Hi there,
A few nights ago, I was sitting outside having a drink with a guy that I met here in Siem Reap. I saw a bunch of kids going through the garbage across the street from me. Later, this group of kids came over and asked for some money. One of the kids recognized me and said “teacher… teacher…”. He then gave me a hug.

I have to tell you that this is one of the hardest parts of my work here in Siem Reap. I teach many children in the morning and play with them and feed them. In the evening, I see lots of these same kids wandering the streets alone, going through garbage and begging from the tourists. I can’t believe these are the same children that were spelling with me earlier or working on a puzzle. It is very sad to see children that you know going through garbage left on the street corners.

These children sat with me at outside the shop where I was hanging out. I had a great time talking with them and playing around. The kids were being friendly and well behaved. they were sitting down and not running around. There was no swearing and lots of laughing. They may be dirty and poor, but they’re just normal kids. A saying here is Asia is “Same, Same, but Different”. I can’t think of a better saying for these children. These are my friends.

We sat together for about 15 minutes, until the owner of the shop came out and told all the children to leave. I told the owner that I knew them and that I wanted them to hang out with me and my friend. I told him that I would buy them drinks from the store. There was no one else at the shop. The owner kept pushing them away with his hand, like they were flies. He had a look on his face like he was so much better than them. I can’t believe I spent even one cent in that shop. I do not support him or his shop. This is the wrong place.

I’m going to be more selective where I spend my money. I will try to spend money at the right places for me.

I have many pictures of these kids on flickr.

Love Gerry