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Published: February 4th 2011
Hello!!!
So much to tell you all but have been so busy so have only just got time to start my blog today as school was let out early 😊 I was very VERY homesick the first few days. The flight was fine but when I arrived it was late at night, everyone was in bed and it felt very weird being left to sleep somewhere I had no idea about! Apparently they say its best not to arrive on a Friday evening or the weekend as no one is in the office to help you settle in and people already have plans. But the next day, Saturday, I made sure introduced myself to people and ended up going to see the temples (Angkor wat) with a man Ali who had also just arrived. We were very jet lagged and I forgot my bloody camera!!! But it was amazing and I will definitely go again, there is so much to take in all in one day. Then that evening we went out for a group meal which was nice, managed to meet everyone so the next day I went into town with some people for lunch.
At the moment there is a couple here called Lyn and Bob, Lyn is my stand in mum in Cambodia and just fanTAStic!!! They are here the whole time I am. There is another lady Julie, who is a nurse and so so nice, but she leaves tomoro. Then there is a girl from New Zealand Paula who I get on very well with, but she is leaving soon. A guy Mark who is here for another 3 weeks and he is great, really funny, get on with him very well. Ali has left now, and some other young people left the beginning of this week which is a bit rubbish but sure new people arriving will be great too. Trixie and Ashlee who work here are so nice, they are really supportive and if something isn't quite right they will make sure they sort it out and that you are satisfied, I really like them. The house is great, en suite, rooms cleaned every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!!! Washing done by the live in staff and you just pay when you leave. And 24 hour security, which are these three Cambodian guys who are so sweet, we sit up helping them with their English, they are very appreciative and incredibly kind to people staying here.
Then there is the school/ center I have been working in called Angali which I cycle to every day! Start at 8.30 11.30, hour and a half lunch that is cooked at the school, the 1-4 then home!! Had a bit of a rocky start. My class was beginners but the age range went from 6-17 so was incredibly hard to sort out activities that they would all enjoy so I really really struggled. I did actually mention this to the women who work for globalteer where I'm staying and within a day it was sorted and I have been given the intermediate group, a lot smaller, age group more sensible and now I'm getting on fine!!! All the kids there are sooooo lovely, some are tiny in the kindergarden! But it can be quite sad, some of them have lots of big sores on their legs which they get cleaned and bandaged at the center. They are given breakfast and lunch, some start in the morning and others start in the afternoon so we just repeat what we have taught earlier on. So I have English, that is taught by a Khmer teacher, then general studies which I teach- can be anything as long as it is to do with the given topic that week, then a workshop which is arts and crafts and I do that with another volunteer who helps there. The Cambodian way takes a bit of getting used to though as in teachers turn up late or not at all- hence why we could leave early today!! And the children clamber around, lots of shouting and they are very aggressive with each other in a play fighty way!!! Even smacking the teachers bums, but the teachers just laugh!!! But some of the girls are very huggy and like lots of cuddles, although I'm always cautious as I REALLY dont want to get nits. I did a huge nit check and hair clean last week with all my class and the size of the nits coming out was shocking, they were like ants. The discomfort these children must be in I cant imagine, you can literally see the thousands of eggs in their hair, so Julie has given me a nit comb and I check every night after washing my hair!!
Went to an orphanage last week which was nice but quite hard. All the children were so grateful to see people and they put on a show with tradition Cambodian dancing. It was very good and after we stayed and danced with them for a while. But apparently the people who run it kind of use the children to make money and even though they earn through donations they still make them beg on the streets 😞 So if we go again I would take things I brought out with me instead of make another donation as you just cant be sure where the money goes, a shame but apparently just what happens.
Then took a trip to a waterfall last weekend but it was pretty rubbish, 2 hour drive through the country which was great but the actual waterfall was crap!!!
I'm just about getting used to the town, its quite big and very busy, tuk tuks everywhere you look!! But there are thousands of lovely restaurants and bars, one street called Pub Street!!! We eat out every night, food ranges from about 2-5 dollars although there is an area in town that are make shift restaurants set up on the street just in the evening with everything for 1 dollar and they are the BEST meals I have had yet!!! Then there are loads of fish pedicures which I did the other day, such fun!!! You can get full body massages and manicure and pedicures and everything for so cheap out here, its great!! There is a place to eat next door but takes bloody aaaages to get your food and we all went the other night and they got so muddled up with our orders!! In the end we were taking anything, no idea what we were eating but I'm almost positive I haven't eaten dog, yahoooo!!!
But anyway, I think that's about it. Tonight (Friday) we are going for dinner then to a bar, called Angkor What?? for Chinese New Year. Then going to a pool the next day with Lyn, its in a really posh hotel that volunteers for Globalteer get discount for, so nice! Then Sunday we are going into the jungle/ forest to meet people who live there who are not used to westerners and we are doing an arts and craft project with them- don't really know what its going to be like, but Trixie says its amazing so I'm very excited!!
I'll keep you posted with my next adventures 😊
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bexleyt
Rebecca Cradick
What a week you have had!
Lovely to get a catch up Hol Pol - you certainly have been busy and it sounds like although a bit scary at first you are managing extremely well although far too much luxury in my opinion. We didnt have that when I was in Africa! Thinking of you and looking forward to hearing more. Take your bloody camera to Angkor Wat for goodness sake - those are the pictures I want to see when you get back! You are now travelling for me as I cant go anywhere now! Bump doing well - will be huge when you come back so will come and see you but please dont bring any bugs back with you! Not good for pregnant women! :-) Enjoy your weekend Lots of love and kisses Bex xxx