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.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Daily Duties (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
Daily Duties
The following is a list of the toturous things that I have to put up with each day that I go to the orphanage.
Breakfast - Jeremy and I usually start off the day with a big breakfast because we normally don't eat again until dinner time. There's 2 different places we choose to eat at, both serve yummy baguette sandwiches, sweet milk coffee, fruit salad and delicious sweet banana cake! We then get 2 bottle of waters to go.
Shopping - Down the road from the orphanage we always stop at the local market (the same one where I saw Cliff Richards in January). Thom, our driver comes in with us and does all the speaking and bargaining for us. First we walk have to walk through all the stalls with the dead pig heads hanging and live fish jumping and flopping onto the cement that's covered with this sludge. Normally we buy a serving of either fish or pork, veggies and 1 or 2 large branches of bananas. For about 90+ mini bananas I pay about $1 USD. The lady knows me and calls me a rich NGO Money Man, she generally doesn't budge on her prices. On different occasions we buy various things like medicine, milk, eggs, soap, etc.
The Arrival - The moment we get through the gates, we always have to get yelled at by the kids. They scream out our names and grab our hands before we even get a chance to get off the motorbike. They normally take the food that we've brought for them out of the way, it almost seems as though the food is just in their way to get to us. Once we're off the bike we then go through a ritual of everyone hanging off our bodies for about 3 minutes. The following 20 mins are usually followed by different hand games, ie: thumbwars, rock/paper/scissors, paddycake type games, etc.
Capture the flag! - I love this game! I'm sure you know what it is. If not, basically you have 2 teams and 2 flags. You have a middle border that if you pass are liable to be caught and kept hold of until you're released by one of your other team members. If you can make it to the flag and back without getting tagged, you've won. This game takes strategics and patience. It can often take 30-45 minutes to play. Its my new favorite thing to do there.
Lia Ke Si - A game similar to Duck Duck Goose, but instead you've got a scarf that you use to basically chase and beat your oponent with around the circle while everyone chants a cool song. I still can't get the words out of my head!
Football/Volleyball/Basketball - All with the same ball! To specify for the Canadians, Football = Soccer, I hardly ever call it soccer anymore. I haven't played this many sports since I was in Jr. High school. Needless to say, the kids always kick my ass at football. I introduced basketball just the other day. Rotona and I were bored, we found an old basket with a hole in it and hung it up to a tree, voila!
School - No, Jeremy and I don't go. The way there system works in Cambodia is that there's 2 different times for school, 7am and 1pm. So half go in the morning, the other half in the afternoon. So on certain days at 1pm there's only about 6 kids left with us to play with and we all get bored. Generally we end up taking naps or just sit around and do a whole lotta nuttin'. Hard life I tell ya.
First Aid - Thank God this doesn't happen every day, but normally during all our roughing around, some one steps on something sharp or someone bangs into something, etc. You know, kids will be kids. So, we normally have to help patch someone up. I bought a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some cotton balls about 10 days ago, its not even funny how much is left. What did they use before I bought some?
The Departure - Much the same as above, but in reverse order. It also entails almost each of them individually asking me first and then Jeremy as well, "Tomorrow?" as they point to the ground. Once they've figured out that we're returning for another adventurous day they then tell us "Goodbye, good luck to you!". I'd love to know who taught them that phrase! Their english obviously is close to nil and what they do know isn't up to par. Oh well, at least we communicate. They know our names quite well, but still call out "You! You!" when they want our attention. But not only will they yell out "You", they'll combine with "I", meaning, "Dean, look at me, I have something to tell/show you". So half the day we're hearing "You, I, You, I!".
No More I Love You's
Its an Annie Lennox song, but I have no idea what its about. I wonder if it can relate to my situation. Yesterday a couple of the kids said something to us in Khmer. Jeremy asked what they're saying, yep, they've told us the "L"word. Damn it! Why'd they have to go and do that? Why do they have to make it that much harder for us to say goodbye when we do? I guess I didn't really need to hear the words to know that it was true, but hearing it makes it so... real. I can honestly say that up until that moment, I wasn't as attached to them as I was in February. Well, to be truthful... bullshit! Of course I am, I just didn't want to admit it. I can only imagine how the kids feel. I feel like a bastard almost for coming back into their lives and then leaving again. Was it right, was it wrong? You know the saying of "Its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."? Well, is it true? I believe in that saying, but sometimes the words are so much easier said than done.
The Reality
I don't want to go into too much of the politics of the state of the Lighthouse Organization itself. All I'll say is that Cambodia is Cambodia and some things just can't be changed. With that being said, I'm still relieved that the orphanage is no longer under a corrupt manager and that they're all going to school and they're all getting the attention they need and deserve. Unfortunatley funding for them is hard to come by and I hope and pray with all my heart that when I leave, these kids will have food in their mouths from day to day. Its hard to believe that I've basically been the sole provider for about 25 people. Well not me, THANK - YOU to those of you who have donated money... again!!! Can't say it enough... thanks, thanks, thanks! Ah kun tom-tom!
The Gap
Quick shout out to the clothing company! I don't particularily like Gap clothes, but about 4-5 years ago I bought a pair of grey 3/4 length shorts. They've been through hell I tell you in this last year! I'm sad to say that I'll have to discard of them in the near future. They've got a rip by the knee and in the ass. I really loved those shorts, I'm sure you've all seen me wear them.
1000 riel!?!
I can't believe I spent 1000 riel (Riel = Cambodian currency) the other day! Thom our driver came into the market with his bike to pick up a 50kg bag of rice. That combined with me and Jeremy on the bike, he got a flat tire. I felt bad and offered to pay for the tire as Jeremy sat on the side of the road waiting with all the bananas and rice, etc. Luckily the mechanic was only 2 mins down the road! Anyway, when I asked how much it cost I couldn't believe it! 1000 riel is equivalent to.... (drum roll pls) $0.25 USD!
King's Coronation
I don't know if this makes world news headlines, but Cambodia has a new King! King Sihanouk, who has been the King of Cambodia since the 1940's (I think), has stepped off the thrown and his son is being coronated this weekend. Please note that he was in exile during the reign of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, the Cambodian Genocide from 1975-79. Anyway, there's a nice buzz in the city, Cambodian flags and pictures of the new King are up everywhere. For the last 2 nights, including tomorrow evening, there are fireworks over top the Royal Palace where they King lives. Unfortunatley only Khmer people can go to the actual coronation, maybe I can blend in.
After visiting the kids today we went to watch the fireworks. Socheat, a twentysomething year old guy that used to live at the orphanage (who I was very, very glad to see the other day doing some yard work for the next door neighbor), was on his bicycle home. I invited him with us and so Thom told him to give Jeremy his scarf to hold on to and he'd pull him along. It went fine for a while, he almost lost balance at one point when silly me grabbed his handle bars to help him slow down. Idiot I am sometimes ! Anyway, as we were going along, there was a big pothole in the ground and he didn't let go of his scarf so that he could just ride it through himself. Well, I don't need to state the obvious. Poor guy. His knee and foot's all scratched up and his bike tire went a little wonky. Thom fixed the bike and I put some antiseptic stuff on his cuts. His pants got a big hole in them though. At least he enjoyed the fireworks. I treated us all to some steamed buns from a street vendor, yummy!
The following is a list of the toturous things that I have to put up with each day that I go to the orphanage.
Breakfast - Jeremy and I usually start off the day with a big breakfast because we normally don't eat again until dinner time. There's 2 different places we choose to eat at, both serve yummy baguette sandwiches, sweet milk coffee, fruit salad and delicious sweet banana cake! We then get 2 bottle of waters to go.
Shopping - Down the road from the orphanage we always stop at the local market (the same one where I saw Cliff Richards in January). Thom, our driver comes in with us and does all the speaking and bargaining for us. First we walk have to walk through all the stalls with the dead pig heads hanging and live fish jumping and flopping onto the cement that's covered with this sludge. Normally we buy a serving of either fish or pork, veggies and 1 or 2 large branches of bananas. For about 90+ mini bananas I pay about $1 USD. The lady knows me and calls me a rich NGO Money Man, she generally doesn't budge on her prices. On different occasions we buy various things like medicine, milk, eggs, soap, etc.
The Arrival - The moment we get through the gates, we always have to get yelled at by the kids. They scream out our names and grab our hands before we even get a chance to get off the motorbike. They normally take the food that we've brought for them out of the way, it almost seems as though the food is just in their way to get to us. Once we're off the bike we then go through a ritual of everyone hanging off our bodies for about 3 minutes. The following 20 mins are usually followed by different hand games, ie: thumbwars, rock/paper/scissors, paddycake type games, etc.
Capture the flag! - I love this game! I'm sure you know what it is. If not, basically you have 2 teams and 2 flags. You have a middle border that if you pass are liable to be caught and kept hold of until you're released by one of your other team members. If you can make it to the flag and back without getting tagged, you've won. This game takes strategics and patience. It can often take 30-45 minutes to play. Its my new favorite thing to do there.
Lia Ke Si - A game similar to Duck Duck Goose, but instead you've got a scarf that you use to basically chase and beat your oponent with around the circle while everyone chants a cool song. I still can't get the words out of my head!
Football/Volleyball/Basketball - All with the same ball! To specify for the Canadians, Football = Soccer, I hardly ever call it soccer anymore. I haven't played this many sports since I was in Jr. High school. Needless to say, the kids always kick my ass at football. I introduced basketball just the other day. Rotona and I were bored, we found an old basket with a hole in it and hung it up to a tree, voila!
School - No, Jeremy and I don't go. The way there system works in Cambodia is that there's 2 different times for school, 7am and 1pm. So half go in the morning, the other half in the afternoon. So on certain days at 1pm there's only about 6 kids left with us to play with and we all get bored. Generally we end up taking naps or just sit around and do a whole lotta nuttin'. Hard life I tell ya.
First Aid - Thank God this doesn't happen every day, but normally during all our roughing around, some one steps on something sharp or someone bangs into something, etc. You know, kids will be kids. So, we normally have to help patch someone up. I bought a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some cotton balls about 10 days ago, its not even funny how much is left. What did they use before I bought some?
The Departure - Much the same as above, but in reverse order. It also entails almost each of them individually asking me first and then Jeremy as well, "Tomorrow?" as they point to the ground. Once they've figured out that we're returning for another adventurous day they then tell us "Goodbye, good luck to you!". I'd love to know who taught them that phrase! Their english obviously is close to nil and what they do know isn't up to par. Oh well, at least we communicate. They know our names quite well, but still call out "You! You!" when they want our attention. But not only will they yell out "You", they'll combine with "I", meaning, "Dean, look at me, I have something to tell/show you". So half the day we're hearing "You, I, You, I!".
No More I Love You's
Its an Annie Lennox song, but I have no idea what its about. I wonder if it can relate to my situation. Yesterday a couple of the kids said something to us in Khmer. Jeremy asked what they're saying, yep, they've told us the "L"word. Damn it! Why'd they have to go and do that? Why do they have to make it that much harder for us to say goodbye when we do? I guess I didn't really need to hear the words to know that it was true, but hearing it makes it so... real. I can honestly say that up until that moment, I wasn't as attached to them as I was in February. Well, to be truthful... bullshit! Of course I am, I just didn't want to admit it. I can only imagine how the kids feel. I feel like a bastard almost for coming back into their lives and then leaving again. Was it right, was it wrong? You know the saying of "Its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."? Well, is it true? I believe in that saying, but sometimes the words are so much easier said than done.
The Reality
I don't want to go into too much of the politics of the state of the Lighthouse Organization itself. All I'll say is that Cambodia is Cambodia and some things just can't be changed. With that being said, I'm still relieved that the orphanage is no longer under a corrupt manager and that they're all going to school and they're all getting the attention they need and deserve. Unfortunatley funding for them is hard to come by and I hope and pray with all my heart that when I leave, these kids will have food in their mouths from day to day. Its hard to believe that I've basically been the sole provider for about 25 people. Well not me, THANK - YOU to those of you who have donated money... again!!! Can't say it enough... thanks, thanks, thanks! Ah kun tom-tom!
The Gap
Quick shout out to the clothing company! I don't particularily like Gap clothes, but about 4-5 years ago I bought a pair of grey 3/4 length shorts. They've been through hell I tell you in this last year! I'm sad to say that I'll have to discard of them in the near future. They've got a rip by the knee and in the ass. I really loved those shorts, I'm sure you've all seen me wear them.
1000 riel!?!
I can't believe I spent 1000 riel (Riel = Cambodian currency) the other day! Thom our driver came into the market with his bike to pick up a 50kg bag of rice. That combined with me and Jeremy on the bike, he got a flat tire. I felt bad and offered to pay for the tire as Jeremy sat on the side of the road waiting with all the bananas and rice, etc. Luckily the mechanic was only 2 mins down the road! Anyway, when I asked how much it cost I couldn't believe it! 1000 riel is equivalent to.... (drum roll pls) $0.25 USD!
King's Coronation
I don't know if this makes world news headlines, but Cambodia has a new King! King Sihanouk, who has been the King of Cambodia since the 1940's (I think), has stepped off the thrown and his son is being coronated this weekend. Please note that he was in exile during the reign of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, the Cambodian Genocide from 1975-79. Anyway, there's a nice buzz in the city, Cambodian flags and pictures of the new King are up everywhere. For the last 2 nights, including tomorrow evening, there are fireworks over top the Royal Palace where they King lives. Unfortunatley only Khmer people can go to the actual coronation, maybe I can blend in.
After visiting the kids today we went to watch the fireworks. Socheat, a twentysomething year old guy that used to live at the orphanage (who I was very, very glad to see the other day doing some yard work for the next door neighbor), was on his bicycle home. I invited him with us and so Thom told him to give Jeremy his scarf to hold on to and he'd pull him along. It went fine for a while, he almost lost balance at one point when silly me grabbed his handle bars to help him slow down. Idiot I am sometimes ! Anyway, as we were going along, there was a big pothole in the ground and he didn't let go of his scarf so that he could just ride it through himself. Well, I don't need to state the obvious. Poor guy. His knee and foot's all scratched up and his bike tire went a little wonky. Thom fixed the bike and I put some antiseptic stuff on his cuts. His pants got a big hole in them though. At least he enjoyed the fireworks. I treated us all to some steamed buns from a street vendor, yummy!
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Sigh of Relief (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
Okay, so yesterday I went to the Lighthouse orphanage. Yep, sure did..................... yep....... that's what I did alright.........
Oh! Do you wanna know what happened? The suspense can kill ya, can't it? I was so nervous the whole ride there on the back of Thom's motobike. A few hundred meters away I thought I was going to be sick or something. Well, the moment we entered the gates of the property two of the older guys that live there spotted me and yelled out 'Hello!' each of them gave me a hug, these are two grown men we're talking about here. Then children came out and started yelling "Dnam-rai" which means elephant in Khmer, its a nickname they gave me back in January. I could never (still can't) pronounce it correctly and so they always shout it out at me.
So there's about maybe 16 kids at the orphanage still and I know about 10 of them. One of the new kids is the little brother of Aroon (who was there before and still is) and I couldn't stop staring at him because they look so much alike. A lot of the kids there are related to one of the ladies that live there and that's obviously why they were never taken back to their families.
Aroon and I were looking at old photos and I asked him if so-and-so was still there and he said "no", then I asked another name and again "no". Then he named about ten of his old friends and said "no." Poor guy, it must be hard to be one of the only ones that was left back and not brought to a proper family. I found out today that one of them has gone off to get married and another is now working at a clothing factory. I wish them well. Most others have gone back to their "homeland".
After being there for a couple of hours a man drives up in a motobike, he came over and asked which one of us is Dean. He introduced himself to me as Ken, the new manager of the orphanage. He then went on to tell me how he knows about the old manager and how he was evil and basically starved the kids. Ken then appologized for the torment that these kids have gone through and said that he is trying his hardest to get a proper structure to the orphanage and that he's applied for funding from an NGO. Ken also said that he's heard a lot about me and the other foreigners that were there before he came along and thanked us for all that we've done. Later in the day I heard one of the kids talking in Khmer and the words "Phnom Penh Water Park"come out of his mouth, I looked over and I could see Rotana describing how we took them to the water park and how I was tossing him into the water that day. Ken said that he hears about it all the time!
Thom found out some info about Ken from the kids and he reckons that Ken is the real deal, no lies. Ken actually sold his mobile phone and his bike when he first took over, just so he could feed the kids. Unfortunatley, we discovered today that Ken is working for the same director that the old manager was working for. I don't know what this means exactly, I don't know what the director's intentions are, but I'm hoping for the best. I am putting my trust into Ken. You can actually see that he cares for these kids, he actually plays with them and tends to their needs. Today he enrolled about 6 of them into school and applied medicine into an aching girl's tooth.
Laura has decided to put her efforts back into the orphanage. Hooray for Laura! Hopefully her and Ken can work together and do some real good. She came to the orphanage today with Jeremy and I and I don't think it takes very long to fall back into that same state of mind.
I NEED HELP!
Look, I know that I've already sent out an email (to Canadians only) requesting that you send me money via email banking, but I'm asking again. Only one person has responded to my email (Thanks Kitchie!!!!).
In the past 2 days I've spent about $20 US and I only have $130 left. This money has bought a proper meal for the kids (twice), a supply of simple medicines like paracetamol (aspirin), cold medicine, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls and toothache relief. I asked Ken earlier today what kind of medicines they already had and he opened up his bag and said "only this". It was a tiny little drop bottle to prevent infections. I also picked up some soap, toothpaste and laundry detergent.
Again, I don't want to beg for money, but I guess if I don't the children may end up doing it themselves.
Thanks for your support. Even if you don't send me money that's fine, I completely understand. I would even just love to hear from you, a friendly email giving me your kind words and an update from yourself would be wonderful! I miss you guys!
Oh! Do you wanna know what happened? The suspense can kill ya, can't it? I was so nervous the whole ride there on the back of Thom's motobike. A few hundred meters away I thought I was going to be sick or something. Well, the moment we entered the gates of the property two of the older guys that live there spotted me and yelled out 'Hello!' each of them gave me a hug, these are two grown men we're talking about here. Then children came out and started yelling "Dnam-rai" which means elephant in Khmer, its a nickname they gave me back in January. I could never (still can't) pronounce it correctly and so they always shout it out at me.
So there's about maybe 16 kids at the orphanage still and I know about 10 of them. One of the new kids is the little brother of Aroon (who was there before and still is) and I couldn't stop staring at him because they look so much alike. A lot of the kids there are related to one of the ladies that live there and that's obviously why they were never taken back to their families.
Aroon and I were looking at old photos and I asked him if so-and-so was still there and he said "no", then I asked another name and again "no". Then he named about ten of his old friends and said "no." Poor guy, it must be hard to be one of the only ones that was left back and not brought to a proper family. I found out today that one of them has gone off to get married and another is now working at a clothing factory. I wish them well. Most others have gone back to their "homeland".
After being there for a couple of hours a man drives up in a motobike, he came over and asked which one of us is Dean. He introduced himself to me as Ken, the new manager of the orphanage. He then went on to tell me how he knows about the old manager and how he was evil and basically starved the kids. Ken then appologized for the torment that these kids have gone through and said that he is trying his hardest to get a proper structure to the orphanage and that he's applied for funding from an NGO. Ken also said that he's heard a lot about me and the other foreigners that were there before he came along and thanked us for all that we've done. Later in the day I heard one of the kids talking in Khmer and the words "Phnom Penh Water Park"come out of his mouth, I looked over and I could see Rotana describing how we took them to the water park and how I was tossing him into the water that day. Ken said that he hears about it all the time!
Thom found out some info about Ken from the kids and he reckons that Ken is the real deal, no lies. Ken actually sold his mobile phone and his bike when he first took over, just so he could feed the kids. Unfortunatley, we discovered today that Ken is working for the same director that the old manager was working for. I don't know what this means exactly, I don't know what the director's intentions are, but I'm hoping for the best. I am putting my trust into Ken. You can actually see that he cares for these kids, he actually plays with them and tends to their needs. Today he enrolled about 6 of them into school and applied medicine into an aching girl's tooth.
Laura has decided to put her efforts back into the orphanage. Hooray for Laura! Hopefully her and Ken can work together and do some real good. She came to the orphanage today with Jeremy and I and I don't think it takes very long to fall back into that same state of mind.
I NEED HELP!
Look, I know that I've already sent out an email (to Canadians only) requesting that you send me money via email banking, but I'm asking again. Only one person has responded to my email (Thanks Kitchie!!!!).
In the past 2 days I've spent about $20 US and I only have $130 left. This money has bought a proper meal for the kids (twice), a supply of simple medicines like paracetamol (aspirin), cold medicine, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls and toothache relief. I asked Ken earlier today what kind of medicines they already had and he opened up his bag and said "only this". It was a tiny little drop bottle to prevent infections. I also picked up some soap, toothpaste and laundry detergent.
Again, I don't want to beg for money, but I guess if I don't the children may end up doing it themselves.
Thanks for your support. Even if you don't send me money that's fine, I completely understand. I would even just love to hear from you, a friendly email giving me your kind words and an update from yourself would be wonderful! I miss you guys!
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Change & Greed (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
Change
Have you ever seen that 'Friends' episode when Chandler and Ross' friend named "Gandalf" is coming to town and they get really excited because he's such a spontaneous and fun guy to hang out with? And in the end Gandalf never even shows up and they get disappointed?
I think that's how I'm kinda feeling right now. I don't really know what I expected coming back to Phnom Penh a second time, I knew that it wasn't going to be exactly the same, but I didn't think it would feel so akward either. As I said in my previous blog, its nice to come back to a place you've already been to because you're not lost or disorientated. However, here's there's been a lot of new development in the past 8 months! On the other hand, there are a lot of people that still work here who I know and they all recognize me. Actually so many people recognize me and are saying "welcome back, hello again, I know you", and I don't even remember them!
I'm so scared that when I go back home to Calgary, this is how I'll feel. I'll expect everything to go back to way things were, as I left it. I know that its not possible.
Old Friends
3 of the people that I've now spoken to are Laura, Thom and Jack.
Laura is the one I used to volunteer with, she basically feels the same way that I do but her feelings are maybe a little more deep than mine, because she's been here for 4 months now and doesn't know exactly her direction here in Phnom Penh. She came back to Cambodia for the same reason I did, but she hasn't once gone back to the Lighthouse for various reasons.
Thom is a wonderful Cambodian man who drives a motobike, he used to drive us to the orphanage all the time. Not to mention help us out in many different ways, by translating for us, giving us advice, helping cook, etc, etc. He's told me that all the kids at the orpahanage are different now and I might not even know anyone there. He hasn't been there in 2 months and says that the Lighthouse is just big trouble. He actually brought me to another orphanage today, it felt really weird to be at another place, it was run by an NGO (non gov. org.) and it was really well organized and structured. I felt quite helpless there, it seemed like the only thing needed there was donations. Towards the end, the children were opening up to Jeremy and I and so I realize that they too crave for companionship.
Lastly, I spoke to Jack, another motobike driver. I only know him from a guesthouse I stayed at here previously, in my eye, he's a shauvanistic, cocky bastard. He knew that I used to volunteer at the Lighthouse and told me that its still open and he helps out there now because he's friends with the manager. Hmmm... the manager is the one who basically kidnaps these children from their parents and siblings and exploits them for money. So I wonder what Jack's 'help' really is?
Greed
So where does this leave me? Well, I don't really know. The part where greed comes into play is that my heart is longing to see the children that I care so much about. I know that most of them aren't there. I should feel happy that most of them are back with their proper families, but deep down I almost wish they were all back at the Lighthouse and that everything were to go back to how it once was. How selfish of me to say that, I know. That's just my own feelings talking I guess.
I could cut my losses right now and not go the Lighthouse and just stick to the orphanage where I went to today and make new friends with real orphans whose parents really have died. Or, I could go to the Lighthouse and see if there's at least one kid that I know there. And if so, I would then probably spend the rest of my time there. I wouldn't want to come for one day and get his/her hopes up and then not show up ever again. The way I look at it is, even though the Lighthouse is corrupt, the children that are there are not, they are the victims of 'Rithy' the manager. I don't want to open a huge can or worms like last time, all I can do is maybe provide some relief to these victims while they're at the Lighthouse.
I'll keep you posted...
Have you ever seen that 'Friends' episode when Chandler and Ross' friend named "Gandalf" is coming to town and they get really excited because he's such a spontaneous and fun guy to hang out with? And in the end Gandalf never even shows up and they get disappointed?
I think that's how I'm kinda feeling right now. I don't really know what I expected coming back to Phnom Penh a second time, I knew that it wasn't going to be exactly the same, but I didn't think it would feel so akward either. As I said in my previous blog, its nice to come back to a place you've already been to because you're not lost or disorientated. However, here's there's been a lot of new development in the past 8 months! On the other hand, there are a lot of people that still work here who I know and they all recognize me. Actually so many people recognize me and are saying "welcome back, hello again, I know you", and I don't even remember them!
I'm so scared that when I go back home to Calgary, this is how I'll feel. I'll expect everything to go back to way things were, as I left it. I know that its not possible.
Old Friends
3 of the people that I've now spoken to are Laura, Thom and Jack.
Laura is the one I used to volunteer with, she basically feels the same way that I do but her feelings are maybe a little more deep than mine, because she's been here for 4 months now and doesn't know exactly her direction here in Phnom Penh. She came back to Cambodia for the same reason I did, but she hasn't once gone back to the Lighthouse for various reasons.
Thom is a wonderful Cambodian man who drives a motobike, he used to drive us to the orphanage all the time. Not to mention help us out in many different ways, by translating for us, giving us advice, helping cook, etc, etc. He's told me that all the kids at the orpahanage are different now and I might not even know anyone there. He hasn't been there in 2 months and says that the Lighthouse is just big trouble. He actually brought me to another orphanage today, it felt really weird to be at another place, it was run by an NGO (non gov. org.) and it was really well organized and structured. I felt quite helpless there, it seemed like the only thing needed there was donations. Towards the end, the children were opening up to Jeremy and I and so I realize that they too crave for companionship.
Lastly, I spoke to Jack, another motobike driver. I only know him from a guesthouse I stayed at here previously, in my eye, he's a shauvanistic, cocky bastard. He knew that I used to volunteer at the Lighthouse and told me that its still open and he helps out there now because he's friends with the manager. Hmmm... the manager is the one who basically kidnaps these children from their parents and siblings and exploits them for money. So I wonder what Jack's 'help' really is?
Greed
So where does this leave me? Well, I don't really know. The part where greed comes into play is that my heart is longing to see the children that I care so much about. I know that most of them aren't there. I should feel happy that most of them are back with their proper families, but deep down I almost wish they were all back at the Lighthouse and that everything were to go back to how it once was. How selfish of me to say that, I know. That's just my own feelings talking I guess.
I could cut my losses right now and not go the Lighthouse and just stick to the orphanage where I went to today and make new friends with real orphans whose parents really have died. Or, I could go to the Lighthouse and see if there's at least one kid that I know there. And if so, I would then probably spend the rest of my time there. I wouldn't want to come for one day and get his/her hopes up and then not show up ever again. The way I look at it is, even though the Lighthouse is corrupt, the children that are there are not, they are the victims of 'Rithy' the manager. I don't want to open a huge can or worms like last time, all I can do is maybe provide some relief to these victims while they're at the Lighthouse.
I'll keep you posted...
Friday, October 15, 2004
Continued Support for Cambodian Orphans
(Published October 11, 2011 - from the drafted archives)
Hello everyone,
Right now, I'm in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I will be going to Phnom Penh in a couple of days. As before, I will be volunteering at the same orphanage as I did earlier this year. I made a promise to those kids that I'd return and I'm sticking to it.
As you may be thinking from an email I sent out a while ago, the orphanage was shut down. Yes, this is true, the orphanage was shut down. But since then, it has re-opened and some of the kids that were there before are still there. I don't know exactly the state of the orphanage, if its still corrupt, unorganized and poor.
I do still have some money that lots of you donated to me back in January, I've been saving it for when I returned. I told you, that I put a lot of that money towards an English teacher, I have no idea whatever happened to that because as I said, the orphanage went through a lot of shit a short while after I left in February. I'd like to think that once the orphanage got back up, the teacher kept on teaching them and that the water we paid for one year kept on coming. That's what I'd like to think, I don't know what happened. I guess I'll find out soon.
So anyway, if its possible for you to spare some cash, $10, 20, 30... or more, it would be greatly appreciated. The best way for you to do this is via internet banking. It is quite easy for you to do an internet email money transfer, you only need to provide my email address and a password. For the password, you can use one of your own and then email me the answer, or if you'd like, just use the word "Lighthouse".
If you've already donated to the orphans and don't want to again, please don't feel pressured. If you feel like your money won't go to good use, I can put you rest that I'll try my hardest to make this money do a world of good to some wonderful children. They truly are wonderful!
Okay, that's all I guess. I hope to hear from you soon. All the best guys.
Dean.
Hello everyone,
Right now, I'm in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I will be going to Phnom Penh in a couple of days. As before, I will be volunteering at the same orphanage as I did earlier this year. I made a promise to those kids that I'd return and I'm sticking to it.
As you may be thinking from an email I sent out a while ago, the orphanage was shut down. Yes, this is true, the orphanage was shut down. But since then, it has re-opened and some of the kids that were there before are still there. I don't know exactly the state of the orphanage, if its still corrupt, unorganized and poor.
I do still have some money that lots of you donated to me back in January, I've been saving it for when I returned. I told you, that I put a lot of that money towards an English teacher, I have no idea whatever happened to that because as I said, the orphanage went through a lot of shit a short while after I left in February. I'd like to think that once the orphanage got back up, the teacher kept on teaching them and that the water we paid for one year kept on coming. That's what I'd like to think, I don't know what happened. I guess I'll find out soon.
So anyway, if its possible for you to spare some cash, $10, 20, 30... or more, it would be greatly appreciated. The best way for you to do this is via internet banking. It is quite easy for you to do an internet email money transfer, you only need to provide my email address and a password. For the password, you can use one of your own and then email me the answer, or if you'd like, just use the word "Lighthouse".
If you've already donated to the orphans and don't want to again, please don't feel pressured. If you feel like your money won't go to good use, I can put you rest that I'll try my hardest to make this money do a world of good to some wonderful children. They truly are wonderful!
Okay, that's all I guess. I hope to hear from you soon. All the best guys.
Dean.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Backtrack (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
365th Day
Today, October 14th, 2004 means that I've been gone from home a whole year. I can't believe that its been that long. Congratulations to me on my 1 year anniversary!!!
On a seperate note, congratulations to my dear friends Lillian and Aldo on the 2 year wedding annniversary on October 19th!! Love ya guys!
So after New Zealand, we went into Singapore for 3 days and then to Bangkok for 3 days. Its weird to go back to places you've been already because you don't have that disorientation nor that awe of being somewhere new. We stayed at hostels/guesthouses that I'd already been to and I took Jenny and Jeremy to places I've already seen for their benefit. All I could keep thinking was, 'wow, it was about a year ago that I did this, it still looks that same, hey that's increased in price a little, I remember this'.
Familiar Faces
Its even weirder when you walk into a place and the person working there says, "I remember you!"
I went into an internet cafe and the guy said that he remembered me and that my skin looked darker than last time. He remembered my friend Janeth from the Philippines (Hi Janeth!! Hope to see you in December!) because they used to talk a lot I think.
Last night when I got into Siem Reap after that dredgeful 18hr bus ride from Bangkok (supposedly the bumpiest in the world), the guesthouse owner said I looked familiar, but it was a different guesthouse. He looked familiar too, but how could this be I asked myself because I didn't stay here last time?
He said, "yes, you were here with someone last time, an English guy"
I said, "yes, I was with someone but he was Swedish" (Hi Nicklas! This is you I'm talking about!)
"Oh, right, Swedish... then you went to Phnom Penh, right?"
"Yes, I did go to Phnom Penh!" The thing is, almost everyone travels with a friend and 50% of the people go to Phnom Penh after Siem Reap. I was tired and feeling ill, I agreed and went to bed.
This morning as I was checking out of that guesthouse because it was too expensive and far away from the town, the man cleared things up, he used to own the Merry G.H. but has since re-located and changed business names. Now I remember!
Rumor is, the bus ride isn't really supposed to be that long, but they drive you around on that damn roller coaster ride til 1am in the morning so that you're so tired when you arrive in Siem Reap that you don't want to go find any other Guesthouses, besides the one they drove you to. How convient!
Largest, The Most, The First...
Every place has its own claim to fame. In Singapore, they've got the "Largest Fountain in the World" and "The Most Southern Point of the Asia Continent". I was at "The Most Eastern Point of mainland Australia" while in Byron Bay and at "The Most Southern Point of mainland Australia" while at the Promonotory N'tl Park. New Zealand I saw the "AJ Hackett" bungy jump, yep, the first ever! N.Z. had something everywhere, too many to remember actually, I think that the bus tour company does a lot of research to find out these little pieces of trivia to enhance the tourists' experience.
I ain't scared of Bats
In Singapore, they've got this Night Safari thing, you walk around in the dark and look at nocturnal animals. Its pretty cool, you're basically at a zoo, but during the night. Anyway, there's all these animals making their primitive noises and you can't see them, it can get quite scary at times cause you don't know how far away they are. You're not allowed flash photography or the use of flashlights to see them. Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don't!
Jenny and I went into the "Bat Cave" as I'd like to call it. Needless to say there's lot of bats there, you walk through and there's bats crawling on the cage above you. Every now and then, they'll swoop down and almost graze your arm or leg. Cripes, that's some scary shit, Jenny screamed a couple of times and I ended up running out of there once I saw the exit!!! Hahahaha!!! Funny now I suppose.
Keeping a Promise
In a couple of days, I'll be back in Phnom Penh to visit the children that I fell in love with last January. In an update a while back I said that the kids were re-united with their families and the orphanage was closed down due to corruption. Well, things have changed, the orphanage was actually re-opened a while ago and some of the kids are still there. I'm nervous and quite excited to see them. Nervous because I don't know what to expect. And nervous because I am not sure that I'll be able to help them out the same way we did in January. I guess I'll take it one step at a time. I'll keep you informed...
Today, October 14th, 2004 means that I've been gone from home a whole year. I can't believe that its been that long. Congratulations to me on my 1 year anniversary!!!
On a seperate note, congratulations to my dear friends Lillian and Aldo on the 2 year wedding annniversary on October 19th!! Love ya guys!
So after New Zealand, we went into Singapore for 3 days and then to Bangkok for 3 days. Its weird to go back to places you've been already because you don't have that disorientation nor that awe of being somewhere new. We stayed at hostels/guesthouses that I'd already been to and I took Jenny and Jeremy to places I've already seen for their benefit. All I could keep thinking was, 'wow, it was about a year ago that I did this, it still looks that same, hey that's increased in price a little, I remember this'.
Familiar Faces
Its even weirder when you walk into a place and the person working there says, "I remember you!"
I went into an internet cafe and the guy said that he remembered me and that my skin looked darker than last time. He remembered my friend Janeth from the Philippines (Hi Janeth!! Hope to see you in December!) because they used to talk a lot I think.
Last night when I got into Siem Reap after that dredgeful 18hr bus ride from Bangkok (supposedly the bumpiest in the world), the guesthouse owner said I looked familiar, but it was a different guesthouse. He looked familiar too, but how could this be I asked myself because I didn't stay here last time?
He said, "yes, you were here with someone last time, an English guy"
I said, "yes, I was with someone but he was Swedish" (Hi Nicklas! This is you I'm talking about!)
"Oh, right, Swedish... then you went to Phnom Penh, right?"
"Yes, I did go to Phnom Penh!" The thing is, almost everyone travels with a friend and 50% of the people go to Phnom Penh after Siem Reap. I was tired and feeling ill, I agreed and went to bed.
This morning as I was checking out of that guesthouse because it was too expensive and far away from the town, the man cleared things up, he used to own the Merry G.H. but has since re-located and changed business names. Now I remember!
Rumor is, the bus ride isn't really supposed to be that long, but they drive you around on that damn roller coaster ride til 1am in the morning so that you're so tired when you arrive in Siem Reap that you don't want to go find any other Guesthouses, besides the one they drove you to. How convient!
Largest, The Most, The First...
Every place has its own claim to fame. In Singapore, they've got the "Largest Fountain in the World" and "The Most Southern Point of the Asia Continent". I was at "The Most Eastern Point of mainland Australia" while in Byron Bay and at "The Most Southern Point of mainland Australia" while at the Promonotory N'tl Park. New Zealand I saw the "AJ Hackett" bungy jump, yep, the first ever! N.Z. had something everywhere, too many to remember actually, I think that the bus tour company does a lot of research to find out these little pieces of trivia to enhance the tourists' experience.
I ain't scared of Bats
In Singapore, they've got this Night Safari thing, you walk around in the dark and look at nocturnal animals. Its pretty cool, you're basically at a zoo, but during the night. Anyway, there's all these animals making their primitive noises and you can't see them, it can get quite scary at times cause you don't know how far away they are. You're not allowed flash photography or the use of flashlights to see them. Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don't!
Jenny and I went into the "Bat Cave" as I'd like to call it. Needless to say there's lot of bats there, you walk through and there's bats crawling on the cage above you. Every now and then, they'll swoop down and almost graze your arm or leg. Cripes, that's some scary shit, Jenny screamed a couple of times and I ended up running out of there once I saw the exit!!! Hahahaha!!! Funny now I suppose.
Keeping a Promise
In a couple of days, I'll be back in Phnom Penh to visit the children that I fell in love with last January. In an update a while back I said that the kids were re-united with their families and the orphanage was closed down due to corruption. Well, things have changed, the orphanage was actually re-opened a while ago and some of the kids are still there. I'm nervous and quite excited to see them. Nervous because I don't know what to expect. And nervous because I am not sure that I'll be able to help them out the same way we did in January. I guess I'll take it one step at a time. I'll keep you informed...
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
I'm gonna be (Christchurch, New Zealand)
In about 7 hrs I'll be on a flight to Auckland, 3 hrs after landing I'll be on a flight to Singapore! I'm so excited to go back to Asia, leave this western world and its odd culture behind. Well, for a while anyway.
New Zealand's been a whirlwind tour and I can't even remember one town/city from the next. All I can say, as I did the other day, its beautiful, really is middle earth.
I had my last hot shower for who knows how long. I paid for my last expensive meal for a good 5 months. Tomorrow when I arrive in Singapore, I can probably throw away my jacket I bought here in N.Z. (for only 50 cents!!!! at a used clothing store) into the garbage bin, pity though casue I really like it. Oh well.
Hmm... what else will be my last for 2004??? My last expensive lots of things I guess; internet, hostels, tours, activities, souvenirs, etc, etc.
On another note, I hate trivia games, I suck at them. I just left my hostel pub because it sucked. This question and that question, I dunno.
Chasing Natalie and George
Talk to you all from the other side.
New Zealand's been a whirlwind tour and I can't even remember one town/city from the next. All I can say, as I did the other day, its beautiful, really is middle earth.
I had my last hot shower for who knows how long. I paid for my last expensive meal for a good 5 months. Tomorrow when I arrive in Singapore, I can probably throw away my jacket I bought here in N.Z. (for only 50 cents!!!! at a used clothing store) into the garbage bin, pity though casue I really like it. Oh well.
Hmm... what else will be my last for 2004??? My last expensive lots of things I guess; internet, hostels, tours, activities, souvenirs, etc, etc.
On another note, I hate trivia games, I suck at them. I just left my hostel pub because it sucked. This question and that question, I dunno.
Chasing Natalie and George
Natalie Cole and George Benson that is. Natalie was in Las Vegas last year when Jeremy and I went to see Gladys Knight (I love Gladys!!!!! Bless her soul, and her amazing voice), and Natalie was performing 2 weeks after we left. She was in Sydney 2 wks after we left, she was in Auckland 1 day after we left!!!
George Benson was in Sydney a month after we left and is going to be in Christchuch in about 2 wks.
All I can say is... Bugger!
Talk to you all from the other side.
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Letters to my Mom - Part 1
Hi Mom, I'm here in Playa del Carmen, Mexico while Carlos and Isaac are in the Philippines. They visited Tita Girlie and everyone else...
