LouLou the Travel Bug: Cambodia: Take Three (Christmas 2011)

Although I had always wanted to visit Hong Kong, Myanmar and Bali, the whole trip to Asia this year was focused around spending the holidays in Cambodia with the kids. That was the impetus and everything else was planned around it. (Well, also to meet Dylan's family in Cape Town but I'll get to that later.)

I arrived in Siem Reap on Christmas Eve with a determination not to pay more than $5 for the transfer to Golden Takeo, where I would be reunited with Prom, Tee Tee and the gang. Many tuk-tuk drivers will take you to a hotel for free if they can choose it (and make some cash from the commission) but since I had already reserved and wouldn't dare think of staying anywhere else, I knew it was going to be a struggle. I approached the group of drivers and told one where I was intending to go. He hesitated and said he had to "talk to his boss" (who was where? I don't know) and I insisted that he tell me this instant how much it would cost, or I needed to find another ride. "OK, OK $2." Umm...how about $3 instead? I said. I think I shocked him by upping his offer and he commented that I was so nice, and times were so hard-- crazy competition, tuk-tuk drivers desperate just to give one ride a day, charging as little as $1 a ride, and then he started going off on "this fucking corrupt government". Yes, this tuk-tuk driver knew how to curse!! He told me that the company selling admission to the Angkor Wat temples is actually a Vietnamese company with an 80-year contract, those "fucking Vietnamese", and while I was tired and desperate to get to Prom's place, I let him vent and told him that I knew all about it but I still loved the local people here, and it was my third visit to Cambodia, after all.

On the ride to Golden Takeo I smelled the air, that sweet Siem Reap air, and it brought me to tears. Tears of joy, a feeling that I was home again, that I was exactly where I was supposed to be, that I would come back again and again for this, this peace and the certainty of the love that I felt in my heart. I don't know what it is about this place... if you're a believer it past lives, that might explain it, but I really can't say for sure why I have such an unceasing affinity. It gives my life purpose. The French expression raison d'être comes to mind.

That night when I arrived at Prom's he had gone "outside" (they say "go outside" instead of "go out" which always leaves you wondering if they are just right out front on the porch, or what!) The guy at the front desk rang Prom to ask what room I would be staying in, and he put me on the phone. "You stay with Srey Mao tonight in 105." Uh... I thought about this for a second. Srey Mao is Prom's wife. I was a little bit confused. I got the key and went to put my bags in Room 105 and realized, this is Prom and Srey Mao's room. Prom got home and explained to me that he had overbooked and it would just be one night sleeping with Srey Mao in THEIR bed, and that he would sleep on the floor in the living room. "But Prom I can stay across the street or something." The street where Golden Takeo is located is lined with guesthouses. He said, "No, I already tried that, they all full." I argued, "well, I can sleep on the floor for the night, it's really no problem!" And he protested, "No, you sleep on the floor, I feel bad. I sleep on the floor, you sleep with Srey Mao. Only one night then I have room for you tomorrow." There was nothing I could do to argue it further, as he wasn't going to let me have it any other way. And Srey Mao didn't mind either... just a small testament to how awesome they are and how they make me feel like family.

The next day I was positively GIDDY to get to Honour Village, reunite with the kids, meet all the new ones, and partake in the Christmas party festivities. Two hundred children from the surrounding villages were expected to join in for an afternoon filled with activities, games and prizes. But let me back track a moment because you need your introductory language lesson so you can impress the locals when you come to Cambodia yourself.

Good day = Susa-day

How are you? = Suksa-bye?

Thanks = Akun

There are variations of "thanks", one of which always gets uproarious laughter from the locals when used by foreigners. "Akun cheran" means something like, "Thanks very much", but even better is "Akun maka-ploom" which translates literally as "Thanks heaping piles of shit." It kind of sounds like it, doesn't it? More roughly it translates to "Thanks heaps" or "Thanks a shit-ton" as we might say very informally. I like the literal translation the best. Hehe

And then of course once you go to Honour Village and meet the kids you will want to know how to express your love for them in Khmer:

I love you = Knyom sro-lai nyit

Oh joy of joys!

But you probably won't need any of that now since all of the kids have made huge strides in their English speaking and comprehension. It was the first thing I noticed when I arrived on Christmas Day. They were all very surprised to see me-- a Christmas miracle for us all as I let out a huge sigh of relief that they actually remembered me. I was swarmed with hugs and shouts of "La-Wee!" Although there are many more children living at HVC now (46 and counting!), the new ones were eager to meet me and I think the old ones told them about me and that I had been there last year. The first thing the kids mentioned actually, was this:

"Your dancing! Your funny funny dancing." I had forgotten about our dance party on my last day, as well as many other jokes and quips that their memories of me contained, such as the 'electric thumb' where we touch thumbs and I pretend like it was an electric jolt. Ty remembered me well, even though we had only brought him to HVC a few days before I left, and he greeted me with the impeccable: "Hello La-Wee! For how long you stay in Cambodia?" I was speechless. Many of the older kids could have basic conversations of this sort as well. I was so happy and proud.

Many more changes had taken place in a year. New buildings had gone up, another building was under construction, which will soon accommodate fifteen more children! Building Two, with the open-air downstairs area had been closed off with four walls since the wet season storms started last year. Everyone ate and conducted English classes in a huge dining hall/ classroom area. Sue had moved offsite to a place ten minutes down the rode and now rode her own moto to work! Her room had become the library. There were play structures, a beautiful mural on one of the buildings, and a beautiful 'spirit house.' Also much of the land had been filled with grass. The red fence we painted had faded considerably and I wondered what another wet season would do for our paint job which had been my first project in 2010. A family of chickens now roamed the property. But of course all of that was secondary... the best was to see how the kids had grown and changed, teeth grown in, and hair grown out so long and pretty on all the girls. Everyone was just gorgeous!! Check out some of my 'before-and-after pics':