Saturday, May 11, 2013

Day three in Cambodia: "Is this cat your pet?"

I'm sweating in places I never thought I would before. My clothes feel like they are melting to my skin. The temperature in the Buddhist temple feels more humid than it is outside. But I'm just glad to be out of the sun.

My friend, Jessica, and I are meandering around the temple, trying to figure out where the monks live and how the Buddhist temple functions.


Entrance to the Buddhist temple
And then...

I spot the cutest cat ever.
And he starts meowing at me which makes my heart melt.

I'm somewhat hesitant to pet him. What if he bites me or scratches me? It's not like I haven't pet stray cats at home before...and been bitten by them. But that was back home. Where the streets aren't as dirty and don't smell like rotten meat and fish roasting in the hot sun. Who knows what shenanigans this feline has been into.



"I bet if I rub myself against your legs you'll pet me."

"PLEASE PET ME. PUUUUUHLEEEEEASEEEEE!"

"How can you resist me now?"
And then he does all of the precious and sweet things that cats do. And he won't stop meowing and looking up at me with his vibrant pear colored eyes, begging for attention and a ginger scratch on his noggin.

Well, I'm in Cambodia...and he is in a public Buddhist temple...how dangerous could he be?


My new best friend


I couldn't say no to his little pink nose and the cheshire grin he kept giving me. I rubbed his triangular head and stroked his back a little, making sure to steer clear from his stomach area, fearful of irritating him. I wanted to avoid the transition from Dr. Kitty Jekyll to Mr. Kitty Hyde.
 
But the cat did not change temperaments. In fact, he loved his head and back rub so much, that he insisted on following Jessica and me all throughout the rest of the temple.
 
I asked one of the monks who we had been chatting with earlier if the cat was the pet to the Buddhist monks. He said it was, and so I asked him if it had a name. He just stared at me confused, and responded with, "No. No name." So yes, Buddhist monks have cell phones and nameless pets in Cambodia in case you were wondering...Orange cat, orange robs. Coincidence? I think not.
 
I realized something about the entirety of the experience. And not just petting the cat, but conversing with the monk, exploring the temple, receiving a blessing from a Buddhist, and meeting the psychedelic "Eyebrow Buddha."
 
The people were just as friendly as the cat I made friends with today (although I'm sure he has long forgotten me by now). The Buddhist monk didn't have to answer our personal and forward questions as generously and patiently as he did. And yet, nothing about what we asked him seemed to phase him. He acted as if we were doing him a favor by asking him questions.
 
He just lives his life, following the rules, in order to ensure he has a place to stay, books to read, and food to eat. And honestly, I can't blame him or judge him, or any other monks for that matter. Some may be truly devout, while others are just in it for the shelter, education, and prestige. And I'm sure that's what the cat was doing; bumming off the Buddhists so he can get loving from sappy animal-lovers like me.

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