Today will be my first full day at Wat Opot. I don't really know what to expect, and my directions weren't exactly the most clear. I know I need to take a lot of initiative, which is very unlike my work in Tanzania so I'll see where today takes me.
The lodging here is pretty sweet, I was really excited I would be a lot more comfortable than some of the guesthouses in Tanzania. However, I was in for a real surprise last night when sleeping without a mosquito net (this area isn't at risk for malaria and there aren't very many mosquitoes, I've heard) I was hit with dozens of little beetles that hang around the dark air when the lights go out. As they hit the ceiling, I would hear them bang around making little pitter patter noises and as they would die of some unknown cause, gravity would take them downwards onto my face and hit me as I lay sleeping. It was pretty disturbing. The next morning I woke to find about 50 dead beetles and various bugs on my sheets and in my hair. I was more amused than upset, it was actually pretty funny.
After lunch, and getting to play with the kids, another volunteer told me about a pre-Angkorian temple nearby, Phnom Chisor. It's not very well known and not too many tourists know about it, although it is listed in the ever ubiquitous Lonely Planet Cambodia. Since it was Sunday and the kids were not in school, we borrowed two of the older boys' bikes and pedaled about an hour through rice paddies to seemingly the only hill in the entire region. It was incredibly picturesque, and I was really excited it was my first look into the countryside of Cambodia. Also, totally unlike Tanzania where any passersby even in a LandCruiser would be greeted by children on the road with 'mzungu!' but Cambodian children shout 'Hello!' I've heard Khmer people often call westerners farong which is a colloquial term for the French. No one yelled that at us, but most people waved and some kids even ran alongside us trying to catch up with the bikes.
When we got there, I was so amazed that this temple had still been standing. It was built in the 11th century and it seemed to be made of sandstone, evidenced as some of the bricks had been eroding. It was truly nothing like I'd ever seen before. I clicked away with my camera trying to capture the beauty of this temple, knowing I sadly had to trek back to Wat Opot soon for dinner. Behind the smaller temple is a steep set of stairs leading up to the hill, where there is an active temple community. We decided we wouldn't go up today, since we had the boys' bikes and didn't want to risk losing them to thieves. However, the temple is beautiful in its antiquated state and just incredibly grand. It sits in between trees right atop the hill and can be seen from far below.
We pedaled back and were in time for dinner. Soon after, the children take their medications at 6pm and take baths. Wayne, the director of Wat Opot showed us some videos of documentaries and a tv special done about the children. It was incredible to see the support these children receive from around the world. From a Korean superstar to Unicef to volunteers and photographers who've visited--the message Wayne wants to put out is that although some of the children are positive, they are still children. I found this approach very different from what Americans often think of children who are afflicted with diseases, especially HIV. Its not terminal in all cases, and often what we see on television in Feed the Children commercials are images of children who are sad, hungry, dirty, and overall in need. The children at Wat Opot are happy, and look and behave no differently than children at home or any other part of the world. I was happy these portrayals of kids with HIV to the rest of the world was supportive of the fact that they are not at fault for their diseases. This is the attitude people should have towards HIV and AIDS for everyone.
After medication, the children have time to watch television. The other volunteers often watch, and I think its great to watch Khmer television. Our tv in the apartment has a lot of international, especially American channels and after being deprived of music for two months I am inclined to just watch MTV (with actual music videos!) for hours on the weekends. Bayon TV and a few other Khmer language channels are really great and I've gotten to really enjoy Khmer music videos. When I left the kids dormitory to go back to the volunteer quarters, I realized one of my shoes was missing. Knowing the kids are pranksters, and also sometimes kick around the shoes outside calling each other Ronaldinho and Pele, I figured perhaps they'd been kicked out of sight. I had another pair of sandals in my bag and thought I'd figure out this mystery tomorrow.
It was great to see more of how Wat Opot is run and learn about the children today. I'm really excited to see more of the countryside, maybe practice some Khmer with the kids!
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