Happy Children's Day!

Children's Day was fantastic at the local ITV village, with organised games, the obligatory sugary food and drinks and searing heat. Tom got straight into the swing of things and got involved in a couple of games.

There was nothing “elegant” about any of the games, so Hannah and Meg declined the offer to dangle a foot long eggplant to their waists from a strap and attempt to hit a tennis ball along the ground over the winning line!

The next game was a sack race with a difference. The boys had to stop and eat two pieces of very sweet and dry cake, then a whole can of coke, a huge piece of watermelon and then retrieve a coin from a plate of icing sugar.

The final indignity was to blow up a balloon until it popped. 

I thought Tom was going to throw up at one point, but kept face and was wildly encouraged by all the Thai children, who was delighted to have the only Farang child at their games.

For some, it was all too much!

It was Saturday and the rest of the day was spent relaxing with some of the children, drawing, playing lego and the compulsory soccer.

All of the BTN children were going to perform at another concert that evening, but we were allowed to invite four children and take them out on a very special adventure - a boat trip to Koh Kho Khao Island for dinner at a pizza and hamburger restaurant. Gean, Gan, Jenda and Ing were delighted to be included in our plans and Alison and Maya threw everyone in the back of the truck and off we went.

This was a special treat for these children, who rarely get to go on trips like this and, for it to be with Farang children, was even more special.

They were so well-behaved, delighted in trying new foreign food, although were not sure about nachos!

They are all learning English so we sang songs, including Two Little Dickie Birds.

Alison has been in Thailand for 20 years and involved with BTN since the start. She is so dedicated to BTN and all the children and her Northern English sense of humour and kindness balances out her firm but fair approach.

By the time we left, we were all so full and took the long-tailed boat back again to the mainland. When we got back, I treated the children to an ice-cream at the local shop and then we all collapsed into bed.

Happy Children's Day!