I met a little street chap called 'Lop Lop' last night. He didn't actually know his name, which is sad. He was probably about 5 years old. He was quite clearly very poorly, but after begging he took a seat beside us and just watched us with a massive grin on his face. The kids here seem to have so little, I don't think they're actually aware what it is like to be sad because they know no different. Anyway, 'Lop Lop' is "crazy" in Khmer, and seeing as he was a grinning little giddy thing I gathered Lop Lop would do. I was saying it in silly little accents and pulling faces, which he thought was hilarious. Turns out I'm actually quite good with kids. Who would have thought it? Granted, it's kids that don't know what the ruddy nora I am cracking on about, but still. My stupid faces suffice.
Yesterday I went for the worlds best massage ever. Seriously, worth flying over to Cambodge for. $5 for one hour. It's just a mattress on the floor and they just climb all over you. They like use their feet and stuff. It was very bizarre. I'm not entirely sure what I am going to do without them. Anyway, afterwards we got talking to the chap that worked in the shop next door. His name is Dappt, or something and he is 46. We sat and had a drink with him, while he openly without question started talking about when he was in the Army (he had very good english, and for that matter a bizarre amount of knowledge about the world - he knew the population of everywhere) 24 years earlier, before nodding with his head to where his arms once were. He said it was the landmines. He was a very interesting chap. I don't remember whether I mentioned the landmines that killed 6 men in Battambang on sunday evening? As if after all that time landmines are still so prominent. Cambodia is the third most landmined country in the world.
All the older people you speak to here openly talk about the 'Pol Pot regime' and 'the Khmer Rouge' without being. Today at work, Long Sokham was telling us about when he was 5 years old and witnessed his parents and siblings get killed by the Khmer Rouge. Soborint was also the only survivor in his family. They were both then looked after by other families and taught english and sent to school, which explains their good english. Long Sokham was actually just called 'Sokham', but the "Long" family he grew up with gave him the 'Long' name too, which is nice. He still speaks very highly of the chap, and apparently he currently houses 18 homeless children and sends them to school. Their own children are very smart because of learning the language from their fathers at an early age. Soborint had his five year old son in work today. He can say hello, and how are you, his age, his name, and head, shoulders, knees, toes, chest, nose, chin, everything. Much better than what I can manage in any other language as a 22 year old.
Oh also, I thought maybe when I first started I was invited to a wedding. I couldn't quite work it out, but I definitely got invited to something before being asked if I am married, so y'know, put 2 and 2 together. Oh and also no. Of course I'm not bloody married. Anyway, yes it turns out it was a wedding I got invited too. 23rd and 24th November I will be going with the people from work. I'm dead excited, but I don't know what on earth to do/wear/buy them. I like Thida. At first she thought it was sad that I have no boyfriend, but today she decided "many boys in your homeland to choose from for you". Well I'm not quite sure about that Thida, but it's a nice thought.
On monday I will be starting in the afternoons at the orhpanage/school. I went to visit yesterday and the kids are lovely. Of course there were only 40 of them, and as of monday there will be 420. FOURHUNDREDANDTWENTY. The orphanage is really nice. I have a feeling I might start to enjoy that a little bit more than the NGO. Y'know, seeing as it turns out the kids in Cambodge think I'm funny. Confidence boost. It's definitely because I am a massive kid myself. I'm not sure I'll make a good teacher. I got hit by a girl the other day and was absolutely fine with it because she was so cute. Hmm.
OH we have a new volunteer too which means I have a new next door neighbour at the guesthouse. She has already met Oscar and Alfie, because I left Temple Bar early last night just so that I could skype them. Of course when they got home, they heard me still skyping them so I introduced her and Claire. They've heard a LOT about the puppies. In fact they are pretty much all I talk about. APPARENTLY I love Oscar most because I talk about him the most. This is not true.
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