Wai Kru Day

These are some snapshots from Wai Kru day.  Wai Kru is a day where students honor their teachers.  Wai-ing is what Thai people do to someone they respect.  They put their hands together and bow down to you.  Kru is the Thai word for teacher.  So Wai Kru basically means respect your teacher.  During the ceremony there were some speeches and then the teachers and administration were called up on stage.  Students were called up and they would come in front of you, kneel down, 'Wai' you while bowing, and then give you flowers.  As a teacher we had to put our hand on their shoulder and thank them or give them a blessing.  It is a cool tradition/holiday.  The flowers at the top are some pretty pink potted flowers (how's that for an alliteration) and the flower arraignment on the bottom is a typical Thai flower arraignment (bright flowers in a golden base and in the middle is a ring of candles and incense).  It was definitely a unique experience and nice to see that they still value respect.