We've been meeting an awful lot of people recently as we embark on our next project.
Our first project here was to build a village school for the kids, and to hand it over to the locals.
That has kind of stabilised now.
we're still going there to teach,
and it'll be several months of training the locals before we can hand it over to them.
in the meantime,
our next project is to build a community of youths in the place we're staying.
We'll be teaching them English,
at NGO rates, so they can get a headstart in finding jobs.
And in return, we want to instill in them a heart for serving others.
With donor funds they have been blessed with almost free lessons,
and in return they pay it forward by serving others in the community.
that's the goal of this project.
We're at the beginning stages of this project so we've been running around looking for youths.
Some of which involved visiting other NGOs to see if we can be part of their youth development.
We've been to some very amazing and inspiring NGOs.
it's always great to be with kindred spirits,
people who have the heart to help the poor and the marginalised.
Pok and I even found ourselves visiting a Centre for woman,
which we thought may be a centre for educating poor and abused women maybe,
but it turned out to be a place where they help KTV women get health screening.
Imagine the looks on their faces when we bounced in happily,
in our kiddy demeanours,
and looking nothing like KTV hostesses or mamasans.
they must be thinking ""oh boy, these two must have really gotten into trouble here""
When we found out what they were about,
we sheepishly explained our work with children and youth and yea, we just dropped by to say hi you know?
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We made friends with some pple while we're out networking.
And yesterday we got invited to a birthday party.
""it's just a house party right? with some family members, i don't think we need to dress up right??"" we were discussing among ourselves.
In the end we went for casual wear.
When we reached,
we found that the girls went for makeovers and there were tables set up ala wedding style and speakers and neon lights.
"OMG it's a big party event! NEON lights" Sau Phea eyes widened.
They were all pretty cool though.
and it was very fun.
Food and drinks,
after which it was dance time.
The dances were seductive and yet innocent at the same time,
the youths really have a great time dancing.
There were the normal SG Zouk style dances,
and then there was the traditional Khmer dances.
where pple walk in circles in synchronised steps with hand motions.
We couldn't do it of course but just whacked it.
I love it when even the old uncle and aunties join in,
with no hint of embarassment.
They just love to be with people and have a great time together, these Cambodians.
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We drove down to somewhere familiar to meet our friends who were on motorbikes,
and followed them to the party place.
Sau phea got off the car as she wanted to try pillion riding the motorbike.
Five minutes later she called me up.
"Hey we got caught by the police because Min didn't have her helmet on. And both of us have no money with us to pay the fine! my purse is in the car! come save us!"
It was really funny because Min usually has her helmet but not this time because of the makeover and her hair was all done up.
How more suey can Sau Phea get. Happily hopping onto Min's bike, happily zooming off, then happily getting caught by police. And happily realising all their money is with us in the car.
""oh yes,"Sau phea added, "when you come save me, please remember to put on your seat belts."
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The Cambodians are truly lovely people.
Our Khmer teacher went to SG for a short holiday about a month ago.
He couldn't take it.
He didn't understand why pple were so cold in the trains,
and besides the Christians whom we introduced to him to guide him around in SG,
he found everyone very cold and unfriendly generally.
I recently read a blog from a Bhutanese in response to the debate in Parliament abt Bhutan having the highest happiness index.
He didn't blast the minister who questioned whether Bhutan was really a happy place, what with all the farmers working hard on the fields and all that.
He just asked whether the minister has gone beyond watching the farmers work and see how they enjoy big family meals together, either laughing at the fields or in their little huts with no electricity but much love between the multiple generations who live together.
He also wrote something that stayed with me.
"Bhutan may potentially become the next SG with the right leadership and if they really work very hard to get there, but what Bhutan has right now, SG can never have anymore.""
If someone were to tell me Cambodia will be what SG is like now in about 30 years say.
I can't really say i'll be happy for Cambodia.
Because what Cambodia has now,
SG can never have anymore.
