Beggar Pimps

So, our time in Thailand was a good transition into Cambodia, in terms of the geography but also in terms of the sheer quantity of children beggars. Here, dirty little hands, bare feet, and runny noses accost one's (near) every move. Children outright beg for money, as well as peddle a variety of cheap handmade or store bough wares, such as bracelets, chips, or finger paintings.

And, this country is filled with an undue portion of the worlds most precious and endearing children. It is extremely painful to constantly turn these children away, especially because the Khmer culture is one of philanthropy; but supporting these habits seems short sighted. At our guesthouses, signs warn that the money given to children is actually funneled back to their adult beggar pimps who control protect and likely abuse a group of children for profit.

William and I talk almost constantly about our desire to adopt; but also, we talk of arrogance and layered-complications of that desire.

On this trip across the south of Cambodia, I have seen different type of squalor from that I have seen before. We saw families living in thatch lean-to homes constructed in piled rows above vast swamp-like crops of morning-glory (which appears on every menu). It seems in the countryside, homes are only used for sleeping; all other activities are conducted outdoors. Families cook above open flames, fueled by coal and random scraps of debris. In the cities, children play bare footed in the streets. In the country, children tend cattle with a switch of grass in hand; or ride with impossible piles of stuff atop ox carts or motor bikes. Once, outside areas frequented by tourists, we are received by children with extreme enthusiasm and curiosity. We hear a chorus of 'hello' and 'bye' from gorgeous smiling faces, with bright dark eyes, and halos of black hair.

It is difficult to imagine having biological children, when there are so many children already in the world.