Khmer Princesses

I saved posting this to report on the more pressing matter of Tuesday's tragedy.

Had an extremely snazzy day on Monday, in which we were all dolled up in way too many layers of make up, hair sprayed into place (mine complete with a hairpiece) - not to mention being "blinged up" to the absolute max. I don't think I've ever worn anything so shiny. Or pink, for that matter.

Group shot!

They spent forever curling Ida's hair; I think they must have been in love with her gorgeous blondeness - I know I am! 

Since I was in pink...well, Will had to match my outfit. Sorry Will. I think he outshone me an ounce though.

So much pink! So much silver and gold! So many unnatural poses!

This little guy gets the prize for the most hilarious photographer. He was just precious 

One of my favourite pictures

Today, Saturday 27th November, is my LAST FULL DAY IN CAMBODIA. Eek! I'm having so much trouble believing that it truly has come to an end.

Hmmm...to look at it another way, though: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Juliet

Water Festival Stampede

We were on the same bridge two nights previous to the event, telling each other this would be the one and only night we'd be coming in this direction - the crowds were ridiculous and not worth the discomfort of getting to Diamond Island. Last night, we watched a Tiny Toones performance near the Royal Palace, and talking to Diamond (one of the dancers) after they'd performed told us they'd be going to that island later on. By this time, we'd already been subject to huge crowds at the Riverside area (which is about 20mins walk from Diamond Island) so decided to go get a drink in a quieter area. At about 11.30pm, as we are leaving Riverside for good, we noticed several Ambulances drive past us, as well as trunks carrying people. It was only this morning that we discovered the truth and scale of the tragedy.

It's a terrible, and somewhat sickening occurrence that I am still having trouble believing.

Condolences to anyone who has lost someone in this horrific event.

The Red House & The Empty House

Obviously the reason for me neglecting this blog for so long attributes to the fact that we've had such a hectic past few weeks - one event that originated at perhaps 10:30am on last Tuesday morning. Vy decided to remind us that we were going to Kep on the Wednesday afternoon - and good thing she did remind us - we all believed we wouldn't be travelling to the rural province (just 4 hours from Cambodia) until the Friday of that week. Hence, busy preparation began and before we knew it we had arrived.

Technically we hadn't reached Kep itself, but Chamcar Bei, a village about an hour away from Kep. BABC (Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, the NGO we are volunteering for) supports a huge project in this particular region, with opportunities for developing the community through agriculture, education and health. Our major role while there was to help build a house.

The Red House

...Yeeaah I fooled ya'. This wasn't actually the house we built, but the one we stayed in. The Red House, as it is known, is the local residence for the BABC volunteers working in the area. Currently there are 3 - Inge and Sofie from Belgium, and Michael from Germany.

Surrounding the Red House, which is complete with Kitchen, Bathroom (I say bathroom), Balcony & 2 hours of electricity per day, there are miles and miles of farmland stretching out in every direction, with some amazing mountains in the distance. Additionally it comes equipped with a local Swimming Pool, the beautiful, serene lake full of authentic Lily pads. We even ate some of the lotus fruit while we were there.

The Lake

So I apologise if I'm starting to sound a bit like an advertisement, but really, what could I say about Kep that wouldn't attract someone from wanting to go? The fact that it's a completely unspoiled area makes it unique from anywhere else on the planet. Perhaps the comforts of home missing, I would find it difficult to live there for months on end, although I think the beautiful location would more than make up for it. I suppose many wouldn't agree with me, but I find many cities just the same thing over and over - but somewhere like this? You can't beat.

ANYWAYS, so onto the house building!

It was about a half-hour cycle to the site on some (rather questionable) bicycles supplied by BABC. Doesn't sound all that pleasant? The picture below shows the scenery pretty much the entire way.

Tiring, yes, but incredible at the same time.

So arriving at the site started us off building a house that went from picture 1 to 2 in two days.

Beginning

End!

It was an amazing feat, simultaneously charitable and enjoyable. As a group, it cemented and bonded us even further - such that, when it came the time to leave Kep, I felt rather sad at having to depart from a location that would hold true memories for me of our time in Cambodia. 

NB: photos courtesy of Tien as I forgot to take my camera to Kep!

...And that sadness would reign true only a few days later, as on Monday 8th November 2010, Maxwell Moody and Victor Trisna departed from Cambodia for good.

We all knew it was coming, that they would be leaving approx a month before the rest of us - but that doesn't mean it made it any less hard! Those two were a huge part of the entire group and will be very much missed.

Some of the Facebook Comments that arose after they had left...

ERICA: miss you already Victor Trisna and Max Moody!!! have a safe flight bros <333

IDA: 3 months make you care more about people that what you realize at once :( i will miss you two so much :( remember youll always be my brotha´s from anotha motha ♥

TIEN TSIN: Victor awwww

thanks for the note, sorry for us all rushing you at A2!!
I miss you and Max Moody so much already!
BUT THE GROUP WiLL NEVER BE SEPARATED AT HEART
We all HAVE to have a reunion sometime in the near future ♥ ♥

I think those accurately sum up how we all felt about the boys' departure. 

As a surprise, we made them each books where everyone wrote individual messages, and t-shirts with all our names on for a Cambodian reminder. The catch was, we gave these to them an hour before they had to leave, and so they spent their last hour here hastily trying to scribble in everyone ELSES books while simultaneously trying to eat a last dinner at A2...sorry about that guys...

Although it's the end of the line for them, the journey continues for the final 6, and so I will hopefully still be blogging until the end if I can!

Much love (& curious as to who is still reading),

Juliet 

Three Quarters

I love this photo

It's almost been 3 months since we arrived in Cambodia.

Wow?

It's probably for this reason that I'm finding it more and more difficult to blog about something new and exciting...due to the fact that everything 'new and exciting' is now just events that occur in my day-to-day life. It's no longer a short holiday or expedition - these months in Phnom Penh will mark an entire period of my life.

So what have been my three 'happy moments' from the past week?

1. I FELL IN LOVE...with the $5 muesli from the supermarket. Okay, so it's definitely a weekly investment - but so very, very worth it. Combined with honey-lemon yoghurt and fresh banana - it's one of the major attractions for eating breakfast.
2. I HAD A PURPLE PAMPERING...in the form of a pedicure! For...wait for it...50cents! Everything that is cheap is always amazing, and this beautifies me to the max. Not that I wasn't beautified to the max before, of course.
3. PARTYING ON A SUNDAY...at Vy's birthday! We had an amazing time at a restaurant first (in which we bonded with the previously kinda-awkward guys in the office...through drinking of course) and then moved onto a bar complete with pool...and finally clubbing at Heart of Darkness. It was supersuper funfunfun, and I'm so glad Vy invited us.

Okay I have just realised something terrible has occurred - I have had yet to tell you about Vy!!! She is our coordinator here in PP, and one of the coolest, most lovely of all the Khmer people. You can always tell her anything if it is troubling you, or just funny things that have happened to you that day. But the best way to think of Vy is by her smile, which you rarely see her without. We couldn't get by in Cambodia without Vy!

This morning we went to meet with the top-of-the-top people from Village Earth, to talk about the volunteer program. When we were leaving, they thanked us for what we are doing with such heart, such sincerity, that I couldn't help tearing up a little bit. The fact that it is already three quarters of the way through is already beginning to hit me. As now that this time in Cambodia is becoming defined as a significant period to me, it is also about to end.

Alas - it is not over yet! Much more to come...so stay tuned readers, for we are about to enter the last month with determination and gusto. Let's do it.

Lots of love,

Ms Clark - revolutionary teacher of the future

Revelations? Well, Somewhat

Today was a day for revelations. Well, bit of an overstatement. But I don't lie - I did have somewhat of a revelation. And here it is:

Teaching the kids here is like that part in Friends where Phoebe tries to teach Joey French.



The point of me telling you this? Surprisingly it's not to suggest that my teaching has caused kids to speak to the same level that Joey speaks "French", though that's what this is implying. It's more to just show how difficult it can be.

Then again, when they realise that your name is actually Juliet as opposed to Julian after almost 10 weeks of daily classes, then maybe you have made a small impact. (Ahhhhh this has just reminded me - the kids have also taking to switching round the vowels of our names, so Juliet comes out as Jet Li Oo, almost making me a famous Kung Fu master, and William becomes Wam Li Ear. Just a fun fact)

Sadly enough 10 weeks marks two thirds of my time into my Cambodia stay. 5 more weeks and I'll be saying "Lia howie!" (or "...hia lowie," even).

Do you know what I reckon this most recent 'monthiversary' begs? That's right. Another list. For now it's time to soak up the rest of my short life here in Cambodia. This adds a checklist that I need to fulfill before my departure, and that hopefully I will be able to update before it's time to leave!

To Do List:

1. Having Khmer-style  BBQ (been saying we'd do it for ages, but never did)
2. Dressing up as Khmer Princesses (yes, for 10 dollars, you get the most dolled up look of your life in a mere 2 hours. Funky, no?)
3. Getting through the entire alphabet in class (we're on W - so close!)
4. Going to the shooting range (courtesy of Will)
5. Having crab in Kep (a province with another BABC project that we are visiting next month)
6. Having Khmer-style dessert (looks delicious)

Okay so it's a pretty short list, and most of it involves food, but in my opinion that shows how much I feel like I've already done since I've been here - and that really is a great deal. 

If anyone was curious, the impact of the floods has almost cleared out of the Phnom Penh towns and villages that it has been affecting, although it is still a danger to many of the outer provinces. Today I took a picture outside Youth School to demonstrate how the area has changed in a week.

Last week

This week

Though the water is almost gone, the area continues to be ripe for disease and these floods have had quite a disastrous affect on some of the housing. 

So I guess I wasn't lying about the revelation thing before - because here's another. It's amazing how my concerns have changed since I've been enveloped in such a different world to any that I have ever known.

Much love to all,

Juliet

Floods

A normal day. I wake up at 7am, just in time to get dressed, have breakfast (muesli, banana + honey yoghurt), wash my face and brush my teeth before it's time to leave. Then it's the regular tuk-tuk ride to Lakeside, to drop off Max and Victor, and then forward to Youth School for Will and I. Once we arrived, the topics for the morning classes would be the letter "V" and "Days of the week."

Ah, but someone had other plans.

I should probably have mentioned this previously, but yesterday was approximately one of the lengthiest rainstorms of my existence - when we woke it was raining, when we slept it was raining - with not even a sense of a pause in between. I suppose we didn't really consider the effect this would have, that by this morning, the whole of the area around Lakeside was completely flooded, the people's houses and all. Due to the controversial filling of the lake that is currently happening at Boeung Kak (at which lie the Youth School and Lakeside schools), the after-effects of a day of rainfall have been catastrophic.

One of the houses nearby Youth School

As Will said, the water they are replacing with sand in the lake has to go somewhere. And where has it gone? Into the houses of the residents nearby - the ones living on so little a day, the ones who could never afford to repair the damage done. They just have to wait for the water to go down.

The pathway up to Lakeside School

Due to the floods, both schools were locked and so all four of us - Will, Max, Victor and I - were at a bit of a loss what to do. Of course, the kids always save us. Hanging around outside waiting for their lesson that would never happen, I was immediately brought a "seo pulng"(book) and asked to "an" (read) out the words so they could repeat them. So we spent awhile identifying the difference between an ostrich and an owl. After some intense grueling of this, I'm pretty sure that they still didn't understand, probably thinking that both just meant "bird". Oh well, I tried.

We were also treated to many presents - this time, from the natural world. Yes, flowers in our hair and bracelets made out of leaves and grass, we were treated like royalty. Although at one point they did try and (quite forcefully) drag us into the volleyball-court-turned-lake that lay only 5 or 6 metres from the classroom entrance.

I should clarify that this area is usually dirt and mud.

It's all the cliched phrases and promises arriving at an absolute climax, a complete truth. That we really do take our world for granted. Our indulgences for granted. Our life for granted. And that when you are really there, in the midst of it all - that's when you know what it's really like.

More blogging later.

Juliet

PS: I found a really good blog that updates regularly on the situation at Boeung Kak Lake. To read more about the pumping, CLICK HERE.

Traffic, Teaching, Ten

Traffic...Jam

Just got out of a 2 hr 30 min traffic jam.

Wanted to blog just to remind myself that I survived this.

Even with Max slowly clapping to the sound of the nearby beeps of cars and tuk tuks reversing into each other; even with Will eating his way towards insanity with the despair that we may not perhaps ever have a square meal again (literally: at one point I'm pretty sure he took a chunk out of my leg) and even with Victor - his signature move of "sleeping" taken to a new level as he curled up in a foetus-like form. Even with all this, I still survived.

The road to insanity...moves excruciatingly slowly

Teaching...with a Twist

Now that I'm posting-away, I might as well divulge a few more juicy tidbits about this week past.

Last week was the end of September, and moving into October, we got new kids again. I'm not sure if you remember me posting about this (see Happiness, Slacking, Khmer post for more details) but the school system in Cambodia means that every month the kids switch between morning and afternoon, so in other words - or the twist is - that we get new students.

However it wasn't all a big surprise - mainly because we received many familiar faces back into our classes, who we had been teaching back in August. One of the sad things about the end of the month was that the assistant teacher at Youth School was leaving to study at university. All the luck in the world to Sorpeak, who has been an excellent translator over the past 2 months!

Sorpeak's last day!

Ten...%? Approx.

Tientsin (or 10cent, if we are using her official-teacher name) recently gave me an idea that if you write three things about your day that made you happy, it will increase your happiness by 10%. Well maybe not those exact figures, but it seemed like a pretty good idea to me. So here are my three things for the day:

1. Seeing the familiar faces of the kids from last month - the same smiles under new haircuts and slightly more maturity.
2. Getting to visit Rudi Boa with Victor and Max, and speaking to so many kids that I lost my voice!
3. Seeing some of the most awesome street aerobics (up close!) that Phnom Penh has had yet to offer me.

I even have some video evidence of the aerobics mentioned. Hope it tickles your fancy.

This weekend Will, Alex, Max and I are off to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! Anticipate a blog on this...it's going to be one hell of a holiday.

Juliet