2018
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Sunday, December 16 - Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
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At Tuol Sleng we saw a glimpse of what many victims went through during the Pol Pot regime. Hearing stories of survivors, seeing images of those imprisoned and learning about the way in which people were treated was most confronting. The Cambodian people use the museum as a record of accepting and moving forward as a country. It was an eye-opening and a worthwhile trip as it gives us a greater understanding of what happened during this time.
Charlotte
Hunter about to eat a deep-fried tarantula
Griffin celebrating his birthday a couple of days early.
Sitting on the plane right now, after our last day in the beautiful country they call Cambodia. ... Waking up in the morning after the best sleep in the world, sleeping next to my wonderful friend Lachie after staying up till 12 pm watching a movie. As today was our last day in Cambodia we decided to try some of the delicacies. Spiders, ants, frogs, crickets - can I just say yummmmm!!!! Can’t say spiders are my favourite meal but you gotta eat what you’re given. After having our gourmet lunch, we had a little $5 Kriss Kringle which was a fun way to end of our trip. I really couldn’t wait to open my prezzies. Our flight got delayed by an hour so might be a bit home late :( see ya all soon.
Harry
Saturday, December 15 - Leaving Kampot
Saturday was spent travelling back to Phnom Penh. In the evening we enjoyed a great meal at the iconic FCC (Foreign Correspondent Club).
Friday, December 14 - Farewells & Wedding celebrations
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Today being our last day at CLS, we were all dreading the final goodbyes. After 2 weeks it’s amazing the strong friendships made with the kids and my goodbye to 3 girls in my class was honestly heartbreaking. With a lot of hugs, promises to return and a few tears, we farewelled CLS until the wedding later that night. The two assemblies for morning and afternoon classes were a chance for us all to feel proud as the kids presented what they had learnt in the two weeks we spent at Chumkriel. The morning class spent the first two lesson of the morning preparing for the assembly while some worked on filming and resources, some at the salt fields and Hunter and I spent our last session of many hours with At in the garden. The first assembly surprised us with a short disco at the end and the second a larger farewell including the Community Chief as part of the audience. Overall, we left CLS with heavy hearts and fond memories but looking forward to the Khmer wedding later that night.
Jazzy
A glimpse into the Morning Classes' Assembly
The Waterhole song with the whole school - Morning Assembly
The Waterhole song by the Saltfield class - Morning Assembly
The Waterhole song re-enacted - Morning Assembly
The Cambodian Chicken Dance - Morning Assembly
A glimpse into the Afternoon & Evening Classes' Assembly
'You can count on me' Afternoon Class Assembly
'We are the world' Evening Class with Griffin
Waterhole Afternoon Class Assembly
Woodleigh Dance Afternoon Assembly
Being invited to a wedding means a lot of preparation. So, the boys went off with Madams to get a shave. After spending the week growing (or trying to grow) out some stubble we had fun getting it shaved off. After that, we were all looking sharp, and ready to head off to the wedding.
Ben
After our last day of teaching at CLS we all went to a Khmer wedding that we were invited to by Keang, a teacher at the school. We got all dressed up in our nicest clothes and hopped in tuk tuks to head to the wedding having no idea what to expect. What we had in mind was a small Khmer gathering of Keang’s family and friends, instead what we rocked up to was a wild Khmer party with live music and backup dancers, long tables of food set up in a muddy rice field and hundreds of well-dressed locals trying to pour us beers. We had our pictures taken with the bride and groom, met the Chief of Chumkriel village and danced for hours around round tables with the drunken locals, many of whom were CLS teachers we had been working with for the last couple of weeks. The whole thing was amazing and was nothing like what we had expected beforehand. We were very thankful to be invited and welcomed by the community to such a great event.
Lachie
Thursday, December 13 - The beginning of the end
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Sustainable fashion: the labels to know - Vogue Australia
Oxfam publishes 'naughty and nice' list of ethical fashion brands - ABC
What is that all about? It’s an entrance to eco-friendly and sustainable shopping. After our morning classes, we headed to Dorsu for a tour of their facilities and to also learn about the working conditions in Cambodia and what they are doing to change it. We did this right after Ms Holt drenched herself with her afternoon milkshake. At Angprey, our evening classes became a bit emotional as for Pat, Jazzie and myself it would be the last time we saw the students. I gave my class a bit more of a dance party with the Nutbush and Macarena. Jazzie’s class thanked her with an actual party. Night school has been an amazing experience that I will never forget. I’ve learned how to teach students with different levels of English and ages, as well as how to keep younger kids entertained - but most of all I learned how to boogie!
Tara
Wednesday, December 12 - If you know the words - sing along!
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From little things, big things grow!
So today was eventful for me! My sickness that has been around since I arrived flared up again and I managed to get an ear infection which left me in the guest house recovering for most of the day... but I did manage to get out to night school and teach ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’ which interestingly, was an instant hit for all the cheeky monks in my class. Teaching that song made me remember truly why I came on this trip again this year. It made me remember teaching the critically acclaimed waterhole song and the repetitive and funny nature of the pronunciation of words. That’s what I love, honestly, teaching little kids who don’t know English the simplest of words to be able to string a sentence together, is what puts not only a smile on my face but the kids face as well. I think that is what everyone on the trip is finding, our happiness stems from the happiness of the kids we teach. There are only a few days left now but everyone is working hard to make sure they leave their mark on this school and to make the most out of the last few days we are spending with the kids. It’s gonna be sad when we leave... again.
Pat
Tuesday, December 11 - Back to school again
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After having a beautiful weekend in Kep and having an extra day off due to a public holiday, it was time for us to buckle down and get back to work. Whilst most of us go to CLS in the mornings, I have been heading down to the salt fields to assist and teach. At the salt fields, there is a constant flow of books being read, songs being sung and the trumpet being played until it is time for us to go back for lunch and a much-needed break. As lunch ended it was time to hike my socks up and get ready for gardening at CLS. As soon as we begun to get our hands dirty it started bucketing down with rain. We were drenched, but thankfully not cold, and instead given time to prep for our evening classes. As the afternoon classes came to an end I went to Angprey (another small school that CLS supports with evening classes), where I was welcomed with many cuddles. Whilst trying to get the students to settle can be a struggle, we were able to manage. At the end of the class, the kids were rewarded with a bit of a boogie and groove to the macarena!
Tara
Monday, December 10 - To market to market to buy ...
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We have been to the local movie cinema twice over the last two days and seen ‘First they killed my father’ and ‘The killing fields,’ both based on the true events of the Pol Pot regime that took place only 40 years ago. These movies gave us a glimpse into the history of Cambodia and the enormous scale of what went on. It is amazing to think that this most likely took place in our parents’ lifetimes and that the city of Phnom Penh was quite similar to what Melbourne was before the Khmer Rouge took over. Learning the history of this place gives us an idea of what all the people around us went through and how it has changed their lives and shaped the country of Cambodia.
Lachie
Sunday, December 9 - Farewell Kep
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Our Yr12 students getting a head start on next year's novel
We started of the day with a refreshing swim by the pool, followed by a delicious breakfast and a lazy morning lounging poolside reading our school books. We walked back over to Kimly’s for lunch and were surprised by some afternoon rain. It was nice and refreshing until we had to run through it to get our bags to head to a local soccer match. The friendly game was between Chumkriel and Kep, there were a few students from our night school classes playing. Unfortunately, Chumkriel were beaten 4-2. We headed back to Kampot late afternoon, and went to the movies to watch ‘First they killed my father’. It was a really interesting film that widened our knowledge of Cambodia’s history. The film was confronting but also eye opening to many of us, there were even some watery eyes throughout the film. Overall today was another nice day for us to relax and recharge before our last day week of teaching.
Charlotte
Saturday, December 8 - Kep
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Today was the first day of our weekend break and oh boy was it a relief. Instead of the usual wake-up at 6:30, today we got to sleep in another couple of hours. After breakfast, we headed off to Kep, a beautiful seaside town. Across the bay, you could see some of the islands of Vietnam. In our quick tour of Kep, we were able to see the giant crab and got to visit another temple and learn about Buddha. Once we got to our accommodation we were finally able to get into a nice cool pool and soak while watching the ocean. As the day came to an end we headed out to dinner to enjoy a beautiful seafood meal and an even more beautiful sunset.
Hunter
Friday, December 7 - End of the week
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It’s finally Friday, and although we have loved every minute of teaching, a relaxing weekend ahead is a relief! We all struggled a little with motivation this morning, but we were soon overwhelmed with huge smiles and enthusiasm from the kids. You can’t help but smile too. My morning started with helping to shovel some stones to make room for the initial foundations of a new veggie patch, cutting rice stalks in the field and then cutting them up to make compost for the garden, but the best bit was being taught to make a whistle out of the rice stalks by the kids! The afternoon and evening school was hit by a sudden and huge storm in the classroom that stopped the power, and turned our night classes into pitch black! Thankfully the lights turned back on after a while, but it really tested our teaching skills - trying to teach not just another language but also in the dark. As a whole, we are really starting to settle into the school and are getting to know the kids well. Definitely not looking forward to saying goodbye …..
Jazzy
Ben gets a cheeky kiss from one of his students
Watch the video below until the end to see Griffin starring in "We are the world"!
Thursday, December 6 - Five Little Fingers
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Biance & Hunter getting goodbye hugs.
Now on a serious note …
“Five little fingers,
Five little fingers,
Open and close,
Open and close”.
Stuck, stuck in the heads of all of us - especially mine.
Yesterday we got to teach a song to the students called “Five Little Fingers” as you could assume it was very catchy, so catchy in fact I have started to annoy the whole group singing it every five minutes. We have a video of all of us singing the song at the dinner table tonight so you are able to get a glimpse of what you’ll be hearing when we all get home.
Harry
Love Letters to Lachie & Bianca
Wednesday, December 5 - Daunting Teaching Turns into Terrific Time
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After the awkward, casual get to know you, that we participated in with students who speak English as a second language, came the daunting task of running classes according to the curriculum. It’s hard to explain to people how challenging it can be teaching children who don’t speak English if you’ve never done it. We end up checking our marking three times more than usual just because we don’t want to make a mistake that will impact the children. However, after 5 minutes in class with kids running up to you, enthusiastic faces shining and way more questions than should ever be asked, a sense of comfort starts to set in. Some of us are teaching songs, some colours through games like octopus, but whatever we endeavour to do, we are supported by our teachers (Woodleigh and Chumkriel) so that not only do we help them with their English but so that we are also learning how to deal with new responsibilities (and EXTREMELY enthusiastic children). It’s really shaping up to be a remarkable trip!
Gabby
Tuesday, December 4 - First Day on the Job
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Alright. So today the hard work began. Teaching! After spending yesterday having a bit of a tour of the school and salt fields today we arrived at Chumkriel for our first day of teaching. We were thrown straight into it and very quickly learnt how enthusiastic the kids are. Some us we were teaching kids who knew a fair bit of English, but for me heading out to the salt fields, I was with prep aged kids who knew almost none. We sang songs with them and played plenty of games. Our lunchtime brought with it the first edition of ‘cultural eating’ with the boys digging into some deep-fried frog (tastes like chicken). We also learnt the difficulty of the langue barrier when a simple order of coke can turn into a whole coconut being brought out. Back at Chumkriel and we began to clock some sweaty hours in the gardens. Today's task was replacing the soil in the garden beds and planting some seedlings. And if we weren’t sweaty enough already, then we would be, after an intense match of soccer. 4 Woodleigh students vs about 14 Chumkriel students (we got smashed). We then went straight to Night School where we assisted the teacher with helping the kids read – a couple of us even got love letters from the kids. We then headed back to the guest house to refuel and recharge to do it all again tomorrow.
Ben
Monday, December 3 - School's In
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Today was our first day visiting CLS (Chumkriel Language School), the Salt Field School House and Amprey (additional night school venue). What an eye-opener this was. From going down a busy road with big wealthy houses to a side street with the bare minimum, it's safe to say that as a group we were shocked! Not only from the living conditions but also the enthusiasm the kids here have for learning and the amount of energy that they had to play in the heat. We got a break in between visiting schools where we got the opportunity to go grab some lunch and take a look around the streets. Finishing the day with a mini-orientation of our evening classes and then going out for dinner where we all enjoyed traditional Khmer food.
Bianca
Teaching is actually a hard gig!
Sunday, December 2 - Markets, Massages & Boat Rides
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Hellooo and welcome to the blog! Today we had our first day exploring Kampot, and oh boy what an interesting place it is! The ‘women folk’ had a massage and manicure near the river while the men went and explored the local market. The market was a crazy rabbit warren of shops selling so much stuff. From the crowded displays of watches, jewellery and clothes to the exquisite array of meats and vegetables. We attempted to navigate this maze of bartering and peculiar smells for eons until we finally made our way out. The market was so different from anything back home, I really can’t think of any place that matches the claustrophobic yet busy and bustling feel of the place. We were also invited to a Pool Party to celebrate Ben’s birthday (a different Ben to our Ben Myatt). Sadly, despite the free ‘Shots’ and tuk-tuk ride, we had to turn down the offer because Madams wouldn’t let us go. How rude!
(Ben if you’re reading this - we are sorry we couldn’t make it - but we hope you had a great time mate!)
We’re all looking forward to going to school tomorrow and meeting all the kids and teachers we will be spending the next two weeks with!
Griffin
Imagine sitting peacefully on the side of a river. A cool breeze gently kissing your face, relaxing music from afar and a beautiful view of the river glistening from the sun’s reflection. Quite a comfortable place to relax while waiting for a massage or body scrub. Fresh smoothies were available and a whole coconut for just one dollar, a luxury that we don’t have at home in Australia. Fact: pepper is hot! The Khmer pepper is apparently good for circulation, however, after an hour of having it rubbed all over you, the heat really kicks in. All the same, I am glad to have experienced the burning sensation that it produced. After the spa treatment we went on a rice barge along the river. Ben steered the boat under the bridge and Madams made friends with a very interesting fellow. The sunset was unique and beautiful and the light emulated through the canopy of the trees living on the river banks. Overall the day was flawless and if given the chance I would jump at the opportunity to do it again instantly.
Maddy
December 1 - Planes, Trains & Automobiles – Kampot or Bust!
Well, we made it! After nearly 10 hours of flying, 2 minutes on a train (Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 - Singapore Airport) and 4 hours on the road less travelled (or at least travelled very slowly and looking like a scene out of Whacky Races) we thankfully arrived in Kampot.
Everyone is extremely tired but in great spirits.
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