more surprising encounters

A group visited Poipet for a few hours one day this week. They came to talk about funding a project or two. I didn't meet them but was involved in some chats before they came, throwing around ideas to put to these potential donors. I was told that one factor to consider was that these guys said they're not adverse to doing something with a bit of.... "wow".

I'm not anti-"wow". I embrace wow. If anyone has a desire to give to the community in Poipet and trusts me to share some tips on how to do that? Wow! Yes! I've got a stack of ideas!

The wow team did get me thinking, however, that maybe I have come to see wow little differently. A friend of mine teaches that WOW stands for Walk Observing Wonder. When we practice the discipline (and the art) of looking for wonder, our ordinary daily life experiences can become wow.

I had one such moment the same day as the wow team was in town. I was drinking coffee and doing some work at an outdoor cafe. A street kid (well known by Poipet expats) pulled up a chair to join me. We talked for a while. Then, he emptied his pockets to count the money he'd earned from begging that day. As the small notes and coins scattered across the table, a singe wrapped lolly spilled out too. He reached for it and then decided instead to give it to me. Twice he pushed it over towards me. Are you sure? I asked. Yes. Take it. Thank you.

Wow.