Dance Fever

Each delegation to the Festival for Hope 2010 is supposed to put on a performance for the other delegations which is representative of their country and culture.  There are 32 delegations, each with eight players and two coaches, thus 300 plus people as the audience.  Plus, African dance, enough said.  It was time to take this performance seriously.

In our experience, soccer players aren't often known for their dance or musical skills, except maybe Alexi Lalas.  We needed to bring in the experts so the Cambodian squad wouldn't totally embarrass themselves or the Khmer culture.  We went to the Phare Ponleu Selpak, a widely-respected arts NGO in Battambang who got its start using art to help children in refugee camps on the Thai border to overcome the trauma of war.  After a discussion of the performance options, we chose a simple traditional Khmer dance, the Plowing Dance, or so we thought.

Session One - the team, fully kitted out in their bumble bee uniforms (see photos for futher explanation), as soccer practice was to follow the dance lesson, descended on the NGO complex, which trains and houses hundreds of children, holds a weekly circus and other performances.  The team did not seem especially enthusiastic about dance class, but as obedient Cambodian youth, they quickly set to work helping the dance instructor ready the stage for class - hauling speakers, chairs and props into position.

The class began with some simple warm-up exercises where it was quickly apparent the dance instructor was the most flexible man on earth while the team could hardly touch their collective toes.  In yoga classes, you are told to spread your toes and try to work each toe like it is a finger, something most westerners are incapable of doing.  The dance instructor's toes are more flexible and nimble than my fingers and he could easily play the piano with them.  Another early observation was the overall lack of rhythm by the majority of the team.

The Plowing Dance depicts the rice harvesting process, which, as you can imagine, is very important to Cambodian culture.  It is set to a beautiful, haunting song and the male part is much more difficult than the female part, requiring two bamboo poles as props, which must be maneuvered and pounded on the ground in a graceful fashion to the beat of the music.  Our boys gave it the old college try, but it was easy to see the instructor's frustration due to the lack of ability from the team.  The girls weren't much better, but luckily, a dance pixie, in the form of a ten year old resident, who was watching in disgust from the side lines, took the girls under her wing and taught them their part with grace and patience.  The session ended with some progress having been made, but with the understanding that a lot more work was needed.

Session two - practice began with a costume viewing, with Vaneath as the guinea pig.  After he was swaddled in yards of Khmer cloth, similiar to a baby's diaper, we decided we might find our own more comfortable and dignified costumes at the local market.  Surprisingly, the team seemed to have retained some muscle-memory of the dance and actually seemed to enjoy it, unlike the scowling faces from the first practice.  Mabye they had resigned themselves to the fact that there was no way to get out of this, so why not have some fun.  After a few hours practice, timing, synchronization and rhythm still leave a lot to be desired, but they seem to at least know the dance.  Luckily, there is one more practice before taking this show on the road.  Wish us luck!!

Road Trip Part 2 - Sabai Klang Nah

When the two Spirit of Soccer trucks pulled up to the Beach Road Hotel Friday afternoon, the team members were literally bouncing off the walls of the vehicles.  The hotel is in the center of the action in Sihanoukville, Cambodia's main beach town, and it is an upscale backpacker hotel with very few Cambodian guests.  The front desk is located at the back of the bar/restaurant and two feet from a pool table.  When two barangs (Cambodian word for white foreigners) came into the lobby with 11 Cambodian kids and two Cambodian adults, the entire room turned to stare.  While the check-in was being sorted, the team played pool, completely oblivious to the fact that they were the center of attention; something they would be for the entire weekend.

After unloading the gear in the rooms, it was time for the beach.  We tried to convince the team to change into shorts rather than sport jeans and longsleeves, but no luck.  The 1/4 mile walk to the beach was somewhat overwhelming as the street is filled with tourist shops, barang backpackers and bars.  Everyone grabbed hands with another team member for support.  In Cambodia, it is not unusual to see two kids or adults of the same sex walking down the street holding hands.

Once we hit the beach, and after a minute or two of staring at the water, the entire team ran pell mell into the sea fully clothed.  It was a sight to see!  They frolicked in the water laughing their heads off while tossing the soccer ball around,  yet again the center of attention for all the tourists on the beach.

Savin had a huge grin on her face and when we asked how she was, she said, "Sabai Klang Nah", directly translated as happy strong very.  It was truly amazing to see so much joy and wonder as the team had their first experience in the ocean and playing in the sand.

After returning to the hotel, the team asked if they could go in the pool.  None of them have ever been in a pool before.  Upon the affirmative answer, 11 sandy, beddraggled, fully-clothed Cambodian kids dive bombed the pool to the horror of the other hotel guests.  It was like the scene from Caddy Shack when the caddies take over the pool, minus the baby ruth part.  The other people in the pool quickly made their way to the far side of the pool, away from the crazy Cambodian kids, and after about ten minutes, the team had taken over the entire pool while the rest of the guests stared in a mix of horror and fascination from the surrounding lounge chairs.

The next day, the team had evaluations with social workers and psychologists from a local NGO to check their readiness for travel and to help open dialogue about their fears about the trip.  Team members are nervous about being away from home for two weeks, eating non-Cambodian food and the language barrier.  A few mentioned neighbors in their village brought up the issue of human trafficking and safety.  Human trafficking is a big problem in Cambodia, esepecially for young village girls.  Their fears were allayed about safety concerns and trip expectations through discussions with other Cambodian kids who have traveled internationally and the team was given additional explanation about the journey ahead.  We learned that not only do we need to travel with a rice maker and locally produced rice, but we also need to bring dozens of ramen noodles in case the team won't eat the food offered in South Africa.  Asians in general don't like food from other countries and Cambodians in particular do not really eat food from outside their region, let alone their country. 

After two days of playing soccer, swimming, laughing and bonding as a team, it was time to return to Phnom Penh.  The girls sang, giggled and snacked the entire four hours back to Phnom Penh.  We made a quick stop at the airport so the team would be more comfortable on the departure day and talked about departure gates, checking bags and customs while everyone chomped down on their first Dairy Queen soft-serve cone.   

Finally, time for the mall!  Sunday afternoon is a busy time at the mall in Cambodia, but add a holiday Sunday afternoon to the mix and you get utter mall mania.  The mall is more of a social excurison than a buying excurison - air conditioning, escalators, window shopping, fried chicken outlets and more. 

The team entered the Sorya Center in excited anticipation with their eyes growing wider and wider upon seeing all the people, the bright lights and the famed escalator.  After a quick explanation about the escalator, we hopped on for a trip down.  All the girls grabbed the nearest arm to hold onto and screeched in fear and delight as if they were on a roller coaster.  We yelled to 'jump off' at the bottom as they truly didn't know what to do.  (Sidenote:  In any other country, the Sorya Center would not really even be considered a mall, but in Cambodia, it is the best we can do and almost as big a deal as Disney World.)

The final cultural excursion of the weekend was a quick trip around the grocery store.  Again, no one on the team had been into a grocery store as they do their shopping in local markets, often with live animals and just picked produce.  They stared in fascination at neatly cut hunks of meat nicely wrapped in plastic, mesh bags filled with produce and gasped at the cost of the food.

What a weekend!  It was a real honor to share some of the outside world with the Football for Hope Team.  They are officially ready for South Africa!

Road Trippin' Cambodia Style - Part I

The middle of May finds all of Cambodia celebrating the King's Birthday, a three day celebration plus the weekend, and one of the few non-religious Cambodian holidays.  In good Cambodian custom, Spirit of Soccer took the team on the road, Kampuchea style, as a warm-up trip for South Africa.  The trip was to include a training at the National Football Center with the U-14 national team, a press conference, meetings with social workers to assess the team's readiness for international travel and some well-deserved beach time. 

The two Spirit of Soccer coaches, Heang and Kamsort, gave up their 5-day holiday with their families to accompany the team to Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.  Cambodians typically spend holidays with family and it is unusual to leave your family for travel on your own or with a group.  Kamsort is the mother of two young children and it is a big sacrifice for her to leave her family for this trip and the trip to South Afrca.  Both coaches are incredible with the team - Heang offers the coaching leadership and discipline and Kamsort gives the individual attention needed, especially to the girls.

The team members assembled in Battambang from their various villages where two big white land cruisers that scream "NGO" were ready for the 4-hour caravan trip to Phnom Penh.  Rather than divide up into the two cars equally, the team decided to put all the bags in one rig and travel together in the other vehicle with the two coaches, a mere 13 people in one truck.  We watched in bemusement as all eleven players climbed into the back of the truck in the 95 plus degree heat for the journey.  And, typical to Khmer, all the kids were wearing jeans, long-sleeve shirts and hoodies while us westerners were dressed in the least amount of clothes considered culturally allowable.

Of course, two hours into the journey, a lunch stop was required.  It isn't a road trip in the Kingdom of Wonder without a long, drawn out stop for a meal, a snack or a picnic.  This stop isn't a quickie in and out at the drive-thru, but a sit-down meal with multiple courses and conversation.  Cambodians would never understand the concept of beating your past record for a trip.  It is worth mentioning that Cambodian 'road food' is nothing like western road food as there are no fast food restaurants or convenience stores en route, only a few gas station shops and locals selling fruit and other non-packaged products.  The team members snacked on bags of snails, green mangos, dried fish, fried bananas and other wholesome, yet smelly, products in the truck prior to the lunch stop.

The number one thing the team wanted to do upon arrival in Phom Penh was visit the Sorya Center, a mall with a grocery store and escalator.  This much anticipated stop was slated for the Sunday return to Phnom Penh.  All of the team members had  heard of the famed Sorya Center, but had never been to a mall, visited a grocery store or ridden an escalator.

After a late arrival in town, the team had a early night in preparation for the morning training session and press conference.  The Cambodian Football Federation has been incredibly supportive of the team and has assisted in much of the travel logistics.  The team was naturally nervous about playing at the National Football Center and were a little unsure of what to expect.  Their fears heightened when they arrived at the pitch to have TV cameras and reporters following their every move.  They, of course, acted like pros who were used to the paparazzi following them around on a regular basis.  Good thing the boys all had their best hairdo, a la a Beckham, for the big day.  (Sidenote, every two weeks when the team comes together, four of the five boys have changed their hair, whether is is new sideburns, a dye job or a radical haircut.  They are true slaves to fashion.)

The training included stretching, drills and five v. five games.  The two groups blended seamlessly and put on a good show for the press.  After the training, the press conference began.  This was the team's second press conference and they acted like old hats.  Sengvy, the team's captain, even grabbed the microphone, introduced himself and spoke on the team's behalf in front of the cameras, the reporters and the Football Federation's General Secretary.  Each team member was awarded a national team jersey and wished good luck by all in attendance, aware that they are now representing Cambodia internationally.

After the hard work, it was time to head to the beach.  The team finally agreed to split up into two cars - girls in one and boys in the other.  From here on out, the world outside was all new to them.  No one had been to the beach before.  As we moved closer and closer to the shore, the level of excitement built and the team was in a near frenzy.  At one point, Vrak spotted an airplane flying above us, just after it took off from Phnom Penh Int'l, and the whole truck went into excited hysteria as they had never seen a plane flying before.

Stay tuned for Part 2!!

The Girls from Bour Village

Kunthea, Socheata and Channou, three girls on the Spirit of Soccer Football for Hope team, all come from Bour Village, Battambang Province.   The village is a two plus hour drive from Battambang, the provincial capital, with well over half the drive on a teeth-rattling, bone-jarring dirt road.  The pastoral setting with palm tree-lined roads and mountains off in the distance doesn't give the passerby a sense of the problems faced by the villagers.

The village is home to approximately 1000 people and is without running water or electricity.  During the rainy season, the roads often get washed out and it can be very difficult to come or go.  Despite its isolation, Bour Village sports at least five cell phone vendors and cell phone reception is better than most parts of the US.  Most inhabitants are farmers and many farms are backed up against landmine fields.  Water is delivered in giant cisterns on the back of a motorbike trailer and becomes home to mosquito larvae, leading to malaria which is a serious problem faced by villagers in Cambodia. 

Until a few months ago, the local school was nestled up against a 17 hectare landmine field, there's now a 50 meter buffer between the school and the live explosives.  You can still see the landmine signs from the school soccer field.

Kunthea has eleven brothers and sisters and her father is a farmer.  She currently is unable to go to school because the nearest high school is over an hour away by dirt road.  Kids from Bour Village either must move to the village with a high school and stay with a family member or spend $4 and over two hours per day on the back of a motorbike commuting or drop out of school.  Kunthea helps her mother around the house and is a mean soccer player. 

Socheata's family lives too far from the school, so she moved in with her sister, brother-in-law and niece so that she could attend school.  She lives in a one room thatched-roof hut with an outhouse out back.  She is a model student, speaks a little English and is a leader on the team.  Her positive attitude and her smile are infectious.  She sites the lanmines, lack of paved roads and no nearby highschool as the biggest challenges she faces in her day to day life.

Channou lives with her parents and 9 brothers and sisters far outside of town and it takes at least thirty minutes for her to get to school.  Her family is very excited for her to go to South Africa, even though they don't completely understand where it is or what the tournament is about.  They are excited she is receiving vaccinations, soccer training and getting a chance to meet players from other villages.

The fact that these three girls all come from such poverty and face many challenges on a daily basis and still manage to bring so much energy, liveliness and hard work to the Football for Hope Team is inspiring to all who come into contact with them.

And despite their rural and isolated homelife, they are typical teenage girls.  They love to giggle and gossip with each other, are concerned about their appearances and love to shop.