Celebration Day1 -- Jan 25a

It's 9:34, and I just witnessed my first display of toddler civil disobedience. I could see it coming. Shoulders were getting higher. The look of defiance was forming. I. Will. Not. Walk. No. I. Won't.

Then he was down. His mother swooped him up for a millisecond and plopped him back on his feet. Toddling resumed. A minute later, he was leaning heavily into his mother. She avoided the hint, and led him to shade. She offered something to eat and he wandered off, she in benign pursuit.

I'm at the temple, and it's Celebration Day at last. My English language students are watching from strategic positions. The distant jingling of prayer bells mixes with greetings and idle chatter. The various platforms are ringed with woven boxes of offerings. People trickle through a nearby gate with more.

This temple serves five villages, and most residents will be here at some point today. Many are already at prayer.

Oops, I just got moved to the platform with the temple committee. Apparently I guessed correctly. Each village has a designated gathering/safe spot. I was squatting.

I'm intrigued by the divide between the sexes. Families will stick together, but once a child is of school age, they will gravitate towards others of the same sex and age. Teenaged boys greet me with warm smiles, in groups of two or three. Grown sons will walk with their mothers, not their wives.

Everyone is dressed in their best sarong. White if they are faithful. Black check if they are security. Footwear is mostly flip flops, making it easy to slip off when entering a temple, a platform or any other designated space.

Men wear white shirts and a white headband. It's a cross between an open beret and an open turban with a front knot. There's often a bit of embroidered embellishment peeking out.

Women wear beautiful lace blouses cinched by a solid sash in a bright colour. Mine is a rich purple. Blouses are white or saffron, and occasionally bright pink. A few women carry a purse, some have a more discrete change purse attached to their sash. Hair is up, with flowers tucked into the back. As I learned yesterday, it's both for adornment and prayer.

My own sarong is red with geometric shapes of yellow, blue, green and pink. I'm wearing my white snorkel top. Yesterday, I overheated. Today, I no longer am wearing shorts underneath. My host thought he could lend me one of his mother’s tops. However, hers denote priestly status. So he asked me to try on one of his wife’s. We all laughed when I did up the top and bottom buttons and spilled out of the rest.

Fewer cell phones are visible today. I’ve seen a few discretely tucked into sashes, but no one is talking on theirs. It's likely that anyone to talk to is already beside them.