For mommsies -- Ly Chard and Trina

September 23

Culture shock. Southeast Asia isn’t anything new to me. I have family in Philippines who do everything from farm mangoes all day to serving as guards or doctors, and an Uncle who is a businessman in Singapore. And I’ve visited them for a couple weeks here and there in the summer, so I’ve seen it, both the poor and the developed. I’ve seen the traffic, the trash, naked children in the streets, but I’m still American, and little things shock me in our different qualities of life. Little things I didn’t realize ever occurred until I’m not just visiting anymore, I’m living it.

For example, my student Visal was squatting down during flag dismissal, and he had a very large hole in the crotch of his pants. He’s 7 years old, not a baby anymore, and without wearing underwear, his squished penis spilled out of the hole, clearly exposed to everyone. The school I work at requires a uniform of red slacks, a white button up shirt, and a tie. I gasped at what would be perceived as public indecency in the U.S., and tugged the arm of a translator/assistant, “Yamin!” I yelled, “Look at Visal’s pants, please tell him he needs to get new pants.” Yamin barely blinked and looked away. I wanted Visal to stand up, at least not stay in the same position with it exposed, but Visal kept squatting, and I said again to Yamin, like he hadn’t heard me the first time, “Yamin! Tell him. Look!” Yamin looked at me, “He knows,” he said nonchalantly. And then it hit me, that it’s no big deal. That it happens and it’s sad and nobody cares. And Visal kept squatting with his penis hanging out, and that was that.

Another thing is that my favorite little boy Lasa has lighter hair than skin because of vitamin deficiency, and he’s about half the size of the other boys, because his family is very poor. And I tried talking to my student Veasna’s parents, because he picks fights with other kids, hits them, makes them cry, steals their money and school supplies, and the vice principal Sopheck told me that they tried talking to his parents last year and his parents told him they didn’t have the time to discipline him, and so it just didn’t matter. I know this happens in the U.S., but it’s even more common and the effects more profound here. And the saddest thing to me is he takes my arms sometimes and wraps them around him, and I kissed him on the head today and he leaned in close, because he just wants to be touched and loved, but even me, I have 29 other kids, I don’t have the time either. And maybe the damage done already is impossible to recover from.

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(and now, more about my individual students)

Chhoun – always looks like he’s frowning, but Silim just says its because he has big tongue. He’s sort of a misfit kid who is bright but unmotivated. I struggle with what tactics I should use to get through to him. One period I couldn’t get him to do anything, and he just laid his face in his desk, until he looked up with blood pouring out of his nose, and I still see drops of it stained on the steps up to the bathroom, please pray for this kid

Sotha – has the sweetest smile imaginable, and always wears pants that never stay on and is constantly pulling them up. He’s really a beautiful boy with an infectious laugh, and is one of my favorites because he exudes a positive spirit and amazes me with how obedient and respectful he is. Unfortunately, his English is very poor.

Naro – if there is one kid I see tremendous potential in and wish I could spend the extra time pushing him to learn, it would be Naro. He’s a natural at most all things, but he’s just a kid, still learning. He amazes me with his positivity, his hard work, and his respect and responsibility, I pray for him because I can already tell he could do great things if he just had the opportunities, help, and support