Learning Thai

There was a festive mood in our neighborhood yesterday....the princess was coming! Many neighbors had spent the past few days painting over graffiti, hanging purple swags of bunting (purple is the color of the day she was born), practicing bows and greetings, hanging flags along the streets. The morning of her visit, our neighborhood was hushed. Nearly all businesses were closed, most children didn't have school, traffic was stopped, and police lined the streets.

We dressed in purple (well, the guys wore blue because they don't happen to own any purple) and headed down to see the princess parade.

Along the way, we saw crowds of school kids waiting.

And more crowds waiting

Eliza didn't have school today, but Claire did. She sat our in front of her school for at least an hour waiting for the car to drive by and then did it again for the Princess's return trip. We got to hang out with her and her classmate and teachers in front of the school.

The kids wereexcited. Every now and then someone would call out "Ma laew" (she's coming!!) and everyone would get excited, getting into position on their knees, and then subside as they realized she wasn't.

Waiting.....

And waiting....

Finally she did come by in a long row of cream colored cars with flashing police cars and an ambulance before and after. It was so quick that only Tom saw a quick glimpse of her waving from the window.
Oh well, it was still exciting to know we had been that close!
As the kids returned to class several boys chased each other around the playground yelling, "Long live the Princess!"

-Candice