First few days at FLO

Today was our 3rd day at FLO, but already we feel so comfortable because of the welcoming attitude of the kids and staff. I was a bit anxious coming here, afraid that perhaps the students would resent our nationality and comparitive wealth. As anyone who has already visited will know, however, that the opposite is true: everyone in the FLO community, from students to teachers to cooks, is so kind, generous, and unassuming. They are all curious about us and where we come from, eager to practice their English skills, and wanting to know more about each of their Aloha Foster parents.
After a friendly welcome on Thursday, my dad and I settled into the guest house. Yesterday we presented the kids with their new backpacks and a few other donated items--paper, pens, shampoo, and yo-yos--as well as the individual gifts that we brought from foster parents in Hawaii. We were a little concerned about jealousy or sadness among the children who didn't receive these "special gifts," but explained that not every parent has the means or convenience of providing these extra things, and reminded them that each child is very special to their parent and often in their thoughts. When we talked to my foster brother Reak Smey about this concern, he reassured us that the kids at FLO "do not think like this; we all share everything." It does seem that every child expresses gratitude whenever he or she can, thanking us for visiting, for practicing English with them, and for any special things they enjoy because of the generosity of the foster parents.
After receiving their backpacks yesterday, the children also had the chance to go swimming in their pool, which they can only use on special occasions because they must have the water delivered (right now they collect rainwater for cooking, drinking, and bathing). Today we took everyone to the Phnom Penh waterpark. It is about 20 minutes away, and it was the first time for all of them. It rained almost constantly but still they had a great time and were giddy with excitement all day, rushing down the slides and back up again. We have some more great pictures which we'll try to post later.
Tomorrow we're taking a trip to one of Cambodia's coastal areas with 30 of the best students/hardest workers, selected by their teachers. We will post more pictures and details when we return:)