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Teaching !
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Hello
We have an Internet cafe!!!!!! About 45 mins away, but we have one none the less.
Got to be quick, because teaching soon! We got picked up at 11am yest and after driving around the city for about 1 hour looking for an ATM (there were loads but the driver didn't speak any English, it was bit of a challenge, as he didn't actually know what an ATM was!) once we found one, we headed off for Takeo province to the school where we were to be teaching for the next few days.
Takeo is about 1-2 hours out of Phnom Penh by car, in the rural countryside. We pulled up at the school, which consists of 1 brick building, 2 bamboo huts and a wooden hut on stilts and were thrown head first in to teaching 2 classes as soon as we got there. One of the classes was of boys only, who were a little slow. The second class was just girls, who had good knowledge already. They knew how to count, colours, days of the week. We taught them about families. All the names of different people in their families, and then got them to stand up and say how many they had, i.e.: I have 1 mother, I have 1 father, I have 4 sisters etc.
The boys were further behind and although a couple of them were more advance, the others were just good at repetition but retained nothing. They can count to ten - because it is like a song, but when you put your fingers up and ask how many, they don't know. So I took the slower ones to one side and taught them to count. One got it after about half an hour. The other is too young and things are too fast for him. They are all very sweet though and they really do try and want to learn. If they can't speak English, they will not be able to anything other than farm. Ever.
We were slightly taken aback about the simple food and accommodation. Noodles and what can only be described as sponge are most frequently served. Not sponge cake, just sponge. Joy!
We are staying in a hut, which is raised off the floor by stilts about 8 feet high. The hut has a bamboo floor and walls and a straw based roof. It is about 20 ft by 15 ft and the far end is sectioned off with a screen of fabric and the teacher's parents-in-law and their 3 daughters sleep at that end. They have a hole in their wall and a smaller hut built on the side, which is their 'kitchen'. Bed: was a bamboo floor. We slept directly on the bamboo floor, with no mattress, pillow or blanket other than what we owned. We were given a mat to lay on, not cushioned, just a mat, like a rattan mat. Made ALL the difference. (Forgot to mention, living underneath the wooden hut are 2 cows and about 3 pigs! Smells great!)
The teacher, his wife, the parent-in-law and their daughters, all went to bed at 8pm and Victor and I were left alone, in the wooden hut, lit by one bulb from a rechargeable battery they had. We were whispering to each other, thinking - Jesus what the hell are we going to do now - and then the light went out and the whole place was pitch black! We assumed the parents-in-law were attempting to make us shut up and go to sleep, so we got up, stumbling in the dark across the hut floor in the attempt of finding the door and navigating the steps in the dark. About 15 feet away from the hut is a little lake, so we went a sat by it and just chatted in the dark. It is amazing, just sitting outside, in the middle of Cambodia. An experience I will always remember. Victor and I stayed up for hours just telling each other about our pasts and families, most amazing travelling experiences so far and what we missed from home.
In the distance we could hear music and realised the local pagoda was celebrating the water festival. We were debating whether to head down or not, when one of the three daughters arrived walking down the dusty lane. We begged her to take us back to the festival as we weren't tired, but she said she was scared and that Mr Chum would shout at her. So we sat by the lake for a few more hours, looking at the full moon and imaging what the girls were getting up to at the full moon party in Ko Phang Nang.
Needless to say we didn't get to sleep until about 1am, and we were then awoken at 8am by Mr Chum. He and his other motorbike driver friend took us to the market (they basically wanted us to buy things for them as they assume every white person is rich, which I suppose we are, in comparison). We got some more basic English books, chalk and marker pens. I couldn't stand the bamboo floor another night, so we got a double mattress for $15, which is just covered foam, but I assumed would be a vast improvement. We also went halves on 20 stools and 4 tables for the children, as the school consists of 1 table and about 3 shit chairs for up to 60 children. So now the kids have somewhere to sit and work. Well done us.
Mr Chum has brought us to a local Internet shop in the town, of which there are 2! The rest of the town consists of a large outdoor market, surrounded by some electrical and food based shops. There is a bus station and taxi rank and that's about it. I am actually meant to be teaching now, so have to head off back for the 40 odd min journey to the school. Will get in touch soon. xxx
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Chivers: thanks for the mail! No, have not been getting any of them except that last one! Hope you had a good hol! Am personally spending my time trying not to get lice. See you soon. Lots of love x
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Thanks for the mail P. Please look after fish as have not heard from her in about 2 weeks. Hope everything is ok and uve not got back with rubbish Jason. Lots of love xxxx
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Nick: Love you xxxx
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Ma Pa, will be about 2 1/2 stone when I get back, as food totally SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE! Hope ur all ok love u xx
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