Christmas at a Thai School, Isaan Thailand.

Our school is a Catholic school, so we are very lucky to celebrate Christmas here in Thailand. Most Thais don’t worry about Christmas as New Years Eve is the big event. Thais refer to it as ‘countdown’ and will often ask, ‘where are you going for countdown?’

The great thing about being at my school is the break we get each Christmas, this year it is 10 days. The majority of schools study on the 25th if it falls on a weekday. Miss Noot has to go to university on the 25th as it is just another day to most Buddhists.

We had an opening ceremony a little way back, to start the countdown to Christmas. These small kids were dressed as angels, I think this is correct because of the wings.

This is a primary 1 student of mine and she isn’t shy of the camera.

And she kept popping up in each picture, she is confident like this in the classroom too, a real blessing for a teacher.

Some little angels seemed far away and not ready to perform an amazing dance to some Christmas carols.

And the girls waited for the ceremony to start, as a horde of parents stood just to the side taking pictures and video cameras a ready.

Miss Noot on the other hand, knows it is Christmas and this means presents. I have hidden them well the last few years as Thais do not know how to, wait! Wait until it is actually the 25th of December and Christmas Day.

One year I noticed some presents had been opened under the tree, apparently the suspense of not knowing what was inside the wrapping was just too much. It was actually painful watching the presents picked up every evening, and then they would be squished and shaken. Then the debate between Miss Noot and Benjawan would begin on what they were. Then I would be asked what I had bought. The nights were long at times.

This year I am leaving the shopping until the 25th, I know what I am buying and where. When Miss Noot and Benjawan leave for their schools I will go out and buy the presents and then wrap and put them under our tree.

Every now and then I see Miss Noot looking through a closet or cupboard, just in case I had hidden something when she had glanced away for a split second.

Tomorrow, being Christmas Eve, we have a fun day planned at the school. The students have a day where they can play games and just relax. We are running one game they are bound to love. It is ‘dunk the teacher.’ The good old teacher sits over a tank of water and students take potshots at the small target, when hit will send the teacher plunging into the water. I know there are many students who will want to dunk me and other teachers out of pure revenge.

Also there is a popularity competition, this is contested energetically and some of the outfits are classics, others really beautiful and some just downright wrong. I am hoping to be able to get away from the dunking tank to take pictures.

We are also doing a ‘paint the teacher’, this is where students bid for a teacher and can then put make-up on them and dress them however they like. The teacher then remains like this for the entire day. I hope I can somehow avoid being auctioned. I know I won’t attract a lot of money but what I am scared about is being in the hands of Thai students who can pretty well have their way with my ugly noggin, maybe it will be an improvement and I shouldn’t worry.

Then in the evening the school is putting on a dinner for teachers and their partners. There will be singing, some drinking and gifts given by the school. Each year all teachers, office staff, cooks, cleaners, security guards, well anyone employed by the school will be given a gift of money. It will be around a few thousand baht to help celebrate Christmas and New Years Eve.

So I am sure there should be some interesting pictures to upload over the coming weeks.

Brunty