Epilogue

It's been 4.5 months since the day we left Chi-Phat.
132 days since we marched down the village's only road, as every delegation did before us - but for the very last time. Everyone was crying and non of us wanted to be the first one to step his foot on the slow wooden-boat that was set to take us all away for good. Heart-breaking is not a a a strong-enough-word to describe...

Since then - we all had traveled half the world or so and had powerful experiences, we all got back home, and most of us even got a job by now :) A lot had happened since, but still - when we met for the first time in Israel - the conversation naturally tended to the subject of Chi-Phat.

Now I want to re-raise a question that I asked in my first blog, some 7 months ago.
I wondered whether it's good that an NGO is coming down on such a remote community in the middle of the jungle, teaching them English, exposing them to computers, and asking them to take part in the only alternative they had ever had for their regular daily life? wouldn't it spoil something of the uniqueness of those people?

Since Cambodia was the first Asian country I visited, only after traveling in Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Nepal I could see that everywhere around Asia everyone are trying to westernize their way of living.
The style of music and the combination with English words in their songs and even in the Language.
The passion for the holy triad: cellphone-TV-computer, exists even in the poorest villages.
A way of dressing that totally contradicts the modest traditional dressing.

Once you have seen a different way of living you cannot avoid COMPARISON to it.
Once you have seen an alternative for your way of living - you might like or not like it.
You might want to change your life in some ways to be "like the other". and you know...the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

So after playing the anthropologist I would just say that it doesn't matter.
Westernization is inevitable and "locals" cannot, and won't, ignore it.

Chi-Phat had televisions and cellphones before we came. they knew computers exist.
So yes - we have sinned for teaching some of them how to use the internet (and even noticed that the village's genius Googled the word F***), and we have sinned for exciting them to join us in our activities, and we had definitely sinned for teaching them another language and exposing them to different manners of behavior, teaching them how to teach younger kids and so and so...
We changed something in the way of living of some people in the village, but we gave them a whole year of fun and experiences, and by the way we strengthened their friendships . that's all.

We offered an alternative. Some decided to join and some did not.
But if you had only seen the smiles on the faces of those who did...

So now we are all here, feeling proud for them, for our\their community center is full with learning, friendship and laughter. But there's a hole. The same hole that they have back there.
We learned different manners, different language and songs, and ate new foods.
They also gave us an alternative, and we decided to join...

Our beloved friends in Chi-Phat! we think about you every day and miss you very much...

About a week ago I decided to join Yael, my good friend and the teacher of the Tak-lao’ kids, in her lessons.

For those of you who do not remember, Tak-Lao’ is the poorest village in the Chi-Phat commune, and is located over the river.
The reason that we go there (Yael for the kids and me for the monks) is that most of the kids, and people in general, does not have any access to formal education.
Only a few are going to school, so what about the rest? Passing their time between helping at home and playing on the fields.
I know you might think that Chi-Phat is a god-forsaken village and that we live on mud huts, but it’s actually pretty comfortable. Tak-Lao’, though, is that real deal.
Just like on the books – those kids are so small and thin, so dirty, so happy, and so heartbreaking…

I think it was on the first lesson. I was just joining to look from the side. Yael was teaching them about WH questions: “________ you eat lunch?”
“just fill in the blanks…When! Very good Vi! Very good Lerm”
So…Viball when you do eat lunch?
“Moung pram-pal prek!”
“Seven in the morning?....lunch is the meal in the middle of the day – you were talking about breakfast!”
“Moung pram-pal prek”
Did you get it?
There is no lunch. Seven in the morning is he time for eating. For the whole day. And they’re just fine with that. Or maybe they aren't? guess I will never know.

On the next lesson we decided to do a thing that was never done before – show them a whole full length movie. And not just a movie – “The Lion King”.
We came with two computers – because we cannot charge the battery, for there’s not even a hint of electricity on that village.
Do you remember the song that opens that movie? It always get me excited. Even on regular occasions today. So can you think of watching that scene in a pagoda in a distant village, with 25 kids who had never seen a film in their 8-15 years of age, whispering in excitement and getting so close to the screen they were almost joined Simba.
Some of them were standing the whole movie, because they did not want to miss anything.
I really was on the verge of tears for the first time in months.

On the way back Yael always gives a ride on her bike to the sweet and beautiful 9 years old Kmau (“Black”).
That time Kmau was running back home, and we got her in the middle of the way. She did not want a ride today.
She just ran home, waving us goodbye from time to time.
Nothing special happened in that moment. Still, it will be one of the memorable moments of my staying here.
“Goodbye Kmau!”. She was running home with such a smile, “like a deer in the fields” like they write in those books. Some moments are a real treasure, and cannot be conveyed by the written word. I’m just so glad I had the chance to be there.

That green and always cloudy field in Tak-Lao', passing by the lives of so many amazing and happy kids. You want to be more than a passer by, but you cannot.
Even though, if you're lucky enough you'll get those rare glances to it. I think that day was a one.

Boots...

For today, we’re not gonna have a story about brave volunteers trying to save the world, but a domestic story about men and their favorite animal.

Since day one there’s this dog that spent most of her days outside, at our porch.

Like everything in our house, we’re divided into 2 groups on the two far ends of the scale.

Some of us always spoil her, playing with her, and slipping food under the table for her, while the others always yell at her: “boots – get outta here!!” (sounds better in Hebrew – “BOOTS – TAUFI”, by Einam).

There’s also the eternal argument about the flea’s origin in the house – some say it’s the dog, and some deny it and blames the maid’s kid :)

As time goes by, so does boots stomach started to get bigger and bigger. During the pregnancy period the arguments that surround her became even harder, because some of us thought that pregnant woman should get a proper treatment.

During the last days of pregnancy she started to look for a place to give birth in, and choose one of the house’s rooms, which is of course, forbidden for her.

On the last fight she was removed to the yard, far away from our cousy porch. She was screaming and yelling so hard, more than usual, and than she ran to a pre-digged hole under the house, and gave birth to 6 cute puppies. Some of us were present during the 4 hours event and witnessed the nature’s greatest wonder.

We tried to make it as cousy and domestic for her as we can, because you have to remember that in few hours her world turned upside down: she was moved away from her home, moved to the “streets” and gave birth for the first time of her life.

People from the village do not understand what’s the excitement is all about, for it’s just a dog. If you knew how common wandering animals are here: every day we run after cows and pigs to scare them away of our yard, while roosters and hens run by our side, as the dogs barking at them. And I did not mention yet the enormous amount of insects in our house, that could reach the size of a palm of a hand, the huge lizards that lives in our living room’s wall who eats them. The mice and rats that has a camp under the printer and the bee hive at the outer wall of the house.

I guess this is one of the cultural gaps that you meet when you live in another place. It’s totally legitimate to tie the 4 legs of a pig together, and take him of the motorcycle to be slaughtered. He will fall during that trip from time to time and will make the most heart-tearing shouts you have ever heard.

So today Mr. Teng, our translator, showed us that there are some exceptions in every place, while he helped us to remove the 3rd dead puppy in 36 hours. Nature can be very cruel for a dog, even right here under our house

ניו יורק/צ'י-פאט

זה בלוג על בלוגים. בשיעור ספרות לימדו אותנו ששיר על שירה הוא שיר ארס-פואטי. אז כזה.

לפני שהתיישבתי לכתוב פתחתי מייל שקיבלתי מדנה, חברתי הטובה מניו יורק. דנה, שבכלל הייתי אמורה להיות אצלה בדירתה המגניבה במקום פה, בבית הקמבודי שלנו. דנה ואני חולקות אהבה אינסופית וקצת חולנית לברק חוסיין אובמה. המייל שלה הכיל תמונה בודדה של אובמה משחק כדורסל ולינק לבלוג שלה. אחד הפוסטים האחרונים שלה היה על פרס נובל לשלום שמוענק השנה לברק. הרבה מחשבות של בעד ונגד, תהיות על מה זה יעשה לקריירה שלו, מה זה יעשה לשלום העולמי ובכלל.

בצד השני של העולם, בכפר קטן במחוז קו-קונג שבקמבודיה דיברתי גם אני על הפרס היוקרתי ועל הזוכה המאושר בו השנה. זה היה בחוג חדשות שאני מעבירה מזה כמעט חודשיים בבית הקהילה- כל יום חמישי ב-17:30. החוג התחיל בתור ניסיון להביא משהו שאני אוהבת ומעניין אותי ולהעביר אותו לחבר'ה כאן. שעה שלמה בה אני יכולה לדבר על כל נושא שבעולם ולהיות בטוחה שמה שאני אומרת באמת חדש למי ששומע. על מה לא דיברנו בחוג חדשות? 8 שנים לאסון התאומים, ועידת האו"ם, התרסקות הקולומביה, ריו תארח את האולימפיאדה ב-2016, הסכסוך הישראלי-פלסטיני, הסכם היסטורי בין טורקיה לארמניה+שואת הארמנים היה או לא היה, זיהום אוויר והתחממות כדור הארץ ועל גלעד שליט דיברנו במשך 2 שיעורים כי הוידיאו העצוב שלו בדיוק פורסם וזה לא נתן להם מנוח.

אני משתדלת מאוד להראות להם תמיד גם סרטון או שניים מיו-טיוב וזה בכלל גורם להם לפעור עיניים משתהות. כל המידע שאני מעמיסה עליהם הוא כל-כך חדש להם, שלפעמים אני לא בטוחה אם הם משתעממים או שהם פשוט המומים. אחרי שראינו את הסרטון על אסון התאומים, שמשאיר אותי גם היום פעורת פה, היה פשוט שקט בכתה. אף אחד לא נפל מהכסא, אף אחד לא בכה או צחק או צעק, אפילו לא ביקשו שנראה את זה שוב. "תקשיבי. הם לא ראו אף פעם מטוס, לא ראו בחיים שלהם בניין כל-כך גבוה. מה את רוצה מהם?" אמר קול ההיגיון של אורן ההגיוני. והוא צודק- לקח לי זמן להפנים שכל דבר שאני מספרת להם מסופר כנראה לראשונה אי פעם. שכל הפרטים מסביב גם הם חדשים ולא בהכרח מובנים להם. שאין משהו שהוא ברור מאליו או מתבקש. לקח לי זמן אבל לאט לאט גם אני לומדת שלא הכל מובן מאליו. שלא כל מה שאנחנו רגילים אליו הוא הגיוני. שיש גם חיים אחרים, פשוטים יותר, בלי חדשות כל רגע, בלי אירועים נון-סטופ.

אז בעוד בצד ההוא של העולם דנו בהשלכות של הפרס היוקרתי על עתיד המזרח התיכון ובכלל, כאן בחוג חדשות, (דה בסט קורס אין צ'י-פאט) ראינו את רגע ההכרזה על הזוכה המאושר מוקרן על הקיר, את נאום התגובה המופתע של אובמה, ובעיקר שמחנו בשמחתו ובשמחת העולם על השלום שהוא אמור להביא. נראה לי שהצלחתי להדביק גם אותם באובמה-מניה שלי..

Lokkru Thul

Two weeks ago our first "Computer Experts" class came to an end, on the same time that our "Young Guides" course came to it's end.
The purpose of the special computer class is to take our Young Leaders group and to make them responsible for the computers at our community center, While the "Young Guides", which is equal to the Israeli MADATSIM course, is to teach the students of the 8th and 9th grade how to be guides for the younger kids.
It's pretty obvious that those who came to both classes got now a very serious clue about being a guide.

So from those who came for both classes, 3 had volunteered to guide with us the new computer classes that we opened last week: Seang-hai, Vann-dy and Thul.

Thul had joined me in teaching the advanced youth group. In other words - he got himself into a tricky situation in which he volunteered to teach - for the first time in his 18 years of age - a subject (computers), that he did not had a clue about 2 months ago, the group of his age!! Doesn't sound to me like something that a sane man will do! but you must hear the end of that story...

On our first lesson I introduced us as LOKKRU (teacher) Oren and LOKKRU Thul. He ws very nervous and we both decided that it will be best if he will only look from the side for now.

For the next lesson we made a preparation meeting, in which I made up all the subjects, and he agreed to teach one part of the lesson.
On the beginning of that lesson he was very uptight. not to say angry - but from fear. before I managed to say a word he explained to the class that they should listen to us and not talk while we talk. and remember - those are his classmates. When he had to do his part of the lesson he did it OK - but when his friends / students needed help - he was kinda angry about them...The boy's got a temper!! I heard some called him "Lokkru Thul"...maybe like to laugh about him

For the third lesson, which occurred today, we did again a preparation meeting. This time he explained to me why we should teach the students this and that subject.
I was shocked.
Most of the Cambodian kids that I met are so well-known for their lack of creativity, that it became very unexpected for me to hear such an elaborated answer from him.
I was shocked for he had in his mind the full lesson plan, that is based on the abilities of the students.
And I was amazed when he succeeded to teach his friends / students about Microsoft Word and the Windows "search" option in such an organized way...still a bit of a temper - but what a change!

"Lokkru Thul", I called him at the end of the lesson, "you are the best"

English lesson #1

Today I had a first english lesson a as teacher.

I have a confession: I am scared to death of being a teacher.
Being responsible for someone's knowledge is a great challenge. It's another challenge to make people interested in what a teacher is trying to convey. other words - you have to be a great man in order to master the art of teaching.

I've been afraid my whole life of standing and talking in front of an audience, and although I had decided to face that fear some 3 years ago, I still am.

When the Buddhist holiday of Pchyum-Ben was over, and the monks told us that they have again some free time for learning English, I was both terrified and exited to hear.
Afraid - you already know why, and exited because everyone talked about what a great experience and privilege it is to teach Buddhist monks.
Alon, their previous teacher described them to me as very "monkish": shy, blocked, poker-faces and so on.
I was very happy to postpone the first lesson from monday to wednesday because of YOM KIPPUR, but eventually, the time has came for me to ride my bicycle to the dock, and to cross the river to the village of Tak-La(o).

My translator for today was Yuthia (A.K.A - William), and the fact that he walked from the riverside to the village 4 steps ahead of me was very comfortable and gave me some more time to kill myself thinking "how I could make a better lesson" - a thought that I could keep on going with till the end of days.
"Will they understand my explanations?", "is the material I prepared for them is good enough?". and I didn't even noticed the well-known amazing view of the rice-fields of the village. "What if they will know too much and I will run out of material", as we were crossing the poor-stone pagoda. "What if..."
And we were there. my foots climbed up the stairs as my mind climbed up the walls.

It's not my first time teaching a new class, but like at my first time, my first words were full of doubt.
But like on the first time - the last 59 and half minutes of the one-hour lesson were full of fun and learning. not even one thought went through my head. like a teaching meditation...you know, monks and all...
On the way back I had the time to enjoy the view, walk silently behind William, BREAK a part of the boat that took us to Chi-Phat riverside - other words - life has returned to its normal route.

Auh, and wait! almost forgot! I have another lesson tomorrow...I can't wait!

*Einam - יא יום רביעי אחת!
**The monks and most of the children of tak-la(o) do not go to school, and never met the english language before previous delegations had decided to teach them.
It's a great pleasure for them and for us as well.

today

Few weeks ago, when I still was in Israel, about at the middle of the 3^rd delegation, Gil, our HEAD OF MISSION (!) wrote a blog called “an ordinary amazing day”, which spoke about how many great things happened in the most ordinary day of the week.

I’m gonna kind of repeat it now, but it will not be boring, since every day here is a story on its own.

I woke up today at 7:30 to the sounds of a shaking house. sounds kinda scary? no! The floor here is so unstable that 2 people walking on the same time sounds like an earthquake!

So everybody woke up relatively early – we are making windows to our community house, Yael had a lesson early, and as I said before – 4 people walking on the same time can wake up even the laziest elephant that will sleep in my room.

So I got up and went to the community house. as I got there at 8 o’clock Mr. Sen (our translator, community house’s manager, a secondary school teacher and our most beloved and devoted friend here) suggested me to come to the elementary school with him. because these are the last days before school begins, kids come to school for “labor days”: cleaning, arranging and so. Today they had a parade in order to convince the parents that aren’t sending their kids to school to send them to the beginning of the upcoming year. we came to school and the word “WOW” just slipped out of my mouth.

200 kids all dressed with their blue-jeans/skirt-white-shirt standing in lines and waiting for the sign. as the sign was given, they marched from school to the village’s main (and only) road and totally blocked it, so everyone had to stand aside and watch them passing by. they marched to the village of chum-sla and back to the dock, with signs, music, and Mr. Sen reading a message for the parents and the kids. just amazing. and the kids were so happy! I remember myself as a student, in my geek times and my “cool” times, I was always happy to go to school, but it cannot be compared. these kids are really EXPECTING for the year to begin.

anyway, let’s continue in our journey through today.

After Khmer lesson that ended at 12:00 (in which we learn a new and soooo different language), I went to the village’s only “doctor”, for him to check my leg – I thought that I stepped on a glass few weeks ago. So I came to this Dr. Lui, which came out of his house with a rusty tool box. wait…now?! all the talks about HIV, infections, hepatitis came down to one second. a second later I was sitting on the porch, with unsterilized needle in my toe, with like 15 kids examining my situation, as the motorbikes are going by. By the way, he found nothing there…

5 minutes later, as I entered my computer class, the girls that were watching at my “show”, came to watch the next “show” – computer lesson J

And it’s just about noon!! crazy isn’t it?!

about 6 o’clock the YOM KIPPUR fast was over with banana pankaces made by Yael and me, ginger-honey tea and oil-flavored wafers. super fun and feels so much like home. ​Few times a week the people around me here give me the feeling of actual family. I think I will cry when I’ll have to leave them.

Then another computer lesson. and dinner. and great activity that was made by Naomi and Rotem for us to have fun together. Have I said family before?

I think that the most important thing that this day gave me, is the ability to work as hard as I should, but still knowing that I can have a great time, feel welcomed outside my home and inside it.

Just another usual day…:)

Absolute Beginner

Beginnings are always difficult.
The 3rd delegation left the village of chi phat after a big and loud cry, and left a huge vacuum, in which we, delegation No.4, were sucked immediately.
Within seconds we became best friends, appreciated teachers and role models, for people we barely know.
When we marched to the dock, accompanied by almost 100 kids, we marched as guests. When I walked back to my first volleyball practice as a coach, I was hugged by two kids I had never seen before. It was inconvenient. Strange. Unnatural. I thought those two kids were weird. During that day and the day that followed, I was hugged by many other people. Physically by some, mentally by others.

At that point I understood something about the importance of our project for these kids.
They do not need us desperately, they can keep on living their lives on this small but noisy street they call village. They can go after their parents – as a boat driver, housewife, or the woman that sell fried bananas across the street, but we give them something that they never had before.
It may be personal attention, exposure to new subjects or a different culture, better English or just time to play together, but every one of those things can be an opportunity for those who want to choose a different route.

The thing that frightened me most before I came here was that we’re gonna be those smart-white-western guys who came to tell those natives-locals-charlies how to live their lives right. But it’s not like it.
We can only encourage people to learn. Once you learned a bit you can choose. If you know 200 words in English there’s a whole new world lying at your feet.
and suddenly it’s legitimate for Sokny to want to become a media-reporter – because he KNOWS he wants it.

6 kids are leaving to high school this week. This is a huge number comparing to previous years. Srieng, Sokny, Naiheak, Savoeun, Tepi and Pov. Three girls and three boys, that are leaving their homes for the chance of having a choice.
6 kids. Only about 20% of junior high graduators. And this number is 3 times higher than last year.
But can you get it?
One year they send 2 kids to high school, and after less then a year of presence of IBC proect, those 2 kids were tripled!

Is it possible that such a small project can make such a difference? is it just a coincidence that will not repeat next year?
Or did we make a difference for a mother who had decided to spend the savings of a lifetime for in order to send her son for high school, far not less than 2 hours on a boat?

Hi, my name is Oren Shacham. 22 years old from Rishon le-zion, Israel.
I came here for the experience, and staying with will for making a difference