School's Birthday

It's the school's birthday today! Last year, a small group of monks came from some nearby temple to lead a service to make merit for the school. This year, being the schools sixtieth anniversery, the affair was much bigger. Many of the students and their families were lined up outside of the school when we arrived this morning. 

It was really stressful trying to fight our way through a crowd of anuban (kindergarten) children without crushing them. On the way through the crowds to the safe quiet of our office, we met up with David, an American science teacher who teaches part time. His kids are students at the school, and he told us that each family has nine each of five different items, to offer to the monks as a merit-making exercise. These offerings were food, toiletries, etc. Monks aren't allowed to handle money, so they must rely on material donations.

it was a little bit cold this morning

There were way more monks than last year, and I couldn't get into the assembly hall, because the line of chanting monks had spilled out into the foyer area as well. Oh well! Any reason not to go to assembly is ok with me. James didn't get so lucky. Around 8:30, about half an hour after the ceremony started, his wife called.

"I have to go to the thing", he said, looking incredibly unhappy about it.

Kate asked him why.

"Because she's religiously oppressive", was his response. 

It's nice to work with people who want to avoid going to morning assembly as much as I do.

I watched some of the merit-making and almsgiving from the window of our second-floor office. I didn't want to go downstairs, but it was interesting to observe for a few minutes.