After meeting up with some girls visiting for the first time in three years since their parents were last missionaries here; I ventured around the market and picked up some vegetables so I will not have to remain on this rice and noodle diet. We then ate lunch where they are staying and went over to another missionary's house for a bike ride.
I was hit with a realization (again as it happened last time as well) of just how detached these missionay children are from the modern world. Not that this is always a negative thing as they are not tarnished by some harsh aspects presented mainly by the media. However, they are a few years behind children born and raised in the modern world. Which presents even less equal ground for us to relate on. For example, one of their mother's had a joke about Tom Selek and I was the only one around (at the time) besides her that knew who he was!
It does erk me though that since I am at such an in between age for the population of NGOs and missionaries here, I often get stuck in awkward positions. The adults commonly try to place me with their children and provide opportunities for us to bond yet, I end up in most of the adults conversations. This is mostly just a problem with the missionaries as they are the only ones with children out of the foreigners in Ban Lung. It doesn't bother me too much since they are all very kind and helpful with anything I may need while Anne is away.
There are other times though, such as at the weekly Fellowship when I usually bounce around small talk and end up sipping tea observing. Also, on nights such as this very one. Yesterday the neighbor told me she would like me to meet a couple girls around my age, actually they are much younger in their teens but it must have slipped her mind, and we could arrange a sleepover. Then today I discover it is actually ALL of the missionary children coming over and this event was planned a week ago knowing that I would be here in Anne's house alone. It is very sweet they are trying to keep me company and make sure I am not lonely during my stay. However, it is a bit like a "backhanded compliment" in the sense that everything was organized and prepared around me...they simply needed my consent to use Anne's house for the night.
I am actually typing this while the young boys are crowded around a small portable DVD player watching Macgyver and the young girls are taking turns showering next door (they have hot water and Anne doesn't). The mother of two of the boys is setting up mosquito nets despite my comments that we can figure it out and I am grateful for all she has done already. She helped us girls prepare dinner next door and gave us a "cooking class". Which reminds me of just how gender seperate these families are and how eccentric I seem to them. Some of the fathers' actually look worried when I am explaining my hopes of traveling to more places ALONE and having no immediate need for a man's aid in these ventures.
Well, I must help this mother set up other beds for the children I am watching tonight. peace.
