Childs Play The Cambodian Way
28 October 2009
As some sailors of HMAS Darwin (CMDR Chris Smith, CSM) will tell you, it's often hard to make new friends when you visit a new country, especially when you don't even know a word of the native language.
This becomes immensely apparent when you find yourself standing in front of some 200 orphans waiting with anticipation for you to do something. It's hard not to feel like a fish out of water, but communicating with children no mater where they are from is as simple as child's play.
So with the fish out of the water and the cat out of a bag it was time for the ship's company to get down to work and have some fun with some of the orphaned kids from Cambodia.
During Darwin's recent port visit to Sihanoukville, Cambodia, thirty members of the ship's company visited the Enfants de Sihanoukville orphanage to spend the day lending a helping hand and some quality time with the kids.
Upon arriving at the orphanage those with the mechanical nous took to repairing door knobs, beds, soccer goal posts and numerous other handyman jobs.
Those not so talented in the handyman department took to entertaining the children by playing various games. Both the children and the ship's company alike appeared entertained, the group often breaking into laughter over the co-ordination of their new found friends. It seems adults attempting to play tunnel ball and twirl a hoola-hoop is entertaining in all cultures.
One of the many highlights of the day was when the Navy Band performed a concert. Leading the band's performance was POMUS Mark Ham, who said, "Music is universal, so language is no longer a barrier when we play. It was a real thrill for us to see the kids laughing, clapping and smiling."
The band's music and antics had both the children and the ship's company dancing in the aisles. After the band performance the ship's company from Darwin were then treated to an impromptu concert by the orphanage's own musical ensemble playing traditional Khmer instruments.
Prior to leaving their new found friends, Darwin's team provided the children with toys, sports equipment and writing stationery donated by the welfare committee and individual members of the ship's company.
Darwin's doctor also paid a visited to the orphanage, conducting medical check ups on the children and staff. Although he did not come baring lollipops, the six cases of soft drink seemed to have the same affect sending the children into a frenzy.
Darwin was in Cambodia as part of her South East Asian Deployment. This visit reinforced the close links between Cambodia and Australia through the Australian Defence Cooperation Program and follows successful visits by Royal Australian Navy ships in previous years.
During the ship's visit, members of the ship toured the Navy Marine Base at Ream and delivered specialist training and support in the use of ship maintenance equipment provided by Australia. Another small team of personnel travelled four hours to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital to provide support to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces College of Social Sciences and Languages.
The ship's volleyball team had the chance to compete against the Cambodian National Volleyball Disabled League team, 'The Scorpions', while the ship's soccer team produced a Royal Australian Navy first, beating the Royal Cambodian Navy's soccer team for the first time in the short three year history of the inter-navy trophy.
