Jenna and Dootch
The street kids in Phnom Penh really affected me. I told WS that I was going to put them in my backpack and take them home. Since this was not an option, I have since dragged WS to every nongovernmental organization that had a restaurant to benefit the kids. We went with Amanda to a great restaurant in Phnom Penh with an attached store/nail salon that benefited the street kids called “Friends”. If you are ever in Cambodia, please patronize one of these organizations.
We said goodbye to our friend Amanda in Phnom Penh and headed to the coast of Cambodia. The beach in Sihanoukville was long, narrow, and filled with guesthouses and restaurants. It was also full of hawkers. Fruit, seafood, massage, manicures, pedicures, sunglasses, and jewelry…you name it, they sold it.
The young jewelry hawkers found me the first hour we were there. As we were sitting down for lunch, we were approached by Jenna and Dootch. They tried to convince me to buy some bracelets and Dootch asked me to play a game of tic tac toe. If she won, I had to buy a bracelet. Always a sucker, I said yes. She beat me squarely, so I had to buy. Then Jenna said “how can you buy from Dootch and not me?” Okay, another bracelet.
The girls hung out longer, Jenna offering to “wax” my legs with a string. She cleared a dollar size patch on my leg before I could say “no” or “ouch!” Dootch tried to convince me they could each do a leg. I asked Dootch if she did it to herself, and she said “no way, that hurts!” Not a good way to make a sale.
Jenna was 16, Dootch was 14. They were well dressed and knew English like you would not believe. They had lots of catch phrases like “no money, no honey” and “no pain, no gain” (in reference to the nasty string waxing). They said that their parents buy the beads and string for their bracelets, and they sell them on the beach every day. They told me they still went to school. I hope they were telling me the truth.
Every day we were there, Jenna and Dootch found us. They would sit and talk with us, telling us about their business for the day and the tourists on the beach. I enjoyed chatting with these two girls, talking trash and enjoying the beach. I knew these girls definitely had a home, and that made me feel better.
I know I should not have encouraged them by buying bracelets. I told them how good their English was, how they could get a good job after school anywhere in Asia because of how well they spoke it, and how smart they were. I hope they don’t find the hawking life easiest, and take advantage of their smarts. No doubt they could sell you any used car in no time… to me at least anyway.
Deanne Driver said:
I am Tricia Strands sister and I love reading all your posts. This “threading” technique of hair removal is being done here in San Antonio. Tricia was visiting this summer and being the big sister and bossy that I am said we should both have it done. The last time I made her have her brows waxed she was in major pain - the flyer for this said “painless” so I had to have it done. I did go first so I could assure her it was easy. After about two pulls there were tears streaming down my face and it was all I could do not to jump out of the chair and wrap that thread around….well, needless to say Tricia did not have this done. I am glad I went first or she probably would never have spoken to me again and I would miss her.