Shuffle Along

We did our last workshop in the morning. We had another great audience but we planned a little more this time and the result was a somewhat staler presentation. After the workshop we moved to the school to spend the last day we all had together. Back at the apartment we hung out. Anwar discovered that the building had a rooftop that gave us a great view of the surrounding area. We didn’t know how close we were to the river and how many pagodas surrounded us. We stayed up there until the sun set. Just as night fell, the rain started up. I love going out in tropical storms. It’s a rare treat to be out in the rain and still be warm. It’s like a big outdoor shower. I offered the opportunity to go out on a rain walk to the group but Cristal was the only one to take me up on it. We ha a nice walk and conversation down to the river.
We had our final farewell party at the Scandinavia lounge. It’s usually closed on Mondays but the owner, Eric, opened the space up for us. Eric had disovered table shuffleboard at Dave and Busters and seen it in Europe and was hooked. He spent the last 8 months building the lounge. Because wood warps so easily he made his out of long solid polished granite slabs on sturdy wood tables he built himself. The metal pucks ride on silicon beads making it the smoothest game I ever plaed. It’s a lot of fun and the only place to play table shuffleboard in all of Southeast Asia.

After dinner, we meandered back upstairs. I took a few people into the library to show them his amazing temple painting from the ‘60s. We sat and talked about polotics and religon and mythology for a while. It was really great to get an honest perspective from young Cambodians on the Khmer Rouge and hear it’s history.

We played the game, ate dinner over there and did a round of saying what we were grateful for. The most common one was gratitude for having the chance to work with people who were so passionate and caring. Eric observed the round and commented that it felt like a cult. In just 2 weeks we had formed a freakishly strong bond and a deep belief in the goals of SEALNet.

We promised to stay in touch which never really happens, but it might this time. Over the past two weeks we really managed to form a group that genuinely cares for each other