Dream bottle ceremony...

It seems to me that this ceremony has been developed so that the trainees can get some sense of just how far they can travel during their time at Koto.  The new class is asked to think about what dreams they have for two years hence - at the end of their training.  They draw pictures, write on small bit of paper, and generally create small tokens to represent what they are hoping for.  Then they put them into a small glass jar.  On the Monday before xmas the ceremony happened.  I was downstairs in the kitchen finishing off some work so missed the beginning...but from what I can gather it comprised of quite a few speeches...how very surprising.  By the time I got upstairs a trainee from the previous class was making a speech,

Mai from class 17 - presumably telling her story.

then a trainee from the class undergoing the ceremony made a speech, then the M.C. for the night (the life skills teacher in her beautiful white au doi) made a speech,

Jimmy Pham made a speech, then finally the guts of the night began.  We were all given candles to hold and the lights were dimmed.  Jimmy lit the first one then used it to light the next...and like the spreading ripples on a lake each person lit another's candle and so on and so forth.

Jimmy lights Ms Hang's candle.

The young woman on the left was so emotional that Amanda had to give her a cuddle.

The trainees waiting to approach the cabinet and  present their Dream Bottles.

That's me third from the right...I'd forgotten my camera so cadged these photos from Mr Tang

By this stage the emotion was getting to me too...there were quite a few tears...

Placing a bottle in the cabinet.

After all the trainees had delivered their 'dreams' the lights came back on and I dried my eyes.  Class 18 filed back into the middle of the room and  formed a group.  I waited to see what would come next.  When the first bars of Abba's 'I dreamed a dream' began to play I couldn't suppress a groan...not because I dislike the song - but I just knew that if the kids sang it I would damn well cry again...and sure enough...I did!  Oh, my god, I was like a cheap drunk at the end of New Year's Eve...bawling like a baby!  

I dreamed a dream...I crossed a stream...

These kids just looooove a photo op...

After it was all over there were photos, of class 18...then of any and everyone who could cram themselves into the frame.  Afterward we relocated en-masse upstairs to start the party!  Each department had been asked to provide something towards the buffet so I made a platter of brandy balls, but using white chocolate ganache instead of dark and cranberries instead of sultanas.

Jimmy serving his famous seafood and corn soup.

Yummy!!!!

I made the mistake of being a bit slow to get upstairs and by the time I did there wasn't a lot left to eat...the trainees love their food and when they get the opportunity to try something out of the ordinary they descend like a locust plague - bless them...lol...

Pretty soon the music cranked up, the kids began break dancing and it was time for this old chook to wend her weary way home for a nice cup of tea and a lie down.