El Dia del Maestro en Tailandia es bastante espectacular... Los alumnos preparan unos arreglos florales especiales que luego son entregados a los docentes con mas antiguedad (y administradores) por parejas de alumnos "caminando" sobre sus rodillas. Luego "cantan" un himno dedicado a los maestros (a capella, al estilo thai), y entregan a cada docente un brazalete de jazmines y rosas (de nuevo, los alumnos estan acuclillados frente a los docentes, realizan una reverencia, agradecen al docente, y le entregan el brazalete)...ahh....uno de los pocos paises donde el ser maestro es algo honroso y respetado...
According to http://repository0.tripod.com/mj_cheatsheet_23.htmlC.2 The tradition of paying respect to one's teacher
Humility is one of the virtues heavily emphasised along with 'patience' and 'self-discipline' in the ceremony of respect for one's teacher practised in the Buddhist tradition by schools and educational institutions annually throughout Thailand. At this ceremony called 'Wai Kru', there are three symbolic gifts which have been used traditionally in the ceremony to pay respect to the teacher -- aubergine flowers, coarse grass and popped rice:
- The aubergine flower is a symbol of humility because each flower that will give rise to a fruit must bow its head towards the ground. Flowers which hold their head high will give no fruit and in the end will wither. In the same way, humility is quality of every student who will receive a teacher's knowledge to the full. Just as water must flow down to a lower level, the student who is humble will receive the most knowledge the most quickly.
- Coarse grass of patience. This sort of grass can endure being parched during the dry season. It can endure treading and crushing by countless feet at the side of a footpath where other plants might have withered and died. In the same way, only the student with patience will endure the full duration of the course -- doing whatever is needed to succeed in their studies.
- Popped rice is the symbol of self-discipline. When by exposure to heat upon the stove, only the rice which can stay in the cooking pot without jumping out before time will be sweet and tender: ready to eat. In the same way, the one who can stay within the discipline they have set themselves in studying will succeed in their studies. The one who cannot stand the discipline and has to give-up half way can be compared to rice which is charred but not popped and ready to eat.
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