Haiku

Wednesday evening, we taught the teen + adult class about haikus and had them write their own. These poems speak for themselves:

I think this was my favorite class that we taught here!

New things

This past weekend, we spent time rearranging in preparation of the 4 new volunteers coming to Isara. We moved all of our stuff and switched into the bigger room, which is now housing 3 girls. Flashbacks of living in a triple in college!

It's nice to meet fresh and spirited people. All the new volunteers are from the US. Everyone's story about coming to Isara is different, but they all seem to be similarly rooted in breaking the mundane and routine lifestyles that seem to take over without you noticing, and moving towards a slower pace of appreciation and learning.
Kirk tells us that this is the biggest group of volunteers that Isara has ever had at one time. 6 volunteers, plus Kirk + Ming, all in one house and sharing one bathroom! It might seem like a lot, but everything works out just fine. We all live with just what we need anyway. Notable differences are that the refrigerator is the fullest I've ever seen it; we run out of drinking water far more quickly; we sometimes have to wait to use the bathroom or shower; we walk to places in a pack! Nonetheless, I think it's an exciting time to see how Isara is growing =)

Here are some fun group shots of all the new volunteers:

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to teach my first yoga class that had more than just 1 or 2 students. All the volunteers, Party, Bell, and Kirk took my class. (Ming decided to sit out because for some reason, yoga makes her nauseous! Haha.) I was so excited for a chance to practice with more people, with some who had never done yoga before, and just to share some time of mindfulness and connection with others. I thought it was also a nice way for all of us to unite and start our day together, especially since we'll all be working together for the next couple of weeks.

Later that day, Facebook updates told me that we got our yoga teacher certificates in the mail. So this was my first officially certified class!

Beyond words

Jenny is one of our star students. Even so, whenever I try to talk to her, we never get far past the greetings. But some things transcend verbal communication =)

Sail away

On Monday evening, we spent class time with the students making boats for the Loy Kratong festival. When Ming told us about this celebration, I immediately got excited for two main reasons: (1) The chance to be crafty and make something pretty. (2) The opportunity to take part in this festival with such a beautiful concept behind it.

The base of the boats are made with a slice of the trunk of a banana tree, which is then covered with banana leaves and ornamented with flowers, candles, and incense. People also cut pieces of their hair and nails, and put them on the boat as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of themself. The beautifully constructed rafts are set to sail as an offering of thanksgiving to Buddha and the river; as an apology for wrongdoings; as a symbol of letting go of grudges, anger, and resentment.

We walked together under the light of the full moon, towards the temple by the riverside. The streets were packed with people and lit up with vendors selling food, drinks, and pre-made boats for 20 baht. We carried our banana boats carefully and waited in line to release them to the river.

A chance to start fresh. A chance to let go. Every moment holds a perfect opportunity to do these things. To celebrate it is beautiful.

Happy Halloween =D

For the past two years on Halloween, I've decided to decline invitations to club parties full of drunk girls in lingerie and animal ears, opting to spend it with kids instead. Hands down, I have no regrets! The past two Halloweens have been the best I've ever had.

Here are some flashbacks from last year when I went trick-or-treating with my nieces and nephews and their neighbors' kids. The neighbors' mom didn't believe I was old enough to supervise them (probably because I was dressed like a ballerina with a sparkly pink tutu + glitter ballet flats, and was smaller than her teenage daughter), so she sent their dad out to come with us as well. I hadn't gone trick-or-treating in a few years and I had a blast. I miss these kids sooooo much!!!

Thai people don't typically celebrate Halloween, but we spent our last class session teaching the students all about it: the history of the holiday, how to say "trick-or-treat;" what a jack-o-lantern is... We showed them videos and pictures of children in costume and told them we were going to have a party on Friday instead of having class. The kids were so excited!

We spent pretty much all day on Thursday preparing for the big party. We cut out bats and spiders to hang from the ceiling, made ribbons and certificates for the future winners of the pumpkin (squash) carving contest, drew jack-o-lanterns and ghosts, and made decisions about food, lighting, and music. I couldn't remember the last time I had spent so much time with markers, construction paper, fishing line, scissors, and tape, but seeing everything come together was completely worth it.

Friday morning, we set up the big classroom with all the decorations, and the party energy was building up. I've always loved Halloween because I think it's so fun to make costumes and dress up. And I like chocolate too =) I was anxious for the fun to begin!

The kids started to trickle in, and it totally melted my heart to see them come with so much spirit, dressed in costume and toting bags to collect treats. I smiled watching their faces light up at the sight of all the decorations and candy, and hearing them say, "Trick or treat!" as we had practiced a couple of days before.

Ana and I did face painting for the kids. Our services were in high demand and the kids formed long lines, waiting their turn to be transformed into animals and zombies. Here are some samples of my artwork. Some of these photos really make me laugh!

 

The party was complete with too many sweets, sodas, and treats, as well as a costume contest, squash-carving contest (since they don't really have pumpkins here...), scary stories told by candlelight, and a few rounds of musical chairs. We even had a dance party for a couple of hours, reminiscent of 6th grade school dances in the gymnasium. Some of the kids we would have never expected turned out to be dancing machines! I was filled up on cookies and candy, and could actually feel the sugar crash happening by the end of the night.

All in all, everyone had a great time. Several of the kids stayed later than they usually would. It was almost 10:00pm by the time everyone cleared out. When some of their parents came to pick them up, they saw how much fun the kids were having and said they would stay and wait for them, so that they could enjoy themselves a little longer. Spending holidays with children opens you up to feeling a genuine spirit of celebration and excitement. In their youth, they're so far away from realities learned in adulthood, and watching them is like a touchstone to flowing with a carefree life. On Friday, I remembered what it was like to be a kid.

Halloween, I still love you. Even though I'm 24, I will still wear a costume and eat candy all day in your honor.