Hello,
My name is Elin. For you who does not know me Sussi is my aunt and I am also the one who five years ago convinced here that Barnhem should have a Facebook group. This so all the people who knew Barnhem would have a place to gather and share memories and thoughts. Today when the group has almost 2000 members and the feed is filled with pictures, new articles and text from volunteers who is longing back I will have to feel a bit content. The group has developed in to exactly what the ide was from the beginning. Very good! I am not at Barnhem as a volunteer but I will be living at Sussi and Hans for the next month so it is possible that you will here more from me.
Yesterday we were celebrating the Thai holiday Loi-Kratong. The holiday is celebrated as I have been told to express gratitude to the lakes, rivers and seas. They built boats from banana leafs and fill them whit lights and flowers. In the evening these are put in to the water to say thank you to the sea, to apologise for the trash that ends up in the sea and as a way to send of all the bad things and wish for a lucky future. On top of this in the Thai “more is more” way there was also a market and a dance show.
The day at Barnhem started before the kids had gotten home from school with building these kratongs that later in the evening were to be put in to the sea at the village Tamaprao. When the kids got home from school they joined the boat making. Me and some of the volunteers tried to built one ourselves but we got to understand that it was a lot harder that in looked when the Thai staff were doing it. On top of the kratong making the small kids were also supposed to get make up and dance clothes on because they were going to give a performance at Tamaprao. So to say, there was a lot going on.
At seven o’clock we al left Barnhem to go to Tamaprao. The evening was a big success. The dancing was well appreciated, almost all the Kratongs were floating as they should and a lot of the kids got hold of some sweets even though it was not “candy day”. I must say as a person who has never been to something like this before that Thai people for sure knows how to celebrate.
A lot of love from us at Barnhem.
