Sam Tolle and Seri Yen’s wedding was July 2, 2013
Spud (my dog) bit me! Can you believe that lousy mutt? He’d never seen me in a suit. (Actually, very few have seen me in a suit) Spud must have thought I was an intruder. When I yelled at him, he recognized me instantly, and apologized profusely! (That’s what dogs do when they whine and grovel. Right?) So, why the suit?
Sam’s finally gotten the job done! Sam Tolle is one of our best volunteers, a great team leader, but not the fastest when it comes to romance. He’s only been here for three years! I don’t know how long he expected us to keep these girls in waiting, but on July 2nd, he finally tied the knot! It was a fun wedding for Sou and me, especially with Sam’s family here to help celebrate.
Seri Yen, now Mrs. Sam Tolle, is one of the original five, “Monkey Girls” from 1999. They received the name from me when they started dancing at about age 7. They were all dressed alike, and I couldn’t keep their names straight, so I deemed them the “Monkey Girls” and assigned them numbers. Yen is “Monkey Number Two”.
I realize you may find it demeaning that I would use such terminology, (I have never been known for my political correctness) but, with so many new kids coming in every week, there was no way I could keep track of names back then. But, these five girls, would start dancing in unison anytime music started playing, just like an organ grinder’s monkeys, so the name stuck. And, once we organized them, and gave them some instruction, they became the basis for our “Cambodian Culture” claim for the churches around the country. It has spread all over Cambodia, as they shared their talent with thousands of people, young and old, through the years.
