"Kat tow Dentist t'ngai nih?!"

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little afraid to go to the dentist.  I've always had amazing dentists (Hi Dr. Bob!) and never had a particular traumatic event, but still something about it scares me.  Channy, 9, clearly had never been to a dentist before, as evidenced by a) her terrible teeth, and b) her begging me to take her.  Channy has been living at Wat Opot since September and before then had limited if any medical and dental care.  After a course of Amoxicillin for a tooth infection, and multiple complaints, today she finally got to go see a dentist for the first time.  She was ecstatic.  The HIV positive kids get to go to the doctor once a month.  They ride in tuktuks, eat lunch out, and get to leave and explore.  The HIV negative kids seem to think that they're really missing out, especially Channy.  She persistently asked "Kat tow dentist t'ngai nih?!" Kat, go to the dentist today?! for a solid week and was delighted when this morning I answered "yes!."

Melinda and LongDy drove us in the truck.  Cora came along, as well as Srey Aun, Srey Nich, and Sopheak who have all needed dental attention too.  It was difficult to get everyones schedules to align with school and weekend activities, but we finally made it work this morning.

Channy was up first.  Everything was old and basic, but you don't need much more here.  The chair really freaked her out and I think she instantly wondered what the hell she got herself into once she saw the tools and everything.  In this picture you can see her "you better put that camera down and get your ass over here to old my hand this instant, lady" look on her face.  I sat with her as she got a cavity filled and her teeth cleaned.  What was interesting though, is all of that was done without electricity, only tools by hand.  Our province is on an interesting power schedule.  We lose electricity from roughly 8:30am-11:00am, and then again from around 1:30pm- 5pm during weekdays.  The cause is unknown and many theories have been pitched from people in the community and the government, from "there isn't enough water during the dry season to run the plant," to "we get our electricity from Vietnam and they shut it off," to "they're working on the power lines and have to turn it off during working hours."  There are also many government theories behind it, but after blogspot was blocked here for a few months following someone speaking out against the government, I think I'll leave those theories out.  Anyway, we lose electricity a lot, which makes things difficult for local businesses and office workers.  We arrived at the dentist's around 9:30 this morning which meant no electricity but the dentist made it work.

Srey Aun was the next to go.  She had a little more of an audience.  Cora went in to sit with her, and LongDy and Srey Nich followed to see what was going on.  The dentists wife and little son also came in to watch.  Khmer people have a way of crowding, so I guess I didn't expect any different.

Who says you need expensive medical lights?  A wife holding a flashlight does the same job.

This was the extent of the dentist's office, which was the front room of his home.  He had an instrument sterilizer and took all safety precautions yet I have a feeling not too many Americans would jump at the opportunity to get in the chair.  I'm unemployed and without dental as of October 1 so this is looking like a great option!

Mixing up the girls' fillings while his baby sleeps nearby.  

The little boy was so cute.  He rocked the baby in the hammock and ran around entertaining.

Channy showing off her new filling.  A very satisfied customer. 

Melinda and LongDy hanging out in the waiting room watching the action.

The dentist decided that Srey Aun was in need of more than just a cleaning.  He flipped on his generator and got out the drill.  It sounds just as bad, no matter where you are in the world.  Srey Aun perked up and shot me a look like "you're not going to let them use that on me are you?!"  She was terrified but she did great.  This picture above is her watching him prepare everything, her eyes wide open and her hands clutching the chair.

Channy looked around and explored the office.  She was stunned to find the pile of molds on the bottom shelf and stared at them in horror for a few minutes.  I don't think she'll be begging to come back to the dentist any time soon!

Srey Nich is beautiful and sweet, but very insecure.  She has a false tooth in the front that often tries to hide.  In an effort to give her a boost, she's having a better tooth put in.  Todays trip was to remove the bad one and clean it out.  In two days we go back to have the new one put in, but until then she's missing her front tooth!  The dentist gave her a mask to wear until then to cover it up.  She has a great sense of humor about it, luckily, and is having fun with her missing tooth, but still Wednesday can't come soon enough!

Today sparked a frenzy of everyone deciding that they too want to go to the dentist.  Seeing all four of them today was only 50,000 riel, or roughly $12.50.  It's cheap and necessary so we will definitely keep taking those who need it.  Don't forget that the Summer Fun Fund excess goes to medical expenses such as these, so please donate!  The paypal button is on the righthand side of the page and again, every cent goes a long way!  On a related note, we had our first activity on Friday, the teen outing to Phnom Penh.  It was a huge success.  The pictures are being compiled and I can't wait to share it with everyone.  Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Wayne!

Last Friday, July 9, was Wayne's birthday!  We took full advantage of the opportunity to spoil and embarrass him and had a little surprise party at Wat Opot.  

After dinner, while Wayne did a little work and gave out medications, we quickly decorated the children's dorm.  The kids made the HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign and blew up all of the balloons.  

 Left, me with Rong, Meng Ty, and Phanya; Right, Seyha helping to hang balloons

There is only one oven in the whole village, and it's only been used three times in the past 6 years.  Cora and I walked down the road to use it and needless to say we had a few issues but the cakes came out okay!  Cora decorated them and we found a candle in the volunteer house to use.

Everyone yelled HAPPY BIRTHDAY when he walked in.  They were definitely more excited than he was- and they didn't even know about the cake yet!

Pesei and Saman, two of the older boys who are also very talented artists, each made a special piece for Wayne's birthday.  Pesei made this 3D painting using real wood and branches for the tree.  It is incredible.  The Khmer staff bought Wayne cokes and wrapped them in Disney princess paper.  Sorry we had to open the boxes Wayne.. I know how you love your Disney princesses!

Left, Virak dives into his chocolate cake; Right, Sompoa eyes Socheat's piece

Saon couldn't have been happier if it was his own birthday! Actually,  I don't think we know any of the kids birthdays and the majority of people in Cambodia don't know their own either.  Birthdays aren't acknowledged and everyone turns a year older with the Khmer New Year.  I don't think anyone really understood what it was we were celebrating but that didn't mean they didn't have fun!

Saman's painting of Wayne.  He had finished it about 6 weeks ago and had been so eager to give it to him.

All of these pictures are courtesy of Ms. Cora Marshall who also thought of doing a video for Wayne that we showed at the party.  I have posted it below!  We weren't able to get everyone in the video but it definitely represents the love for Wayne from the community as a whole.

Wayne is such a selfless and humble person, so it was fun to do something special for him.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAYNE!  We hope you enjoyed it :)


Tomorrow Cora, Melinda, and I are taking the 14 high- schoolers (who all passed their exams!!) to Phnom Penh for the day to kick off events of the Summer Fun Fund.  They have been counting down all week, and the girls have spent the evening picking out their outfits and getting ready.  We will all take lots of pictures and report back.  Thank you to everyone who has donated!!!  If you'd still like to donate it's not too late!  Click on the PayPal button on the right-hand side of the page.  Again, if you're not in a position to donate, consider spreading the word.  Thank you :)

Monkey business

Phnom (Mountain) Chisor, with its stunning views and ancient ruins, is a popular spot for volunteers and Wat Opot kids to visit.  We recently had a visiting Vietnamese Buddhist nun named KD who wanted to take a trip up to the mountain with everybody- all 56 kids, Wayne, volunteers, and staff.  We loaded up 2 trucks full of people, sent some out on motos, and were off.  The idea behind the trip together was to announce and discuss the new construction of a peace garden at Wat Opot.  The garden will be a place for the kids to come and meditate, pray for their parents and loved ones who have passed, or just escape for a quiet minute.  Where better to plan a place for peace and prayer than at a working Buddhist monastery intertwined by ancient temples?  We had a picnic and did some exploring, and made a new friend too.

The infamous Phnom Chisor monkey is known as quite a trouble maker.  She tried to attack one of our teenage boys last Fall, and chased me around a few weeks back.  She's mean, she's stubborn, and she's not open to sharing her home in the slightest.  

The mean monkey, stating her territory.

Once we all made the ascent to the top of the mountain, we gathered around a tree- her tree.  Wayne sat up on the ledge to lead us in a Buddhist chant.  The monkey watched him for a little bit and decided to join.  From what we had all seen of the monkey in past, everyone was scared at first (including me!).  Wayne kept telling everyone to sit and relax, we were in her home and as long as we didn't make any moves toward her she wouldn't bother anyone.  I was nervous especially with the little ones but once she was that close we really had no choice but to sit and trust that we would be okay.

After the prayers were over, it was snack time.  The monkey saw the food come out and got excited, quickly.  She came down to wait her turn in line in hopes of snagging a good treat.

Cora nervously watching the monkey

KD was brave and sat down to offer the monkey a banana.  I would have just tossed the banana and hoped she would follow it!  I'm honestly nervous just looking at this picture.  I can't emphasize how insane this monkey is.

She got her bananas and stole someones coke.  She drank from the can, then poured the rest out and sucked it from the ground, careful to get every last sip.  This was just the beginning, however.  The monkey was hungry and the more she got, the more she wanted.

She waited for soy crisps after her coke and bananas, then went on to eating Srey Leak's sandwich.

A view from the top.  The mountain is gorgeous, especially as the rains turn everything green.

We finished our picnic and then got down to the garden planning.  Wayne again sat on the ledge, and the monkey was very interested in our plans.

Hanging on to every word

Well, talking gets boring and the monkey began looking for something else to do.  It was then she started to groom Wayne.  The kids exploded with laughter and thought it was the funniest thing they had ever seen.  The monkey must have really liked him!

When she finished grooming him, she rejoined the group for the rest of the discussion.  We all slowly stood up after this and left her.  It was a good experience for us to see the monkey in a friendly state, but I hope that none of the kids got too comfortable with her.

Wat Opot's little monkey, Ratana.

We explored the temples, hiked around the top, and climbed rocks before making the descent down and the drive home.  It was a very fun day and the peace garden is already in construction.  I'll be sure to post about it once it's finished.

Me exploring with Doar, one of the sweetest kids in the world.  Grumpy Virak on the left was tired and made sure everyone knew it!

Summer Fun Fund

Every Watopotian is blessed to have three meals a day, clothing, shelter, medication and healthcare, and education.  Their basic needs are always put first and always met.  Donations flow into Wat Opot enough for the essentials, but there isn't much room in the budget for anything else.  When I reflect on my own childhood, summers were the most fun time of the year.  My family went on trips to the beach, got lost in big cities together, my sister and I went to camps, and we did things together that I'll never forget.  I want to bring some of that to Wat Opot.  These kids are so amazing and deserve to have an incredible summer.  I have started the Wat Opot Summer Fun Fund to raise money to bring more fun into their lives and to give them a summer to remember forever.

I am asking my friends and family to make a $10 contribution, with a goal to spread the word to 100 people and raise $1000.  Anything left over once the kids go back to school will be put into the Wat Opot health clinic.

Some of the activities that I have in mind:

1.  A day trip to Phnom Penh for the high schoolers that pass their exams.  The teenagers want to see the Royal Palace, National Museum, parks, and riverfront.  They also want to do what teenagers all over the world want to do: go to the mall.  The girls have a burning desire to go to the mall in Phnom Penh, window shop, eat at the food court, talk about boys, etc. and the boys want nothing more than to go to the arcade and rollerskate.  This would be a great day exploring their capital city and learning about their own culture, but also a perfect incentive to study hard for finals and progress in school.

2.  What do you get when you mix spontaneous children, a large floor space, and a great donated sound system?   Impromptu dance parties.  We have had a few dance parties lately with everyone from 2 year old Ratana to 20 year old Saman showing off their moves.  The boys and even some of the girls have amazing talent for breakdancing and we usually end up in a circle cheering on dance-offs.  I always dance too, even though I have absolutely no rhythm and I get made fun of the whole time but it's so much fun that I don't even care.  One night after one of our dance parties, I went on idealist. org, an online network for NGO and NPO profiles, jobs, volunteer opportunities, etc. and searched "breakdancing" just to see what I would find.  Imagine my shock when the first search result was a breakdancing NGO in Phnom Penh that "uses breakdancing, Hip-Hop music, and the contemporary arts as creative tools to empower the youth of Cambodia to live healthier lives free of HIV and drugs, build a more promising future by furthering their educational opportunities, and become positive role models for their community."  I have been corresponding with them via email, and they have agreed to come out later in the summer for a performance and workshop with our kids for a reduced fee.  What an extraordinary experience, since all of the Watopotians LOVE to dance.  This is also another example of what happens when you keep faith and let things come to you, I still can't believe that I found them!

3.  In May, a German NGO that funds the art projects at Wat Opot sponsored an all day art festival.  The kids had easels and paint scattered throughout campus and with the help of the older art students, spent the morning painting.  The afternoon consisted of a special lunch, prizes, and of course- a dance party.  I was amazed at how well the paintings turned out.  The kids had so much fun reaching into their imagination and expressing their creativity.  As these paintings are being used for exhibition by the German NGO, they will not be available to display around campus though they would bring so much color and life to the Wat Opot dorms, kitchen, clinic, playroom, and schoolhouse.  I would love to bring another art day to Wat Opot, just the morning painting part, to give them another chance to discover their talents and make beautiful pieces that could be enjoyed around campus every day.

4.  Kids love water and splashing and our kids LOVE Tonle (lake) Bati.  Our first trip this year was a total success and another one before school starts would be a wonderful way to end the summer holiday.

5.  Yoga class is a weekly event that our kids look forward to teaching and participating in every Sunday.  A few of the older kids have been through a basic yoga teaching certification and lead small groups in stretching, posing, and meditation.  Long Dy, one of the oldest residents, has been presented with a unique opportunity to study yoga at a higher level in Phnom Penh.  This certification process consists of a series of intensive weekend workshops which address both theory and practice.  With this certification, Long Dy will be able to bring more yoga to the other instructors which will be shared with all of the children.  This will also allow Long Dy to find employment in Phnom Penh as a yoga teacher next year while he attends university which will help to offset some of his education and living costs.  There is a yoga NGO in Phnom Penh that is sponsoring Long Dy, but Wat Opot has been asked to help pay for the courses.  As they take place during the summer, this too will be included in our Summer Fun Fund.

As aforementioned, any funding remaining at the end of the summer will go to the Wat Opot health clinic which has been very busy treating both Wat Opot residents and members of the community.  My paypal has been cleared and is ready for donations, and is located on the right side of the page under the blog archives.

For those in America, you can also send a check or cash to my parents house at 16 Clearwater Ct. Damascus, MD 20872 made out to Kate Bernoske and my mother will deposit it together, or make a tax-deductible donation through the Wat Opot Children's Fund at www.wocf.org and indicate that you'd like your donation to go to the Summer Fun Fund.  As the summer holiday is quickly approaching, I'd like to set a deadline of July 15 but of course would accept any and all donations after then.

If you are unable to give, please try to spread the word to someone else who may.

If this doesn't work and none of the above get funded, it won't matter to the kids who know nothing of any of these plans.  The truth is, they are happy playing marbles, swimming in the pond, climbing trees, and playing homemade games, but let's see if we can't make their summer a little more exciting :)

Thank you in advance for any and all donations!

Wat Opot sky

I had published this post in May, but it was deleted the day after by blogspot for reasons unknown.  Let me try this again...

I absolutely love the Wat Opot campus.  There are banana, coconut, and mango trees, fish ponds filled with lotus flowers and lily pads, and bushes filled with purple and white flowers.  The landscape is made even more beautiful with the sky as a backdrop.  The sunsets are like no other.  The sky fills with brilliant colors that unfortunately no camera seems to adequately capture.  The following picture is the luckiest I've gotten with my camera.  It's a gorgeous shot but still does not do justice to the sunset in person.

The rainy season has begun, and with it comes changes to all scenery at Wat Opot.  Brown rice fields slowly turn green again, bushes and grass come alive, flowers bloom, and theres an abundance of semi-naked children running around enjoying the showers and the mud that comes along with them.  My favorite time of the rainy season (if Im not out playing in the rain with the kids) is just after the rains stop.  There might be a rainbow, especially clear stars at night, or a special glow of color.  After the last rain, the sky turned a radiant pink, unlike anything I have ever seen before.  It was truly amazing and I was in awe.  These two pictures are a comparison: the first is the average view from our front door, the second is the incredible pink.  Neither picture were altered or edited in any way, and were taken at the same time of day two days apart.

Like the sunset photograph, this shot is beautiful but doesn't do it justice.  The entire grounds were lit up in a glowing pink and it lasted about an hour.  I don't think anyone else was as excited about it as I was (like Caroline who I showed the picture to at least 10 times...) but it was captivating.  I can't wait to see what else the rains will bring and watch Cambodia transition from the brown dry season to a beautiful green.

A picture's worth 1000 words

The month of June has disappeared before my eyes so far between my dear friend Cora Marshall arriving in Cambodia on the 3rd and the typhoid fever outbreak that has hit 12 of our kids and counting in the past few weeks.  The unpredictability of Wat Opot is one of the things I love most about it.  Every morning that I wake up, I have absolutely no idea what will happen that day.  Every time I leave the volunteer house or turn a corner theres a new injury, a new game, a new animal, or a new discovery.  The other day on my way to making a house call to insert an IV, I saw a child chasing a turkey chasing a moto, followed by some little ones eating insects, settled an argument between two girls over which Korean music video was better, was offered a stuffed frog as a snack, was approached by Thy who had just lost a toe nail and needed help, and got a bear hug from little 2 year old Ratana.  All in about 4 minutes.  Not to sound cliche but there is literally never a dull moment.

Swimming in the pond is a daily event for the kids trying to stay cool in the heat, but even something as ordinary as floating in the pond can lead to something unexpected.  When Ty Meng was swimming in the pond doing flips and handstands, she, like all the others who swim, demanded attention.  "KAT ONE MORE, KAT ONE MORE" they yell constantly, especially when I have my camera out.  Ty Meng wanted a picture of her doing a front flip in the water so I was there to capture it.  Later when looking through my pictures I did a double take at one that at first glance looked like a miss that would be deleted.  What I found was Ty Meng declaring her love for Wat Opot.  Her butt makes a perfect heart and it's too funny not to share.  This is Wat Opot at it's finest: a simple event made extraordinary, an unexpected result, a surprise, and another reason to love these crazy kids and this crazy place.  Ty Meng loves Wat Opot, and so do I.

Like father, like daughter

Dan Bernoske is somewhat of a local hero.  Sometimes I think that my and Amy's friends only like us because of our father.  He has an amazing sense of humor and we call him our "one man circus" (in a good way, of course).  Recently, he has become an international celebrity of sorts as more and more of the Wat Opot kids have gotten to meet him and my mom via skype.  They love his laugh, his grey hair, and the funny faces he makes when they point and giggle.

Dan the Man with me and my best friends from high school before leaving for Cambodia last summer

My father has the absolute best sense of humor.  Hands down.  He can make anyone laugh in any circumstance.  This is great now, but growing up it wasn't always that awesome.  My dad volunteered a lot at Amy's and my school and spent a lot of time with us and our friends.  That sense of humor mixed in with a crowd of friends usually equaled a great deal of embarrassment for me.  I'm certain that his number one favorite hobby is embarrassing his kids.  Looking back, I am beyond blessed that my father spent so much time with us and at our schools but at the time it was pure torture.  I can still hear his famous words, "one day, dear Katherine, one day you'll get your chance."  Well father, that time has come.

Now that I'm living with and helping to care for 56 kids, it's my turn to do the embarrassing and I take full advantage.  In the fall when Chihomi from Japan was at Wat Opot, we would walk the kids to school every morning.  They loved it and the attention, but as soon as we got to the gate, that was it.  They shooed us away.  It was their turf and we weren't allowed in to cause trouble.  One day though their teacher invited us in to see the classrooms.  Walking in the gate, Chihomi and I watched as horror spread across the Watopotians faces, waiting for us to run up and hug them or gasp!- talk to them!   Going into the rooms was even worse.  When we walked into Thear's classroom and announced that we were his friends from the US and Japan he turned bright red while everyone giggled.  Poor guy.  At Wat Opot I have 14 kids hanging on me at any given moment, then I go to their school and I'm an untouchable.  Thinking more about it.. maybe I should start hanging out at the school just to get some quiet time!

On Wat Opot grounds there are still an unfair amount of opportunities for embarrassment.  Just today Ya had two friends over that thought I was hilarious but Ya was mortified.  I had a flashback to all those times before when I was in Ya's shoes.  At the time  I was miserable but had no idea how lucky I was.  Ya would probably love to be embarrassed by his father, because that would mean his father was here.


COUNTDOWN: Cora arrives tomorrow!!!  I'm camped out in Phnom Penh awaiting her Asian invasion.  I can't wait to finally share Wat Opot and Cambodia with someone I love!