Wat Dhammagunaram!

Don't even try to sound out that title! It's Thai for "welcome." It's Thai New Year (notice the new year picture from the king of Thailand) and we celebrated today at the local Thai Buddhist temple. My cousin Jessie performed with a group of girls who wore traditional costumes and danced ancient dances. My girls were completely captivated by the pagaentry. (Freestone missed the whole dress-up extravaganza, spending the day with the Cranes. Thanks, Michelle and Rob!)
My camera battery was on the fritz, so I couldn't document the saturated colors of the women's costumes, the orange of the monks' robes and the complexion of the crowd, so different than the local norm. It was fun for Xanthe not to be the only Asian face in the crowd for a change. Incidentally, my Nana has nine descendants/in-laws now whose ethnicity is Asian or part-Asian. I feel lucky to have their cultures to enjoy and borrow, to integrate into our lives. It was a relaxed afternoon as I ate satay chicken on the lawn with Aunt Da and Uncle Jim, watching the girls play with cousins as well as children they'd never met, some with remnants of traditional Thai make-up on their faces, tripping over their formal costumes.

I went back to the temple later to snap a few photos. The monks who were taking down the party were genuinely friendly, treating me as if I weren't a complete outsider. I kindof envy them the fact that they get to wear bright orange robes ALL the time. Apparently, the sweatshirts they wear over their robes have to be orange, too. I love it!

The last time we were in a Buddhist temple was in China. Xanthe received a beautiful blessing from a monk in saffron robes, amid wafting incense and a feeling of devotion. It was the same blessing she probably would have received from her birth family. It was a poignant good-bye from her ancestors, I felt. Maybe Xanthe's Buddhist ancestors will be looking down on her in church tomorrow as she learns about Jesus. And I bet they'll smile.