A Few Thoughts on Settling in, My "Housemothers", and Generosity

It’s only been 5 days here in Cambodia and I already have a lot of things on my mind, but let’s start with a few of the basics.

As I mentioned to a lot of people, my situation out here is pretty fluid. I’m partnering with a small NGO called Save Each One, but their founder (who I’d been meeting with in Seattle) isn’t here yet and Michael (the other volunteer) also volunteers a few other places. The work I had been prepping for working with prostitutes hasn’t happened yet, and so I’ve been pretty much just shadowing Michael in his other work to see how else I can get involved and help.

Michael volunteers at a place called Shelter of Peace where they provide English lessons at various levels. Not only does this provide a valuable skill, but it’s a way for the volunteers to get to know people in the area and potentially fill needs other than English. I quickly learned that Michael is taking advantage of this opportunity and providing great guidance to a few of the young men in the program. [BREAKING NEWS: While writing the post, they asked me to step in to help teach English because one of the teachers was sick! I was literally dripping from playing basketball and so not prepared, but I truly had a blast teaching. I was able to tell a bit about my story, and one of the kids actually asked me what my dreams in life were!]

Observing Michael teaching English before being abruptly subbed in later that night!

When I landed in Phnom Penh on Friday, Michael greeted me with a welcome sign, and then we took a tuk tuk to the school/apartment where I’m staying. What I didn’t realize was that the tuk tuk driver was one of these young men in the program at Shelter of Peace. His name is Sophea, but we call him Mr. Tiger because as Michael tells me, he’s wild. Upon arriving, I noticed that the two other young men in the program, Jason and Nathan, already prepared a home-cooked lunch for me.

Also, now you know our wifi password

As I spoke to Michael and the other three, I learned that they had been taking English lessons for about 5 months in the program and quickly moved into the apartment because they had just left their monkhood where they had grown up from a young age and were now trying to figure out what their future looked like. Michael has taken them under his wing to continue English lessons, but also to learn a few other skills to set them up for success outside of the monkhood. There’s a lot more I plan to learn about these three (and Michael, of course), but all I know is that I’d be starving and alone if it wasn’t for them. I’m so, so grateful for them welcoming me in and showing me the ropes, and in essence being my housemothers (I’ll be playing sous chef for the next week, so that I can show I’m more than a pretty (see: hairy) face).

 The school/where I'll be staying

Jason's turn to cook a tasty dinner

My beautiful housemothers: Jason, Sophea, Nathan, Michael

For the four guys to welcome me in and start taking care of me was so generous and hospitable, but I also wanted to share another experience that exemplified these traits. On Saturday, my second day here, I was invited by Jason’s parents to eat at their house. I’m not going to pretend to know about all of their finances, but I asked them if they did this every Saturday and they said that they would have these get-togethers only as often as they can afford them, so I know it wasn’t commonplace or due to a having lot of disposable income. With that said, I don’t know if I have felt more cared for and welcomed than at this meal.

They spoke a handful of English words, and I a half-handful of Khmer, so there wasn’t a lot of spoken communication, but man did they clearly express their hospitality in providing for me over a 5-hour span of eating. They cooked chicken, beef, fish, snails, vegetables, and even had fresh mango and grapefruit from their backyard. To quote Lloyd Christmas, the beer was flowing like wine (with the customary SE Asian ice cubes, of course) and the one word I felt like we were able to connect over (and over and over) was chul moy (or cheers)! Again, I did not feel like one expense was spared. Jason’s younger siblings kept coming back on motos with new treats to fatten us up.

Round one of the 5-hour marathon

Nathan trying to get some fruit for dessert

Ice in beer? Check. Lovely hosts? Check. Chul moy!

Cooking up some snails.

Slurping up all that slimy snail goodness

Even wild men like Mr. Tiger need to rest

My goal here is to help where I can because there is a lot of objective need, but this was such a good reminder to me that no matter what a person’s income or status is or whether they have a huge house to host in or they’re cooking me dinner in the bottom floor of an apartment turned school on a portable gas cooker, there’s so much everyone can offer. My good friend Judith made me an awesome gift for my trip – a journal with her favorite quotes on every page, so that I’m encouraged or tickled (I don’t actually talk like this but the word fit) whenever I want to share some thoughts – and this quote from my good pal Bill Nye seemed appropriate for reminding me to approach every interaction with humility: “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.”