The day started early at 4:30am as usual and luckily the sleeping pills did its job. Managed to get some sleep from about 10pm-2am with a small interruption. Then I learnt that the long alms round path begins at 5:40am daily so I think I will wake up a bit later tomorrow. The alms round itself felt much faster this time, likely because I’ve memorised the route. I didn’t realise this yesterday but my surgery scar picks up a lot of dirt and dust because I apply oil to keep it moist. The bandage will have to go back on instead. We got back and the monks ate at 7:00am as usual.

I followed this by learning some more of the Ukasa and found out finally what to say when I have to give a blessing. The monk who I was with on the alms round said this is not a blessing but more of a teaching. It’s also only the shortened version because we don’t have time to give the whole blessing to everyone we meet otherwise we would out forever.

My parents came again but the hawker store nearby that we wanted to go to was closed so we just got some food from the market and ate at our relative’s house instead by the river. After they left, I practiced putting on the monk robes. It’s still difficult to roll the cloth up in a tidy way and I’m still not quite sure how to throw the rolled up part over the shoulder. Somehow that part becomes the tension that you hold with your left hand to keep everything from falling apart but it’s still happening anyway.

In the afternoon one of the monks asked for all the robes and bowl that I had to prepare for the approaching ceremony day. Another monk helped create a make-shift strap for the bowl so the lid wouldn’t fall off during the ceremony. I managed to ask for some page numbers so I can quickly flick to the right chants during the evening chanting session without looking like a useless idiot for ages.