Yesterday we celebrated Midsummer at Happy Child Home - yes, we know that we celebrate a day too late according to Swedish traditions but it would be difficult to explain to the teachers at school why the children must have a day off on a Friday.
And yes, we may celebrate a day late but we know how to celebrate and I dare say that we probably have the most beautiful midsummer pole in the whole world.
Usually we have our volunteers on site and usually we have lots of friends who come and celebrate with us - not last year though and not this year either and I do not think I need to point out why.
This year we had to celebrate without any volunteers or friends, just like last year - and this year we also had to celebrate without our university students Non, Nun and Fon and our adult "children" Bonut and Nuun and their children. Nun could not come from Chiang Mai and Non could not come from Bangkok as they have not received the vaccine yet and Phuket will only let you in if you are vaccinated. Fon could not come back as she left us last week to start her university studies and as there are no buses from Nakhon Si Tammarath to Phuket at the moment. Bonut had to move to Isan with her children and the children's father a few months ago when there was no job for them on Phuket and I do not know why Nuun did not come.
As there were so many that we missed having with us - we had to celebrated for them as well, and we did!
Already last year, Hans and I were prepared that there would be no dancing or play around the midsummer pole as we have thought that the children do it for our sake. We were wrong last year and we were wrong again this year. I asked Wow to check with the kids if they really wanted to, and yes they wanted to.
However, we ignored doing it around the midsummer pole as it was out in the scorching sunshine so we danced and played under the sports roof instead - it was “Små grodorna”, “Vi är musikanter", “Prästens lilla kråka” and the children's two favorites" Björnen sover” and “Sista paret ut”
This year's Thai Games were taken care of by our oldest boys - and they did it with gusto!
It is a real blessing to be able to follow all these amazing children through different ages. Just two years ago, it had not been possible to even ask the boys to hold the games - then they were too "cool" to even participate and now, just two years later they are so mature and confident that they both want to participate and take care of and engage the younger children.
As always, it is a wonderful experience to study the children when the whole group is together to do something together - in the way they help each other, how they make sure that everyone feels that they can participate, how they can laugh with, and at each other, how they comfort someone who gets sad and how they kindly reprimand someone who makes mistakes or cheats. This year it was little Gao's turn to be new to the family and everyone did their best to make him feel like one of the gang and made sure to help him a little extra.
After the games, we had a fantastic Midsummer buffet - prepared by Miaoo, Porn, Team and several of the children. After dinner we celebrated birthdays with cake and presents and after that we sang Karaokee.
An almost ordinary, completely fantastic Midsummer!