Day 48: Friday 4 December 2009 – Laughter and tears, again …

Today we decided to hold a sports day for Fun Friday – a great idea in theory but considering the state that we sent the little kids home in after an hour of sack races and tunnel ball, one has to wonder about our sanity. 

Explanation of the rules, even in Khmer just wasn’t working so it was left to Andrea, Dave, Cameron, Pa and Mr. Bui (Khmer teachers), and me to demonstrate.  (No wonder the kids were confused because the two Aussies, Brit and the Irish confused the hell out of each other, frantically trying to remember the rules).  Anyway, it worked.  In the end, despite the heat and hideous dust, they loved it.

Later came the tears with a tour of a few of the homes belonging to families requiring urgent sponsorship or house repairs.  I can’t believe the state of some of the homes and the condition that these people live in, yet they continue to produce the most beautiful smiles you’ve ever seen.  What is fantastic is that such a small amount of money can go such a long way.  With contributions of around US$350 from friends, I was able to confirm a new roof for a 60-year old lady (US$50), completely renovate a house for a family of eight  (US$175), buy bikes, 2 birth certificates (US$10), 6 school uniforms (US$30), and a mat. 

Further, Paul (my brother), Simone, Polly and Charlie have confirmed sponsorship of the family of eight (mentioned above), meaning that the family can be reunited.  (The parents had to send their three eldest children away this Wednesday because they could no longer feed and support them.  Fortunately that has now changed and they can expect their first allocation of rice, eggs, soy and fish sauce next Friday.  

Day 47: Thursday 3 December 2009 – Calculus on the Back Burner …

I have an incredible newfound respect for teachers.  After the last two days of four hours of back-to-back teaching in back to 35-degree heat, I’ve had to draw on every single synapse in my body to muster creativity, memory (particularly of the mathematical and musical variety), the most basic of English, and much patience.

The angelic little ones were again feral today but we can only blame ourselves.  Stupidly we set up the de-lousing ‘salon’ in clear vision of the kids though really, there was no other option – the hose would only stretch so far!  Needless to say, they were completely distracted, jostling for front row to laugh at their friends, or to stake out a place for themselves.   

Meanwhile, it was Math’s Day again  … Why does it come around so quickly and why on earth did I contemplate teaching fractions?  Fractions are challenging enough to me, or at least trying to remember back 30 years.  After a moment of complete metal retardation, I pulled myself together and somewhat miraculously, even if I say so myself, managed to get through to at least half of the class.  The other half cheated, as is the norm here.  

I did however experience one of those moments, which I guess makes teaching, and certainly volunteering under these circumstances worthwhile.  One 35-year old woman was determined to master irregular fractions.  With a small group of much younger students, she refused to leave at the end of the class.  They stood with me at the whiteboard as we nutted out answers from the worksheet.  I watched the sheer determination on their faces, shared their pain with their repeated mistakes, and then together we shrieked and literally jumped with joy as they mastered it.  It really was an incredible experience. 

Day 46: Wednesday 2 December 2009 – Cracking Up the Locals!

Being a full-moon day, I took a day out from my mostly daily yoga practice (because apparently that’s what serious yogis do!), and entertained the locals with my power walk along one side of the river, through a village and back the other side, on the main drag.   

The double takes and laughs were a little embarrassing but the scenery well worthwhile.  In a matter of 1 ½ hours, I saw everything from extreme rubbish pollution to the releasing of birds (doves would have been pushing it!) at one of the local temples.  Again, the pictures say it all.  

Day 45: Tuesday 1 December 2009 – Hair Raising Experiences.

Ever since I arrived in Siem Reap, I’ve been fascinated by the sheer quantity of hair salons, if you can call them that, located in the town.  There’s a cluster of extremely colourful and very busy little businesses on Wat Bo Road, near Globalteer House. 

We female volunteers frequently moan about the condition of our hair.  With the heat, dust and hard water, many of our tresses feel like straw, almost at breaking point.  Others are battling with re-growth after being here for a couple of months.  Some have risked a visit to a local hairdresser, the results have been predictable;  one resulting in a head of yellow, the other bright pink.  For me it’s been a pony tale, every single day, hiding the grey and doubling as nit prevention.  And, an appointment already scheduled for my regular hairdresser in Hong Kong!

Tell me you’d dare brief any of these hair “specialists” with blond highlights?

Meanwhile, thanks to the donation of fifty bottles of lice treatment from a group of visiting Jesuits last month, our little ones are being de-loused by the very brave male volunteers!

Day 43: Sunday 29 November 2009 – Wedding Season in Cambodia.

With the dry season comes a flood of weddings.  From my experience, these are most definitely not the exuberant and luxurious celebrations as seen in India, and even Pakistan, rather a bizarre ritual represented by ugly marquees usually situated roadside, heat, mountains of dust, and much commotion (moaning monks and doof doof music in the wee hours of the morning!).

Today and Monday is the wedding of Rathner (sp?) from New Hope who is finally tying the knot with his sweetheart – finally because it took them ages to find an auspicious day that worked for everyone. 

Graciously all the volunteers were invited (mainly because Sherry, the only full-time volunteer couldn’t face it alone).  Ungraciously each of us pulled out one by one, put off by the need to dress up and wear lots of make-up as was regularly communicated to us by all the staff at New Hope.  (Clearly we look like a very motley crew!). 

The thought of a three and a half hour drive to Battambang in a truck, leaving at 07:00 on Sunday, followed by at least six hours of sitting in the sun under a stinking marquee eating very local food, drinking hot soft drink and beer for two days and staying in a dodgy guest house was just too much, for me, at least.  Instead I set out on my bike to check out the three other weddings held in Siem Reap town this weekend.  

You’ll get the picture from these …