Oct. 14 – News

News shorts…

- Today Wayne and his admin ladies handed out the zillions of clothes the Taiwanese donated. The screened-in porch of the volunteer house was transformed into a flea market-cum-road accident scene complete with noisy onlookers.

Wayne was completely zapped out tonight; it’s an ordeal trying to make everyone happy (NOT possible) and keep order when giving free things to over 100 people. Some comments / attitudes that need to be managed (note: this mostly concerns the adults in the center, who have the tendency to think of Wayne as Papa Midas…):

“She has nicer things than I have!” (Answer: Hey, you gotta have the eye… ask my friend Danielle Lacarrière, who can find the only Dior in a three-county fire sale.)

“How come she got four and I only got three?” (Response: Well, she was only supposed to have three as well, but hid the fourth one under her shirt.)

“There’s nothing here I like. Can I have five dollars instead?” (Answer: No.)

All in all, however, I think everyone got what they needed. There’s still a lot left, and what to do with it is a question for another day.

- The photo project is coming along. I’m only working with the kids who come to me with requests and accept my advice. After a day of shooting, we screen the photos and try to decide what makes them la-or or not so la-or. There is progress being made!

- Arun and I took the important part of a learning-loom to a weaving village nearby to have it refurbished. For 25 dollars, we’ll be in business. She and I are going to learn to weave!! We’re hoping that our interest will re-stimulate interest in weaving in the community. We’re also going to buy a larger loom that will possibly serve as a sort of micro-business opportunity for Arun. These things are being made possible thanks to your donations, by the way.

- A group of four boys, inspired by art teacher Huet, has decided to become “good examples” for the other children in the center. He has bought them their very own chicken coop, and it’s already built and getting going – only a few days later. (An example of how one can actually get things done in Cambodia if one can get around the attitude that… hey, I’m being paid by the day, so why hurry? Solution: don’t pay by the day any more, pay by the project. Things get done with bizarre speed when the workers know that they’ll get paid the same whether they take three days or three weeks to do the job.)

The boys plan to raise and sell their chickens to show the others that hanging around playing “shoes” instead of going to school or helping around the center is the way to make something of themselves. The other kids have already asked them “how come you rate?” and one of them reported to me tonight that he responded “hey, you can work with us if you want, instead of playing all the time.” This is a very interesting initiative, and I’m VERY anxious to see how they work it out.

A trip to Phnom Penh is in the air, as I’m running out of funds and need to make a trip to the ANZ ATM. Magic Money Machine. A little visit to Lucky’s supermarket won’t be unwelcome, either… Gotta have those little reminders of home!

XOXOXOXOXOX

B