Hello everyone! This week for sure probably was the toughest week for me with regards to energy. When you wake up at 5:45 every morning and have training from 7:30 to 5:00 everyday, it can be draining. Especially when on the "weekend" (aka Sunday), I cannot sleep in because my host sister taps on the window at 6:30 saying "it is time to do laundry" or "it is time to get up". So I never really do sleep in. This past week was the last week with my first Lanugage and Culture Facilitator, who was awesome, but I know my next group will be awesome too! To finish out the long week on Saturday, we went and got kutiev (Chinese noodle soup) and thai kroc chma (lemon tea) during our lunch break. Thai kroc chma is a daily drink I get (usually a bright orange color) and it is a nice pick-me up throughout the day. Separately, at the beginning of the week, we went to pick up our sampots (beautiful Cambodian skirts)
to wear to teach in! Kyle and I got the exact same colors in both skirts and so we will be matching no matter what (unless we coordinate ahead of time). I did my first community teach the week before (and now have completed my second as of when I am writing this). I taught elementary school and high school with other volunteers and it was nerve-wracking having to come up with a lesson plan and activities to do, but Kyle and I and Emma and I crushed it both times! They were great partners to co-teach with. This past Sunday, during family day, my host family took me to a mountain that has a temple at the top of it. We went with another volunteer and her family and this was truly a special moment. We hiked up the stairs, and got to see the beautiful temple, the beautiful view, and share a meal while overlooking the greenery of Cambodia.
My whole host family was there, including grandmother, mom, dad, my host sister, and some of the cousins. We played cards at the top of the mountain and enjoyed the view before coming down and going home. We got home around 1:00pm and I took a much needed nap to try and catch up on the sleep I have lost from the waking up early part. After that, I got to go play badminton at Marek and Kit's house (we also played badminton on Saturday afterschool). Flash forward to Monday, I had a new LCF and did my language clases and community teach, I got home to find all of the extended family at the house! It was a whole party with numbanchok (Khmer noodle soup) and I did not realize until the dessert came out, that it was my host sister's birthday! We sang happy birthday to her and then she got a puzzle for her birthday so I spent the rest of my night on the floor helping to put the puzzle together. I still continue to feel a part of my host family and I am so grateful to be in the place that I am. On the mountain, I thought about the beauty of being here and how it has been great so far, and also while walking at the school I realized "oh my gosh, I am in Cambodia right now". I am still on the journey to figuring stuff out, but it is better every week (although I do need to go to sleep sooner). This post was all over the place because of many things happening all at once (and my mind racing of all the stories to tell). More to come!
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