You Be You!

Hello from Bangkok, round 3!
I have so many things to catch you up on...oh how to capture it all in words!
Cambodia was amazing.
Since I last wrote I haven't moved around very much, but I revelled in the company of an incredble friend, attended the World Volleyball Championships for Disabled Peoples, found the Cambodian Circus!, basked in the glorious sun atop a boat roof while gliding through floating villages and finally saw some monkeys!
So, to capture it all....
Anna. We have such fun together! and we move mountains of personal perception with our conversations and dreaming. So satisfying! GIggling, sleepovers under our mosquito net tent, beautiful family that graciously adopeted me into their clan, pancake breakfasts with fresh banana and pineapple and many friends and sunshine! Mmmm delicious in so many ways!
Here's an Anna quote to inspire and smile:
"I just can't justify Not learning cool stuff from cool people ALL the time!"
here here!

Volleyball. So moving! I was literally brought to tears by the energy and pride in that room. The game we watched was Cambodia vs. Poland..Cambodia won and took 3rd place in the world! It actually changed my idea of competitive sports a little bit. Here are the thoughts in progress from my journal that day- there's a permission and acceptance of the nature of the game on the court, competition. There's equality out there. Cultural differences and stripped away.
Such pride in their country. So neat in any setting to see people come together in unity for a cause.
Boys with pails flipped over drumming for hours with their Whole Being. sweating and laughing, keeping the crowd clapping and cheering.
So amazing to see people overcome obstacles too (one arm, one leg, no hand..). Same injuries in Poland as in Cambodia.
Equal.
Inclusion. Community Building. making spaces for All People.
i get realy teary with sports sometimes..when everyone jumps from their seats cheering and waving flags. Hearts racing. Matchpoint. Awesome.

Cambodian Circus.
HOOOOAHHH!! These youths are INCREDIBLE! I was Totally enthralled and excited to watch them! This circus is part of a project that aims to give orphaned youth a space and tools to express themselves. There several branches to the project: education, library, skills trainig, art, circus..to name a few.
They had art from the youth on display around the place and they were astounding. Youth offered us rice based liqueurs and crunchy rice styrofoamy tasty things as aperitifs. Many spoke french because this project is associated with a french NGO..so I could speak with them and learn!
The circus aspect of the project was cerated because they recognized that some of the children and youth had 'extra baggage and energy" (as sophie the NGO gal put it). A medium for expression that used that energy.
it's an awesome project from what i can tell. offering tools to help define who they are when there hasn't been an opportunity for that anywhere else in their hard knock lives.

and the show was incredible! so creative, using only materials that they would find on the streets anyway. set designed and created by the youth. back full twists landing on someones shoulders, aerials over a waving flag, music on plastic pipes, drumming on tin food covers..it might not make sense like this, but it's all the things i've seen everyday on the streets brought together in a creative, beautiful way!
awesome.

now we're back in bangkok getting ready to fly to India tomorrow. Tomorrow! wow.
I'll put some photos up on here a little later.
i love it when you post comments, even just to say hi i'm here!it's so nice to hear.
lots of love

so much love!
feel it all the time!
lauren