Lyndsay Wehrum - The Global Child, Cambodia

Christmas came early in Cambodia as we just received 10 boxes of books and 35 lacrosse sticks collected by my amazing friends and family in the US. We now have over 650 new books added to our library and an entirely new sports program! We have multiple copies of a few great books which I have been able to incorporate into my classes as each student is able to have their own copy. I just finished reading “Chocolate Fever” with Chamroun and Piron and am currently reading “The Best School Year Ever” with the middle class with “Holes” to follow.

I walked into the school last week to find many of the staff and students wearing surgical masks because they had colds. I was then informed that we were entering Cambodian “Winter” (temperatures “drop” to 80-85F degrees). Many of the kids are sporting new windbreakers ($1 or 4,000 reil) and wearing cardigans and zip ups (backwards), and of course they refuse to let me turn the fans on in class, despite my sweating.

I am told that this “Winter” in Cambodia has been much warmer than previous…this coincides with me teaching the students about global warming in preparation for a series of debates they are involved in at a local café. Since our students have debate experience (they debated last year and we have debate class every other Friday), some of our students were chosen as ambassadors to teach students at other NGOs in Siem Reap how to debate. They are debating on climate change because of the Copenhagen conference and will be testing out the new “Google Wave,” an opportunity for the younger generation to express what they think about the issues and for people all over the world to see. We had a public debate Saturday night where our students took center stage as the main panel. I felt like a proud parent in the audience, making sure I caught their eye after they spoke to give them a reassuring smile and thumbs up. In the end, all of the students did a fabulous job and were beaming. I could not have been any prouder, as seen in our overwhelming hugs and smiles at the conclusion.

Some of our students are enrolled in a photo class with a professional photographer and last Sunday we had a photo shoot at the house. All of the students dressed up and the photo class students acted as their professional photographers. I bought bright makeup for the shoot with some of the girls and they had a great time putting makeup on everyone (girls and boys), donning crazy outfits, using props, working the fan, acting like divas, and thoroughly enjoying a new experience. (Pictures are posted on my Picasa site)

Earlier in the week I took one of the older students, 19 yr old Vutha, who attends vocational training at Paul DeBrule Hotel and Tourism school to some of the 5 star hotels in Siem Reap for him to speak with some of the staff and look around. Vutha was voted to be the leader of his class and has top grades in school. This means that he has an opportunity to get a scholarship to work in Malaysia, France, or Singapore in the hotel industry. We had planned to go to certain hotels, but he confessed that he no longer wanted to go to one because a classmate told him that this 5 star hotel had a ghost. In Cambodian culture, nearly all people of all ages, believe in ghosts. The girls have their own beds in the house but some sleep together out of fear of ghosts. People do not like to go to places alone at night, especially in the dark, out of fear of ghosts.

Yesterday one of my favorite students, 13 yr old Soda, decided to the organization. I took her for an ice cream to get away and talk but clearly to no avail. It all happened very quickly and I have yet to completely understand the circumstances behind the decision, let alone cope with it.

I ran the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon one week ago. The proceeds from the race go to landmine victims and to help youths with HIV/Aids, so it was a great cause and I really enjoyed it, something I never thought I would say! The route was around Ankor Wat and many of the “must see” temples, needless to say it was extremely picturesque. It was an incredible feeling when I was nearing the finish line and saw many of my students and staff members in attendance, jumping and cheering me on!

Very special thanks to:
-Tom Hayes and the Federation of International Lacrosse Development
-Robert Pace, Matthew Pierce, and Mainfreight Inc.
-Elise Wakeland and DeBeer Lacrosse
-Eva Fietkiewicz, Trudy Kaye, Sue Finkst, Cindy McCaw, and all the students at Little Falls Middle School
-Aunt Carm and Rome City Schools
-Marlene Armstrong and Jean Smith at Benton Hall Academy
-Vicky and Amy Kemmler
-As always, my mom and dad!

Song: Bong Koss Heuy, Artist: Khemarak Sereymon

Currently, this is the most popular song and artist in Cambodia. The only thing the kids watch are Khmer music videos, which have the lyrics beneath so you can sing along with it. Everything from the singer’s hairstyle, clothes, and voice, the kids, and Khmer culture in general, idolize. Therefore, here is a sampling of my daily entertainment in Cambodia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnPcb0bHvQc

(No sound for the first 8 seconds and the actual music starts at 45 seconds)…Happy Listening!

As always, a lot has been happening at TGC! My teaching schedule has drastically changed 3 times in my not even 4 months and things are continuing to change daily. I am learning that this is just how things have to be sometimes in an NGO, especially one in a war torn, devastated country like Cambodia.

Recently, our highest class (ages 18-20), have successfully received their high school certificates! 2 of them have received full scholarships to the University of Cambodia which sadly is located in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. This meant that a few weeks ago we had to say goodbye to them, but it is truly wonderful and hopefully life changing for them and their futures. Two of our other students are attending universities in Siem Reap and attend classes in the afternoon at TGC. (I teach these 2 students everyday and their English is at about an 8th-9th grade level, my most advanced class, and it really is a joy teaching them. We are able to get a great deal accomplished and have recently been doing mock interviews and expanding their vocabulary and grammar). Two students who failed to receive high school diplomas, but would like to continue their studies, are studying at Paul DuBrule School for Hotels and Tourism which is a vocational training school with an extremely high job placement rate.

Since the English placement exam last month, the rest of the students at TGC were able to be placed in the appropriate English classes according to their level. I am now teaching 3 different levels, one of my favorites being the middle class, with 5 students. We are able to move at a much faster pace now and I am really able to focus on each students weaknesses. I am teaching them reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. Recently, I have been printing out lyrics to songs they like (“No Air” by Chris Brown or “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion”) and listening to them to start the class off on a positive note and improve their English. We have also been reading aloud and answering questions to the popular newspaper, The Cambodia Daily, as well as looking at pictures and writing stories about them. One of the pictures I gave was a Norman Rockwell painting, the one of the little boy sitting with a policeman in an ice cream parlor, and told the class to write a story based on the picture. Remarkably, without any of the students discussing with each other, 4 out of 5 of them wrote a very similar story: A boy leaves home because his family is very poor and has not enough food or his family “fights him.” He runs away but has no money and the police officer adopts him and someway or another they become rich. This was the basis of their stories and others I have seen them write. It is a very real example of the lives that they are accustomed to and that surround them.

I am learning more and more about the family situations of each of these students. Many of the students come from very large families and have at least 4-5 other siblings and if they are lucky they have 2 parents. Most of the students try to save their $1/day and send it home to their family. In most cases, money is so tight for families that it would be very difficult to have another mouth to feed, another reason why it is great they are at TGC. Many of my students’ families live literally on the dump site in Phnom Penh or in rural areas where electricity or proper plumbing is at least 5km away. The fact remains that these children do not come from privileged backgrounds, they were street working children, meaning they were collecting garbage or vegetables to sell to help their family survive. Many of my students parents are uneducated and although most families are supportive, some still think it would be best of the child came home and worked in a factory or worked on the street to help the family make money, instead of being in school. It makes understanding how 4/5 of them wrote about the poor or abusive family when looking at the picture but also makes me feel the importance of being a positive influence and friend in their lives as much as possible and a reason to stay in school and realize their potential.

PS. I discovered that: Ants float in coffee, frogs have no problem hopping into my house, it takes the Cambidge Learner’s Dictionary (3rd edition) to kill cockroaches, and small ghekos make cute pets!

“No Money, No Honey” is a commonly seen expression on tshirts in Cambodia…this along with “Same Same, But Different” and many other tshirts that are hilarious, make no sense, or have at least 2 grammatical errors, “towel is light, soft to the touch dry quickly becaues there is no in the thread sides, it stores…”

• The Cambodian people may be making $80/ month, which is considered a good salary, but will still have 3 cell phones, 4 email addresses, 3 Facebook accounts, and 2 Skype names
• Sharing – Everyone shares anything and everything they have, even if it is a little bit, the kids share everything, especially their candy and treats, no questions asked
• Teams – When playing games of volleyball or soccer, people join and leave the game whenever they feel, no questions asked. To begin, the teams are not matched up evenly, people just split up, and there could be 2 little girls on one side vs. 4 of the oldest boys, it doesn’t matter
• Dessert - Dessert is usually fruit or something fried like bananas
• Soda – Often at restaurants there is no diet coke but they love coca cola but only refer to it as “coka”
• Chewing – All Cambodians chew with their mouths open, very loudly
• Spills –The rug is used to clean up spills, not paper towels, the only paper towels I have seen are the ones I bought for our house
• Karaoke – Karaoke is the number one thing Cambodians watch on TV. This is not MTV, just music videos with the words in Khmer scrolling across, everyone singing at their own free will
• “Knock Knock” – Before entering any room, office, or any door that is closed, you must knock. Ex. If you step out of a meeting briefly, before you reenter, you must knock
• Things are always lost in translation
• To Go - Taking a drink “to go” such as an iced coffee (38cents) or sugar cane juice (sold from a carts on the street), is not served in the traditional plastic or Styrofoam cups. Instead, to go drinks are given in small plastic bags, similar to sandwich bags, accompanied by a straw
• Long fingernails – Most Cambodians have long fingernails, even men will have one or two long nails “for scratching”
• Never underestimate what you could see carried on the back of a moto or bicycle (crate of dead or live, squealing pigs, chickens or baby chicks, brooms, pillows piled 5 ft high, flowers,
• “Buy something Lady” – “Good price for you” – “For you, special discount” “Tuk Tuk Lady, Where you need to go?” – Heard all day long when walking through the market or down the street
• Nearly all Cambodians believe in ghosts and will not go to certain places, especially in the dark, out of fear of ghosts. They also are a very superstitous culture…Black cannot be worn at weddings as it is bad luck, and more expensive purchases should be done on lucky days, Tuesday, is not a luck day
• Mixed Fruit Shakes are heaven

This was my landlord’s weak attempt at a joke to me concerning the rising flood waters from Typhoon Ketsana. Waters have already inundated many homes and are quickly approaching my humble abode. For now, the rains from the typhoon have currently relented and skies have cleared, but my landlord, his 3 sons, grandma, grandpa, and aunt were all huddled in front of my house when I arrived home from work today. They were either examining every angle of my house or piling huge old rice bags, now filled with sand, in front of my porch to fend off any advancing waters. I arrived home from dinner to find the whole group now sitting on my porch watching my landlord who had made his way to the door of my house making another barricade! Honestly, the kindness of these people still blows me away. (This group, plus more, also gathered outside of my window this morning at 6am to have a shouting match about what I can only assume was the typhoon…just when I thought/hoped the rooster had drowned and I could catch some extra sleep).

To the Cambodian people, these heavy rains are a part of their yearly routine. I however, was surprised to see that all of my students had ponchos because except for their school uniforms, there are very few possessions that they all have. Unplugging all of the computers and putting all parts on top of the table or catching a live fish outside of the school was common practice for my students. In the darkness at 10pm last night there were large groups of boys with bamboo fishing poles and flashlights wandering the streets, ready in a moments notice to hook what would be a few days worth of food. The Wood House’s (kids home) front area was officially flooded today during lunch, and the kids were soaking it up, wheeling around on bikes with fishing poles, bending backwards to see who could go the farthest before falling in, and swinging from the tree and jumping into the water, all before their 2pm classes. After dinner, the waters had started to enter the first floor bedrooms and the kids were attempting to sweep and shovel out the water, with little success and lots of fun.

For months I had been hearing tales about “the rainy season” and “the floods in the month of October” and until yesterday, was skeptical. I believe every word now as we are currently experiencing the highest flood levels in over ten years. Since this flooding is very new to me, I have had a whale of a time exploring the streets, struggling through the waters, and watching people go on with their days. Last night the Siem Reap River was officially overflowing, its waters pouring into the streets. Closest to the river, flood levels are at my knees and it is a little scary/thrilling to look out and not know where the street ends and river begins. The streets are full of people speeding by on their motos and cars, creating large waves that us bicycle riders and walkers (the lowest on the totem pole) get the brunt of. Many others are forced to walk their bikes or motos because they have either taken on too much water and stalled or the current and rocks make it too difficult to maneuver through.

Typhoon Ketsana has not been fun and games for all however as two people have already died in Siem Reap province (my province). Ketsana brought more than torrential downpours, but strong winds as well, which have wiped out many homes. One man’s house collapsed on him in the middle of the night and the other man’s boat capsized while he was fishing on the lake, resulting in their deaths. Many homes and markets are now flooded so food and living are greatly compromised until further notice. The streets, besides being filled with all kinds of vehicles (except jetskis) and wading people, are also filled with all kinds of trash and debris. You do not know what you are stepping or peddling through as the water is an ugly murky brown and certainly not the kind of water one happily welcomes into their home.

So Yes, I can swim, but I don’t “love that dirty water” enough and may look into a boat.

I got goose bumps today.

For the first time in the almost 2 months that I have been in Cambodia, I was chilled, and I loved every minute of it!

At 6:30 am on a Sunday morning, most of the TGC staff and 5 motos were fueled up and ready to embark on the 60km ride NE to Phnom Kulen (Kulen Mountain). Before long, we were whizzing by Angkor Wat, monks, and the rest of the early morning risers. About half way through our trip we stopped for “breakfast” in a village called Preah Dak. This was not your typical breakfast however, as it was a very large serving of “Curry Khmer Noodles” complete with bean sprout, cucumber, liver, chicken, and banana flower, all in a light broth and all at 7:30 am. The best part of the meal was definitely my beverage, an iced coffee, and the first iced coffee I have had in almost 2 months, sweet, super strong, and delicious!

We continued on, passing palm trees, coconut trees and rice patties, all of which were such a vibrant –neon green that if you threw a tennis ball in the midst, you would have difficulty finding it. Half naked children were already awake and swimming in the murky water or catching fish with bamboo poles for their families. Cows (most emaciated cows I have ever seen, no wonder the milk comes from New Zealand) were being herded through the “roads” (a few times blocking our path), women were biking fruits to sell in town, and people were working in the rice patties to beat the midday heat. We were clearly travelling off the beaten path as Dara (my friend, TGC English teacher, and whose moto I was a passenger on) told me that in these neck of the woods they were not accustomed to seeing foreigners. This would explain the children who would scream “HELLO! HELLO!” when we passed, arms and bare dirty feet flailing about.

After thoroughly enjoying the scenery and natives, minus some of the bumpy dirt roads, we had travelled more than 50 km and had reached the bottom of Phnom Kulen, the toughest part before us. Moving my backpack to the front to keep as much weight possible in the front, we began our ascent up the mountain. After being jostled around for a good 15 minutes and catching a glimpse of the mountain we had just conquered, we finally arrived at our destination. We then headed to our bungalow, ordered some coconuts, and started exploring Phnom Kulen. Over the wooden bridge lay a small swimming area which led to one of the two main waterfalls. Before I knew it Sokleing (principal), Dara (English teacher), Sopha (Math teacher) and Jon were all down at the smaller waterfall, fully clothed, jumping and occasionally slipping, under and into the waterfall.

*Bathing suits - Before I arrived in Cambodia I knew their culture was much more conservative than the US, this did not exclude their swim wear. As my mother and friends can attest, I feverishly tried to find a one piece that I felt was appropriate but didn’t look like something that only my wonderful grandma would be wearing. I was pretty excited to wear this suit when I got to Cambodia (okay, I just got a plain-black Nike one-piece, but I was excited). My Cambodian girl friends crushed my excitement when they told me that they are too embarrassed to wear even one pieces and that in their culture most girls wear t-shirts and shorts. Furthermore, they said that anyone in a bathing suit is frowned upon. Upon arrival at the waterfall I discovered that the girls were wearing not the sport clothes I was expecting, but were all swimming in the clothes that they came in that day, which happened to be jeans and nicer tops. I could not imagine how uncomfortable it must have been to be swimming in jeans, and stuck with my cotton yoga pants and t-shirt.*

While the boys were having what seemed to be the time of their lives in the waterfall, my two Cambodian girl friends, Sopha and Rathana, were standing aside not looking like they would be joining anytime soon. So, as difficult as it was, I stood by them, not wanting to violate any cultural norms and waiting for their next move. Thankfully Dara called my name, (he must have seen me squirming), and started yelling at me to join in! After literally slipping right into the action, we were all drenched and holding onto each other to go under the waterfall before being carried away by the power of the water.

After getting bored with the smaller one once we heard there was a bigger waterfall 5 times as big as the one we were in, a few of us quickly descended the wooden stairs and planks, dove in and swam to the waterfall. With much help from each other, holes in the rocks, and a good amount of luck, we managed to climb and get under the massive waterfall. The water was coming down with such force that upon impact, especially on our faces, it stung, but no one cared, this was truly an experience that you soaked in every bit of. After many back flips and floating around, our growling stomachs told us it was time for lunch, and in typical Cambodian style what a feast it was. Rice (of course), fried chicken, soup with mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers, and Cambodian cheese. Afterwards we explored more of the area, took pictures of the large waterfall, and bought a few things from the vendors, (bracelet, fried bananas, and cooked rice inside banana leaves) before it was time to head home.

The descent down the mountain was much easier and the ride home just as enjoyable, fresh, cool, and truly breathtaking, minus a few not so tasty bugs.

“The country side view, even for me living here, it was amazing. Just to see the trees and the rice patty fields, and see the villagers, it was amazing” – Dara (TGC English teacher, former tour guide, and my importantly- my friend)

Instead of resting our tired bodies once home, Jani, Nate, Dara, and myself decided to go to a housewarming party that we were invited to the week before. As we were riding up in style (on our bicycles) we could hear the sounds of Cambodian pop tunes and the smells of traditional Khmer food, and truly were entering a housewarming party like none we have ever been to. You could compare it to a graduation party in the states, if anything could even be compared to the excessive amount of music, food, and bright decorations. Once seated, we were immediately served cold cans of Anchor beer, glasses, bags of ice, and told that our 4 courses were on their way. Khmer salad (spicy), beef, a vegetable soup, fried chicken, and a plate of desert (fruit), made each of us full to last for the next few days.

Despite our full stomachs, we were soon ushered to dance and partake in traditional Khmer dancing. The first few songs were “fast songs” which are similar to middle or high school dances where you dance in bigger groups to some hit tunes but there is absolutely no male – female touching. The fast songs are followed by 5 slow songs also similar to a middle school dance, boy and girl awkwardly dancing together. This is followed by about 4 traditional Khmer songs and dancing where everyone organizes into a large circle and does the traditional Khmer moves which is a short shuffle step with your feet while moving your hands and arms in a beautiful rhythm (unless you are me). This cycle repeats itself and lasts all night.

It was truly a memorable day that I soaked in every bit of. To top it off, for the first time in almost 2 months, even the rooster couldn’t awaken me the next morning.

Baray Lake – Sunday, September 6, 2009
Soda learns to swim, and I taught her

Sunday we took the kids to Baray lake for the day. We arrived on motos and tuk tuks at 9:30 am ready for a fun day at the beach. There were rows of bungalows arranged along the beach area and as we took ours, there was a mad dash for the 6 hammocks we had for the day. Some of the kids went straight to the water but the majority of us sat around talking and hanging out for a few hours before an early lunch was served at 11. We enjoyed rice (of course) chicken, tofu, cucumber, green beans, prahok (Cambodian cheese), and eggplant that the cook (Ma Lim) had brought from home.

*When I arrived at the kids house that morning, I was wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt because I knew that is what would be appropriate to swim in, and we were going to the beach, you want to be comfortable, or so I thought…I arrived at the house and all of my students were dressed in heels, jeans, and nice tops, and gave me the looks and hints of “When are you going to change?” I quickly went home grabbed a few outfits and had them pick out what I should wear on dress up to the beach day apparently. Thinkin about it, it makes sense that the girls wanted to wear their nice clothes. Nearly all week they are in their uniforms and they do not go out as a group often, so it was a special occasion. *

After we digested, I was able to convince a few of the girls to go swimming or to “have a bath.” They did not change out of their nice clothes however; instead some put zip ups on over their shirts and jumped into the lake (mind you the lake was not cold, it is Cambodia, it is never cold, actually it was a sunny day, 95 and very humid). Other girls had rented, yes rented, brightly colored, oversized shorts, similar to swim trunks, to swim in for the day.

We were all having a great time splashing and throwing around the soccer ball and then Soda, one of my favorite students, came up to me and said “Lyn, I want to learn how to swim!” So, Soda and I waded a little away from the group and started swimming lessons. I started by showing her the appropriate way, and what she needed to do with her head, arms, and legs. I let her try and within seconds she was sinking, so I decided on a different approach. I began to hold her stomach while she did the work moving her arms and legs. After over an hour of this and her swimming a few feet to reach me, she finally got it! She was so happy and gave me one of the biggest and best hugs I have ever received. She did not want to stop trying however and continued to swim to me and show off her skills to the other kids. This lesson, more than anything, clarified to me that Soda is probably one of the most determined girls I have ever met. Although after nearly every attempt she had drank mouthfuls of lake water, (I honestly think she was too excited to keep her mouth closed) or had inhaled water through her nose or getting it in her eyes, she never once wanted to stop. Instead, every time she lifted her head she had a huge smile on her face, saying “again, again” until she finally did it!!

The day winded down with the kids getting into a fun mud fight, throwing those who were not wanting to get wet into the lake, and me and 7 year old Aliza (the house mom’s daughter) floating in a tube playing Simon Says and singing the “watermelon, watermelon, banana, banana” song.

This trip with the kids also reminded me of myself as a kid (and into my teens) at the beach when I would scream for my parents to watch any little trick or move I could do, all day long, simply yearning for attention. This is what these kids were doing, all day. Whether they were splashing, jumping off of tubes, jumping off people’s shoulders, showing they could swim, or doing flips in the water, they kept yelling “Lyn, Lyn, look” or “Watch Watch!” It is the type of attention that kids not only crave, but that they need at their age and stage of development, and I could not have been happier to be a part of it!

“50% of the population in Cambodia is under the age of 16”
The children are the future of Cambodia

The students at The Global Child are some of the most driven, hardworking, talented, witty, sleepy, moody, emotional…(the list goes on and on) kids I have ever met.
Currently there are 17 kids attending TGC. 16 of the 17 have been together since the schools creation, five years ago. (The newest member, Sreymom has been with the school for almost 1 year).

The kids are more than just classmates, they are housemates and best friends, but most importantly, they are a family, and they operate like one too. In a nutshell, The Global Child provides each student with $1/day of classes attended. The reason being that many families in Cambodia rely on their children as a source of income, and even if their child attended a free school, the family could still not afford to lose the income their child would have been bringing in. (please visit www.theglobalchild.org to learn more!) The children in Cambodia are literally the future of the country as “50% of the population is under the age of 16.”

All of the students live at the “Wood House” which is about an 8 minute walk from the school Also living in the house are the House Mom: Pissey, Cook: Ma Lim (cooks 3 amazing authentic Cambodian dishes daily) and cleaner, Ma Pov.
All of the girls live in a large room on the 1st floor and the boys on the 2nd. There are designated bathrooms, a study room upstairs, a kitchen, and a large eating/living area, with a television (which is almost always playing the latest Cambodian hit songs with the kids singing and dancing the whole time, literally the only thing they ever watch is music videos). There is also a large play area in the front of the house where one can commonly find the kids wheeling around on bikes, building something (recently fishing poles) or playing volleyball, rain or shine.

The students are expected to be dressed white button up shirt tucked into either a long navy skirt or trousers for their morning session (7:30-10:30) at NYIS, New York International School. When I first arrived at The Global Child, all of the students were taking a full course load at TGC. Since then, in order to obtain the proper accreditation and paperwork for their transcripts, 11 of the students are now attending NYIS in the morning and then TGC from 2-5pm or 6pm. From 11am-2pm the kids are hanging out, eating lunch at the Woodhouse or napping at the school.

The recent placement exams put some of the students in new classes at TGC in accordance with their skill level, meaning there are now 5 levels in TGC, all of which I teach English to.

-The beginner and second grade level: 2 students. Sophal (12 years old, smallest boy in school, class clown, one of the most difficult students @ TGC, energetic, crazy, amazing dancer, wild….) and 14 year old Sreymom. Sophal is at a 2nd grade level and is either in a great mood, ready to learn, and when he gets answers right, both of our excitement shows in spinning, behind the back high fives. Sreymom has only been learning English for 1 year at TGC meaning she is at the beginning level, A – Apple, B – Bat, and so on. She is a bright girl, great math student (she used to pick and sell vegetables) but gets very frustrated if she can’t understand something the second she looks at it. Since her English is very poor, giving her directions to even simple lessons can be a challenge without the help of Sophal who also serves the role as my Khmer translator. Although they are in the same class together, I am teaching them two completely different lessons every class, which is a great challenge most days. The combination of both Sophal and Sreymom in sleepy, cranky moods, makes them one of my most difficult classes to teach. However, the days when they are standing up with me at the board, high fiving, smiling because they finally got something, staying after the bell rings to finish a lesson, are the days when I truly see why teachers are teachers, you feel like you could possibly be making a minute difference in a kids life, and if not, you were at least able to let them have a fun time learning.

*It is important to note here that I usually have one class at the 2pm hour, right when the students have woken up from their naps. No matter the age group, the students enter the classroom groggy, face soaked (in Cambodia, children and adults splash water on their face and do not dry it in hopes of relieving them from the heat and waking them up from their afternoon naps). They need a better technique because teaching the 2pm class is similar to what I think teaching zombies would be like and needless to say is very difficult. The students are often angry that they are awake and still confused as they awake from their slumber.*

Jon and our principal Sokleing are currently in search of 8 new students to be admitted to TGC come this fall! These students, like the rest of those at TGC, would be from very poor families. They will also be very young, meaning not only cute as hell, but have little to no English background.

The next level is 18 year old Somoan. Somoan is only at a beginning English level and I just starting teaching her yesterday. She can speak pretty good English but her writing and reading levels are very poor. We are currently writing greetings and casual conversations, the days of the week, months of the year, reading a grade 1 book “Are You My Mother,” and working on the difference of words such as when and went.

The next level is 12 year old Chamroun. Chamroun used to be in a class with Sophal and Sreymom, but her placement exam placed her at a 5th grade level, and rightfully so because she is a very bright girl. Chamroun is also one of my favorite students, partly because I see a little of me in her. She loves her sweets and I can always find her chewing or in search of something tasty, usually which she shares with me. At soccer practice Chamroun is usually the girl not paying any attention during drills because all she wants to do is play and run around. Chamroun is the only student in the grade 5 class which is great to have one-on-on teaching time with her as we can move through lessons rather quickly and focus on her weaknesses. I lately been giving her the incentives of candy and drawing, both of which have proved to be effective in class and she is immediately no longer sleepy and the bubbly, laughing, playful Chamroun that I have truly grown to love comes out.

Other than Sophal and Sreymom, the 6th grade class is the only other difficult class I have. The 6th grade class has 8 students and is a mix of 11-17 year olds, all of whom are not at a 6th grade level. The boys in the class are 13 year old Marot, one of my favorite students, always smiling and laughing, one of the most polite students or kids I have ever met for that matter, very hard working, sincere, and fun. Not a combination you come across often; 16 year old Piron, very fun, great singer and dancer, recently loves to go to Wat Bo and dance because a girl he has a crush on dances there too, and the class comedian; 17 year old Sokmao, one of my most difficult students, has trouble focusing and doesn’t even try to pretend that he wants to be in class most days, but the times he does want to do something, can do it well and will try hard; and about to be 17 years old on October 5, Sokthear, the smartest middle class student, prefers to be by himself, loves computer games (Travian), and has said on countless occasions “I want to be a teacher because I want to help make future Cambodian children smart!, (this is how he ended his “about me” speech)).

The girls are 12 year old Soda, one of my favorite girls, always asking me questions and actually dong work outside of class, gives me many random hugs, smart girl, but even harder worker and is always the first to say an answer in class, right or wrong; 17 year old Lina, one of my more difficult students, could try much harder and because of her lack of effort often falls behind, outside of class she can still be found dazing off and loves to listen and sing to music on her cell phone; 11, turning 12 in September, Numheang, the second smartest in the class, very close behind Sokthear, very lazy girl and when she is unhappy about anything, she is not afraid to show you every ounce of it on her fac; and lastly 17 year old Thina (“alpha female” as she truly is the leader of the girls, beautiful, strong, very opinionated, great dancer/singer, very happy and loving, has for the time being taken over Amy’s task of braiding my hair).

Although the 6th grade class ranges in age, they are all at that maturity level where they are going through the awkward puberty stage, rebelling against the world and anyone who tries to tell them what to do, hating learning, starting to be very interested in the opposite sex, and wanting to be anywhere most days than in a classroom. They are also my biggest class which although 8 students is not many, it can be more challenging when all 8 of them are sleepy and moody.

**Cambodian classroom culture: There is no hand raising, just random shouting out of answers. This shouting out of answers, although in English (most of the time), is English with a hard Cambodian accent, so trying to figure out what they said, who said it, and which answer is right, is a constant struggle in this middle class. Coinciding with this shouting out, I am starting to learn Cambodian swear words for the purpose of effectively understanding the middle class and Sophal and Sreymom’s Khmer grunts and yells when they are angry in class. All of the students always say “All ready” the moment they are done, and repeat themselves until you fully acknowledge that they have completed even the smallest of tasks. This must be distracting to the other students who are in some cases, far from “all ready.”

Two things I have picked up on are the power of incentives and the importance of keeping the students physically up and moving throughout class. The later is especially difficult in the 95+ heat and humidity of Cambodia, where fans are the only source of relief, but has become a necessity in most of my classes. Tomorrow, the high and middle class have a grammar exam with me, the first written exam I am giving. I have feverishly been writing the test this week, and also inserting my friends and family’s names from home whenever possible in the questions (Liz Z and S, you have “been studying for six hours,” I told them you guys wanted to be a doctor and in medicine and I got WOW!!! The girls also showed great concern for my friend Megan who I had “not feeling well since her accident” (there was no accident, something I forgot to mention, but they were very concerned).

For the test, I am hoping that the power of incentives will work in this case as I told the middle and high classes that whoever scores a 90% or higher, I would take to dinner. This is a great way to not only reward hard work, but an excuse to treat these kids without showing favoritism. They loved this and I am trying everything in my power to let this happen. One week ago I gave the middle and high classes a review packet, which I told them was an identical format to the test they are having, with only the questions changed. I also told them I was available for extra study time and have the answer key for anyone who shows me their completed review sheet. As of today, no one has showed me a completed sheet, or even talked about it, even though I bring it up every class. I relented today and gave the answer sheet to one of the more responsible girls in class and the leader (Thina) and told her to look at it and share it with the others. We will see how it pans out.

* Fantastic story to insert here* (Coming Soon)

The highest level in TGC is the High class who range in age from 17-20 years old. The students recently took their exams at the public school and are looking into trade schools and university. In the meantime, they are learning English at TGC. The students are Vutha, Rotha, Samnang, Pisey, and Nop. Teaching this class is really fun because they are much more mature than the other classes and we are able to laugh and have a lot of fun still get a lot accomplished in class. My class with them is an English speaking class, so I asked them what they wanted to learn/do, and they said “research on the computer and debate,” so we have been doing just that. For the past 2 weeks I have had them researching possible careers that they may want to pursue later in life, with the culmination being a speech to the class about their career. They just presented yesterday and I taped each speech and let them watch themselves individually, something they really liked. (I am working on uploading these on this site). We have also been bringing in local newspaper articles that we read aloud and define the words together. We will continue with their wishes, this time debating next class. Any good debate topics are welcome!

Nate and I have also been giving English lessons to the full time staff at the school for 2 hours on Saturdays and I have started teaching Vinnay, our Cambodian volunteer. I have also been working on projects for the school. TGC owns a luxurious single or double occupant hotel in the heart of Siem Reap, La Petite Indochine. www.lapetiteindochine.com. The best part about it is that 100% of the profits go to TGC and that TGC students who are not able to pursue higher education, have the opportunity to work at the hotel. TGC also owns a coffee shop, Joe-To-Go, which sells organically grown coffee and baked goods and also has an attached gift shop which sells many of the students projects; including bags, photography… So lately I have been working on different advertising for these two sustainable ventures.

Outside of the classroom, Nate and I are to plan activities with the kids for Sunday. (The kids have class 8-10am with us every Saturday morning). Recently they have built paper mache volcanoes, went to a ceramics studio, sang karaoke (their FAVORITE pastime), played soccer at a local field, had a volleyball tournament….

I have also wanted to add more activities during the week to get the kids away from the TV and more active after school, so started up soccer drills and scrimmages on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 5-6:30 pm, which looks like it is going to be a flop. The kids say they are too tired or that they will come and end up not. Although this is upsetting to me because sports have always been an integral part of my life and I wanted the kids to start an organized activity, preferably physical, I am looking into other activities such as bike rides and movie nights, hopefully one of them catches on.

So far my teaching schedule has changed 3 times and it is about to change again as we have a new volunteer, Yonny, from Finland. Teaching the students has so far shown to be very difficult, fun, frustrating, exciting, and rewarding. Teaching them is very day to day in regards to having a great class or one where you wonder if you were able to get anything across to them. One day the students will be moody, sleepy, angry and seem like they will never want to learn again, and the next it just clicks, and they finally understand a concept and are hugging you in class, staying after the bell, high fiving you and their classmates like crazy, everyone’s excitement showing, and learning was actually fun.

I find myself constantly trying to be a 12 year old, 16, and 19 year old and how I felt at these stages in life and in school to put things into perspective and how to get through to these kids the best. I feel that there is a lot of pressure in teaching the students at TGC because they come from some of the roughest home lives and backgrounds I have ever encountered. You really do not know if the next day they will have to leave the school
or what lessons and skills will really matter in their lives after TGC. Therefore, there is this pressure to make every class count and to teach them things that will be beneficial for their lives. You also want the classes to be fun because keeping them in school is so vital. The students are fully aware that even at their current English and educational levels, they are at a greater advantage than those around them, so the opportunity to leave school and make money, is ever present.
Altough there are challenges to teaching these students, learning more about the families and backgrounds of these students, truly makes one want to teach them and more importantly be a person that can be for them and support them in their lives.

Spider Girl
Today I met Spider Girl. It was a hot, humid, Sunday afternoon and I was on my way back after walking around downtown Siem Reap for a few hours. She approached me and was very kind of course and asked if I wanted to buy her bracelets or a book in the armful she was carrying. This is what most street kids it appears sell, bracelets and books, she had them both. One of the first things I did when Spider Girl approached me was look at her feet. She, unlike many street kids, had shoes on, purple plastic strappy sandals to be exact, so I did not feel compelled to buy her shoes. I told her No, but she followed me so I continued to talk to her. I learned that Spider girl lives near the airport which is about 10km away and she shares a bike to get back and forth, and she comes into town to get money. She then asked for money and I told her No, because you never know what the kids will use the money to buy (glue?) or if they give money to someone that they work for. We continued to talk and I noticed the bright green sparkles on her dirty face as well as her black plastic messenger bag. She then asked me for food. Shoes and food are the only things I personally decided I would buy for kids, so when she asked this, I said Yes. We were passing by a cart which was selling fried bananas (I have yet to try them, but heard they are delicious). She said No to the fried bananas and said “you buy me pizza!” I believe in the phrase, “beggars cannot be choosers” and was taken aback when she refused the food I offered and told her No. She continued to follow me, this time asking if I would buy her ice cream. By this point I not going to be buying her pizza or ice cream and when she asked for cotton candy saying it was only 50 cents, I decided Spider Girl would have to start begging for sweets from someone else. At this point we had reached the water and my house being not far from the bridge, I decided it was time for Spider Girl and I to part ways. After continually telling her “no, I am sorry” she kept following me in the circles I had begun walking in, until I finally had to walk into a shopping center, Angkor Trade Center to evade her, which after leaving 3 separate doors, I was able to accomplish. I don’t know if I will meet Spider Girl again, but there is certainly going to be more like her, maybe ones with less of a sweet tooth.

There have been. Since I typed this out one week ago, I have met Tu and Nxa, two little girls, 11 and 12 years old. I was having lunch at a café off of Pub Street during my lunch break and after being approached by landmine victims with arms or a leg blown off, and tiny, dirty, cute as hell kids just wanting food, (this time not even sweets) I had to give in. It started off with Tu and I, Tu dragging me to a restaurant she wanted to eat at and her friend Nxa calling after us. Nxa ordered fried beef and Tu fried sausage, which came with rice, veggies, and a fried egg. They sucked down their water, gobbled up two bowls of rice each and had great big smiles (their rotten teeth showing) the whole meal. I learned that they have a sponsor who pays for them to attend NYIS the local public school, and live near Angkor Wat (6 km from the city), and that Nxa has 3 sisters, and Tu has 2 sisters and 3 brothers. Both of their moms stay at home and make bracelets that the girls try to sell (and beg for food) in the market. Both girls were very dirty, had crazy unkempt hair, filthy clothes, and Nxa had many bug bites and strange marks on her arms, they clearly were not sleeping under mosquito nets. Their English was decent for their age and education levels, but clearly only knew words to attract tourists. The girls kept saying “thank you very much,” “good luck to you,” and kept offering their food to me. I know I will not be able to feed all of the children on the streets of Cambodia, and it is not my plan to do so. I do hope however that I was able to make a small difference with these 2 girls and give them an enjoyable time and treat them to something they do not get to experience often.

The Cambodia Way of Life
I think I am finally getting used to or at least aware of most of the Cambodian customs, most of which are very new to me.
Most people wear sandals in Cambodia but before walking into a house or the school, they are removed, meaning you are barefoot all day until you leave. I am starting to get accustomed to this and certainly prefer it over heels. In fact, I find myself always checking before walking into restaurants or nicer stores to see if their shoes are on (they are).

We have pets! Well not that exciting, but certainly a fun, surprising, scary and sometimes annoying addition to life. We have tiny tan geckos scattered all over our porch ceiling and often seen scurrying on cooler surfaces, a rooster (which crows b/w 6-7am), a chicken, tiny ants, crickets, a few cockroaches in our bathroom (which if they are smart, will not return because the 3 we had I poisoned with scrubbing bubbles spray and then disposed of by Nate), flies, mosquitoes, frogs (which croak unbelievably loud after it rains), tiny spiders, and so far only one tarantula (which Jon so kindly removed from our house day 1). Today Sopal, (12 years old, smallest boy, cutest kid I have ever seen, the list goes on and on) killed a mouse in the Woodhouse which created 5 minutes of entertainment. There is also something scratching constantly in the ceiling above my room, which hopefully stays in hiding until May 2010. There are also some of the ugliest, skinniest, most likely flee/rabi infested dogs that I have ever seen. I have found it weird though that when anyone walks or bikes past them, even comes very close, they don’t react. They are clearly used to it, but in America, or at least with my dog Seamus, he would be barking and jumping all day at anyone passing by.

The heat. Nearly every building has a fan, or multiple, which sort of cools things off or just blows the heat around more, and the little bit of rain which has been coming in droves lately, has helped to cool things off a bit. You still sweat however around 11am until 5pm if you move too fast, and I was amazed when the kids this morning in 90 degree weather, had their zip ups curled around their shoulders and asked if we could turn off the fans. They are very concerned about me and Nate however because before even asking to do so asked “are you cold, or hot, are you okay?” For those who have asked about air conditioning: As much of a luxury, craving, and relief it is, AC in Cambodia is pretty unrealistic. Leaving an air conditioned room, even at 6pm to step back into the humidity of Cambodia, is very unpleasant and the heat and humidty hit you pretty hard.

Light vs. Dark Skin. The girls lately have been telling me how beautiful my light skin is and ask what I use to whiten it to make it so light. Loving the sun and a great tan, this is not one of my favorite “compliments” and I’m not as tan as I would like and have lighter skin than the students. I always catch glimpses of them comparing their arm colors, similar to what my friends and I do after the beach, however they want to have the lightest skin. These girls are surrounded by images of beautiful women with pasty white skin who they emulate for their beauty, for in their culture, the lighter the skin, the more beautiful someone is. These girls are truly beautiful though, inside and out. I try to remind them when they talk about how dark their skin is, how beautiful they are and how people in America would love to have their skin tone and beauty, but of course, like most people, they do not recognize how beautiful they are. I will post pictures soon to prove it.

Chaotic Streets. There are cars and trucks on the roads of Siem Reap but they are completely outnumbered by bicycles and motos which are the two main means of transport here in Cambodia. Cars in Cambodia have the steering wheel on both the left and right and think they dominate the road because they are in the upper class that can afford a car and therefore blare their horns all the time, many times for no reason. Many people wear a surgical mask or use some type of cloth to cover their mouth from all the dust and sand that is in the air and stirred up by the vehicles. There also seems to be little to no rules of the road as no one stops at intersections, people are passing on the left and right, driving on all sides of the road and only using their horns and bells to warn you if you are about to get plowed over. The first time I got on a moto was with Chanda, an assistant at the school, and I was a little scared for my life. Now, maneuvering on the roads on my bicylce is fun, there is always a little thrill and excitement of what the other drivers are going to do next and you honestly get the hang of it. I may not have been the best driver back in the states, but I will have a plethora of new skills when I return

Good Eats! (MMM Lobster Rolls and best friends). The food is so far pretty good! For the past 9 days, I’ve had only one meal that didn’t have rice, but I am really starting to get used to it. On the table their may not be ketchup, but they always have bottles of soy sauce and a hot chille sauce. Some of my favorite meals were fish with rice and a good amount of different steamed veggies and a dish of fried pineapple and chicken atop the rice, DELICIOUS! Although nothing compares to my mom’s, Uncle Mike’s or Dave’s cooking, Ma Lim and the Cambodian restaurants do a pretty good job. The kids also have us tasting many different treats after meals and so far my favorite is a sticky rice ball with coconut shavings atop it. Nate compared the rice balls to that of poorly made matzah balls!

People. As mentioned before, the best and most difficult part of Cambodia is the people. When passing nearly every one of them, I am greeted by some of the biggest and most genuine smiles I have ever seen. Then you look in the background and there is garbage everywhere, parts of a house still standing, naked and half naked children running around or peeing outside of their “house”, an old woman in a hammock with flies surrounding her, and dogs relieving themselves anywhere, no owners in site. Yet they look and seem happy, they are home. So if you read nothing more of my blog, please: Enjoy what you have and be happy with that and your loved ones. If you want to take one more step, donate to TGC and make sure that these kids and perhaps more, have the best shot possible to escape what surrounds their daily lives. http://www.theglobalchild.org/home.html

Initial impression of the kids

They are great!!!!  They have the biggest, brightest smiles I have ever seen on kids and are already very helpful.   Most are very small; skinny and short.  There are 20 students total ranging from age 11-20, but it is difficult to know their exact age because many do not have birth certificates.  Although we have only been around them for 4 days, they are proving to be very loving and affectionate and always willing to learn and especially have us try new Khmer foods (sometimes as a joke, giving very spicy or hot foods, and trying to teach us the Cambodian language, Khmer.

Don’t believe all that you read

Prior to my arrival in Cambodia, I read up about the country, especially my new hometown, Siem Reap.  Travel books, other literature, and online accounts all explained Siem Reap as a great city, and a very touristy town, that was however extremely busy and crowded.

However, I have yet to see the masses of people and traffic that I had so often read about and envisioned.  Yes, from 7-8 am, and 5-6 pm it is the Cambodian version of rush hour and much more busy, but it is all very manageable and a tuk tuk and moto (the most common ways Cambodians get around, cars are seldom) can only go so fast, so there is never great danger unless a large van or truck is en route.  Although I have yet to enter the extreme slums of Siem Reap, I have not seen the overwhelming numbers of beggars, either children or land mine victims that I had read about.  The tuk tuk drivers are always very polite but rather annoying if you go on a long walk you hear them constantly saying “Lady lady, you want a ride, I bring you anywhere ;)”  In the old market there was an overwhelming number of people saying “You  buy! Lady lady, you buy, I even give you discount”  I felt special when I heard of my first discount, then literally every stall was offering me a discount, not so special anymore.

Most importantly it is the people which truly amaze me and are the best part thus far of Cambodia.  The people are all incredibly friendly, very generous and always willing to help out and assist others.

Depart 8:20 am, July 15, 2009, Logan International, Boston, MA to London, England = 6 hours

London, England to Bangkok, Thailand = 11.5 hours

Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia = 1 hour, 10 mins.

Arrive in Cambodia, 8:20pm, July 16, 2009

Total travel time, 22 hours

Siem Reap, Cambodia is 11 hours ahead of Schenectady, NY.

We have arrived!!