Okay, for sure, one of the most memorable persons I've met is this guy. He's around capturing our every move whether it's the offering sessions to the Buddha or when we're playing volleyball, or even when we're teaching.
I was just reminded by Vanessa sometime ago that he first caught my eye when we were having lunch. Our lunch is different from theirs. First of all, they use their hands. Second of all, they only have one dish and a lot of rice. For us, we have whatever we want. Our food is totally different, with quite a few dishes laid in front of us. I remembered that I was eating and he walked past and he smiled at me. I smiled back. But at that time I was feeling a bit weird, and I hate to use the term but there was a bit of double standards because we weren't exactly living their lives.
There was this place for prayer as well, and we had lunch there one day. He was sitting at a 'table' next to mine. It isnt exactly a table. In fact, it was similar to the furniture at Ban Jalae. It's as short as a stool, but it had the area of a table and we sat and the floor to eat. My table consisted of all the NY people. Mr Cheng, Van, Yu Ting, Yu Min and Bao Xing. I said casually that wanted to get to know him. Then Van got his attention and asked him for his name! As usual, I was feeling... I'm looking for a better word, but for now, it's just plain SHY. He told me his name was Sor Tai. I had a bit of trouble pronouncing it at first. Then he put his hand on mine and said it one more time. That was when I finally got it and he smiled and nodded.
Mr Cheng then said I could sue him for molest. What the hell! But everyone saw that and it was certainly kind of weird, but it was something special. Well the girls had other girls attached to them like, permanantly! So this was nothing.
He's 18, which was the same as us! Somehow that's quite a big deal, because it was one more thing we had in common. I was eating this desert which was some orange coloured jelly. We didn't talk very much, or even if we did, I can't remember it now. But, he offered me the orange jelly from his table (plainly ignoring the fact that my table had a plate of that too). Out of plain politeness and happiness at his gesture, I started stuffing myself with the jelly. I think I made it halfway through before I decided that I would burst if I continued eating it. It tasted quite good actually, but it certainly was a lot for desert! I thanked him and passed the plate back to him.
What surprised me was his attention on me when apparently Van was the one who asked for his name. But I guess somehow he knew that I was the one who wanted to get to know him. Hmm...
I actually wanted to find some time to go talk to him. However I lacked the guts, that's one very obvious barrier. Another would of course be that I was afraid that there'd be a language barrier. I thought of what I would talk to him about, like why he was chosen to be the camerman and his responsibilities in the orphange because he was one of the older boys around and he was quite close to the monks there who set up the orphanage. They trusted him with stuff to do. But procrastination got the better of me, and he didn't come out at night when all the other kids did. In the afternoon I was busy teaching so I couldn't get away either.
A combination of factors led to our next meeting being 2 days later I think.
In this picture it's Lean and Andy and Sor Tai's holding the camera at the back! It was Sports Day and the afternoon programme was cancelled. Instead, due to Yu Min's initiative, all the little boys had to bath and get their injuries or illnesses checked. Andy was one of the first aiders that day and Sor Tai went to him to get his wound cleaned. I went over to see it being done. I called his name again and his friend corrected me a bit. I asked him if it was painful. Andy translated it to Burmese and he said no. ( Andy decided to learn the word for painful because he was going to treat a hell lot of people that day). In actual fact, hydrogen peroxide is hell painful and Andy took a few rounds of cleaning before the wound looked bright pink. Cleaned. I just sat there watching, till he was done. Sor Tai didn't even make a sound. (Later when we went back to Yangoon, Mr Cheng used it on someone and she yelled.)
On the final day we were there I already had planned to give him a cap. But I couldn't find the opportunity to do it. So it was only later before our 'campfire' (without a fire)-cum-concert that I gave it to him. I was inspired because there was one day I was leaving the orphange to go to the market and he was wearing a blue cap and zooming off in his scooter! Looking pretty jaunty too I must add.
I can't exactly remembered his expression when I gave him the cap. He thanked me, and wore it straight away, without taking out the tag that was on it. Yep, he did look quite impressive with it. The cap was chosen by Mr Cheng actually. It didn't cost much too. But it was a token of friendship, so I suppose that was all that mattered. For the next 2-3 hours or so while the concert programme was on, he wore the cap while filming down everything. At the end, I went to look for him and he wrote his name on my journal (which I fucking lost and I'm still freaking trying to search for it, but I have this terrible feeling I left it at YMCA, and it's been a week since I came back), and he took out a book and I wrote my name and address on it too. Finally, we took a photo together. I regret not taking one more with him before I left. And he took off his cap before taking the photo too! Darn.
I'd like to say that the orange shirt made me look big. And that the people there aren't used to smiling when they take photos so this is already quite an achievement. Anyway, that was the last time I saw him. When we boarded the bus to leave at about 1 AM, he wasn't there to send us off. I was a bit disappointed but well, I am quite happy to get to know him. He's cool.
Although I didn't spend a lot of time with him, he's someone who brought me memorable moments and if I ever go back, I hope to see him again.
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