Sum up

So I've been really delinquent, as usual, in my blog posting--I should be doing more than once a month. Here's a summary of what I've been up to in the past two months.

I was able to start doing some volunteer work in July. I went with In Search of Sanuk (www.insearchofsanuk.com). The orphanage was beautiful. They have a ton of land--just not the resources to come even close to fully optimizing it capacity. We were able to stay in comfy beds (better than the concrete slab in my apartment), and it had AC (you learn to REALLY appreciate this in Bangkok).

Working with the kids was different than usual. Keep in mind, I have a lot of experience hanging out with kids--working at Adaptive Recreation Camp (Camp for disabled kids), volunteering for three years at Waco Center for Youth (Home for emotionally disturbed teens), and volunteering in Haiti (Yeah, technically I was building a school and working on at health clinic--but the majority of the time I was just playing with kids). And shoot, I spend almost 50 hours a week working with kids.

These kids were different than any kids I had seen before. They had a weird combination of inhibition and non chalance that I had never seen large scale, with kids before. When they saw us, they didn't seek interaction. Throughout the day, they were content to play among themselves, and go about their normal actions.

Don't get me wrong--we played with the kides on Saturday---they adored the arts and crafts Girl Chris brought, and they played a hybrid rugby-monkey in the middle-catch-wrestling game. (Bringing the football was definitely a great idea).

But you could tell something was missing, and Sunday morning really highlighted the difference. Some of the kids who go to church on the grounds of the orphanage hung out with us afterwards. Once they saw we we're down for "sanuk" with them, they immediately ENGAGED, asking for songs, enthusiastically playing games with us. I asked Dwight (who lead the trip) if they were orphans--and he said no---their parents had brought them to church.

So obviously, parents make a difference. Kids need love.

On the bright side--Sunday afternoon, we were able to take them to the beach at Pattaya. One at a time, I took some of the younger boys hostage, carried them out into the ocean on my back, and threw them around in the waves. Their squeals of joy were the highlight of the trip. I wasn't difference-making, but sometimes you have to be content with giving the temporary gift of happiness.