Yesterday, the day started off with a small ceremony.  It involved speeches and all the teachers standing on the stage for photos that I will never see.  Thompien told me it was International Peach Day.  Huh?  Ok, that could be a thing, I guess.  But based on the two peaches I’ve had here, it’s not worth celebrating.  After asking her a few questions I figured out it was International Peace Day.  That makes way more sense, but I like International Peach Day better.

Tomorrow is a ceremony for all the teachers in the District who are retiring.  They spent most of the afternoon getting the meeting hall ready.  I went down to see it at the end of the day expecting the normal podium, brightly colored satin fabric and a bunch of flowers.  It was that and more.  At the front of the room is a three sided arch made of sticks and leaves.  There are four gold and red altar like things around it.  Then there is a network of wire leaving the archway going out over the chairs.  There is string hanging down from the wire in various places and over each chair.  Someone tells me that tomorrow we will put the string on our heads for good luck.  Noi tells me that the string will connect everyone’s aura.  We will be connected to someone, who I assume will be in or near the archway.  Maybe the people retiring?  She tried to explain what an aura was as if I didn’t know.  I have no idea what will happen tomorrow.  She lost me at aura.  I’m excited to see what happens.

(c) All rights reserved Kimberly Fiore