Week 6

Bethany has Dengue fever, a bit like a bad flu that you get from mosquitoes.
So she has had the week off work leaving me to teach on my own. I was a bit scared at first but I've actually really enjoyed it and I think it has been good for me as I have been forced to make all the quick decisions and come up with ideas rather than relying on Beth. We have studied the weather this week, which has been a lot of fun as we have actions which the kids continued to demonstrate with their new vocabulary on tuk tuk journeys to and from GH2. During the week we had a huge storm which I found terribly exciting as there was so much rain that it almost came under our bedroom door, it provided a great opportunity to practice vocab. The kids struggle a lot with pronunciation, in a similar way to how I struggle with pronouncing Khmer. The Cambodians have a much softer accent than us so it is hard to pronounce hard letters like ds and ts, which makes it difficult for the kids, even if they know the word I don't always understand what they are saying due to pronunciation.

On Thursday morning three monks came to visit and bless (I think that's what Buddhists do) the new Group Home House. We all gathered in one room in front of the monks and some Buddhist ornaments, and I was promptly told off by one of the Mas and a whole bunch of the older children for showing the soles of my feet to the monks, by sitting with my legs outstretched in front of me. I was told I could either sit in the kneeling position(ow) or with my legs to one side with my feet pointing backwards. I chose this option, but I had to have my hands in the praying position so had no support. As the Buddhists chanted my feet and legs got pins and needles, then became very sore and then finally I lost all feeling. The chanting went on for ages and I was far more restless than any of the kids. Then to mine and a few others great amusement Sayha a boy of 3 years who had to his disgust been forced into a pair of trousers that morning, stood up let out a huge yawn and threw his trousers to the floor. The monks were not perturbed but just as I was beginning to think I would never feel my feet again, one of the monks' phone rang and he answered it! I was shocked that I had to suffer such pain but the monks could interrupt Buddha with a phone call,  but I decided to take the high ground and stayed on the floor. During the blessing we had to give the monks a donation of rice and stew, which I think was also blessed and we all had to touch the person in front whilst the front group handed the food over. We were also sprinkled with water, I think in a similar way to how Christians cleanse themselves of their sins. I got the impression that the water was being directed towards me the Western sinner, but I may have been mistaken.

This weekend has been really nice Bethany was diagnosed on Thursday and as it is so tricky to sleep well at the orphanage, Bernadette our country representative generously invited us to stay with her in Phnom Penh. I joined them on Friday and I have enjoyed a weekend of Western food, dvds, swimming, a sofa and air con. It has been so nice. Although I think I had a 24 hour bug yesterday and threw up so that wasn't so nice. It was the anniversary of the kings coronation, the Kings father's birthday, and a Buddhist celebration this weekend so we have enjoyed two impressive firework displays.

Our little night light broke during the week so now we have no light what so ever in our room after 5 30, and I found a bed bug in our bed. Not pleased.

Week 5

.
This week has been our first week of teaching. I think my favorite week so far. At the moment Bethany and I are teaching together, we are going to gradually split the classes as we get more confident. Our first class on Monday was the older Kids, it was extremely stressful and tiring but it went ok, we didn't really know their abilities so had to think on our feet a little when they worked through out lesson plan quicker than expected. We repeat each of the older children's lessons, and the second group seemed less able than the first group, I think this was due to chance. The lessons with the older children became less and less stressful through out the week as we settled in, I enjoy them allot. There does seem to be quite a range of abilities however within the groups so Bethany and I are going to  try and split the group with in the classroom soon.

The pre-school group that we teach however are a nightmare. Our first lesson was hilariously terrible, it resembled a scene from cheaper by the dozen (a comedy film about parents that can't handle their twelve children). We had completely misjudged their abilities and concentration span. We changed tactics for the next lessons and made coloring in worksheets and slipped in English vocab whilst they were coloring in, this was much more effective. It was really nice by the end of the week watching the children so eager to get our praise.

The floods here have been so bad that the annual water festival, a bigger Cambodian version of Henley Regatta,  that happens mid November has been cancelled. The government has said that the money will go to the flood relief effort (there is an election at the end of the year), many are sceptically however of how much of the money will got to the relief effort. We will however still have a three day national holiday, during which we are planning on doing some traveling.

I'm not sure whether i am getting used to the food or it is getting more tasty, but I am enjoying meal times more and more. I feel less rude now not eating the meat as it has become clear it is not their cooking it is the meat, and they are giving us more vegetables which is very nice. Whenever we are given food such as egg or fried rice, we tell them in our best Khmer how much we enjoyed it so I think this may be helping too.

I went for a run yesterday as it was cool and a little bit rainy. I felt like Paula Radcliffe running the marathon. Everyone I passed either stared, stood up, waved or laughed, one man even ran next to me for a bit. They found it very strange seeing someone out running for the sake of getting some exercise, even the Mas (caregivers) thought it was funny. One of the amused moto drivers gave me a free lift across a flooded patch of road though which was kind. I have also been playing some volleyball with the two older boys, which I enjoy allot.

We have been given the task of organizing a fun day in celebration of International HIV/AIDS day on December the first (I think). It is going to include all the Magna children and staff, and all the children and parents on the Magna program at the Hospital. So that will be fun but take allot of thinking and ideas. If anyone has any good ideas they would be greatly appreciated, we are doing a mixture of educational (HIV, nutrition, hygiene etc) and fun activities, games and things.

Beth has been quite ill for the past few days feeling sick, headachey and had a temperature, if shes not feeling better on Monday were going to talk to a Magna doctor just so were sure its not Malaria. Better safe than sorry.


Love to all

Month 1!

Sour S'dei
I have finally felt settled in this week. Our schedule has been similar to last week with a few additions, including some administrative work at the hospital. We are transferring various test results e.g. white blood cell counts, cd4 counts, from big folders going back many years into a grid which magna is then going to be putting on a computor database. Its quite interesting work as although I dont know what many of the numbers mean I am able to see how much they change, I assume showing how much healthier the children are under Magna's care. Its also quite a nice break from the hectic orphanage, and the room we work in has air conditioning! However I did find it slightly mind boggling to start with as apparently I don't know the days of the year.

We have also gained a little furniture including two comfy chairs and two stacks of shelves so I thoroughly enjoyed turning our slightly bare classroom into a gorgeous homey flat, which I am very proud of. We could just do with some light bulbs now so that we can see our way around after 6pm in the evening.

Mid-week I decided I was brave enough to attempt to teach the kids how to play a card game called Uno, using the little Khmer I know and alot of miming. I am chuffed to say that I managed, Uno went down a storm. I think we may have beaten the world record for longest stint of play, and largest number of players, we were cramed around a table for 2hours! I was then greeted as I woke up, to little hands poking through my window demanding round two. I was very amused by their attitiude towards the game, it seems cambodians play games with alot more emotion, they slam cards and chess pieces at the table. One little boy seemed to enjoy slamming the card at the table so much that he didnt seem to mind which card he was throwing.

On Friday afternoon we took some of the older kids to a U21s football match between Cambodia and Thailand. Sadly Thailand won but it was alot of fun cheering Cambodia along and munching on snacks of fruit dipped in various sugar,salt and chilli combinations.5 people were strechered of the pitch! Seemed a bit unnecessary really.

This weekend, being our one month anniversary we stayed in a guest house on saturday night in Phnom Penh. We celebrated over an expensive ($6.50) dinner of greatly missed western food. Having settled in now at the orphanage I have been able to do some exploring of the local area and have discovered lots of tasty food. On the way to the hospital I often treat myself to something from the bakery, most reasantly a cocunut filled sweet dough which was delicious and cost just 25 cents, we have also found deep fried banana chips, rice and sesame seed sugary tablet stuff, lychees in a scary looking tentacled shell, tomato and shrimp stir fry, and iced milk coffies which are so yummy. They are made from condensed milk and coffee poured over crushed iced, and in very cambodian cafes cost just 2000 riel (40p ish).

Next week we start teaching which is exciting but a little scary, we have made some rather beautiful flash cards (well Bethany's are)this weekend in preparation.
Cambodia is suffering from the worst floods in eleven years at the moment, which is very worrying for those in the countryside as alot of people have died, have had to leave the homes and rice crops are being damaged, but Phnom Penh is high so I'm not really seeing the effects.

We have discovered that the postal service is much more effective than imagined which is good, Bethany has recieved lots of lovely parcels from her family taking under two weeks to get here. I haven't received anything from my family but I hope this will be rectified soon!

Lear hi

Week 3

This week has been diverse. The beginning of the week was extremely tiring as we were getting used to allot of new things, so both Beth and I had a bout of slightly teary culture shock. For the first 3 days we were getting to know the kids and began to adapt to their timetable.
The first screams, yells and jumping on the floor boards above, tend to be at an invigorating 5am sometimes earlier. We eat breakfast and then a section of the Kids leave for school at 7am. We spent the mornings playing with the kids at home, and watching the Magna teachers giving lessons and doing activities with the children. At eleven everyone returns to the orphanage for lunch which is greatly appreciated after a long morning. The afternoon consists of a siesta with the younger kids whilst the rest are at school and then more playing and activities followed by dinner at 5. The younger children have outside showers under a hose and any scabies wounds are painted with Iodine. Bethany and I crash into our beds at eight o'clock.
On Thursday and Friday we were relieved to be given some instructions, in English, of what we would be doing during the year and we were given a vague timetable. We will be teaching English and some computer skills, holding activities for the Kids at the orphanage and doing some administrative work in the hospital.

I am going to give the food I have been eating  section of its own; rice, rice, rice.
For breakfast we have rice with a small piece of meat and occasionally as a treat some egg. Lunch and dinner consists of , of course, rice with either a meat or fish stew. I have had some problems with the food as meat and I don't get on well, and this week our disagreements have reached a whole new level. The meat that we are given is not meat it is the bones and grizzle you would find in a butchers bin in England. So meal times have been a struggle. However there are some delicious sweet treats sold on street stalls just outside the orphanage gate. For example dumplings made from rice (though unrecognizably) sitting in coconut milk with coconut shavings.
Oh and i was persuaded to try cockroach, frog, crickets and ants! They didn't taste bad at all but it was a terrible experience psychologically.
At the weekend we stayed with Son, one of the Magna staff looking after us, and his wife, in Phnom Penh. They are both so so generous and really lovely, we stayed with them for two nights. We went to a classical concert on Friday, which was very impressive, and they took us to a gym and pool on Saturday. We were also introduced to some of their dominantly French friends. On Saturday night we ate dinner using a mixture of French, Khmer and English translations which was an entertaining challenge. We returned to the orphanage with high spirits after a very nice break.

The bed bugs are showing no signs of weakness, but I don't really mind. I have grown very fond of GH1 as the Kids are slightly older so I can talk to them a little and the Mas, though they speak no English, are really kind. I have even got used to sleeping practically on the floor, today I did sleep on the floor during my siesta.

Lots to say but the Tuk Tuk is leaving for GH2 soon.
Lots of love

Week 2

Jum reap sour,

I am like Christmas Dinner for Mosquitoes. I am constantly plagued by Itchy Scratchy, though am slowly learning to outwit them with some extremely cheap long clothes from the market.
We have made numerous trips to the central market and lucky ice cream parlor as this week has been slightly boring. We were continuing with our Khmer course but had eight hours around them to fill. My haggling has become quite impressive due to my growing list of Khmer vocab, though according to Nim, the Khmer teacher, it is not growing quick enough.
We went to a club towards the end of the week, with all six volunteers this time. We had a lot of fun dancing and learnt a few moves from the prostitutes to their amusement. The music was a Cambodian twist of western club music which sounded quite strange to us.

On the last day of our Khmer course we were taken to a traditional Cambodian restaurant by Nim. There was no menu as the Cambodians that visit seem to know what to order, this makes it completely tourist free but it is clearly extremely popular with the locals. We ate barbecued beef and prawns with various dips. Mango salad, made from grated green savory mango and dried fish, with coriander lime, and various other herbs and spices I couldn't identify. Fried rice with tiny shrimps. A sweetcorn salad that is delicious but hard to describe other than off the cob and slightly dried with lots of herbs and dressing. We drank Cambodian iced tea, and a berry jelly drink neither of which I have any way of describing.
During the week Nim also took us to one of the many salons which are frequently visited by Cambodian women, I spent just 3 dollars on a Mani Pedi, and was entertained by a football game on the television between the government Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand!
Bethany my project partner and I were surprised to find that we were not going to our project until Monday leaving us with one day without the rest of the group. Bethany is a Christian so many of you will be pleased to hear we went to church in the morning.It was a good service though I was slightly disappointed by the quality of music, no one really knew the tunes. We were made to feel very welcome and we went to lunch with a Mexican and two polish expats.We enjoyed proper Indian food , no chicken Tikka masala, it was yummy.

Yesterday we arrived at our project. The orphanage is made up of two group homes. GH1- older smaller home, where half the children live. GH2-which has just been moved into, it is much bigger with a lovely garden. This is where Beth and I will live and teach most lessons.
However, it is infested with bed bugs so we are all squeezed into GH1 at the moment whilst a company clean the house. I was slightly shocked by our accommodation for the week, as we are in a classroom on an extremely thin mattress with a cushion each., luckily I brough a sheet from home, But then i found out that 25 of the children will be sleeping simply on a tiled floor whilst the others are squeezed onto a mattress, so now i feel lucky.
We have had a look around GH2 and our accommodation for the year, it's plush, we have an en-suite wet room! When we have give it a clean I'm sure it will quickly feel like home.

I'm sorry this post is late we have no internet at the group home, so I am having to visit an internet cafe.I am also struggling to upload pictures through my iPad but I will try and find a way.
Must get back, but I will fill you in on the work I am doing next week.

Niyeay peil krowee!