It’s Olivia and Shiu-Li back again to write about Day 13 of our journey. With the usual morning routine we headed off to Angkor Thom High School where we were once again welcomed by our ‘Friends Forever’ companions asking us about what we dreamt of and what we had for breakfast. I (Shiu) was lucky enough to meet Pheakdey who did the Friends Forever project last year. For those who gave me letters from last year’s trip to give to Pheakdey, he was very happy and grateful, and you should be expecting some letters back from him. We started off the day with team games such as the egg and spoon race, the three legged race and, of course, tunnel ball! Kieren and Lucas ate dirt!! (Editor: Folks, you will note that our teams are becoming very competitive!)
After team games in the blazing sun we went inside the classrooms to teach the Cambodians food and utensil words, as these words would be helpful for them if they wanted to become a waitress or waiter. In my classroom (Liv) we have a very shy boy named Sambo who has barely spoken a word, however after helping him to recite his sentence in front of the class he returned to his seat with a big smile and the whole class cheering him on. I was filled with joy to know that I had helped him open up and progress with his English. We then travelled on the terribly bumpy mud track to a beautiful buffet restaurant with the Cambodians, which catered for various cuisines. The ice-cream was amazing. Nat had four bowls…
In relation to our food themed day, we were taken to the local Puok Market by our friends. It is very uncommon for westerners to trek to this market as it is the market where the locals shop for everyday items – these items include things like clothing, shoes, pots, pans and of course food. The infamous fish cheese could be smelt from a mile away, which was unusual for us to come across. I (Shiu) was taken around the market by my new friend Lida, who introduced me to her Aunty who worked in a little store selling general goods. Lida also gave me a hand-woven purse she made herself. I (Liv) was followed by a few of the more advanced students (Pon, Ny and Danny) who were pointing to every second thing in the market and asking me to translate it into English for them to write in their notebooks – the problem was, most of the things in the market were foreign to me, but it was amazing to see how eager they were to learn English. Compared to the markets we have in Australia, we were taken aback by the lack of hygiene and the general condition of the Puok Market. However it was a great opportunity to see foods that we don’t have in Australia and to bond with our friends.
PS – Shiu: Some people keep calling me Heli who went on the trip last year, awks….
PPS – Liv: To mum, KFC last night was worth all the excitement.
PPPS – Shiu: No it wasn’t…
Cambodia Service Project 2012 
Thanks for yet another great report, its always great to hear of the Khmer students desire to learn English and the fact that desire has now been so strong over nine years of the project. Keep having fun and forging great friendships with those that you meet.
Liv! That was something I found incredibly inspiring- the Cambodian kids keeness to learn the names of anything and everything at the market. I remember them pointing to strange looking kitchen utensils and asking me what they were called in English… difficult when you have no idea what they were used for. It is refreshing to see how driven these kids are. Great stories, thanks for sharing. 🙂
TINO!!! you should ask him to show you some of his tricks 😉 also great to see that you guys are having a good time, its such a great trip and the friends forever program is especially a unique opportunity that im sure you’ll cherish forever.
enjoy the rest of your time in cambodia 🙂