"Nuk Na" (Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

Yep, its true! They really do wear those straw hats that look like lamp shades. Somethings you don't expect to actually come true, just like how I didn't see Kangaroos jumping around on every street corner in Australia.

Anyway, I've been meaning to write a blog for the last while... rewind!



Haunted House

Happy Belated Halloween folks! Jeremy, Christina (our friend from B.C.) and I went to a gould ol' fashioned Halloween Party in Cambodia. This bar was all decked out with bats, jack-o-lanterns and leaves on the ground. It also had a lot of Filippino locals hanging out there in costumes. The promotional posters claimed to have 'haunted house' music... they didn't. Boo!



A Very Happy Day

A Proposal
It started off with a hint from Ken (the orphanage Manager) saying that the kids never get to go anywhere other than home and school, school and home. Since Jeremy and I were going to be leaving soon we suggested that we could take the kids to the Water Park again, like we did in February. I was hoping that this talk to Thom (our dedicated moto driver/friend/volunteer)and Ken would remain in english so the kids wouldn't get word of what's going on. However Ken and Thom starting talking in Khmer and next thing you know all the kids starting gathering around, being very intent on listening in on the conversation. Next thing we know, Thom says something to the kids and they all shout and raise their hands. Turns out they'd rather go to the zoo! Cheaper than the water park too, that's a nice bonus. So at the end of the conversation we had a bunch of excited children who all clapped their hands in joy for the fieldtrip to come in 2 days. To hear the clapping and just the fact of me remembering what it was like as a child to be excited for an event to come brought to tears to my eyes.

Jealousy
When Jeremy and I weren't at the orphanage, these 2 Canadians turned up and Ken ended up inviting them to join us to the zoo the following day. Of course when he told me I said, "yeah of course I don't mind, no problem". Well... let's just say I'm glad that they didn't show up the next day when we left the orphanage 5 minutes earlier than scheduled and me hoping in my head "please don't come around the corner now, please don't show up...". I know its horrible of me, but this was like a going away present from Jeremy and I and I wanted them all to ourselves. If the Canadian actually did arrive, I promise I would have been nice to them.

Dnam Rai
So the day was filled with a fun mini-bus ride to the zoo (1hr), in which the kids got to see their new King's picture mounted on a monument. We were amazed that the kids hadn't seen him yet because Jeremy and I saw his face everyday, posted up in hundreds of venues for about 10 days prior. It just goes to show that the kids truly never get to go anywhere.

Once we got to the zoo it was a bunch of pulling us here and there and the kids telling us names of the animals in Khmer and us telling them in English. It was exciting to see an actual Dnam Rai (elephant), because that's my nickname for them.

I had bought a bunch of food the day prior and it was cooked into a lovely meal that we ate under a gazebo for lunch.

The day also consisted of a short climb up a 'mountain' that overlooked the beautiful country side of Cambodia. At the top there's a bunch of huge boulders to rest on and relax, a temple as well if you need to do some praying.

A Dip
On the ride home we stopped off at a 'resort' as the Khmer people like to call it, there we were able rent inner tubes and go swimming in the river. This consisted of me dragging a lot of them in their tubes around, thinking that they're going fast, but the reality is that its so freaking hard to run when you're in water. Rotona and I did a replay of last February and I kept tossing him into the water and he tried to do funky moves and stuff. Silly kid.

The Wheels on the Bus go "?*?*?*?*"
On the ride home, the bus driver kept playing Khmer music really, really loud. I was hoping more for some classic sing-a-longs with the kids. However, some of the older Khmer guys who work at the orphanage went wild with the music and forced me and Jeremy to clap along and sing the two lines of english sung in the song. A popular hit in Cambodia right now I tell ya.

Anyway, after we settled down a bit, Ken took the opportunity to thank Jeremy and I for all the help and time we've spent with the kids. He got the kids to repeat his words in English and it was all really kind. For the whole day Ken kept saying "A very happy day!", most of the kids know the word 'happy' and came up to me throughout the day and said it to me. If that's not the sweetest thing, I don't know what is.


A Very Sad Day

We left Cambodia about 5 days ago now, therefor it was 6 days ago that we had to say goodbye to the kids. We all knew it was coming, we prepared the kids ahead of time that we wouldn't be in Cambodia for good. Compared to last time, I'd say it was a little easier to say goodbye this time around, but at the same time it was sadder this time. In Feb, we all knew that I'd be returning later on in the year and so it wasn't goodbye forever, this time it's goodbye forever... or at least indefinitley.

Our last day at the orphanage, I spent a shitload of money at the market. I used up the rest of the money that was sent to me from you friends back home. Your money contributed in buying (for this one specific day, I bought lots of food and other things each day we went there) 100kg of rice, seeds to grow veggies, medicines, 200 tins of sardines, 150 packages of instant noodle soup, 40 school workbooks, some sweets for a nice treat, baby formula, 8 bars of soap, and some other stuff I can't remember right now.

The kids were quite grateful for this and we all took a group picture in front of the stuff. Ken presented us with a laminated certificate he made up with our pictures attached to them. That was really thoughtful of him, he said that he didn't know how to thank us enough for everything we did. The kids also presented us with drawing that each of them made and Ken taught them all how to write "I'll miss you forever, good luck to you, I love you, Thank you for your help." They asked that when we get home that we put their pictures up on our bedroom walls. Of course I will (well, some of them at least).

I'm obviously grateful and touched by all the thanks that they gave us, but to be honest just the love that I recieved from the kids in time that we were there was all that I needed. I can honestly say that this is the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. I only wish that I could do more. You know at the end of 'Schindler's List' when he starts crying and says that he could have saved more lives, etc., well that's kinda how I feel. I know the reality of it, but who's to say when enough is enough?

Anyway, the day went on as usual, Thom brought a keyboard and he played music for them most of the day and they really enjoyed it. Sith kept asking me to sing in english but I was too shy. So the day went on and when it was our normal time to go, we didn't. I think that in our minds we wanted the day to last as long as possible, Ken actually asked us to sleep there, but we declined. We ended up staying for dinner and ate fish and rice as the sun set.

Once we finished we knew we had to say our goodbyes. Long story short (are my stories every short?), Srei Niang started to cry, then almost all the kids started to cry. They wouldn't stop, it was that loud sobbing that just melts your heart. I'm actually glad we did it in the dark because I couldn't see their faces too clearly, if so I would have cried really hard myself. I almost burst out when I said "Nuk na" which means "I'll miss you" in Khmer. I tear as I say it now. I had to contain myself and be the strong one I thought. So after 20 mins of them hugging us and not letting go we finally had to say it. Goodbye.

God bless Cambodia and its beautiful, beautiful people. Watch over these children and give them a good life. Amen.