Christmas at school

If you asked a student at St Louis what day Christmas was they would say the 26th of December as it was the day at school this year designated to eating loads of food and sharing gifts. As I walked into school the students were carrying armfulls of food. I had no job for the day so for the first couple of hours I sat around talking to the teachers while the students were working until 10am struck and the feast began.

I made an effort to visit every one of my year 5 and year 6 classes each with tables and tables full of food. Rice dishes, chicken, cakes, donuts and many other random combinations of food. For most of the day the primary school students sit around eating and playing games. In the afternoon I went to see how the secondary students spend the day. Again the classrooms were full of food and every one of them handing me a plate as I walked in. A couple of the classrooms though were completely blacked out and the students had set up huge speakers and were dancing around all day as if it was a nightclub. I joined for a short before sneaking out the door to see what else was going on. A huge jumping castle was set up and the children were bouncing all over it. Somehow they were able to jump on it and not get sick after all the food they had been eating.

That afternoon when I returned home I was so full and exhausted a layed in bed and hardly moved for the rest of the night.

I was up again the following morning for another day of Christmas celebrations at the school. I spent the first hour of so of the day putting fish into cups as the year 5 teachers were selling small pet fish. It's quite common at fairs in Thailand for fish to be sold. There was also a small pond in a plastic container set up where the students pay 10 Baht and are giving a small stick with tissue paper stuck to the end in a ring and the students have to try catch as many fish before the tissue paper gets wet and therefore destroyed.

I spent the rest of the day walking around the school seeing everything which was going on. Every year level had a different set up games and raffles for the students to play. There was also a stage designated to dancing, one for singing and one for a fashion parade. It's something I am fairly sure you would never see at a school in Australia.

The students all left and the teachers were allowed to leave at 4pm. Thirty minutes earlier than usual in order to get home get changed and return for the teachers Christmas Party. The party took place on the edge of the river with free beer and a five course meal. Many of the teachers went on stage to perform in well rehearsed dances and karaoke. Later in the night presents were shared, I was part of the foreigner Secret Santa and received a very good Thai shirt from one of the Phillipino teachers. I can wear the shirt on Thai dress Monday. Following the Secret Santa, the Brothers handed out presents to all the teachers. I got a new pink shirt and new sport uniform.

At about 10pm we all sang 'We wish you a Merry Christmas' before a firework display and as soon as the fireworks were done everybody left in a hurry. I continued on to a pub in Chachoengsao with some of the other teachers as a five day Christmas celebration came to an end.