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I spent more hours sitting in the bus

Seriously, my trip to Chiang Mai really felt like a weekend trip on the bus. 

I left on Thursday with a choir made almost entirely of Indonesians.  There were, of course, the occasional "aliens" to the group such as I.  We were going to visit the International Children's Care orphanage as well as the Chiangmai Adventist Academy. 

We arrived early Friday morning and I headed straight to bed.  Woke up about an hour later and decided to go scout around the orphanage grounds.  Children's voices were ringing loudly, and in a distance I spotted two little figures hiding behind some shrubs.  I walked towards those figures and there were two little gangly girls, who, upon seeing up, giggled and made a dash back to the main building.  That pretty much sums up what I did with the kids the weekend.  They'd see me, giggle, and run.  They'd make a good audience in my class here in Muak Lek, Saraburi since nobody laughs when I open my mouth (to tell jokes).  I guess I'm physically funny?  I know, some of you may disagree. 

Observing these kids, I really must say, "SHAME ON ME."  These kids are up at 6 am, memorizing their memory verses to the deans, before having their meal.  Then for the next hour or so, you see them scouring around the orphanage compound tidying up the flower beds, sweeping away dead leaves...outdoorsy type jobs!! All of which I do not do, not that I can't do it, but I think of myself as more of a home boy.  And these kids are really really young, I don't think any of them are over ten years old!

My way back to Muak Lek was spent (partially) thinking about these kids.  I think of how much they're missing out, but in reality, they're not!  In education, we often feel that we need to offer them certain courses to meet the demands of many stakeholders.  We often do this because of an oversight - which is the failure to see whether what we offer to them is really what they need.  These kids I was with don't need the gadgets Bangkok kids are using because the context they are in does not require it.  Are they missing out?  I don't think so!  I'd say we're the bigger loser.  These kids are in a sense 'closer' to earth.  They find joy in nature and their surroundings, and the people around them....

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