Happy birthday

Today we went to the pre-celebration of ajahn Tongs birthday which is tomorrow - we'll go again.
Two hugh busses, some vans and several cars full of monks, nuns and laypeople.
I was sitting with some other nuns in a bus full of lay.
Laypeople and me, that's like water and oil, you can't mix it. Like the sun and the moon, the don't come together. Like a round pot and a square cover, it doesn't fit.
They were happy to be able to break rule of not talking, they wanted to break the rule of not listening to music and turned radio on, but the driver turned it off, fortunately!
Monks birthday parties are always the same. Sitting, chanting, kreeping [for the laypeople], sitting, ... the more important the monk, the more people are present. Ajahn Tong has the monastery full of people for 3 days.

Next day same procedure. On the way to chom tong i was squeezed in between the window and a rather big [weight 3 times me] woman who had fallen asleep. Some month ago this would have been tourture for me, horror, now i kept cool, watched my breath and was wondering why i was not angry or displeased. i tried to be mindful all day and failed sometimes.
In the afternoon i was almost kicked knock out, because ajahn Tong through little coins wrapped in colorful material into the audience, as i was sitting quite close many coins came in my direction. i was the last one around who remained seated, the others krept, with a hush of hystery, on the floor trying to catch coins. Then two people realized that i don't catch and that there are some coins underneath and around my chair. In that moment i was just a bothering obstacle which had to get out of way, no matter what. a usually peaceful lady pushed me aside and started diving between the chairs, butt up. After getting all coins, must have been 5 - 6, she realized that her butt was in a half fallen nuns face and with a shy excuse she dissapeared.
I took two coins which had fallen onto my laps.
On the way back the bus was full and about 20 people nun included, had to wait an hour for another bus to come. Apart from those detailes, the ceremonies were really nice and it was an honor and a pleasure to be present and close to the radiant, great monk Ajahn Tong.