You're My Wikipedia, My Dear Volunteer!

During one of our teaching breaks, we visited a local orphanage called the 'People Improvement Organization'. This NGO is run by Cambodians that work towards improving the welfare of women and children in Cambodia through education and training. Young students follow the national curriculum from grades 1 to 9 and older students can choose to enrol in beauty salon training programmes.

Walking up to the school

We grabbed a tuk tuk and drove 15 minutes out to a slum area undergoing the construction of a new building where a rubbish dump was once situated. It was boiling and dusty as we vacated our tuk tuks and made our way up to the school. Litter was strewn here and there and the dry ground seemed almost barren apart from a few shrubs. The school was small and rather open-plan consisting of three open rooms, two of which were separated by a divide. One side had two classes of approximately 4-8 year old children and the other was a class of older children who were learning English. 

We entered the younger children's classrooms and had a look at their workbooks, asking them if they could show us what they were learning. Most of their work was in Khmer but they were happy to chat and soon moved on to asking us our names and telling us theirs. We also had the pleasure of seeing them demonstrate their artistic abilities, presenting us with an array of illustrations that comprised of elephants, love-hearts, dragons, butterflies and snakes. In reward for their generous exhibition we took out our gifts. My magnetic bag of sweets went down very well causing each bright-eyed face to zoom towards me with an open hand. In spite of the sugar frenzy they did not once forget their manners, closing their hands together and lowering their heads before taking their treat. 

On visiting the older children's classroom, where the age ranged from 9-13 years old, I was incredibly impressed with their level of English. We talked about our hometowns, their favourite school subjects and we discussed the questions on the board which included: 'Do you like salty or sweet food? Loud or quiet music? Sweet or sour food?' etc. They asked me if I knew any Khmer to which I responded that I knew how to say what my name is, directions in a tuk tuk, thank you and a few other phrases. When asked if I knew how to count to ten I answered that I only knew 1- 5, after which they resolved to teach me 1-30 in Khmer until I knew it by heart. Delighting in the switch of roles, they corrected me, giggling at my mistakes and congratulating me on every successful recital. 

I was invited to play hand-clapping games with some of the younger girls and, after numerous rounds of 'One Two, One Two Three, One Two, One Two Three' (Khmer translation: 'Moy Bpee, Moy Bpee Bpai, Moy Bpee, Moy Bpee Bpai'), I decided they should learn a new variation of hand-claps to spice things up a bit. I spent the majority of my time at the school playing with the girls and showing them several new hand-clapping routines. As I left them with a new game I, on the other hand, left with considerably red palms!  

Hand-clapping

A Day in the Life of A Cambodian Bride

On returning from Steung Treng all the girls had their hearts set on having a bridal photo shoot like the one Sopheap had shown us from her wedding. The photos appeared to be almost cartoon-like after the amount of airbrushing and background enhancement and we all jumped at the chance to have a go. Sopheap told us that during a Khmer wedding it was not unusual for a bride to change outfits around 15 times. In Cambodia, the most part of someone’s special day is spent self-decorating. The actual wedding day starts at 4am with hair and makeup and photos with the groom. With this in mind, an enthusiastic group of female foreigners set off early for a day of titivating.

We were led into a small room filled with endless amounts of fabric, makeup, jewellery, wigs and trinkets. It was hot and cramped and exceptionally glittery. I was the first to be transformed into a Khmer bride. I had my hair tied up in a bun with a beehive style hairpiece attached to the back. It proved to be quite difficult to find a blonde hairpiece so I had to make do with the lightest brown they had. I can honestly say that I have never had a more interesting hairstyle than the one I ended up with. They covered my face in foundation and then got to work on my eyes where stickers were attached to emphasise my eyelids. They also spent a good deal of time adding prominence to my blonde eyebrows making them twice as large and dark! 

Made up

I chose a light blue/silver outfit from a picture that could not have prepared me for the real thing. An almost blinding corset covered in diamantes and sparkling gems with inbuilt curves was revealed and, once fastened into it, I was given some backside padding in an attempt to flatter my overall silhouette. My skirt consisted of a large piece of fabric that I rotated into and, with a few pricks here and there was pinned into place. Ankles, wrists, neck and even hair were bejewelled and I was ready for my picture.

I shuffled my way into the camera room and was told by the camera man, ‘Ooooh looks very nice’ before he came over to position my arms and legs in a traditional pose. After being told a few times to put my ‘chin up’ and to turn my ‘head this way,’ I finally had the shots. This, however, was not the end. I still had to wait 3 hours in my bridal outfit to wait for the other girls to have their turn so that we could have our group shot. Sitting on a stool yawning from the minimal oxygen the outfit permitted me did not feel dissimilar, I could imagine, to the wearing feeling a young Victorian girl would have as she waits for a dance at a debutants’ ball.

The tight corset taking effect

At long last, the group shot was completed and we emerged from Heng Heng’s studio looking somewhat bedraggled and in desperate need of some carbs.  

Standing pose with a temple backdrop

Cambodian brides

Dolphin spotting and wolfing down watermelons

Waking up in Koh Preah is no problem at all when you have a house rooster directly below where you sleep. All the houses in the village are on stilts and have around 2 or 3 proper rooms although it is largely open plan and private sections are normally closed off with drapes. Loos and washrooms are in separate huts outside- at night a torch is a crucial item on this island! There were six of us sleeping on the floor in the main room with two double mats for four volunteers while the owners slept in a curtained off section. Sleeping on the wooden floor was surprisingly comfortable and in light of the long day before I think I could have slept soundly on most surfaces! We were out of the house by 6am and as we walked through the village to have breakfast we were greeted on the way by smiling children on their way to school.

Children on their way to school in Koh Preah

We ate jackfruit and porridge (rice and water) for breakfast and then promptly headed off to go dolphin watching. The boats were docked by a small outcrop in the middle of the river that we were able to climb up to get a good view. Admittedly, we, or at least I couldn't help envisage the stereotypical picture of dolphins jumping into arch shapes out of the water but as quietly expected it was not as cliche as that. We spent about half an hour without seeing anything and joking with outbursts of 'Oh there's one! Oh wait no there isn't' which didn't tire as quickly as you may think! Thankfully, we did eventually see some black shapes that we made out to be heads and fins, popping in and out of the water and after the wait we were very grateful.

Dolphin watching

On the island nearby we met the dolphin police who ensure the correct methods of fishing are carried out as the dolphins are extremely rare and at high risk of extinction. Losing the mammals would not only be greatly disappointing but would eradicate a significant section of tourism in this area. While touring the island we were invited to see one of the biodigesters that supplies methane gas into the homes of the villagers making daily tasks like cooking far less time consuming and allowing the mother of the house to try and increase the family's income through means such as tending to the rice fields, raising animals or growing vegetables. In order to maintain the methane supply a member of the household needs to load manure into the a small repository in the garden. As well as the biodigester, the villager had a man-made pond, also provided by CRDT, which employs a far more sustainable method of fishing. Without affecting the river's eco-system, they also have the added convenience of being able to fish as they work at their house. 

A villager showing us her pond

The island is home to an array of fruits, one of which is how we attain our beloved cashew nuts. The cashew nut hangs on the bottom of a yellow fruit which is extremely juicy, sweet and with a slightly sour end taste. It was delicious and we were surprised that only the small part of the fruit (the cashew) was given all the limelight. The fruit even comes with its own story where the cashew nut symbolizes 'The Outsider'. The story asserts that God had completed his work of creation and was satisfied with all that he had done. Moments later the Cashew came to God and told him that he had forgotten to give the Cashew a seed. As it was too late to do major surgery, God attached the nut outside the fruit. Hence the cashew nut is an outsider even on its own tree. (Poor him.) 

Cashew nut fruit

Now it was time for one of my favourite visits. We journeyed to 'Watermelon Island.' It is definitely what it says on the tin. Watermelon Island was beautiful- we had to walk over a sandy hill, through a stream and up to a hut situated amidst surrounding land scattered with growing watermelons. It was the best watermelon I have ever had and it came aplenty. 

Going to great lengths to get to our watermelons

Chopping up the good stuff

Chilling on Watermelon Island- the luckiest pig in Cambodia

After another dip in the Mekong, a spot of lunch at Koh Preah, it was now time for our never ending boat trip back to Steung Treng. We got back in the evening and, in the morning, after buying breakfast in the market we were ready to get back to the hustle and bustle of the Penh.  

Me leaving Koh Preah- (behind)

Sunset on our return

Drifting down the Mekong and partying at the Pagoda

During my second week in Cambodia, we took a trip to visit the Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT) in Steung Treng Province. Our coach departed at 7am and we began a 9 hour journey up to the northeast towards the Laos border. Along the way we were entertained by Khmer music videos and snippets of Chinese and Western films as we all drifted in and out of sleep. When we were 15 minutes away from our stop in a town called Kratie, the coach broke down and we were removed from the comforts of the air-conditioned vehicle onto the side of road in the boiling midday sun. We all tried to find shade as best as possible while the engine was being cooled down with buckets of water and some of the boys passed time playing a baseball-type game with sticks and rocks. After about 45 minutes the engine was cooled and we eventually arrived in Steung Treng around 5.30pm and checked into our guesthouse. $3 for a room with a fan and $6 for the added luxury of air conditioning. Before dinner I went with a couple of volunteers to have a look around the town and found tables and chairs by the river where there was street food and fruit available. We treated ourselves to a coconut each and sat by the Mekong River to catch the last of the day's sun.

View of the Mekong from Steung Treng

That evening it was one of the volunteer's birthday so we celebrated at the restaurant with a sponge cake decorated with bright pink sugar flowers which I was delegated to cut into 24 pieces to feed the whole group. After dinner we bought some beers at a shop which consisted of only canned drinks (the options were Cheers (the name of the beer), Cheers Blue, Sprite or Coca Cola) and proceeded to the rooftop of our guesthouse to continue the evening. Sopheap, the Volunteer Coordinator at CWF, showed us some pictures of her wedding and the spectacular Khmer bridal clothes that she wore which gave us an idea to get all of the girls in the group to go and have a Khmer bride dress-ups day at some point during our stay.

Photo opportunity on the jetty

We got up early the next morning to have noodles for breakfast and head down to the jetty. A big boat was moored and after having group photos taken we assumed we would be taking that to get to Koh Preah, the island where we would be spending our second night in the Steung Treng Province. None of us believed, when Sopheap started climbing into a very fragile looking canoe, that that was what was going to take the whole lot of us 3 hours down the Mekong but it turned out that 2 of them were going to be our homes for a little while!

Benj making himself comfortable

Our boat: (from front to back) Josie, Me, Benj, Bec, Rekha, Holly,  Bianca and our boatmen

Along the way we took a detour to one of the CRDT projects where we had a brief tour of the island and some of the developments that were underway. One of the projects was a dam which would eventually be able to generate electricity into the homes of the villagers.

Sopheap by the dam

We arrived at Koh Preah at lunchtime and ate upstairs in one of the host family's house. They served us rice, fresh fish, morning glory, bananas, jackfruit and tea for lunch which was delicious and exactly what we all needed after a long day travelling. Once we had all had our fill we got ready to go and visit the village school. As we were approaching the school a wave of children drew near us with timid yet excited looks on their faces. We set down our gifts on a table and proceeded to blow up balloons for them. The first balloon that was sent their way broke the ice and the children started laughing and jumping to try and grab/hit it. The playtime was in full flow as volunteers were playing volleyball with the children, hitting balloons up in the air, pushing swings, see-sawing and sliding. Some of the children stood up on the table to sing Khmer songs for all of us which was incredibly sweet and they were rewarded with first choice of notepads and a pen after which the rest of the school were also presented their own pens and pads. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9SHg3zvmMY 

(Singing with the children)

Helen in the playground

After running around with the children for a couple of hours we were ready for a dip in the Mekong to cool off. We got back onboard our boats and headed for shallow rapids to bathe in. It was extremely refreshing to sit and chat in the water and watch the sunset. I even felt cold for the first time in Cambodia on the way back to the island! 

Having a dip in the Mekong

We returned to Koh Preah at sundown, had dinner and prepared for dancing at the pagoda. The pagoda was lit up with flood lights and music was blasting out of big speakers on a truck. They played a mixture of Khmer and Western music and we were all shown how to dance in traditional Khmer style which involved a lot of swirling hand gestures and simple steps. As we started to dance with the children, I saw that the whole village had come out to watch the display. The children lined up opposite us and copied every move we made- the pressure was on to keep being imaginative and entertain the whole village! The evening was spectacular and by 10 o'clock our group were rather exhausted so we headed back to our host families for the night.

Thrown into the Penh

I arrived in Phnom Penh on 23rd February 2011 as a volunteer English teacher for a school called (in its literal translation) Conversations with Foreigners. As the plane began its descent into Phnom Penh I caught sight of scattered palm trees, a complete variation of buildings and a legion of of mopeds, aka 'motos,' zooming in all directions. I was greeted at the airport by Soriya, the Volunteer Coordinator at CWF who showed me to our tuk tuk. No sooner had we hopped on board were we immersed straight into the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh's evening rush hour. It was still very hot and muggy and my senses were buzzing with the constant sound of beeping from motos, tuk tuks and cars as well as the different smells of street food and miscellaneous other aromas.


After the 25 minute journey we reached the volunteer house and I was introduced to my roommate Helen, also from England, and the rest of the housemates, an assortment of Americans, Australians, a Canadian, a New Zealander and an Irishman. The students at the school were going to turn out with some very interesting accents! We stayed up chatting for a while and I had my first taste of Cambodian cuisine which was delicious and quite similar to Thai.


The next day we got up for a tour around Phnom Penh. We visited the school and had our photos taken (much to our dismay). Our group of 20 were then driven around in a convoy of tuk tuks to see the city and some of its leading attractions including the Riverside, the Russian Market and the Royal Palace.

CWF volunteers

On visiting Wat Phnom (a grassy hilltop on which lies the city's main temple and the namesake of Phnom Penh) we came across women and children selling caged birds for release at the top and trees shuffling with monkeys jumping to and fro. As we walked around Wat Phnom, we approached an elephant and its owner. For the small price of $1 I had the pleasure of feeding the magnificent creature a large bunch of bananas. As sheepish as I may have looked handing over the snack I was incredibly pleased to have managed this on my first day in the country!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oam84GyPInM

Wat Phnom

Our first day came to a close with an introduction to Khmer (Cambodian) language with our teacher Vhatana Mao where we were equipped with how to greet; 'chum reap sour' meaning 'how do you do' (accompanied by putting hands together in a manner of praying and bowing head) and self-introduction; 'soo-a sdey k'nyom ch'moo-ah Olivia' meaning 'hello my name is Olivia'.