, especially because I am going to miss the big Loi Kratong day on Friday.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Loi Kratong Beauty Contest
Sunday, 21 November 2004
This afternoon, Matt picked us up to go to our student Pop's competition in the Loi Kratong beauty contest at Big C. There was a lot of running around first, taking her mom to get Pop's identification, parking in the crowded shopping area, and then standing for the next 6 hours (oh yes, I'm not kidding, it was 6 hours!) watching these little girls (and one boy) all decked out in traditional, ornate, Thai dresses, with hair plastered in all sorts of fashions, decorated with gold crowns and fancy jewelry. And, they had tons of makeup on. All the children were about from grades 1 - 4. The contest opened with these young professional dancers who danced better salsa and ballroom dancing than some adults I have seen. They were amazing! Then the contest itself started. The students had a talent competition and a question and answer session, where they had to pick an envelope and were asked a question. The talents varied from tae kwon do, a popular club sport here at our school (a lot of the competitors were students from our school), lip syncing (another popular "sport" here - now I understand why teachers ask us if we are going to have our English Program students lip sync some 80's American song for performances...so silly, but that's what they do here!), dancing in some skimpy outfits, and our student Pop did a speech and song in English. The questions they were asked were quite difficult I thought. Some questions were about the riots in Southern Thailand, drugs in Thailand, and about Loi Kratong festival. Although Pop didn't end up winning (the prizes ranged from 1,000 to 5,000 baht), I was very glad when the competition was over, as I did some grocery shopping, and was ready to go home! Standing in the bottom of a department store watching kids in a beauty contest wasn't what I thought I'd be doing all Sunday afternoon/evening.
Loi Kratong is this week, on the 26th. I'm so sad I'll be missing all of the traditional events. Loi Kratong is supposed to be one of the most romantic days/events of the year. It happens once a year, and it depends on the moon, but is usually held sometime in mid to late November. People get dressed up in traditional Thai dress, schools have parades, towns like ours have festivals with lots of vendors selling arts and crafts and things, and people float beautifully arranged (with intricately carved fruits, vegetables, and flowers) candles on the water. You can read about it in all the tourist books, like Lonely Planet. It happens only once a year, and I'm gonna miss it! I'm off to Hawai'i (I know, again!) this Wednesday (and arrive on Wednesday morning), just in time for Thanksgiving, to be a bridesmaid in my cousin Steph's wedding on Sunday, and then I turn 29 years old on the 29th. I leave for Thailand on the 30th, but don't arrive in Thailand until the 2nd. I am excited to go home and be with my family, but sad that I'll be missing Loi Kratong! I'll have to go to some of the shops that open tomorrow and see the chedi all lit up (it looks like Disneyland with the chedi all decorated with lights...it will have to be my Christmas tree this year!).
This afternoon, Matt picked us up to go to our student Pop's competition in the Loi Kratong beauty contest at Big C. There was a lot of running around first, taking her mom to get Pop's identification, parking in the crowded shopping area, and then standing for the next 6 hours (oh yes, I'm not kidding, it was 6 hours!) watching these little girls (and one boy) all decked out in traditional, ornate, Thai dresses, with hair plastered in all sorts of fashions, decorated with gold crowns and fancy jewelry. And, they had tons of makeup on. All the children were about from grades 1 - 4. The contest opened with these young professional dancers who danced better salsa and ballroom dancing than some adults I have seen. They were amazing! Then the contest itself started. The students had a talent competition and a question and answer session, where they had to pick an envelope and were asked a question. The talents varied from tae kwon do, a popular club sport here at our school (a lot of the competitors were students from our school), lip syncing (another popular "sport" here - now I understand why teachers ask us if we are going to have our English Program students lip sync some 80's American song for performances...so silly, but that's what they do here!), dancing in some skimpy outfits, and our student Pop did a speech and song in English. The questions they were asked were quite difficult I thought. Some questions were about the riots in Southern Thailand, drugs in Thailand, and about Loi Kratong festival. Although Pop didn't end up winning (the prizes ranged from 1,000 to 5,000 baht), I was very glad when the competition was over, as I did some grocery shopping, and was ready to go home! Standing in the bottom of a department store watching kids in a beauty contest wasn't what I thought I'd be doing all Sunday afternoon/evening.
Loi Kratong is this week, on the 26th. I'm so sad I'll be missing all of the traditional events. Loi Kratong is supposed to be one of the most romantic days/events of the year. It happens once a year, and it depends on the moon, but is usually held sometime in mid to late November. People get dressed up in traditional Thai dress, schools have parades, towns like ours have festivals with lots of vendors selling arts and crafts and things, and people float beautifully arranged (with intricately carved fruits, vegetables, and flowers) candles on the water. You can read about it in all the tourist books, like Lonely Planet. It happens only once a year, and I'm gonna miss it! I'm off to Hawai'i (I know, again!) this Wednesday (and arrive on Wednesday morning), just in time for Thanksgiving, to be a bridesmaid in my cousin Steph's wedding on Sunday, and then I turn 29 years old on the 29th. I leave for Thailand on the 30th, but don't arrive in Thailand until the 2nd. I am excited to go home and be with my family, but sad that I'll be missing Loi Kratong! I'll have to go to some of the shops that open tomorrow and see the chedi all lit up (it looks like Disneyland with the chedi all decorated with lights...it will have to be my Christmas tree this year!).
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