"Cha" is my favorite nickname

They call us "Cha."  It's short for "teacher" (tea-cha, the way they pronounce it). With the little ones who don't yet have a good grasp on English, "Cha!" or "Cha, me!" means, "Teacher, look what I did!" or "It's my turn!"  It's adorable and I melt a little every time I hear it. :)

Last night, I went with the kids to a nearby village for a dance performance. First, everyone clamored into the back of a cattle truck... there were five adults and 17 kids, so we were pretty packed in there. On the way there, I had one little guy asleep against my side, a girl passed out on my lap, another boy sleeping against my leg, and my arm around two girls... the girls told me they loved me, cuddled up next to me, and then sang songs together. I am seriously hooked on these kids...

Anyway, at the village, they went to go dance, and a couple of the volunteers went to go buy some water... I'm not sure what of this is because the villagers were drinking, and what was just odd fascination with westerners, but I was walking along, and a woman reached up and slapped me!! She smacked me arm, then grabbed my arm and laughed (a good-natured laugh, I think). No idea why I was slapped, but two seconds later, a really drunk guy grabbed my arm and started kissing it. Have to say, I was quite happy that I wasn't alone and I had some backup!  After the slap/kiss, the rest of the night was great. The kids performed like pros (they're really good!), the crowd was huge and attentive... The president of the organization got up at one point and talked to the villagers (in Khmer, so we got the abridged translation later) about the importance of stepping up and taking care of your family... to not drink too much, and that kids shouldn't be hit... It's apparently big issue that's not often addressed.

At the end of the performance, we all piled back into the cattle truck, and the kids all passed out after a minute or two. This time, I had all the same sacked-out little ones on me, plus one tiny little boy who claimed my lap. When we got back and got all the kids into bed, I was surprised to see their sleeping setup. Even though I'd heard about it, it was a little different to SEE it. They were on the floor of the stage, or on straw mats on the ground, and had mosquito nets up around them. I'm not even sure that they had pillows. And in a few weeks, when the rainy season hits, the area will flood, and the ground will not be available for sleeping quarters (or classrooms), since it will be under three feet of water. ACODO is working on getting donations to build an elevated area so that there's still somewhere for them to go when it floods. They have it started and are adding to it as they can.

It's once again time for me to wrap up here and head back; it's time for the afternoon lesson for the kids who went to school this morning.  Hope you're all well!!

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