White Wednesday

So remember that warm fuzzy feeling you got after reading the last blog about my wonderful experience as a teacher and whatnot? Well, that lovely sentiment carried me straight through my first couple weeks... right up until white wednesday.
It seemed like a normal class. It was after lunch, which I have learned can be a little dangerous (wink wink kristina), but my 3/6 class was generally very bright and enthusiastic considering how huge it is. But something was different that day, they were being very very "naughty."
Sidenote: I think it is so wonderful that the Thai teachers always refer to the bad students as "naughty." They're not trouble, terrors, devils, bad boys, or mischievous, just naughty. Very British I think...
Anyways, I was doing my best to focus on the focused students and teach my engaging lesson on the 5 Ws (you know Who? What? Where? When? and Why?). I had done my warm up, my eliciting, my lead in, and it was time for the activity. A simple worksheet with example sentences. I was walking around the room helping those in need and clucking at the distracted ones, when it happened.
A group of girls in the back were beckoning me to assist them. Like a proud mother hen I sauntered over to their desks. And remembering all the Thai teachers' advice about leaning over, decided to pull over a chair instead. I sat down to help them and heard muffled giggles from behind me: it was the bad boys in the back, not surprising. So I ignored them and finished helping the girls.
When I got up to walk back to the board to point something out, laughter erupted! Now all the students in that large classroom were uncontrollably laughing. I assumed it was because of something that had been said in Thai that I had not caught, it happens often. But all my little angels in the front row began gesticulating, and pointing, towards my butt. Doing my best to stay calm I discretely looked behind me and saw the source of the laughter: a big white puddle across the middle of my nice black skirt. The girls in the front did their best to hand me tissues and explain what had happened, but Thai and confusion go hand in hand. It wasn't until one of them help up their white out pen that I understood what it was, errr white out.
I saved face and finished my lesson, pulling my undershirt down as far as possible over my booty, and walked out of the room quickly, not even allowing them to perform their "Tank you teeechaaa" ritual.
I thought gossip was bad at LBHS, but Thai teachers take it to the next level. Within the hour, ever teacher, student, and even the nurse had heard about what happened to the farang teacher in 3/6. I was mortified.
I spent the night debating whether or not it was an accident. Were they trying to rebel and teach the new teacher who was in charge, or was it a misunderstanding? The next morning it became very clear. I was met with something truly special. A Thai forgiveness ceremony. All the bad boys from the class had gathered in the front of the office on the floor. They had pulled over a chair and urged me to sit in it. As I did, I looked into their dark, little faces and realized it couldn't have been on purpose. After a bit of stuttering and minimal eye contact, the twelve little boys managed to read me an apology they had written to me in english. It was the cutest thing. Then they handed me special flower rings, a thai sign of forgiveness, and bowed low to the ground. How could I not forgive them?
Traditions like this demonstrate some of the truly unique aspects of Thai culture. As I found out several days later, the boys had been trying to trick their friend into sitting in the chair, not me. But they had no idea how to warn/explain that to me in english at the time. So they had performed the entire ceremony even though it was just an accident. Can you imagine a group of high schoolers apologizing with complete sincerity to a substitute teacher that they had accidentally hazed? Never!
In class the next week, I made a statement to the whole class, I told them that I knew they were very good boys and girls, and very good students, that it was just one crazy day, and that there was nothing more to worry about, mai pen rai! One pass through the back of the classroom and a few jokes about wearing only white skirts with them, and confiscating all white out pens, and we were back on track re-learning the 5 Ws and having fun.
So yes, you still get to finished with a warm fuzzy. I can't help it, I'm a happy person! It must be all the pad thai :)