When 3 became 4

I’ve got an introduction to make.

Back right, the kid not in green? This is my new student. You'll know him as Jude.

He joined Grade 1 over a month ago, just after the October break, speaks the tiniest amount of English, and is very, very sporty. He has also been pseudo adopted by the oldest boy in the school, who plays basket ball with him and jokes with him and insists they sit next to each other in fun reading. Given that this older kid is by turns cheeky, rude, apathetic and really very smart (If a bit lacklustre in applying it) all the teachers are finding it mildly hilarious.

Jude is also a great advocate of cuddling. Which would be fine. Except, as I mentioned, he’s very sporty. And always seems to have a jacket or jumper on that he can never be persuaded to remove.

It’s always a slightly sweaty cuddle.

But he is the only kid in Grade 1 or 2 who can do a decent unassisted sit-up with any speed. Tradeoffs, I guess.

Nung Song Sam

These are three of the smallest students in the School of Promise, and most defiantly the youngest. I think. A lot of the kids are from the Karen hill tribes, who don't remember birthdays (I'm not even certain they have a word for 'birthday') and as such will not always be sure how old they are in Western terms. And will give you a different age each week...

We have a school rule about sharing names of the children on the internet, so from now on they shall be know as Eric, Elaine and Marie. Their actual names are short and often amusing: one of the girls at school is called Cartoon. Seriously, that's her name.

Well, her nickname or chue-len in Thai. Any of you who where at the Sunday service may have heard this bit of Thai culture trivia already, but for those of you who weren't I'll give a little refresher. Nicknames are what Thais call other Thais most of the time. They're often shorter, easier to say and have a very unimportant and childish meaning. The 'unimportant meaning' is key, as a big part of Thai culture involves spirits; pleasing them, placating them and generally keeping them happily out of your affairs as a meddling spirit can bring disaster. Spirits will involve themselves with whoever they feel like, but having two names will confuse them sufficiently that they  will go and prey on someone else instead.

With all that in mind, their given names are long, complicated, convoluted and full of such grandiose meaning that you wonder if your short and apparently meaningless label makes you seem a bit silly to them. Anyone ever seen 'Spy Kids'? That bit where the two children are asked by a security door what their names are, and the girl spends at least a minute citing off her horrendously long name and you wonder how she had all the space in her head to remember it? One of the kids did that to me once. It was an experience.

Does anyone know what their names are supposed to mean? Or did you parents just like the sound of it? Could be interesting to see if you reflect your name at all...

Emma.

ps: For those of you wondering, nung song sam is Thai for one two three. Another bit of trivia for you!