The Cocktail Party
The first fundraiser was a cocktail party where we were introduced for the first time as school directors.
"Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much."
— Helen Keller
We started our Wednesday morning by eating at the diner; I joined us later. The whole afternoon, we met with our bosses, G. and P., creating the slideshow to tell the story of Kulen Outreach. Once our brains were fried, we hung in the pool. That evening, we plucked peaches, which D. turned into a delicious dessert. We played charades and ate pasta.
The following day, we left for New York City to attend the first part of the fundraiser: a cocktail party on the Upper East Side. The first thing we did once in NYC was eat a New York Bagel—delicious!
We walked to a metro station, but not before having a look in Grand Central Station and grabbing cookies at Rockefeller. On our way there, we passed by the Empire State Building. Once everyone was sugared up, we took the subway to the Upper East Side to help prepare the cocktail party.
'The Grid' is so convenient for finding your way and navigating the NYC metropolis! Once we arrived at the correct building, G. told us that Madonna lived next door and that if we stood in the garden and listened, we would hear her practice singing. We struggled with G. to start our presentation on the Apple TV, but it worked eventually, and it was right on time! The first guests were arriving.
We started in the garden—yes, a garden on the Upper East Side of New York City—beautifully lit with fairy lights and candles. After some quick introductions, our hosts invited everyone upstairs to the lounge, where the presentation was about to start.
G. told the story of Kulen Outreach, how he - 10 years ago - went to Cambodia, went up Kulen Mountain with a local guide, and found a couple of girls aged 7 or 8 teaching what they've learned to younger children. From then on, he, C., and P. wanted to help the rural mountain villages. He did a quick recap of everything that happened in those 10 years, summed up all the wins, and ended with introducing Kiki and me as the new school directors, explaining that everything changed for the better in the time we took on the role of school director.
This was followed by a Q&A for the sponsors on what daily life looks like for our students in Cambodia, extra questions about our accomplishments, and a round of applause before the auction started.
It all happened in the blink of an eye, but after the auction, we were invited for dinner in the garden. The food was delicious! You could see the chef working in the kitchen with all the fresh and healthy ingredients.
The hostess thanked everyone for joining, G. and P. for the presentation and all their endeavors, and announced that the party had ended. We said our goodbyes and walked to the car. Since it was late and D. had gone home, we drove home with G. and reviewed the evening in detail. Once we got home, it was nearly midnight, and I fell asleep. I was exhausted but happy after an eventful, joyous day. Tomorrow, we'll attend another dinner, the second part of the fundraiser.