Yesterday, Tim took the kids to clean a temple. They went with her brother Top's family, and some other people from their work. Tim told me a funny story about what happened.
Nalin and Aleena were playing with a couple of girls who were part of the group. One of the girls is Nalin's age, and the other a year younger than Aleena. The girls mother is Thai, but their father is European. So like my daughters, these girls are not as versed in Thai cultures and traditions as your typical Thai child.
For some reason, one of the girls wanted to ask a monk a question. The four of them approached the monk to ask their question. In Thailand, it is not permitted for a female to touch a monk or for a monk to touch a female. Not only can they not touch, but there is a certain respectable distance that should be maintained. Apparently, the girls came too close to the monk, so he took a step back. The girls took a step forward, the monk took a step back. This happened a few more times before one of the girls put her hand on the monk's robe clad arm. At that point, the monk managed to get Jacob's attention and had Jacob get between himself and the girls.
It wasn't really a big deal, because the girls obviously meant no harm. It was funny, however, that the monk kept trying to maintain the proper distance, while the girls obliviously came forward.
The same rules that govern monks and women also apply to men and nuns. It would not be proper for Jacob or I to touch or even get too close to a nun.
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