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Published: July 15th 2010
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Cutest dinner ladies I've ever had..iSo far, so good...
Well, I've been back and working at the school for over a month and everything’s falling back into place and I’m really getting back into the rhythm of things...
and I now get to ride the moto to school and back two times a day which is always fun! the main road with all the house's on we call hello road as every single child run out of their house shouting hello at me as i ride past.
A description of my day??
5.30am usually get woken up at by the chickens or at 6am by the wedding / funeral it’s very hard to tell the difference as they both hire the biggest speakers you can get then chant, pray and play local music and drum and bass at full volume for three days. There's at least one a week.
8-9.00 shower with bucket and cook noodles!
10.00 plan lessons then read and relax
11.30 ride moto to the new school it’s about 20 mins away (great ride)
12-1.00 teach elementary English
1- 3.30 come home eat lunch and sit in hammock, watch thunderstorm
3.30
ride back to new school
4.00 Women's rights
5.00 intermediate English (Charlie and the chocolate factory)
6.30 come home
7.00 have a Khmer lesson
8.00 Diner time ~ Hop Bai (translates as eat rice) and that's what we do
9.00 relax, read and use the internet then bed time, listen to thunderstorm
2.00 AM Wedding / funeral stops till 6am...
That’s right I’m teaching Women's rights! A topic Pat and Kimnget started and that I've taken over...
Were mostly working from a booklet produced by a local NGO its really great and details all the problems women face in Cambodia... including Rape, Domestic violence, Trafficking, Discrimination, Lack of education and lack of knowledge in regards to healthcare.. In 2005 only 15% of girls went to school. its a lot better now but still less then the boys.
It’s a pretty difficult subject to talk about on so many levels, the words are very complicated, lots of the topics are considered taboo (one of the main problems) and making sure I'm not telling them what's right and wrong, this is their culture and heritage the last thing I would want to
do is seem like I was taking the moral high ground.. And clearly I would have nothing to stand on if you looked at the state of England with the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the world.
But I do try to show them how things can change and how women don't have to stay home and look after children and have just as much say in a family as the man does and why they are equal..
One major problem is the Women's Code; it was written about 100 years ago (by a man) and is still taught in grade 6 as a poem. It's very chauvinistic and manipulative...
"My dearest daughter, no matter how poor you are, follow the woman's rules
Don't be so mean to the neighbor and relative
Good position and happiness come from women
Being a woman, no matter what you say, don't be (leh'lah!) talking not serious, not gentle
(Cambodian women are not supposed to talk very much and be shy)
Taking a seat in the wrong place is not suitable for a woman (if you sit in the wrong place you do not deserve to be a woman in
Cambodia)
If you don't feel afraid of your husband's feeling and let the other man look down on your husband
We call you a woman who is lack of good characteristic"
"You should try to do the work like weaving or knitting
Don't delay the work
Before you weave the silk you have to make things ready and then do it
Don't go for a walk at other people's house
Try to work hard and protect yourself since you are a virgin ((men wont marry you if your not a virgin) men don't have to be virgins though)
Because when you have a husband you are busy with your children who are crying, you have never time to do things
Don't keep things complicated otherwise you will lose it
"To be patient, don't say anything without the husband present
Don't curse, don't be the enemy, no matter how poor or stupid you don't look down on him
Though poor or stupid you should advise or say something with good words
No matter what the husband says, angry and cursing, using strong word without ending
Complaining and cursing because husband not pleased
You should be patient with
him and calm down your anger
Don't be angry and react bad to the one who is your husband"
The reinforcement of statements like this is one of the reasons why so much pressure is put on girls to keep up a good appearance for the family and who so few rapes and acts domestic violence are reported.
So we have been talking about how the rules may be out of date or unfair now.. looking into how women's rights have changed in other countries like England and America aswell..
after we have finished this topic hopefully we will be moving onto Permaculture !
On a lighter note I'm reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory the lesson after!! which the students love!
I'm really enjoying being back and working again I've got just under a month and a half left before I'll have to move to the big city and find a real job! which might be tricky..
ohhh the weather? hot but now it rains every now and then!
peace
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