Well, what a week it’s been! It seems as though we have been here a month! We started the week off very much out of our comfort zone and at times even entered the “terror Zone”! However, we have not only survived, learned heaps about Cambodia as well as ourselves, but we have also had loads of fun as well.
Last weekend was pretty quiet as Barry was not well. After consulting our Orientation Kit under “Health” I eliminated the possibility of Dinghy Fever and Bird Flu and decided he must have Malaria (fever, stomach cramps, diarrhoea). However as he was fully recovered by Monday, I re-diagnosed him as only having had food poisoning!
Fortunately he was well enough on Monday to go the Krousar Thmey (our placement) to meet all the teachers and the children for the first time and to negotiate our timetable. Our original schedule did not allow any time in-between the centers for traveling and so to fit in all the classes, we are now starting work at 7.30am and finishing at 6.15pm!!! However we do have a couple of hours break in the middle of the day.
Our day begins by travelling about 10 mins in a tuk-tuk out to the Blind School. From there we are picked up and taken to one of the Family Centres by moto (a 125cc cross between a motor bike and a scooter. Rhon and I squeeze up behind the driver – it’s not unusual to see families of five on 1 moto). The Family Centre has a small classroom and we have about 12 students there in the morning and about 14 different students in the afternoon. After a one hour lesson at the Family Centre , we are again picked up by moto and taken 5kms to one of the Protection Centres where we have anything up to 22 students for one hour in the morning and then a different class of about 24 for an hour in the afternoon. At 12 noon we are picked up again and taken back to the Blind School for a one hour class teaching the teachers English. We start again at 3pm, doing the round trip again and then finish up back at the Blind School for a class with the blind children, that finishes at 6.15pm; and then we get a tuk-tuk home! Oh by the way, the 14 or 15 year olds from the protection center usually drive us around – don’t think they would have licences. And there are some really interesting ‘roads’ once you get off the main track. So now you know why you have not heard from us this week!!!! However we should be able to add stuff more often from now on as we have we have now negotiated a four day week (Wednesday’s off) in true dinkum Aussie style, to ensure our survival over the next 8 weeks.
The traffic here is chaotic with few obvious rules, although we have now worked out there are some rules but none that you would immediately recognise. Getting to and from school has been quite eventful. On Tuesday night the Director of the Blind school, Mr Vanna and another teacher gave us a lift home. I was on Mr Vanna’s moto and we lost sight of Barry on the other moto in the dark. Mr Vanna speaks Khmer and French fluently, but little English. I spoke to him in my best French and said, tournez a droit, which he did. Unfortunately I was soon hopelessly lost and he had to stop and ring for help!
On Wed night we decided to get a tuk-tuk together. Unfortunately a young girl on a moto came from seemingly no-where and crashed into us. She came off her bike and she and her bike went completely under the moto with the weight of us in it. I expected her to have at least broken both of her legs. She got up dazed but not seriously hurt. A crowd soon gathered and there was much discussion about whose fault it was and how much damage was done to her bike and it seems that the crowd then decided how much compensation should be paid. One man light his cigarette lighter and put it next to the motorbike in an attempt to assess the damage (it is dark here by 6pm) At this stage we thought it best to pay the driver and leave. The next day we found out our driver had to pay $US40, even though it was not his fault!
Most of the week we have just been getting to know the children and how much English they know. This varies quite a lot and most of the classes are mixed ages and abilities. They are all however keen to learn. The most challenging class for us is the blind children as we did not know how much they understood or where to start with them. The first couple of questions we asked them were met with stony silence, so Barry got out the guitar and taught them the song ABCDEFG…. This was an immediate hit! We then sang FASTER, then SOFTER, then LOUDLY! They are very keen on the later! We then played somewhat successfully “Simon Says”” The only problem is that when we said “turn around”, we forgot to say “”Stop”” and they just kept going around and around. We are on a steep learning curve!
The classes with the teachers have been hilarious! We have been utilizing Barry’s acting skills and been doing lots of role playing which they seem to love. This week we have been shopping for the ingredients to make Khmer Soup and yesterday, we made the soup. They have a great sense of humour and we are really loving teaching with them.
We thought we were both going to lose weight in Cambodia, but sadly this will not be the case as we are being far too well fed. Most days we have had lunch at the Protection Centre and the Principle is a gorgeous woman with a warm smile and generous nature. She now brings us cake, biscuits and bananas for morning tea and then we have lunch which the children cook as part of their classes. The food is delicious and anything we don’t eat, she insists we take home with us! Barry had lunch at the Blind Centre one day when, fortunately “j’ai mal a la vent”. They had sweet and sour soup with chicken feet.
We are looking forward to next when we hopefully will be feeling much more in control.
Much love to you all……………Rhon and Barry xxxxxxxxxxx
Last weekend was pretty quiet as Barry was not well. After consulting our Orientation Kit under “Health” I eliminated the possibility of Dinghy Fever and Bird Flu and decided he must have Malaria (fever, stomach cramps, diarrhoea). However as he was fully recovered by Monday, I re-diagnosed him as only having had food poisoning!
Fortunately he was well enough on Monday to go the Krousar Thmey (our placement) to meet all the teachers and the children for the first time and to negotiate our timetable. Our original schedule did not allow any time in-between the centers for traveling and so to fit in all the classes, we are now starting work at 7.30am and finishing at 6.15pm!!! However we do have a couple of hours break in the middle of the day.
Our day begins by travelling about 10 mins in a tuk-tuk out to the Blind School. From there we are picked up and taken to one of the Family Centres by moto (a 125cc cross between a motor bike and a scooter. Rhon and I squeeze up behind the driver – it’s not unusual to see families of five on 1 moto). The Family Centre has a small classroom and we have about 12 students there in the morning and about 14 different students in the afternoon. After a one hour lesson at the Family Centre , we are again picked up by moto and taken 5kms to one of the Protection Centres where we have anything up to 22 students for one hour in the morning and then a different class of about 24 for an hour in the afternoon. At 12 noon we are picked up again and taken back to the Blind School for a one hour class teaching the teachers English. We start again at 3pm, doing the round trip again and then finish up back at the Blind School for a class with the blind children, that finishes at 6.15pm; and then we get a tuk-tuk home! Oh by the way, the 14 or 15 year olds from the protection center usually drive us around – don’t think they would have licences. And there are some really interesting ‘roads’ once you get off the main track. So now you know why you have not heard from us this week!!!! However we should be able to add stuff more often from now on as we have we have now negotiated a four day week (Wednesday’s off) in true dinkum Aussie style, to ensure our survival over the next 8 weeks.
The traffic here is chaotic with few obvious rules, although we have now worked out there are some rules but none that you would immediately recognise. Getting to and from school has been quite eventful. On Tuesday night the Director of the Blind school, Mr Vanna and another teacher gave us a lift home. I was on Mr Vanna’s moto and we lost sight of Barry on the other moto in the dark. Mr Vanna speaks Khmer and French fluently, but little English. I spoke to him in my best French and said, tournez a droit, which he did. Unfortunately I was soon hopelessly lost and he had to stop and ring for help!
On Wed night we decided to get a tuk-tuk together. Unfortunately a young girl on a moto came from seemingly no-where and crashed into us. She came off her bike and she and her bike went completely under the moto with the weight of us in it. I expected her to have at least broken both of her legs. She got up dazed but not seriously hurt. A crowd soon gathered and there was much discussion about whose fault it was and how much damage was done to her bike and it seems that the crowd then decided how much compensation should be paid. One man light his cigarette lighter and put it next to the motorbike in an attempt to assess the damage (it is dark here by 6pm) At this stage we thought it best to pay the driver and leave. The next day we found out our driver had to pay $US40, even though it was not his fault!
Most of the week we have just been getting to know the children and how much English they know. This varies quite a lot and most of the classes are mixed ages and abilities. They are all however keen to learn. The most challenging class for us is the blind children as we did not know how much they understood or where to start with them. The first couple of questions we asked them were met with stony silence, so Barry got out the guitar and taught them the song ABCDEFG…. This was an immediate hit! We then sang FASTER, then SOFTER, then LOUDLY! They are very keen on the later! We then played somewhat successfully “Simon Says”” The only problem is that when we said “turn around”, we forgot to say “”Stop”” and they just kept going around and around. We are on a steep learning curve!
The classes with the teachers have been hilarious! We have been utilizing Barry’s acting skills and been doing lots of role playing which they seem to love. This week we have been shopping for the ingredients to make Khmer Soup and yesterday, we made the soup. They have a great sense of humour and we are really loving teaching with them.
We thought we were both going to lose weight in Cambodia, but sadly this will not be the case as we are being far too well fed. Most days we have had lunch at the Protection Centre and the Principle is a gorgeous woman with a warm smile and generous nature. She now brings us cake, biscuits and bananas for morning tea and then we have lunch which the children cook as part of their classes. The food is delicious and anything we don’t eat, she insists we take home with us! Barry had lunch at the Blind Centre one day when, fortunately “j’ai mal a la vent”. They had sweet and sour soup with chicken feet.
We are looking forward to next when we hopefully will be feeling much more in control.
Much love to you all……………Rhon and Barry xxxxxxxxxxx
3 comments:
sounds awsome guys! i am so proud of you both........love mans
Hi Rhonda and Barry, I have just read all your blog since you arrived. It is quite amazing, and you both seem to be having a very interesting time. Bit dangerous on the roads though. Sounds a bit like italian traffic only wilder. Good on ya mates, negotiating the 4 day week!!! Everything going fine Rhonda with my walking so far, haven't dipped out, although got very wet one morning and been suffering ever since with aches of one sort or another, probably just a lot of old age though. Hope Barry is now well, and no after effects of the food poisoning. You're a typical wife Rhonda, including doctoring into your repetoire. One thing though, I don't speak ANY french, can you please include a translation when using it. Good to hear from you both, you're going great guns by the sound of it. Keep up the good work. Love Sue.
Hi Ronda,
I forgot to mention I read an article this week about another ex pat. Tania Palmer who has opened a centre In Siem Reap called the Green Gecko. She married a local man and they now have a converted disused police station where they have language classes, meals for young kids etc. This lady re-mortgaged her house as she said it cost $1800 a mth to keep running. They have a web site I can give you if you have the time or want to follow up. I thought at first I was reading about your guys project. Bye for now. Sue
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