Sports Day at Sunflower

This Friday was probably the longest day yet for me as a teacher in Thailand. And I didn't spend one minute in a classroom. It was Sports Day, a day when everyone comes out to play. All students and teachers were divied up into one of three teams: red, blue, or green (yours truly got to be a Blue). The evening before tents had been set up for shade around the soccer field in the center of the campus. Each team had its own tent and one tent was set up for the judges. Students began to show up early and eager to compete. The usual plaid skirts and white shirted school uniforms were left home today in favor of sport pants and a shirt in your team color. I walked over to the Team Blue tent to see if I could help out with preparations. I was impressed to see a beehive of work and most of it being done by the students. It's obvious that the students look forward to this day and know they have to do their part in the set up work. Balloons were being tied to tent posts and chairs were being lined up in the shade of the tent. I found a Thai teacher working in the back of the tent area and pitched in to help her fill the enormous water cooler and set up fresh oranges and cups for the athletes. We worked together well and just seemed to know what was needed without having to communicate which was a good thing since she speaks no English and I speak no Thai. Fortunately we both speak the language of smiles and I must say it made me feel good to help out with the work and feel like a real part of the team.
Soon there were opening festivities, including the lighting of a torch and the school's marching band, and the beginning of the games. On the track we had dashes, distance runs, and relays with competition at all levels. Each team had cheerleaders complete with practiced routines, taunting cheers, and colorful costumes complimented by loads of makeup and glittery painted streaks in their hair. All day the spirits stayed high and the cheers rang out (oh, did I mention that each team also had a drummer?). This is not the sort of place to be if you're put off by high levels of energy and noise. There was plenty of both to go around. After the track events, teams moved to the pool area for swim competition. Then a break for lunch. Finally, I slipped out to the air conditioned comfort of the teacher workroom for some quiet, cooling off time. But before the hour was up my rest was interupted by the news that all teachers were to report to the field for the next event. I'll spare you the full details here but tell you that I am very proud of my silver medal and if I never hop around in an old tote sack again in this lifetime it will be too soon. And where did Sara learn to go so fast in one?
The day went on with more competition until finally, after the last soccer game and the cheering competition, we all paraded out to the field for awarding of the team trophies and closing remarks. And lots of pictures, of course. I was beat. My day began around 6:30 and ended at 4:30. After all the clean up was done and students sent on their way, I walked out to the little store just beyond the school gate to buy some chips and a Coke to take back to my room. I was truly fearful I would fall asleep on the first chip. On the way back to the dorm I was invited to join the Thai teachers in a picnic on the ground. Don't know where the energy came from but I must say it was one of my best meals so far in Thailand. There was good music and lots of smiles and laughter. We were all tired and although the language barrier kept us from expressing it clearly, we all knew we'd done a good day's work. And I felt like a real member of the team, the Sunflower Team.