It all started with goodbye.
We left our parents and headed for the long journey ahead. The first flight was nothing compared to the thirteen hour flight following. In the first few hours we were pumped and set on something to do, and then we hit the three hour mark and were completely done. It was either trying to fall asleep, figuring out what to do, talking about what to do, or literally sitting there daydreaming. As the flights were over and all the long travel was behind us, we came and met Lisa Marie and our van. I'm not going to lie, I was 99% sure that all of us and our bags were not going to fit in the small van. I was mistaken. The driver was truly a hero and fit all the suitcases in the back like a puzzle. We were all snug in the van and finally arrived at the Tatoo Guest House, unpacked, and could then breathe. We headed up the three flights of stairs with our 50 pound bags and got to our rooms. As we walked in, we were greeted with a pair of socks, some cold water, a heart with our name in Khmer, and a poster above our heads with a quote. My quote was, "I am fully aware of what Love is how it works, but that is our kind of Love. I want to learn the Love of the kids and the orphans who have not had Love, but are full of it. Love is something anyone can learn but I believe the kids in Cambodia will be the best teachers." They may have been my words, but they still struck me and I read it every night.
The first night of sleep was about three hours and an early rise. Then in the tuk tuk off to S21 prison. The tuk tuk ride is truly one of my favorite parts of the trip. It is bumpy, wobbly, loud, and I love it. One thing that I think about a lot and experience is the smells. Some are good and smell of food and others are revolting and may smell of trash and rotting things, and I still love them all. I don't know what it is about them but they continue to amaze me each ride.
Being at the prison was an amazing experience. Knowing all of what happened and the horrid events that happened is one thing but actually being there and seeing it all is another. All the pictures and the actual beds and bowls and things from the genocide were just amazing and struck me with terror. After touring and being immensely impacted on, we met Mr Chum Mey who went through it all and could still sit in front of the high school and smile.
The killing fields was really impact full as well in that you knew what was done there and how it all went down. Although being there was really dampening and depressing, there was a sense of serenity and happiness. Even in its state, it was beautiful scenery and amazing greenery, but the best part was the hundreds of butterflies fluttering around as if it was a utopia. They really lighted the area and made it much easier to be here.
Arriving at the orphanage for the first time was purely amazing. Even being just a turn away, the kids were jumping and smiling when got there and the rest of the time being. Immediately I had on child in my arms and two on each hands. We met everyone and just got to know each other in the beginning, which may not sound like much, but was a huge step.
Yesterday morning all three of us woke up too early because we were freezing. We may have been comfortable in the cold awake, but it was too hard while asleep. As we arrived we were again greeted by the happy excited children. Before cleaning everything and everyone, we learned some hand games and other games. Just them teaching us was amazing to see the connection between the Khmer and English and us both understanding what to do. We were then assigned an area to clean and I got the bathroom. It was a wrong choice to say that I loved the smells when we were sharing because that smell was not pleasing, but it had to be done. We also had to delice the kids which was insane in it self. The majority of the girls had so many eggs and bugs that it took an hour or an hour and a half to comb them all out. I could not stand the thought of having all of that in my hair, and yet these kids deal with it everyday. After all the hard work was the play. Most of the boys played a one footed tag game that I watched and all I could do was laugh, and others were over making bracelets. Some of the American boys wanted to learn this box know type thing and so I taught them, and then some of the Cambodian boys wanted to as well and learned much easier than the others. Also, Roat made all the girls bracelets and I thought it was very cute. Some favorite parts were Srey Nuun and I playing a pattie cake type game and not being able to finish because we were laughing so hard, and Lavine and the boys making fun if me for my sneezes. At the end of the day we all said see you tomorrow and left in the tuk tuk.
Today was very different in that we started our main manual labor which is a house for the girls to sleep in. Before then, we split up and I went to the slums to teach some kids english. We started with us reading and them repeating and then we found that they could read it themselves and it was just this firework within me that went out because we had figure out how smart they are. Doing the work and completely the job is a satisfying feeing because you know you are doing good and you know you are making a difference. When we got back, there was music blasting and a dance party going on. Some girls had their dances to songs and some boys had theirs. As I was trying to follow along and do their routine, all I could do was laugh at myself. The boys, Roat and Niron and one other would do this move and then the Michael Jackson move and I just giggled and laughed the whole time and then they laughed at me. There is truly no time at that orphanage where anyone is sad or feeling down. No matter the day or how many times we have played with the kids, each time is a new, fun, warming feeling. They always come up with a new game or something fun to do that we don't know and it is simply amazing. At the end of the day we pack our bags and say see you tomorrow and it is still a happy feeling because I know I will be able to see them tomorrow.
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