Some special moments from last week and this week. Last Saturday, instead of a formal class, we had a well-needed get together. The volunteers woke up early,
went to the market, and bought ingredients for all of our different dishes we would cook. My group made a fruit salad and a stir fry dish and some other groups made curry and roti! This was a wonderful day because (1) it was a break from the everyday routine and intense trainings and (2) I bonded more with my fellow volunteers. We cooked at a volunteer’s house for my group and we ended up eating almost everything we made. We sang
karaoke (shout out to my karaoke partner Marek and Katy Perry’s Hot n Cold) and we learned Khmer dances, while in turn showing our LCFs the Cupid Shuffle, Electric Slide, and the Cotton Eyed Joe. We then all pitched in to clean up, wash the dishes, put the chairs back, etc. After that, I went to a coffee shop with a few
close friends and then just chatted until we all had to go home! Last Sunday, I woke up early to do laundry and then I hung out around the house with my host sister. At 4:00 we went to another volunteer's house to play soccer (she has a nice turf field right behind her house!) it was myself and a couple of other volunteers and then our host siblings! The kids were a lot better than the volunteers at soccer but we had a good time. After my very sweaty soccer playing, we headed home and I showered and ate. I was
headed to go sit in my bed but then my host sister came in my room and asked “does Alex drink beer?” I went outside to see my host mom and her friend sitting drinking beer and having snacks. I got to sit and bond with them and try to hear the drama they were talking about (which I understood none). My host sister had strawberry milk and I had some beer and it was such a nice time getting to "cheers" my host mom and her friend every time something important in their story happened (I had to go off cues).
Monday was back to the week of working and preparing! Because the students at the school took exams that week, we went to a coffee shop to have our lessons. When I got home that night I ate dinner with my host mom and sister. Later on, while I was sitting at the table outside, I saw my host dad come through our closed gate with a hoodie on, hood up, and a head lamp over it coming back with a bucket of crabs. That’s the usual at our house (he either goes fishing or crab hunting at night with the headlamp and that usually ends up on my dinner plate the next day). Tuesday was a hub day and we talked about some pretty heavy topics and I had just received some bad news at the end of the day, so it was a tougher day for me. To say the least, I am super grateful for my close friends who were (and are still) there to support me and give me hugs and love. I know Hudson is in a better place and he was always a strong kid. #stronglikeHudson.
On Wednesday, my host parents went to a party, but my host sister and I stayed home. We were both iPad kids that night and we ate food while both watching our respective shows. Don’t worry, we did homework beforehand (and the power did go out once or twice, resulting in my host sister scaring me but oh well).
I saw a snake (small but still, no thank you) outside the school on Thursday and then I taught primary students! The lesson was about colors and we did some great activities with that, which I hope to use when I am a teacher after swearing in. After the lesson, some students from the other class asked for the rainbow worksheet I gave out to my students, and one girl gave me and my co-teacher some stickers.
A small side story is that sometimes a boy comes to our house to eat dinner but doesn’t live at the house. He always pulls into the driveway with a motorcycle hitched to a cow carrier (sometimes with a cow in it). I finally asked who it was and it turns out it was one of my host mom’s sons who lives down the street. It turns out that we have stopped at his house a couple of times and I didn’t even know it. My host mom laughed when I asked about who it was.
(sensitive topic ahead)
This past Saturday, we went to the Tuel Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Genocidal Center. During the Khmer Rouge, the Tuel Sleng (S-21) was a detention center for prisoners as well as a place of torture. The Choeung Ek Genocidal Center was one of the hundreds of killing fields, where prisoners from Tuel Sleng were taken to be executed and put in mass graves. Because this is a sensitive topic, I encourage those reading my blog to please look into past events and to know the gravity of what happened in Cambodia. I also encourage everyone to one day visit these places and pay their respects because although I read about it before, it was very impactful on my understanding to go and see these places.
(end sensitive topic)
On Sunday I washed my clothes and hung out at the house. Yondon’s host sister came to my house with her brothers and gave me a birthday gift which was super sweet! However, my host sister sometimes gets upset when I talk to Yondon’s host sister because I think that she thinks that I am replacing her (which I could never!), and Google translate makes it real tough to explain that she isn’t being replaced as a host sister and that she is the best family member ever. So now my language skills have had to kick in (which was me saying in very broken Khmer: "I did not say for her to come to the house she just comes to the house because she does, I like having my host sister and the best host sister.") -don’t worry though I think she isn’t mad anymore, but I need to stay on my host sister's good side (by the way she is 12).
We ended the Sunday with a great soccer game between some of the volunteers and the host siblings (I managed to score two goals, but the rest of the time I was struggling to kick the ball). My friends were so nice to get me a cake (thank you Kit) and sing me happy birthday at the end of the soccer game (it was such a nice surprise!) I then came home to find that my host family also got me a dessert cake for my birthday and sang me happy birthday and gave me a small and nice gift). Honestly this was a great start to the week and a good start to my birthday, despite some recent family events.
P.S.
I realized on my Sunday day off, the kids in my neighborhood run my life. I did laundry in the morning then I was invited to bike around the neighborhood at 1, play tennis at 2, and play soccer with other volunteers and host siblings at 4. It is nice to be active and more worry free just being able to hang out!
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