We were invited to go on a visit to the village that most of the children originate from. This was a chance for them to visit their relations. I would encourage anyone who is curious on village life here to watch the videos below. We tried to get a few of the normal everyday events that happen in the village.
We started the day in the truck. A number of westerners came along to help look after the children and to stop them from falling out as we drove along.
The trip to the village was a very bumpy, hot, dusty affair. We still felt the aches in our posteriors three days later. We took this video in one of the quieter bits when it was safe to stop gripping the truck. The thumb disappears after 10 seconds. It was just there while Stan was trying to get a grip on the camera.
When we finally got to the village, we expected the children to scatter off to see their relatives and old friends at the village. Instead, they were oddly separate from the village. It was a bit sad. We didn't know if they were shy, or perhaps embarrassed that they used to live here or just now living a life so far removed from farming given that they are lucky enough to go to school.
Stan pulled out his phone and played a "Shaun the Sheep" episode hoping that the village children would come watch, but they were too shy. A couple of them were obviously wanting some attention and they were playing with a very old broken toy (the front wheel of an old kid's tricycle). The video below is of the village shop and the children playing with the broken tricycle.
We walked around the village and found a few ladies preparing a feast for us. Boiled fish in a rice soup.
Another typical village scene is the communal pump which provides all the water and is the communal shower.
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We had lunch. The fish porridge you saw earlier and some fruit. We helped serve so we didn't have to eat the fish porridge. They also had some noodles, so we were able to eat something.
After lunch we had one of our most surreal experiences in Asia. The villagers came from miles around in their Sunday best and wanted to put on a dance party for us- 1 pm in the afternoon! They started their generator and cranked up their speakers to well past any level they may be rated for and proceeded to dance under a tree. At first we wanted nothing to do with it. But they begged and begged for half an hour and we were told by Mom that it would make them very happy, so Stan went out and joined them. He was told to feel the music and to wiggle his hands around. Nicole still wouldn't go, instead preferring to take humiliating photos of Stan and the others dancing. Eventually she joined us and despite looking like total idiots we had a fun time and the people loved us joining in.
Some other interesting things in the village were:
After a fantastic experience of rural Cambodian life, we jumped back in the truck for the long hot trip back. We stopped for ten minutes along the way so the boys could go for a swim in a mud hole and they could show us a new chicken farm near the village.
After this we went straight home. The littler kids were falling asleep and we were scared some would fall off the back of the truck, so we spent most of the trip holding them in which meant we were not holding on ourselves. This meant an even more uncomfortable trip than the way up. The temperature was around 38 and there was no shade for the whole trip.
Would we do it again? For sure, but maybe not so quickly!
We started the day in the truck. A number of westerners came along to help look after the children and to stop them from falling out as we drove along.
When we finally got to the village, we expected the children to scatter off to see their relatives and old friends at the village. Instead, they were oddly separate from the village. It was a bit sad. We didn't know if they were shy, or perhaps embarrassed that they used to live here or just now living a life so far removed from farming given that they are lucky enough to go to school.
Stan pulled out his phone and played a "Shaun the Sheep" episode hoping that the village children would come watch, but they were too shy. A couple of them were obviously wanting some attention and they were playing with a very old broken toy (the front wheel of an old kid's tricycle). The video below is of the village shop and the children playing with the broken tricycle.
Another typical village scene is the communal pump which provides all the water and is the communal shower.
We had lunch. The fish porridge you saw earlier and some fruit. We helped serve so we didn't have to eat the fish porridge. They also had some noodles, so we were able to eat something.
After lunch we had one of our most surreal experiences in Asia. The villagers came from miles around in their Sunday best and wanted to put on a dance party for us- 1 pm in the afternoon! They started their generator and cranked up their speakers to well past any level they may be rated for and proceeded to dance under a tree. At first we wanted nothing to do with it. But they begged and begged for half an hour and we were told by Mom that it would make them very happy, so Stan went out and joined them. He was told to feel the music and to wiggle his hands around. Nicole still wouldn't go, instead preferring to take humiliating photos of Stan and the others dancing. Eventually she joined us and despite looking like total idiots we had a fun time and the people loved us joining in.
The village keeps all its ice in sawdust on the ground next to the shop. It can last a long time like this and they use the ice for refrigeration and to make ice drinks as treats. I think they get a new load of ice every week or two.
It is sad to see the squalor in which they live. Trash is thrown away anywhere and no care is taken to make their home clean.
A typical house.
After a fantastic experience of rural Cambodian life, we jumped back in the truck for the long hot trip back. We stopped for ten minutes along the way so the boys could go for a swim in a mud hole and they could show us a new chicken farm near the village.
After this we went straight home. The littler kids were falling asleep and we were scared some would fall off the back of the truck, so we spent most of the trip holding them in which meant we were not holding on ourselves. This meant an even more uncomfortable trip than the way up. The temperature was around 38 and there was no shade for the whole trip.
Would we do it again? For sure, but maybe not so quickly!
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