2/19/09-2/21/09 - Thursday, Friday and Saturday
About 11 of us are off to Siem Reap while the others prepare to leave to go back home and a few to travel on. We visited a few temples in Siem Reap, of course Angkor Wat which was quite amazing. Each temple was beautiful and stunning in it's own way. One had trees intertwined with the temple, the next had 196 Buddha faces, and one after climbing to the top was the best place to watch the sunset. We went to dinner and a show one night where we watched the beautiful Cambodian dancers. I laughed when the Coconut Dance was performed knowing I didn't move as beautiful as each of them. My time in Siem Reap was too short but again I knew I would be back to share this with Ed. I left Saturday morning from Siem Reap to Luang Prabang, Laos. I sit and looked out the window waiting for the plane and felt a heaviness in my heart. Tears filled my eyes once again leaving a country, people and children I fell in love with. But happiness lifted me knowing I will return and I'm on my way to be with Ed.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
National Museum, Dance Performance and The Best Ever Dance Party!
2/18/09 - Wednesday
Unbelievable to say this is the last day. This morning we began with a detox yoga practice consisting of lots of twists, heart openers and forward bends. We close in a circle each sharing the experience for the past 2 weeks. "I am thankful and blessed to be part of all of this. I take home with me a huge bag of awakenings and learnings both good and bad. I'm so grateful to Suzanne and Seane for sharing this magical time with all of us." The afternoon is free to pack and do whatever your heart desires. Karen and I go to the National Museum. It's very interesting with many different old pieces of art and sculptures. Early evening we all go to CCF6 where all the children from the various CCF are there. We gather there for a Dance Performance by many of the children. As the curtain opens and there is a huge banner "Thanking all of the SEVA Challenge Participants", with the CCF and the Off the Mat Into the World logos creatively done, I smile. I'm sitting with a few children as one child takes my camera and begins to snap away. I turn behind me and with such surprise and joy I see Srey Ny. I call her name the best way I could pronounce it. She looks at me, dressed in her beautiful outfit she received a few days ago, a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her lips. I pick her up and place her on my lap as we watch the show together. It is so beautiful to watch each dance and how gracefully each child moves. The music is lovely and my heart is just singing. I watch Srey Ny as she is so attentive to the dance and children on stage. Her hands clap on mine and after every dance her hands join together clapping with excitement. At one point, I wonder if she and many of the children have ever experienced anything like this before - it saddens me and makes me wonder if children/people in the US or other parts of the world appreciate life as these children do. The amazing show ends and Srey Ny is off my lap to play with some friends. Scott offers a few grateful words to us and the PARTY begins. The music gets louder and the dancing starts. A few girls grab my hand and we dance the night away. Song after song we laugh, smile and move. These children have rythm. It's the best dance party I have ever been too. As my little dancers and myself move around the dance floor, we dance with so many different people, staff members and children. Covered in sweat, we all didn't stop. Scott singing away in Khmer with his body moving and happiness all over his face - I asked him if he knew what he was singing and he sure did. The music continued and our feet didn't stop moving. Before I knew it, it was the last song. But like every last song, there were a couple of last songs. It was time to say "Goodbye". Not sure how many hours it will take but I'll do my best. I hug the staff, and as many of the children I could possible wrap my arms around as I slowly make it towards the exit. I looked for Srey Ny but she was gone - a little pain beated in my heart, not being able to give here a huge hug goodbye. But knowing myself, tears would have flown out of my eyes to say goodbye to her. Even though in my heart I know I will be back there someday. The group of us slowly released those arms and hands tightly around us and one by one we made it onto the bus. Scott joins us for our last dinner together at a nice restaurant. At the end of the dinner, one more hug and goodbye to Scott, an amazing, amazing soul.
Unbelievable to say this is the last day. This morning we began with a detox yoga practice consisting of lots of twists, heart openers and forward bends. We close in a circle each sharing the experience for the past 2 weeks. "I am thankful and blessed to be part of all of this. I take home with me a huge bag of awakenings and learnings both good and bad. I'm so grateful to Suzanne and Seane for sharing this magical time with all of us." The afternoon is free to pack and do whatever your heart desires. Karen and I go to the National Museum. It's very interesting with many different old pieces of art and sculptures. Early evening we all go to CCF6 where all the children from the various CCF are there. We gather there for a Dance Performance by many of the children. As the curtain opens and there is a huge banner "Thanking all of the SEVA Challenge Participants", with the CCF and the Off the Mat Into the World logos creatively done, I smile. I'm sitting with a few children as one child takes my camera and begins to snap away. I turn behind me and with such surprise and joy I see Srey Ny. I call her name the best way I could pronounce it. She looks at me, dressed in her beautiful outfit she received a few days ago, a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her lips. I pick her up and place her on my lap as we watch the show together. It is so beautiful to watch each dance and how gracefully each child moves. The music is lovely and my heart is just singing. I watch Srey Ny as she is so attentive to the dance and children on stage. Her hands clap on mine and after every dance her hands join together clapping with excitement. At one point, I wonder if she and many of the children have ever experienced anything like this before - it saddens me and makes me wonder if children/people in the US or other parts of the world appreciate life as these children do. The amazing show ends and Srey Ny is off my lap to play with some friends. Scott offers a few grateful words to us and the PARTY begins. The music gets louder and the dancing starts. A few girls grab my hand and we dance the night away. Song after song we laugh, smile and move. These children have rythm. It's the best dance party I have ever been too. As my little dancers and myself move around the dance floor, we dance with so many different people, staff members and children. Covered in sweat, we all didn't stop. Scott singing away in Khmer with his body moving and happiness all over his face - I asked him if he knew what he was singing and he sure did. The music continued and our feet didn't stop moving. Before I knew it, it was the last song. But like every last song, there were a couple of last songs. It was time to say "Goodbye". Not sure how many hours it will take but I'll do my best. I hug the staff, and as many of the children I could possible wrap my arms around as I slowly make it towards the exit. I looked for Srey Ny but she was gone - a little pain beated in my heart, not being able to give here a huge hug goodbye. But knowing myself, tears would have flown out of my eyes to say goodbye to her. Even though in my heart I know I will be back there someday. The group of us slowly released those arms and hands tightly around us and one by one we made it onto the bus. Scott joins us for our last dinner together at a nice restaurant. At the end of the dinner, one more hug and goodbye to Scott, an amazing, amazing soul.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Another Day at the Village!
2/17/09 - Tuesday
We all go back the second day to the Village to help fertilize the rice paddies and herd the water buffaloes not sure what that all means. Definitely something I never did in Brooklyn or Rhode Island. The rice paddies were bought by Scott located not too far from the village itself. It's a big field, appearing to be broken up in patches of squares. The flip flops come off, I pick up a basket of fertilizer venture out to the fields. My foot hesitates in mid-air going into the unknown. What the hell, when will I ever experience anything like this again.? As my foot touches the wet soil in a couple of inches of water, I laugh feeling the dirt and water squish between my toes. I begin to fling the "shit" around as I was showed - laughing. I surprise myself constantly with the things I do. It wasn't just a one time experience, I constantly went back and forth filling up my basket with fertilizer and heading out into the field. Thankfully even though it was hot, the sky was covered with clouds creating shade well needed to work in the fields. This work continued until all the sections of the rice paddies were covered with "shit". It was a beautiful countryside as we walked the water buffaloes back to the village. The people walked along with us as a young boy "Mok" (definitely not sure of the spelling) and his Mom hold my hands. We smile, laugh and somehow communicate with each other. All of us arrive at the village and "all of us" - Seva Challenge Participants and the "Village People" pile onto the bus. I sit with my buddy, Mok and his mom. We are off the the Pagoda Temple. Beautiful and a monk generously offers a chant for us. Sweet music to my ears. The photo session starts after the chanting with smiles and laughs. These people are so warm and loving. We were standing outside the temple preparing to go back on the bus and one woman communicates to me that she likes my white shirt. A shirt I worn over my tank top to cover my shoulders in respect for the temple. I immediately took it off and give it to her. She smiles from ear to ear and says something I just can't understand. I look at her confused and she hooks my finger in hers and manages to say "sisters". Another magical moment and another heart warming experience. Goodbyes and hugs follow as I look each of them in their eyes never forgetting how they each touched my soul.
We all go back the second day to the Village to help fertilize the rice paddies and herd the water buffaloes not sure what that all means. Definitely something I never did in Brooklyn or Rhode Island. The rice paddies were bought by Scott located not too far from the village itself. It's a big field, appearing to be broken up in patches of squares. The flip flops come off, I pick up a basket of fertilizer venture out to the fields. My foot hesitates in mid-air going into the unknown. What the hell, when will I ever experience anything like this again.? As my foot touches the wet soil in a couple of inches of water, I laugh feeling the dirt and water squish between my toes. I begin to fling the "shit" around as I was showed - laughing. I surprise myself constantly with the things I do. It wasn't just a one time experience, I constantly went back and forth filling up my basket with fertilizer and heading out into the field. Thankfully even though it was hot, the sky was covered with clouds creating shade well needed to work in the fields. This work continued until all the sections of the rice paddies were covered with "shit". It was a beautiful countryside as we walked the water buffaloes back to the village. The people walked along with us as a young boy "Mok" (definitely not sure of the spelling) and his Mom hold my hands. We smile, laugh and somehow communicate with each other. All of us arrive at the village and "all of us" - Seva Challenge Participants and the "Village People" pile onto the bus. I sit with my buddy, Mok and his mom. We are off the the Pagoda Temple. Beautiful and a monk generously offers a chant for us. Sweet music to my ears. The photo session starts after the chanting with smiles and laughs. These people are so warm and loving. We were standing outside the temple preparing to go back on the bus and one woman communicates to me that she likes my white shirt. A shirt I worn over my tank top to cover my shoulders in respect for the temple. I immediately took it off and give it to her. She smiles from ear to ear and says something I just can't understand. I look at her confused and she hooks my finger in hers and manages to say "sisters". Another magical moment and another heart warming experience. Goodbyes and hugs follow as I look each of them in their eyes never forgetting how they each touched my soul.
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