Preschoolers and the new moon

I feel like there has to be a joke in here somewhere.... Like "What happens to preschoolers when there is a new moon?" Except that I don't have a good punchline to the joke. And the real answer is that in Bali, they get even cuter than usual. In addition to our volunteer duties at the garden and teaching English to older kids, 4 of the volunteers for Bumi Sehat also go to a local preschool twice a week to teach English there. Today was the new moon, and in Bali that is a big deal. We were told that everyone at the school would be in traditional dress, so the other volunteers and I did our best to dress the part.

When we got to the school, we found a sea of 4 and 5-year-olds in the courtyard getting ready to pray. The kids all came dressed for the occasion, and most also came to school with the necessary ritual items for prayer (incense and flowers).  Most Balinese are very religious, and most are Hindu. Usually prayers are said several times a day. Its a public school, but prayer is clearly accepted here and it is just seen as a part of life. Overall, it was very interesting to watch the students and the teachers do their thing. As volunteers, we have been welcomed into the school community which is very nice. Aside from seeing a bunch of kids dressed up in their traditional clothing and looking very spruced up for the occasion, it is also very interesting to learn a bit more about the culture. I have absolutely no complaints about volunteering, because it helps to give us a window into what life can really be like here.