My last week in Cambodia

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Where to start?! Last Fun Friday... Party central went down at VDCA where i shakily arrived on my bicycle loaded with cake, sweets and coco cola for my classes!!



The children loved it, some have never tasted anything as sweet as coke before and really screwed up their faces when they drank it, but I think the verdict was good!! The raised voices, extra excitement and hyperactivity may have been as a result of a sugar overload but I like to think my game of pictionary which became very heated between boys versus girls!! wowzaaa there was some real rivalry and competitiveness!!



Leaving Presents...
One pupil called Phalla was a little cutie and bought me a scarf and wrote me a beautiful letter saying thank you for teaching her and correcting her mistakes! I am now friends with her on Facebook and she keeps private messaging me saying ' teacher I miss you, I love you!' ... In everyday circumstances at home I would be seeing this as a cause for concern but here I think it's very sweet!



Paul and I treated Phalla to a Khmer BBQ meal which she really enjoyed! We then took her for a cocktail which in hindsight maybe wasn't the best idea as Cambodian females aren't allowed to drink! Phalla was very concerned she was going to end up 'drunk' so her method to prevent this was to attempt to down the drink in one and get rid of it as soon as possible.... Hilarious!!



Buddha celebration...

This was an honour to be invited to and an experience most westerners will not have the privilege to enjoy. Imagine an Asian person who you have never seen attending your wedding!! That's what I felt like, a gate crasher to a really lovely family event! So, whilst I had been invited I got some strange looks! Khmer people go all out on celebrations and rent a marquee, it lasts two days and begins at 6.30 am! We were offered a lunch of pork soup, rice and Cambodian cheese (which is really fish).

Transportation to the pigotta was by truck or tuk tuk! Definitely think some prizes could be won for 'who can fit the most people in a...' Elderly people were hitching themselves up into the back of a truck! An image of my grandparents attempting to do that made me smile!!



It reminded me in some ways of the 12th parades, without the drunken hooligans dancing alongside! Two lead trucks had men playing drums, and chanting and all other vehicles followed! People came out onto the street to wave as the procession did a loop around the surrounding area! I cycled along sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the parade as the only white person!

Onlookers must have thought I'd got very lost and confused! Upon arrival at the pigotta it was like a swarm of bees to a honey pot! Everyone got out and in true Cambodian fashion a huge mob formed trying to access the pigotta! Movements was slow but we got there eventually!


Each person had to carry their beautifully wrapped in gold present on their head to offer to the monks!! I didn't quite make it that far as a Cambodian women who clearly thought I was confused and in the wrong place, pointed at my present, reached up and took it off me for her head!! I wasn't complaining, the toothless wide smile she gave me as thanks demonstrated that it was clearly of importance to her to present a gift to the monks.



We walked barefoot around the pigotta three times, I couldn't help but think 'lucky monks' as I saw the generosity of presents. Robes, toiletries, water, a money tree, a wooden bed and even a grass cutter were amongst the gifts!! The people present these gifts to gain favour of the monks and show respect to the Buddha! They then gather around the monks who sit on raised cushions and pray, I joint Sreyleap and her family who were delighted to have Paul and I accompany them.



On my last night I wanted to thank Sreyleap for her kindness and hospitality towards making me feel so welcome at her family event so we invited her out to the Khmer BBQ with all of us 😊 She is so tiny she didn't eat much of an 'all you can eat' but the rest of us well and truly made up for it leaving with food babies! It is so good there!



Giving Visa (12) and Narn (15) my bicycle:

This was a highlight!! I selected these two brothers as during my time at the school I couldn't help but notice their dirty appearance, wearing the same filthy beige tshirts everyday! Visa has an infectious smile which made him stand out to me instantly, and his older brother Narn a much more quiet and reserved character but so keen to listen hard and learn!

Whilst the language barrier was difficult as both students English level is very low, I grew an instant like for their usual routine of walking into the classroom, and Narn would take Visa his book and pencil out of their scuffed, tattered school bag! Visa, who fancied himself as a bit of a joker at times resided to the back of the classroom and like me enjoyed a good chat with his pal beside him, while Narn sat right in the front row hanging onto every word I said!

In short, whilst I had no personal relationship with these brothers like I had with my other students because I could not communicate with them as well, I had my own reasons for choosing them, two beautiful boys who travelled to school without fail for the last lesson (6-7pm) and walked home in the pitch dark every night! They were from a very poor family! (Me with the boys and my bike) They turned up to school to meet me, and for the first time were wearing different shirts, and had clearly made an effort! Narn had even made an attempt to gel his hair and both boys were beaming at me. Sreyleap translated for me, which was amazing! Otherwise it would have been a bit of a struggle!! The boys thanked me in Khmer fashion for the bike by praying!



I told them to have a practice and they had to promise to share!! They cycled around with beams on their faces, with one on the front and the other on the back! They waved goodbye the whole way down the lane home! It wasn't about me, it was about them, but at the same time it will be a really happy memory of my travelling trip!

You may be wondering how I got home when I was without my bike, another pro of being an athlete!! I ran, and seeing as I had my camera, stopped for a couple of cringe photos along the way much to the amusement of the Cambodian people battling the traffic on the busy roads!!

Visit to the orphanage...

Rosie took me to the orphanage she has helped at for the last few summers! There are 14 children staying in total!! What beautiful children! One she sponsors in particular has a really sad background, he was found in a cardboard box and for the first two months all he said was "rice" or "water" as he had been so neglected! Rosie says the transformation over the last two years is incredible! We have been invited back on Christmas Day where the children are making Santa costumes to play games!! I intend to make then little goodie bags and a card to bring! What a special occasion to be asked to join! It won't quite be home but I hope will be special in its own right!



The next thing to write about is all the fun and crazy night out with my wonderful friends....

But what happens in Cambodia stays in Cambodia so ill leave on that note with a couple of highlights:

- popcorn bar - we actually have no shame 'eh can we have some more popcorn please?' - Picasso - best cocktails yet - absinthe shots- jaeger bombs!! - dancing on Angkor wat bar- falling off Angkor wat bar (the hand!!) - hat flipping on the street- Rosie and Noy - playing 21 and being a constant distraction ( poor Russell!)- Paul's solo dancing 'this is my tune'- Rosie's favourite line 'my treat' - surviving 6 weeks on Cambodia to be taken out by Rosie on my bike! Lol! - pancakes - need I say more- lemon and pineapple shakes- Judith fitting through the hole to school 'I'm not too fat!! Yay!)- getting caught being cringe taking photos of myself at VDCA (jump shots) - frozen yoghurt - literally jumped a foot in the air! Amazing!! While having chocolate sauce from my pancake dribbled all over my top! - foot massages in the night market- eating chocolate pandas and Rosie's special chocolate biscuit!! Yum! - tasting the nuts at the night market and never buying! - Judith and Sarah eating cockroaches -12 tapas dishes for dinner - hanging onto Paul for dear life on my bicycle and he pulled me on the moto - eating Cambodian cakes in tuk tuk bar! - cycles back from school and the first ten minutes of dinner where we all just let of steam! - ice creams at lucky mall

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