Just Like Kindergarten

Exactly one month ago I experienced a day much like my first day of kindergarten. I was at Vancouver International Airport about to embark on the trip I had been dreaming about and planning for so long. Much like my 5 year old self I was anxious, a little scared and really didn't know what was in store for me. I held back tears as I hugged my mom goodbye knowing that, unlike kindergarten, I wouldn't be seeing her at the end of the day. 

Amidst all the nerves I also felt confident and prepared to begin this next chapter in my life, and I like to think that 5 year old Alex did too. Sure she was probably going to miss preschool but I bet, on some level, she knew that she was ready for a new challenge. I see this trip as the kindergarten-equivalent for my 23 year old self.

I know 5 year old Alex was scared to go to kindergarten at first but I don't think she felt that way for long. I'm sure she quickly realized that it was where she needed to be. Big changes and new stages of life are always a little scary whether you're 5 or 23. It's not by any means easy to leave behind things and people you know and that are familiar in exchange for the different and unknown. All you can do is be brave and hope it will be worth it. This trip sure has been so far.

Rose Coloured Glasses

I haven't even been in Cambodia one month and I've already written several posts about how much I love this country. Sunny weather, kind people and cheap food-alcohol-transportation-massages-clothes-pretty much everything... in the words of Coldplay, "this could be para-para-paradise".

As much as I love it here, sometimes I see things that remind me I'm in a developing and very poor country. Today for example, I saw a dog (probably a stray) with a leg so injured he couldn't even walk on it and when I stopped to offer him a cracker, he was so scared he ran away without eating it; A boy in my new grade one class that I'm almost positive has some sort of mental deficiency pretty much just sat there the whole time because I could only give him so much attention and obviously the school can't afford extra one-on-one support; Several kids today were scolded in ways I think are wildly inappropriate (nothing terrible, but still).

As much as these occurrences may bother me, I also feel that there isn't much I can do about them. I can't grab the dog and take him to a vet (to be honest I don't even know if vets exist here), I can't pay for a support worker for the potentially mentally challenged boy in my class (again, I'm not even sure such a job exists) and I can't tell Cambodians how to run their school/treat their students (provided they're not actually abusing them). I may disagree, but I also have to respect how things work here and not expect everything to happen as it might in a more developed country. Too often does the Western world try to impose their views and and ways of doing things in other parts of the world only to end up aggravating the situation and doing more harm than good.

The things I saw today are really only the tip of the iceberg for what I would consider to be concerns in Cambodia. It's a country still in recovery from the atrocities it suffered less than 40 years ago under the rule of the Khmer Rouge and problems here are numerous. But I think that all I can do is what I'm already doing: Be the best English teacher I can be and hopefully contribute in some small way to a brighter future for some pretty awesome kids.

I haven't changed my mind about Cambodia. I really do love it here. I write this post not to bash Cambodia in any way but simply to remind myself of where I am and to not always look at things through rose coloured glasses.

Cambodian Halloween

It's the weekend before Halloween and all the Westerners in Siem Reap are in full celebration mode! Roxana, another volunteer teacher from Mexico, and I decided to go out and embrace our beloved North American tradition. The night started out with a pit stop to buy some light-up devil horns for make-shift costumes (which most Cambodians seemed to think were either cow or water buffalo horns, more relate-able here I guess!) and then it went something like this...

Trying the famous fish massage, drink in hand!

Definitely screamed when I first put my feet in

They eat dead skin off your feet... it tickles!

Our fish massage friend

Then this guy showed up and scared the crap out of me

Roxana and I

One baaad Cambodian

My not-so-intimidating face

Ridiculously creepy clown

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Yesterday's Dream

Each day at the end of class, all of the children at school line up and sing the song "Yesterday's Dream". To hear the kids sing it in unison, especially when you consider how little most of them have, well... it's pretty touching stuff. They are so sweet, bright and motivated to learn.

"We are the children of yesterday's dream
We are the promise of the future we bring
Waving the banner of love to all
To every nation the rich and the poor

We are the world of the restless and young
And we need a hand to guide us
Helping each other, build each other
As long as we're together you and me

For together we stand, divided we fall
Together we climb to the top of the world
We can be what we want for the world to see
That we are the children of yesterday's dream

We have the yearning to do what is best
Be someone special from all of the rest
Nation and brothers in unity
Building tomorrow for you and for me" 

Sokunthy

Sokuhn

The lovely grade twos!

Kimhang and Srey Pov

The kids singing at the end of class

Teacher Alex and Cheanang

A Day At The Lake

Sandra, Teacher Zuzana, Christina and Teacher Margerida

Swimming in Tonle Sap

The "dock"

Boats

Floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake

Hiking up to Phnom Krom

Sunset from Phnom Krom

Group Cambodian-style picnic at the top!

It was a good day.

The Splendor of Angkor (Part II)

Today was my third day visiting Angkor Wat (when you buy a three day pass it can be used any three days over the course of a week) and I had another tiring but incredible day exploring these magnificent ruins.

Making friends

Preah Khan

View from Baphuon

Preah Khan 

Bayon

Incredible intricacy

Butterfly landing

Angkor Wat

Sunset at Angkor Wat

Monk at Angkor Wat