Third and Fourth Days

Both days I was given lessons to present to the 'regular boys' at Tamarat. My first period classes of novice monks were cancelled so they could attend dharma classes. The lessons were to hard for them so I had to do a lot of back tracking. For example, we read a brief article written by an American high school student on why parents and teenagers have a lot of conflict. As they read through it with me - one phrase at a time - I realized they didn't comprehend any of it. They didn't have the vocabulary. What's a 'teenager'? I reviewed the numbers from 10 to 19 and emphasized the 'teen' portion. They eventually got it that they were 'teenagers' - they were all 15.

The last class for the week consisted of dividing them into four teams. Two teams in front of the caulk board with me, one staying in their seats, and one basically sleeping at their desks. I showed them a book of pictures of animals in different environments. They got points for how many they identified in English. It got a bit out of control with 13 boys standing in reach of the the caulk tray. Before long, pieces were flying. Though these were the 'regular boys' I've also heard that you can put saffron robes on 15 year old boys, but underneath they are still just boys.

Thanksgiving

We organized a small expedition to a nearby restaurant offering an American Thanksgiving dinner for 400 Bht ($12). By the time we went most of the crew had bailed on us because of the 'high' cost. I've never been a big fan of going out for Thanksgiving but this seemed to be the best option. We had a good time and I got to know Emily and Rebekka a bit better. We shared family stories, had some wine, and laughed.

Thanksgiving Without Pumpkin Pie?  NO!

Emily and I Make a Toast of Gratitude

Rebekka and Me at Art Cafe for Thanksgiving