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.
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.
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