What is truly beneficial?

Yestaday we went to the famous Ankor wat and many other temples, very beautiful and inspiring atmosphere.  We probably enjoyed the Bayon temple the most which was combination of  Hindu and Bhuddism.  The whole temple complex was set in the jungle and some of the temples overgrown with trees.  Monkeys running around alot of musicians who have lost limbs due to landmines or war were selling cds and I had a deep respect for their respect for themselves rather than begging.


Life is getting a little more real, the poverty I must say has been a challenge today.  When we first arrived somehow we felt quite positive, relaxed and we could send positive uplifting "chi" or thoughts  for those of you who are not into chi and it felt like a positive exchange.   Today we went to a floating market which ended up basically becoming a governtment  cash cow  of taking tourists to buy overpriced rice to feed the orphans in a vietmanese refuge school in cambodia.  It was a strange feeling of not wanting to do nothing but at the same time knowing this was not the best way of "helping".  I feel clear about not giving to beggars as this only reinforces this negative view of themselves.  It is hard to deny however that money is an important resource for everybody.  It is just being clear where your money is going, it is just another form energy that can be either beneficial or non beneficial depending on how you use it.

Alot is about awareness, for ourselves as well. Time is also needed to find out how things work here and how to make good choices so things benefit both ways.  This was we knew going to face us at some point and both Stephan and I are looking at ways we can truly benefit the people we come across.  Alot is about acceptance of where Cambodia is at at this point in time as well and to see the good in it as everything has a positive side as well.

This has become of course a real eye opener for the children.  Chloe is at the moment wanting to go straight to a rich clean country but I think is becomming to understand what it really means to live in the west.

So that life for us at the moment, still enjoying the rich and magical journey of life

Natalie