(Continued from the previous post)

As I was saying before I agreed to go with Simone and Nadja to see the kids at the COSO 1 and COSO 2 orphanages. Simone had asked me to bring my guitar as a way to entertain the kids. I explained that I was really any good at all and only knew one song and one song only. She said not a problem the kids will be happy to hear anything that you can play.

Simone and Nadja had a meeting to attend and said that they would be back at our guesthouse to pick me up at 1130am. When the time came we took a tuktuk to COSO 2 where they had been working for the week. On the ride to COSO 2 they said I would love the kids. They also explained that the COSO orphanages were affiliated with COF the Cambodian Orphan Fund and received monies from COF for general needs. COF is an organization that helps out orphanages in Siem Reap. (I met and hung out with the founder Nick Griffin. A truly remarkable person who is doing some excellent work in a country that really doesn't do anything for homeless kids and orphaned kids.) Most of the monies that it receives are from private donations and the little money that they get from volunteers ($20) when they sign on board to do volunteer work. Simone and Nadja were part of an organization in Germany that's has been helping COSO 1 & 2 from Germany. Simone and Nadja along with 8 other friend have kind of adopted the COSO orphanages and periodically they will send some of the 10 friends over to volunteer time to help out. They also have done fundraising in Germany on behalf of the orphanages and have sent clothing and food in addition to money. (Just ten friend who decided to do something on their own and are making an incredible difference in the life of a lot of kids. Amazing!!) Needless to say I had tons of questions and Simone and Nadja were more than happy to share what they knew and provided most of the background you just read.

The ride there was long but not too long. When the tuktuk pulled up to the orphanage it was immediately surrounded by kids. All came to greet Simone and Nadja with screams of delight, hugs and bright smiles. Me they ignored. No, only joking. They came up to with a hello my name is ______, what is your name? For some this was the extent of their english for others they wanted to know where I was from what country what city you name it. Some were shy, others were ready to engage you in full on conversation. They were fascinated with my height all the while continuing to pepper me with questions. I felt like giant Gulliver in the land of Lilliputians some were that small. Ages ranged from 2 years old to 20 years old. They were all extremely nice, inquisitive and beautiful to me. They reminded me of my nieces and nephews back home.

The orphanage itself consisted on a school room. Two separate barrack like rooms for sleeping two permanent open air tent like structures; one for cooking food and eating meals and the other used as a shelter from the sun play area. There is an administration building as well as bathroom and shower facility. I'm not talking anything glamorous here. I'm talking about the basics, but it was orderly and clean. Clean running water comes from a pump that was put in when the orphanage was built. Think camp but on a much much smaller scale.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big kid at heart so needless to say in a compound full of 45 kids they kid in my came out. As they had had their class for the day the kids were in full play mode with other volunteers that were there Aris, Roy and Ryan. Roy had been there for two months and it was his last couple of days. Aris was there was a week and had another 2 or 3 weeks to go and I forget how long Ryan had been there. I played with the kids, met the volunteers and generally had a really good time. As it was really hot we stayed under the outdoor shelters and played guitar and I gotta tell you some of these kids picked it up really quickly. I would play the chords while they strummed the guitar much to their and my delight. Fortunately Aris and Ryan both played guitar for a lot longer than me so they were able to give much better instruction than me.

In every group of kids there is always that one kids that grabs hold of you physically and emotionally for one reason or other. In my case that kid is Torla. He was one of the first kids to the tuktuk when we arrived one of the firs to say hello but unlike the others initially he just stood off to the side and watched my interactive with everyone and then came to sit by me as I brought out the guitar. I encouraged him to strummed the strings while I played the chord and he got a kick out of it. When it was the others turned to strum he disappeared only to reappear a short while later. At some point later he pulled me aside and presented me with a drawing he had made of my arrival. It was me with my bandana on my head with my guitar sticking up in the back as I was carrying it like you would a knapsack, with his name above it and the caption "I like you" written on it. Not the best likeness of me but I really appreciated it and told him so. As he had tried to give it to me away from prying eyes I didn't broadcast his drawing for all the other kids to see and we joined the others. Well that was the first of many drawings that Torla did for me in the four days that I visited COSO 2. Each progressively better than the next. (Just as an aside: on my last day there a very brief visit there was a young women breast feeding her child, Torla was sitting next to me and saw this. He disappeared and a few minutes later gave me a really good rendering of that image. He definitely has some artistic talent!) I thought he was about 11 or 12 years old because he was so small so when he told me he was 16 I was floored. I kept saying to myself at 16 I was in my senior years of High School and 10 months later I was in college. I wondered what his life would be like. I wondered what he would be doing at 18 at 20 at 25. I knew one thing for certain: he would get a much better chance at life by being in COSO where if he continued with his english classes and somewhat mastered english he could work in one of the many guesthouse or hotels. While his english isn't the greatest compared to some of the other kids he was definitely better than when he first got there almost a year ago.

Some of the kids were doing some punches and kicks and I showed one kid how the way he was punching could really hurt his hand. Another kid saw this and asked if I knew how to fight and I told him that I studied Kungfu for five years. He wanted me to show him something so I gave a little demostration. Next thing you know they older kids are clammering for more. So I instruct them on stances and punches techniques and earned the name "teacher" from them. It was like I was back instructing kungfu again. It was a lot of fun. I don't know where the time went but before you knew it 4 hours had passed in a blink and we still had to go to COSO 1.

Before I left Torla had given me another two pictures; One of his family and one of me and him. I put my red bandana on his head and told him he could keep it and his face lit up. Simone has asked if I had any old clothing that I didn't need prior to leaving and I told her that I did. I was going to leave them in the guesthouse because my backpack was heavy as it was so I was more than happy to give them to the director before leaving. I would end up leaving a lot more of my clothing (socks, more t shirts, pants and bandanas) there as the days progressed.



We left COSO 2 and headed out to COSO 1 but before we left Torla and most others asked "see you tomorrow?" Yes and I dared anyone to try to keep me away. The next day the kids from COSO 2 were going to be driving to COSO 1 to go swimming. I was coming to go swimming with the kids but beside that how many other people can say that they went swimming in one of the reserviors at Angkor Wat! Not many that I know of. Amazing time, but that's later.



As we left COSO 2 Simone and Nadja were visibly upset. This was their last day with the kids. They were leaving on Sunday and was taking the next day, Saturday, to explore the Temples. I felt their pain and could only imagine what they were feeling after working and being with the kids for 4 days. I would soon come to know exactly what they were feeling.



COSO 1 was much the same. The kids aren't as old as most of the kids at COSO 2 but the experience was the same. Ready smiles, bright eyes, smalls hands to hold and small arms that hug. The compound at COSO 1 is not as big or as modern as COSO 2 but the kids are just as remarkable. When we got there they presented Simone and Nadja with beaded bracelets and earrings. Simone explained to me that she and Nadja had just given the kids the beads and string the day before and here they were giving them gifts back in return. I dazzled the kids with my magically disappearing and reappearing red light tricked that has dumdfounded many adults. These kids caught on incredible quick what the trick was and then spent the next half hour or so trying to get me to give up the goods on the trick which as a magician I couldn't devulge. They enjoyed it immensely and when I get a computer connection that is fast the 54 bps I will upload tons of pictures me doing this trick and shot after shot of these wonderful kids.

I fell for these kids like you would not believe. I wanted to bring them all back home to the States especially Torla and make sure that they all got the chance to fulfill their potential in life. It was a sobering experience for me. Petty problems like finding a job and paying rent and bills pale when I think about the life these kids must live and ARE NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT.



The next four days were a blur. I was supposed to leave Siem Reap on Monday but decided to stay and extra day because it was Jo's birthday. Jo and Bex are teaches from London who had taken a year off to travel around the world a bit. They just so happen, if I recall correctly, to have stumpled upon COF and ended up volunteering their teaching skills at COSO 1. (While they did leave COSO 1 at the end of that week they have decided to change their plans and circle back to Siem Reap to do more volunteer work with the kids. People are amazing!) Jo was celebrating her birthday with the kids on Monday and I wouldn't miss another day with the kids for the world so I extended my stay another day. The birthday celebration was a blast with fun and games and presents for the kids. I'm really glad I got a chance to share that with them. Afterwards I went to COSO 2 to introduce two new volunteers Simon and Pascal (French Canadians) to COSO 2. I brought them along with me to COSO 1 as this was their first day volunteering for COF. They got a chance to see both places and would make the decision where they would spent the next couple of days volunteering. Saturday swimming in Angkor Wat. Sunday spent with the kids hanging out. Monday the birthday party. A lifetime in four day.

It was really hard for me leaving these kids. I now knew what Simone and Nadja went through. Before I left I handed out as many keepsakes as I could to the kids I'd really grown close to but wishing I owned an entire store so that I could give something to all. I realized before I left that it wasn't the things that made the difference. Moreso than the keepsakes it was the attention, the hugs, the conversations and the love that makes the difference.

Love your kids people, hold them close. During the NBA Finals Bill Russell told Kevin Garnett something that has stayed with me since I heard it. He said, and I paraphrase here, he said that the greatest gift that his parents gave him was knowing that he was loved. With that knowledge, he says, a kid can do anything. Hopefully I let them know them know they are loved. I truly hope I did.

- Wil

(Pictures to follow at some point)

P.S. I sponsored Torla.