Baan Nong Phue School

As readers of this blog know, we visited three schools in Thailand in October 2012 and decided that the Baan Nong Phue School was the best fit for us.  It has about 500 students in grades 1 through 9, as well as a pre-K school.  It's about 22 kms (14 miles) from Khemmarat (where we live) and the beautiful Mekong River.

From our experience so far, most schools in rural Thailand look very similar -- with a very large field in the front and classroom and administrative buildings facing the field.  Baan Nong Phue is like that.

Each morning, there is a flag ceremony with all students present for the raising of the Thai flag, singing of the Thai national anthem, and recitation of a prayer. 

Student dress varies by the day of the week.  The pictures above were taken on Monday and Friday, when students (except those in pre-K) wear uniforms with white shirts.

On Tuesdays, students (and teachers) wear pink to honor the King.

Wednesday is P.E. day.



And Thursday is Scout day. 

                    

The band plays every day -- in the uniform of the day.




















The Thai government has declared a mandatory English day on Mondays during which students are to speak English.  Baan Nong Phue invited us to speak to the students in English during the flag ceremony.

Staying warm is not a problem in Isaan (the northeast section of Thailand, where Baan Nong Phue is located).  As we approach the winter solstice, we're finally having some almost-cool mornings.  But staying cool certainly can be a problem, and we haven't been here for the hot season yet!  The school buildings, like very many buildings we've seen in rural Thailand, are pretty much open to the outdoors.  There's no heating system, of course, and, with the exception of a few administrative rooms, there's no air conditioning.  George has been lucky so far working in classrooms that have cross ventilation and fans so that the temperature has been OK.  Mary has had a much bigger problem with the heat here. 

We've met many wonderful teachers, who have been so kind to us since we arrived -- helping us adjust to the school, telling us at lunch about the delicious feasts they provide, and helping us understand Thailand better.  Here are the teachers we work with every week:

Wachinee (Platong Khotsombat for our Facebook friends), who is the reason we're at Baan Nong Phue and who brings us here everyday from Khemmarat on her way to work






















Thanorm



Kanoklada

Supachai

Toom

 

 Ulai

Pairat

Sukid

 



Yen

















With all that help, Mary and George have tried to improve the English skills of the students of Baan Nong Phue.



Mary made songbooks for the primary classes, and this class is sure happy with its books.



George needs to work on some games for his classes.

 

And Mary works hard in the "office" apartment at home getting the teaching materials ready.

Lunch time is an adventure for us farang (which means foreigner, but we understand the term comes from a word to describe the French from the time that they were the most prominent foreigners in Thailand).  Lunch is prepared under the supervision of Thearm, who also serves it up.

With more than 500 students and one lunch hour, there have to be multiple "cafeterias," and teachers help with the serving.

 

And then the teachers get to eat.

When we first visited Baan Nong Phue, the Director of the school had just retired and we were welcomed by Acting Director Monthian.  We have very much enjoyed getting to know her.

At the end of November, new permanent Director Sutipong arrived. We will enjoy getting to know him.

Muei works in the administrative office and helps with copying and other office support.

 The school has a lovely "gazebo" in front of the Director's office, which they have kindly let us use as an "office" between classes.  It is a lovely spot that we really enjoy.



After lunch, we get a ride back to Khemmarat from Toom Tam in a songtheaw -- it's a picturesque and windy drive; we feel safe in Toom Tam's good hands.  It's always a treat to get good-bye waves from the students on our way out of school.



                                                                             

Our thanks to all the good people of Baan Nong Phue -- teachers, staff, and students -- for making us feel a part of your family.

Ordination of a Buddhist Monk

Mary and George were invited by Win, a teacher friend from school, and her family to the ordination of her nephew, Ton (pronounced "toan"), as a Buddhist monk. We were very honored to be invited.

We understand that Thai people believe that Thai men should become monks. It "makes merit" for the man's parents and helps them get to heaven.  Becoming a monk is not necessarily a life-long commitment; many (perhaps most) men who become monks stay for a short period and then return to lay life.  Following the death of his grandmother when he was 29, Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej entered a 15-day monkhood.

Win and her husband Supachai (also a teacher at our school) picked us up at our apartment at 7:45 am on Sunday, December 9th, and took us to the Ban Suan Rueanton Resort on the Mekong River, which is owned by Win's sister and is where breakfast was served. There was a group of monks there as well as the monk-to-be and many relatives and friends.

We met Ton.  In the photo below, Win is in the blue top, and there are two other teachers from our school -- Ulai to Win's right and Yen to Mary's left.  We were told that, in accordance with custom, Ton's hair and eyebrows had been shaved on Saturday.  The white clothes that Ton is wearing are traditional for young men awaiting ordination.

 



The resort is the one we visited in early October when we were traveling to see the schools where we might volunteer (see November 9 posting, "Exploring Thailand and Schools Where We Might Teach").  We admired at that time the beautiful view of  the Mekong River below the resort and admired it again on this visit.

 

George was struck again (as he had been at recent festivals and at school on Fridays) by the beautiful clothing Thai women wear.  He asked them to pose for a photo.  That is Ton's mother and father to the right of Mary in the photo.

 

 

Ton graciously agreed to a photo with us.

 

 

Then we were off to the temple for the ordination ceremony.  Two ladies in lovely dresses hopped on their motorbike. 

 

 

And Ton sat in a chair on the flatbed of a pick-up truck with his father and with his uncle holding the umbrella.  It is traditional to protect the newly shaved monks-to-be with an umbrella (and George can sure relate to that, especially in the intense Thai sun).

 

 

And there was music.

 

 

There was a long motorcade to the vicinity of the temple.

 

 

Then most everyone (but not Ton or the band) disembarked and began a dancing procession to the temple.

 

 

Mary was part of the procession along with our new friend Nida, a cousin of Ton who is an English major at Ubon University and who served as our translator throughout the day.  Many of the ladies (including Win) were carrying pillows and other gifts for the temple.

 

 

Ulai and Yen and two guys in the back got into the dancing spirit.

 

 

The procession made it to Wat Pachagasam. 

 

 

George got some serious tutoring in Thai dance maneuvers from Win's husband Supachai on the left and from the man who had led much of the dancing during the procession.

 

 

Ton approached the temple.  He carried three gold lotus flowers and his father carried his ceremonial fan.

 

 

As is traditional, Ton was carried three times around the temple on a man's shoulders as the procession followed.



Ton prepared to enter the temple.

 

 

He threw ribbon bows and rice to the crowd, who were happy to receive them.

 

 

Along with his father and family members, Ton joined the monks in the Ubosot, the "ordination hall."  We were honored to be invited in to watch the ceremony.

 

 

The senior monk joined.  Ton held his new monk's robes and started chanting in Pali -- the ordination is not in Thai; the monks use the ancient language of the scriptures. That makes it especially difficult, but the monks prompt him if he needs help.

 

 

Ton removed his shirt, put on a sash and left the Ubosot, returning wearing the robes.

 

 

 

Ton put his bowl over his back.  Monks use a bowl to collect food from faithful Buddhists.

 



 

There were prayers.

 

 

Then Ton left the Ubosot and was given gifts of money.

 

 

After the ceremony, we spent a short while in the Wiharn (the "sermon hall") and admired the beautiful murals.

 

 

 

Thai hospitality is amazing -- we then returned to the resort for a fantastic lunch!  We got a photo with Nida, who had been such a big help the whole day translating for us (especially when George got some instructions from the monks while we were in the Ubosot waiting for Ton to return in his robes and had no idea what they were saying!).  Thanks, Nida.

 

And thanks to Ton and his whole family, and to Win, Supachai, Yen, and Ulai for welcoming farang into their midst and making us feel part of their Thai family.  It was a unique experience for us that we will remember forever, and we hope this blog post is an accurate report on the day.