I wanted to write something fun….
Let’s see……
How about….?
Watching your squadmates eat fried tarantulas…
Casually sitting at the mall, glancing over to see 3 ladies standing at the entrance to the escalator and staring at it for 3 solid minutes, afraid to get on…
Deciding to buy a young Cambodian lunch, his order of two chicken pieces comes with a roll. After finishing the chicken, I point to the roll implying, you going to eat that?… he picks up the roll, looks at me and asks….food?
Helping someone get an email address and having to explain signing out…
And…
I love how some things become completely normal….
Example… Most Cambodians do not have much facial or arm hair. Men, women and children will literally walk up and touch my arms, they’ll come clear across the street….to pet my arms…, amazed…. Smiling and laughing…
“Just one?….”
Quick story about little Kea, an orphan at Cambodia Hope Association, he loved to pull my arm and leg hairs…. To be funny one day, he looks up at me with his innocent eyes and says… “Just one?…”
How can I say no?
Sure Kea…. Just one….
The inspection begins… sometimes on my knee…. sometimes on my arm…. Looking for the right one… the best one…. I don’t really know, but he sure looks like he has something in mind…. And when he finds “the one”…. He deliberately grabs a hold and “pluck”…. I now have one less arm or leg hair…
Next day…. Kea comes running up…. “just one!!!!”
Sure Kea…. Just one….
Next day…. Kea comes running up…. “just one!!!”’
Sure Kea…. Just One….
(absolutely one of my FAVORITE memories!!!! and sometimes it was more like three…)
(that's Kea)
Seeing ducks… alive… hanging upside down by their feet….off the back of a scooter as it zooms past you… NORM
Scooter with a big basket full of piglets…NORMAL
5 people on a scooter…. no problem….. NORMAL
Eating ducks…. NORMAL…
Eating dog meat… NORMAL….
Eating bugs… NORMAL…
I love all the adorable kids… they love to wave
And I love waving back and seeing their adorable smiles…
Squadmate Josh… huge beard, hasn’t shaved in 6 months… can’t walk two feet in Cambodia with getting SO many stares and laughs… so fun to cruise around with him and his beard!
Getting a piece of paper folded up to look like a heart from Kea…
Nicknaming orphans… (we can’t help it… )
Blazer, Big Smile, Skeeter, Spidy…
Kids pulling on your arm hair constantly
Adults pulling on your arm hair constantly
Tuk tuk drivers driving you nuts… shouting…“tuk tuk?”…”tuk tuk?”… constant!!! (But perfect when you are actually looking for one)
Rithy’s hugs when he buries his head in my chest
Did you know that 5 kids can lean/sit on you while you are at a church service sitting on the floor… it’s true… trust me…
Movie days with the kids….
Constantly hearing “video!…video!” at all times when are not physically watching one…
Then when you say we can watch one after lunch….
Arriving in the afternoon to see that the kids had set up all the chairs and were all sitting waiting!!!!
(How precious!!!!!!!!!!! I’m going to cry!!!! )
And my personal favorite….
Making someone’s day by remembering their name….
I miss you Cambodia…. I miss you so very much!!!!
