The King's birthday break (next week we have a day off for the Royal Ploughing Ceremony(!!?)

On Monday I started to work at a different Orphanage "Lighthouse". The lessons here are more stuctured and I teach 3 classes of just under an hour each every day now. Total beginners, beginners and intermediate. The children are very well behaved and eager to learn - as ever.




(one of my students and the display of the pictures we made for the class room)

My first class took me by surprise when I introduced myself they all stood up and together chorused something like "Hello teacher. Thank you for coming to teach us English".... then did a traditional Khmer bow. I was a bit taken back but even more so when I told them to sit down they said loudly together "thank you teacher" - scary! Anyway, the lessons were good and I am going back there this afternoon (Friday) for another session.



Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were bank holidays - the King's birthday - and so I went to the beach again in Shihanoukville. Not very much to report as it rained heavily for all of the days! This resulted in eating, drinking and reading - a short swim but as the waves were getting bigger and bigger and the rain heavier and heavier and the lightening nearer and nearer - I thought it best not to stay in the sea too long!!

This evening I am going back to CCH orphanage for another Friday night dance party!

Friday night party!

The end of a week of work (well Monday was a rest day - as was Thursday morning!) ... teaching 2 lessons of English at CCH per day – One at 10am and the other at 1pm, hanging around with the kids for lunch in between and generally playing. The mid week paints (below) were a success as was the “pin the tail on the elephant” as a way to learn “up, down, left, right” as directions. However, this game just ended up with copious amounts of cheating and as it was Friday afternoon and we were all dusty, filthy and tired so I just let the kids get on with it – not much English being spoken but they were having a good time. The bananas went down a treat as did the other different kinds of fruit I tend to bring as treats as a break from the “candy”. ..

This is lunch time...

"Elephants eat bananas" ... and so do hungry children!

These two boys are always up for a stupid photo.....
Anyway, the main event on Friday was the night time entertainment provided by the children. Apparently every Friday they get out their instruments and sing/dance. I was due there at 5 and had arranged to travel at the last minute out to the suburbs with Brain (my TEFL teacher) and his friend Clare. On the way the thunder, lightning and rain was very dramatic and we dived into Lucky supermarket to get supplies for the children – sweets. When we arrived we were an hour late due to terrible rush hour traffic – my lungs felt like I had smoked 40 a day for every day of my life from the pollution during this journey. Rush hour is complete chaos here and when it rains it is far worse plus I had broken my mask, motorbikes on the pavements, not a single spot of tarmac to be seen (if you are lucky enough to be on a road with tarmac that is)....

Rush hour - drive on the pavement - why not?

Anyway, at 6ish the children were just finishing their burgers (like McDonalds but the Cambo equivalent) which were a special treat from an Italian woman who had just finished spending 3 weeks with the children. I tried to give my sweets to the kitchen so the children could have them in moderate amounts but the person who I gave it to just opened the bags and all of a sudden I had about 70 children screaming teacher “Me moy moy” (me one one). I had them all line up (very English) in a queue and gave out one of each kind to each child (it felt a bit Oliver Twist). The children are exceptionally polite and thankful . They do a traditional thank you by placing their hands together (as if praying) and putting them up to their face and bowing. At the end of giving out 2 to each child there was quite a few left and so I just started giving them to any child who was cheeky enough to ask for more.... soon the rumour spread that this was the case and I then got another queue going. It was a stark contrast to any child in the UK who would complain about having only 3 sweets - but these children were on cloud nine now they had cola, burger and now sweets that were undoubtedly full of E numbers.... then the dancing began. Or rather the music started and I was mobbed for photos. As it was dark, I think the attraction was mainly because the flash on my camera like a strobe as the lens focuses before the picture is taken. To say they were hyper would be an understatement. To think that for a few of these children they had been outside of the dump for only a few weeks and already they were behaving like children again – thankfully not having to shift rubbish for 50 cents a day inhaling toxic methane and standing on goodness knows what (waste/needles etc) with no shoes on. Given that in Phnom Penh’s nightspots you are more likely to get shot than anything else I am sure that I will be heading back to the orphanage on Friday nights for more partying. The children put on their own entertainment, singing, dancing ...causing havoc! And it is great!!

Hyper party kids............. (I look frazzled to say the least!!) .. Pictures are blury because it was dark sorry!

The band

...rounding off the evening with some walking on hands

Wednesday

On Wednesday I had my final observed teaching session and am now a qualified TEFL teacher! I taught 2 lessons. The beginners – where I carried on the colour shape theme and after a review and a poem about colours and shape we explored primary and secondary colours before moving on to do shape printing (with washing up sponges I had created!)....

The afternoon was the middle children and I taught about the Town/City – using Hereford as an example of a town (OK I know it is strictly a city) using the postcards I had brought with me – I think the director of education at the orphanage has a distorted view of England now after the postcards showed the Castle Green, Church Street, the Black and White house and a view of the cathedral and old bridge over the river (sorry non- Herefordians for the detail!).... Anyway, it was an extra hot hot day and so the children were pretty un-motivated and wanted just to fold and cut paper! Luckily this is what I had in mind – but with an educational element of course! So, after teaching and playing a game involving the bank, the library, the pharmacy, the cafe etc, the children made 3D models of their business of choice. ... this kept them busy for a good 45 minutes and what was a really moving thing was that Goiey – the girl who is often forgotten or not catered for because of her mental health problem, joined in and cut of the template of the building in such a good way that I was able to glue it together for her and she even attempted to decorate it and was engaged in the process for at least 25 minutes – a real rare moment. That was a really satisfying part of the day and nearly made me cry! .... This was of course unlike Lily.... the sight of England on the postcards was obviously all too much for her and after that point she just slept through the lesson...

... You wil be pleased to know it was another day when I have worked all day!

A day of teaching at CCH orphanage

On Tuesday I taught 2 classes. The very young children in the morning and the middle kids (who I had been teaching before) in the afternoon.

The young children had shapes and colours as their focus and after learning the shapes and a game to assist they had to make monsters in teams...

The more advanced students, I taught in the afternoon, learnt objects for eating... bowl... cup, fork, knife...chopsticks etc

After the first lesson I had 2 hours to kill before the next class so a few children played with the ABC blocks I made and I supervised. Their focus was making trains which they bashed into each other.... One of the children who joined in was Goiey (sp?) - the child who joined the orphanage at new year and who has mental health problems. Hardly surprising given that a) she worked on a rubbish dump all her life til now and b)I think her parents beat her and I think tried to sell her. She is very unsettled but enjoyed taking photographs of everything with my camera (I mean everything) in the afternoon after the second lesson for an hour or so.

Again, in my lessons I had plenty of observers, I think 2 australians, a french guy, my teacher, 2 brits and in the second lesson Ann a photographer from Belguim who took photos formed the audience at one point. This meant I am also potentially a calender girl(!) as she is taking pictures for a CCH calander to sell. I think the focus will be the children! She is also taking pictures at the dump where the children are rescued from and on Thursday I may go with her which will be interesting if not a bit smelly and scary.

Me in teaching action....

Winning is great but by the expression on her face... I guess sometimes its hard when you lose!

Goiey causing havoc no doubt in one of the sleeping rooms

Lots of things but .....SHOES!

This week has not resulted in many events to write about. It began with a visit on Monday to the SOS clinic. Sounds serious but it was just cough I could not shift. Reassuringly expensive and falling inside my insurance excess so hitting my bank balance I was wanting a miracle... sadly no miracle the diagnosis was that the Dr was unsure, gave me 2 types of medicine and I was told to come back if they didn’t work. Well they worked a bit but it’s hard to say 7 days later if that is the medicine or the fact that I had not been out in the pollution for nearly 5 days out of 7.... the cough remains and I now have an attractive face mask to wear on the motorbike taxis –doctor’s orders. (I am yet to go back as he requested – I fear the nest stage is blood tests, needles and many more dollars).

(nice look - when I wear my crash helmet it looks even better)

So, the week involved nothing but endless episodes of Sex and the City back to back (...I am now at the end of series 2 – Carrie and Big have just split for the second time...). I also tried to complete my coursework for my TEFL course – it remains only half done.

On Friday I went to a second orphanage – the Lighthouse orphanage. These children have been rescued from the streets or have been sent to the orphanage because their grandparents (after their parents have died) cannot look after them anymore. It is odd that the Lighthouse and the CHH (where I have been working so far) are completely different in atmosphere... clearly not all orphanages are like Annie but still odd to feel the difference. The man in charge there wants me to teach English to the children like “at the language institute”. The children must go to lessons – at CCH the children like games and learn English for fun to supplement the lessons at school. The children at the Lighthouse also will follow a set curriculum (which I prefer) and I have been instructed to start again from the beginning. I will probably start there the week after next if things work out.... Here is a picture of one of the children with one of the 20 or so paper planes I made.

At the weekend, the fountains are ON in Phnom Penh and are lit! I laughed before at the Khmer people who would watch the fountains for a long time but this weekend I became one of them. Sadly they were not playing music as previously – still with the lack of usual cultural pursuits fountain watching is amusing enough after a few beers.

Also took a trip again to the Royal Palace which is the most expensive attraction in the whole of Cambodia (I guess) being a whole £3.50 ($7) to get in. The backpackers in front in the queue actually turned away in disgust at the price. However, this did not surprise me given the conversation they had had for the last 20 minutes (the queue was long) revolved around the price of receiving and making international calls. – Given that you can get 7 pints of beer for $7 here I guess it would be like paying something silly like a whole £25 to go into a palace in the UK... oh wait.....you do – Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle (the comparison can instead be made with Alton Towers for the less cultural amongst you) Anyway, the palace is OK and probably worth the $7 given that most people would have spent a fair bit more on getting to Cambodia in the first place!

Oudong is the former Cambodian capital and was the destination for a half day excursion on Sunday. Travelling north of Phnom Penh out to the countryside in a tuk tuk experiencing the noise and the dust and the fear of passing (and on coming) traffic for 37km. Through villages many mosques lined the road for the Cham- Muslim minority who are present in the area. On the right-hand side of the road the Tonle Sap River ran alongside the road. Many Wats also lined the way but being “all watted out” I didn’t request a stop.

Upon arrival in Oudong (or Udong) the tuk tuk was stopped at a road block and I expected to have to part with some cash – surprisingly not! Onward to the picnic spot area and the tourist junk. About 3 small boys decided to tag along up the 516 steps (or so they told me) pointing out the obvious like “pond” and “temple”. I was nice for a while but then irritation and the heat got to me. When one explained it cost $10 per day to go to school my suspicions they were out for cash not practice English was confirmed and I tried to subtly say nicely “No money for you. Go - Good bye - Good bye, GOOD BYE. Chum reup lear (that’s good bye in Khmer)” but still they followed until 10 minutes later I did a lot of finger pointing and looking/sounding cross. I modelled myself at this point on a peed off American not reserved a British woman - This worked. I am ashamed to say I have pretty much no idea what I saw at Oudong a temple and a few Chedi (Buddhist graves containing ashes) of important royalty etc etc. If only the children had been more informative! It was boiling hot I know that much
Anyway here are a few pictures of it................. very pretty and good views...!

No class to teach on Monday and so I spent the morning doing nothing (well prepared a few future lessons) and then decided to go out to places previously undiscovered. First Monivong Boulevard. I had seen what may be classed as a shopping centre when whizzing past so went to investigate that. On my way, what a delight to find a massive stationery shop! How nice. The Khmer people must think that I am truly a crazy Barang (foreigner) given the amount of time I spent looking at pens. Anyway, a made some essential stationery purchases and then moved on to find the shopping centre. I was crossing the road to get from stationery heaven and had to rub my eyes in joy – Burger KING!!! The moment was done in an instant. With all the colours, fonts and signage of Burger King ... but no - this is Cambodia, Kingdom of no intellectual property rights, and in fact the burger place was called Great Burger. I did not sample the cuisine but went straight to the shopping centre. Again sadly, it was just another not so great supermarket. Imagine only being able to shop at Lidl or Kwiksave for the rest of your life and you can imagine supermarkets here. I was disappointed - only some fly/ant killer appealed to me.

Next, I was on a mission. There was a shoe shop in the vicinity and I was determined to locate it. Sadly, I had no hope from the start. I had my starting point on the map wrong from the outset and was very disappointed when I realised how far away from the shoe shop I was. However, I located myself on the map and commanded a moto to take me to street 143 (moi roy si sup bye – In Khmer in case you were wondering). I was exceptionally proud of myself to not only communicate this in Khmer to the driver but also to navigate my way across town in previously unknown waters to locate this shop. Yes, I had read great things about this place and I required retail therapy beyond that which pens and Raid are able to cure. My source said the shop was at no.148 (moi roy si sup bram bye (and try saying that after a few drinks)). Khmer streets are not logical. 523 will be next door to number 4 so I paid the driver the huge sum of 25p and began to look for “beautiful shoes” on foot. I saw numbers 140, 142, 144 ... I was getting close.... but then the numbers changed to 252.... and all of a sudden I was at the end of the street. Seeing a large toy shop which was very modern I developed a passing interest in toys. I needed air conditioning it was boiling.

After a refreshing break back down the street I went... There were many shoe makers on the street and I say people being fitted for shoes including monks. It was really nice to be the only western person about. I gave up looking for the specific shop and went to look at some shoes in another shoe maker. Then all of a sudden – there it was! I walked past it at the very beginning – it was number 138 not 148. How very Cambodian. Anyway, I purchased red leather shoes for $17 and have ordered a pair to be made to fit me in my design for another $17. I fear there may be trouble now I have found I can get shoes made to my order at this price. I think boots will be next....

So typically of Cambodia at the moment it is now 5.20 and we are having a large thunder storm and torrential rain. Its quite dramatic.

And finally, for amusement ....

errr ...the bin is to the left

...and "picking flower is sinful". Thanks for the reminder.