First Month’s Escapades

Its been four weeks since the day we landed at Phnom Penh airport – and I think I can say for all of us in the group that there’s no wanting to go back!
Experiencing a new city, including the people making it such a special place, the lifestyle of the locals, a re-opening ceremony of one of BABSEAS schools our many Tuk-Tuk rides, the endless rain, several more funky smells and our very own opportunity to teach, it has definatly been a month full of eye-opening events.

After the first three successful weeks of teaching I must say that my respect for former teachers has grown a lot. The patience needed to teach a language is endless although this is very different when presented with a class full of smiling, motivated and grateful students ready to learn a language surrounded by several tedious rules.

Teaching at Rudi Boa Center in the mornings – a school which has just been re-opened at a relocation site 25km outside of Phnom Penh – has proven to be more of a challenge as there are a significantly higher number of students including the extra cousins, sisters and brothers joining their siblings to school (as some have to babysit and attend class at the same time). With 25 desks sprawled to the back of a narrow room lessons proved a little more difficult as one half of the class could hear us but this did not stop them. So with a little thought we managed to group the tables together encouraging more participation

between the students. With all their hard work and interest in learning, the students have become a great group to teach welcoming us with broad smiles and waving arms shouting ‘Cher! Cher!’ [teacher] at the top of their voices. Teaching 7 to 13 year olds for the first hour and 14 to 22 year olds the second has been a lot of fun as the difference in ages makes the lessons a whole lot different.
We’ve also defiantly learnt some things a harder way for example the attempt of a fun game turning into a more stressful activity where the children very willing to help, made 3cm by 3cm pieces of paper stacked into piles, turn into a mass of just one pile within 5 seconds. Lesson learnt!

In the afternoon its off to Aziza. A school situated in Bodding, a slum area surrounded by many busy people in the day followed by a more somber image at night as it is an area high in drug trafficking and prostitution after the sun has shone. Down the narrowest of alleys echoing the sound of happy screaming children, is a brightly painted wall portraying the two lots used as classrooms – one as a computer lab and the other as an ordinary classroom. The students here, welcoming you as their new climbing frames, involve you in every activity and are ready to learn whatever the circumstance! Their happy characters, creative minds and laughter for two hours straight leaves you with enough positive energy to last you years. Wednesdays prove even more exciting as the class invited us to join in with their weekly Yoga lessons. Having 20 children squeeze into two Tuk Tuk’s, off we go to a yoga studio 10 minutes away. Lessons are taught by young Cambodians encouraging the students to use every muscle in their body and have one quiet hour during their hectic week. Although this may be a little different after Billy and I, the two ‘Barangs’ [foreigners], have joined – instead they are more interested in our inflexible bodies and giggle at every opportunity of our failure to bend our bodies accordingly!
Overall the first four weeks have been more than id imagined! The children’s endless happiness and their eagerness to teach us about their culture has made it an incredibly fulfilling experience so far.

I cant imagine what extraordinary experiences the next three months are going to bring us!

- Dorine

Below are some pictures [click on them to englarge] -