Time to get back to business

I've realized its really time for me to return to this blog. Not only to recount my travels and finish putting my photos together, but also because I've begun reverting to the New York lifestyle I chose to avoid upon returning. I've been walking fast, getting annoyed with slow moving people, avoiding eye contact, and becoming less open to possibility in life. I want to bring the positive energy I accessed within myself in Southeast Asia, back into the New York Rebecca. So, I'm starting by continuing with my travel journal. Here it goes...

July 10

I took a ten hour bus from Phnom Penh to Stung Treng, a small town in the north of Cambodia. Stung Treng basically acts as an overnight stop for tourists before crossing into Laos. On the bus I met a couple from Russia and a couple from Belgium and we all decided to stay in Stung Treng for the night and hopefully meet up again at the border to Laos.

There is really only one thing for tourists to do in Stung Treng, and that is to walk to the river front for beers and dinner at a hip guest house. As many of you know, my sense of direction is less than perfect, so as I set out to find said guest house I actually started walking away from the river. This turned out to be a very good mistake. At first I spent time walking through the dirt roads of the village, accepting surprised greetings from unsuspecting locals and chasing full grown pigs from lot to lot. Figuring I should probably head back to "my" side of town, I moved in a direction which I thought would get me home. It was in fact the proper direction, but before getting back to my hotel I noticed a group of kids playing basketball outside of what looked like a school. The court was half size and was next to a sand volleyball court. I watched the boys play for a while and then asked if I could join. That was a gutsy move- it's been such a long time since I've played ball - they totally wore me out (not very hard to do I must point out)! We played three on three and I had a hard time just getting across the court! But I played for a while longer- the guys said I was a good player- and then I had to tell them I was done. I sat out and watched for a while and then saw a tall white lady come cycling into the yard. She sat down with some of the kids and spot to them in Khmer. I asked her what the place was, and it turned out to be a church. She's been there for 12 years I think. They call her sister.

The idea that the play yard was a church immediately made me uncomfortable, but I decided to stick around and find out some more about it. The church is like a youth center, it's a place the kids can always go to play and study. They take English and Bible class, it's free, and it's totally voluntary to join.

I ended up staying for quite some time and had a conversation with about five boys ranging in age from 15 - 25. Their English was impressive and they seemed to have high aspirations. One 18 year old told me he wants to become a doctor. It was clear that joining the church community gave these kids access to better education and bigger ideas. (There were also girls at the church but they all seemed to disappear after I got there, none of them wanted to play ball with us) It's a little strange though- as we were talking the kids asked me if I was a Christian. I chose to tell them that I was not, I am Jewish, and they were intent on accepting Judaism because it believes in one God. Same went for Islam. I asked them about their families and the religion they grew up with (mostly Buddhist), and they relayed that not everyone in their community is happy about the Church. Some of the kids chose to go to the church and become Christian even though their families remain Buddhist. It's a difficult situation. Obviously the church is bringing positive things to the community, but it's also completely brainwashing these kids into thinking Jesus is the only way to go. They were saying things like, I'm sad my family doesn't believe in Jesus, I do what Jesus says, He's the one for me. It saddens me that this kind of community center was very much built upon proselytizing and not just humanitarian goals.

I learned that there is a youth house that many of the boys live in communally. Many of them go there because their parents have too many children to take care of. They cook and clean for themselves, etc. By the time I left it was 8pm and dark. Most of the kids had to be back for dinner and were also concerned that I had not eaten yet! The experience gave me much insight into their small community. I hope they learned from me as well.