It's Freshers!

We had to be back in Si Saket by the 1^st of May. Even though we weren't teaching until the 9^th, the first week of May was the freshers week for the new 1^st year students and the students returning for their 4^th year. On the first 3 days we helped out some of the teachers and the student council with the new 1^st years. It was a lot of fun and a lot of sitting around waiting. The best bit was during the evening on one of the days as we played a load of silly games like massaging people and dancing. On the last night of the 1^st years freshers week, all the students stayed over in the school so when it was dark we all lit candles and sang songs to welcome them in. We then game them all a blessing ceremony which was cool. It involves the teachers putting blessing band (white string made by monks) on the students and blessing them for the years ahead. We never had one when we arrived in Thailand so once we had done the students Clem and myself also went along the line of teachers so we could be blessed as well. Better late than never!

For the students returning for their 4^th year we did the same games and stuff plus one more. It was a game of rock, paper, scissors but a lot more fun. You would start of in pairs facing each other and having to do this small jumping in different directions thing and then do the one, two ,three thing and play one round of rock, paper, scissors. Whoever loses goes behind the winner and they go off to find someone else. As the game goes on, the lines of people get bigger as more people lose. To start off with I did really well, I won again and again, First of all Me and my partner (Nampang) stuck mainly with the other teachers and student council members but once they had run out went went off to find a line of students. They were all pretty nervous to come up to me as I was farang but they did anyway. To start with I was doing well and beating them which the line of people I had behind me loved until one time when I lost. To the back of the line I went. Oh well. It was so much fun though and so simple. On their last night they also stayed over and we did the candle thing and blessing ceremony again.

Well that's about it, that ends Freshers week.