a school play

As so often happens at our school, the kids had a random morning assembly. I knew something exciting was happening when I saw several students walking around in costumes.

When I walked into the office, Pikay (the second grade English teacher) was telling the American teachers that the kids were putting on a play, and that we could go downstairs and watch it. So we did.

Unfortunately, plays don't come with English subtitles, so we had no clue what was going on. There were no spoken parts. An adult was singing a song - I presume he told what was happening - and the kids pantomimed.

After the second act, I decided that the play didn't make any sense. I turned to the teacher next to me and said, "So... what's going on?"

Apparently, it wasn't a play with a plot, but more of a series of lessons on manners and propriety from the olden days. The first act was about hygiene. Girls should fix their hair nice and neat, and boys should scrub their faces.

The second was about walking like a proper lady. The third taught that one should never walk and talk at the same time; always wait until you get inside your house. The fourth was a kind of fashion show with seven little couples. They were dressed in the colors of the day. If you wear red on Sunday, you'll have luck.

The fifth part was my personal favorite. One should never use the river as a toilet. The sixth was about respecting the sun, the sky, and monks. The seventh was about saying your prayers every night.