Today was a glorious day. I had the opportunity to sleep in for the first time during all my travels, and I took it! While many other students woke up early to go horseback riding, I opted to have a completely free day and sleep in. I knew I would need my rest and I’m thankful I took the time to stay in bed. I slept in till about 11:30 AM, and it was great. I woke up and waited eagerly in my room until I heard the voices of my peers from the hall. Many of them were heading down to the pool, and so I decided to do so also.
By the pool, I had lunch with the girls from the trip. Many of the dishes we ordered ended up not being that good; however the Caesar salad I ordered luckily was pretty decent. I laid out for an hour or so before heading back inside to shower. I took my time getting ready and was so glad I did so.
I was very excited for my afternoon and I had not really had the opportunity all trip to really take my time to get ready. I dressed in jeans and a nice top and finally got to do my hair and makeup to my liking, not rushed or thrown together like I have felt most of the trip.
I met the rest of my group in the lobby for our only mission and adventure of the day together. It was about 4:45 pm and I was literally on the edge of my seat with excitement. Our entire class took Tuk Tuks to an orphanage right past the downtown area of Siem Reap. The orphanage gives children an opportunity for a better future by providing them with an education and teaching them skills, they will need once they leave the orphanage. The children in the orphanage are not up for adoption, because they still are allowed to visit their families if conditions are sufficient and vice versa. Few children in the orphanage are without either parent. Most children come from a family with more than 8 children!
Upon our arrival at the orphanage two individuals from Britain who had volunteered several times with the orphanage greeted us. They introduced us to the man in charge, who then showed us around. The orphanage was clearly nice in Cambodian standards, but in American standards very poor and dilapidated. Dirt was the floor for most of the orphanage, which was combined with the out doors and open air buildings. Children had a dormitory, but no beds were visible. We were told that mattresses were placed on the floor at night for them to sleep on. We also were told that they slept on the stage where they performed charity performances to raise money. Each child was given a mosquito net. We were shown a new building that they were building for a technology and schoolroom. We were shown the display of volunteers and where they were from, along with all the children in the orphanage and why they had been accepted into the orphanage. We were shown the wish list and how we could help as well. The orphanage is looking to grow in many ways and it definitely brought the reality of how poor Cambodia really is to light. While we were touring around the orphanage, which was probably smaller than the width and length of my dorm at Wofford, we saw children eating off of army style lunch trays. While I only saw green beans on their plates, they looked happy and were playing with yo yos and one another. We were next lead up to a loft overlooking the stage. There were tables and cushions on the floor. We were served dinner, sitting on the floor. Dinner was great, one of the best meals I’ve had in Cambodia. I could only help but wonder if we were taking away from the children by eating such a good meal. After we finished eating, we headed back downstairs to watch the children who began performing traditional Khmer dances. It was so neat to see all the children dressed up in extravagant costumes. I couldn’t get over how different they looked compared to the torn ragged clothing they were in early. The girls were dressed beautifully and each one was so pretty. After the show, we were given the opportunity to take a group photo with the children. We had a Wofford flag and many of the boys enjoyed waving it around, like many people do during the World Cup. I got to know several of the children. I played ‘Thumb War’ with a couple of the children, laughing hysterically the entire time. Somehow, with the language barrier, we were able to figure out a game we all understood. The children are taught English when they return from school, but each child is at a different level academically with their English. After I finished playing thumb war, a couple of girls came up to talk to me. Many of them were the ones I had noticed earlier, who were breathtakingly beautiful. They were age’s 14- 17 and I enjoyed talking to them so much. They were able to understand English much better. They talked about how much they loved the orphanage, and dancing. They also told me how they loved school and how thankful they were for all of us to come visit them. I asked about their makeup and complimented their outfits. Before leaving, I asked for a hug. They seemed confused at first, but after I acted out what I wanted, they joyfully stood up to give me a hug. We had a wonderful group hug as they laughed and smiled together. I told each of them I loved them, individually and how beautiful I thought they were. To see the reaction on their faces when I told them I loved them was priceless. I knew at that instant that they probably hadn’t heard those three words for a very long time. They all walked me out to my Tuk Tuk and wished me a safe trip home. They asked over and over again when I would visit soon, and it was heartbreaking to have to reply, “hopefully soon.” Although I don’t know when ‘soon’ really is. They were some of the most well mannered, thankful children I have ever met. They definitely impacted my life and left a lasting imprint on my heart.
We headed in to town on our Tuk Tuks. It was quite a site to see so many Tuk Tuks with young adults riding into town. We headed to The Blue Pumpkin again for another night of ice cream. I had my usual vanilla with brownie chunks. Afterwards we finally experience market shopping in Cambodia. I was able to buy several novelty items such as elephants, silk purses, etc. It was so cool to walk in the designated ‘night market’ full of vendors set up exclusively for the nighttime. I was able to find some great deals, and bought several silk purses for myself to use during formal events. I also found some DVDs that I was able to purchase as well. As usual, I saw many victims affected by land minds selling numerous items a long the street. Land Minds are still active in Cambodia and claim victims and wound many others frequently.
After taking a Tuk Tuk back to the hotel, it was finally time for bed. I was exhausted despite getting the chance to sleep in this morning. I was so excited about my purchases and crossed my fingers I could find someone to go back with me for a while tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment