This one goes out to So Pou

This is Morgan and I with So Pou, the night security guard at Common Grounds. Sadly, his last day was this past Thursday because he is going to go back to school in another province. We are happy that he will get to finish his education, but we will definitely miss him. Our conversations were usually pretty limited because So Pou does not speak much English (and obviously we speak very little Khmer), but if I've learned anything in the past couple of months, it's that you can still let someone know you care about them even if you can barely communicate verbally. So Pou taught me how to say "See you tomorrow" in Khmer. I have absolutely no idea how to spell it, but this is how it sounds: "Chupe-kuh-nia-tanai-sai." He was so proud of me when I finally remembered how to say it!

Our nightly exchange with So Pou would be something similar to this:

Part 1: We enter Common Grounds...

So Pou: "Hello, Morgan! Hello, Rosie!"

Us: "Hello, So Pou!"

So Pou: "You check email tonight?"

Us: "Yes, we check email tonight."

So Pou: "Oh, good good."

Us: "We will see you in a little bit!"

So Pou: "Ah, yes, see you in a little bit. Good night!"

Us: (laughing because So Pou does not understand what "see you in a little bit" means yet)

Part 2: After we have checked our email and are walking out of Common Grounds...

So Pou: "Hello, Morgan and Rosie."

Us: "Hello, So Pou."

So Pou: "You check email already?"

Us: "Yes, we check email already."

So Pou: "Are you sleepy?"

Us: "Yes, we are sleepy. Are you sleepy?"

So Pou: (laughs and shakes his head) "No, I am not sleepy!"

Us: "Good, good! You must stay awake!"

So Pou: (laughter and nods his head) "Sleep well. Good night! See you tomorrow!"

Us: "Good night, So Pou! See you tomorrow!"

So Pou: "God bless you."

Us: "God bless you too, So Pou."

This conversation may not sound like anything special to you, but through our nightly exchanges with So Pou, we really became attached to him. He has one of the most gentle spirits of anyone we have ever known. Before he left, we had the three pictures above printed off so he would have something to remember us by. After we gave them to him, he kept commenting on how tall Morgan was and how small he was. It was hilarious and precious all at the same time. We will miss you, So Pou!