Of angels and tongue depressors

   I am really enjoying it here.  After accepting the limitations at 'work' and adapting to those limitations I am having much fun at the school.  I am getting to know the kids' names and pronounce them somewhat correctly.  After not making an effort to learn Khmer, words are coming to me (duh how could that not happen) and now I am trying to learn some words/phrases.  Like quiet and listen in the classroom.  And also numbers. The kids have been fabulous.  Once I had the go ahead to introduce some new ideas/strategies the kids seem to be a bit more attentive.  And I think my fellow Khmer teacher is noticing the change in the kids.  I am probably more animated in the class than I was in recent years at the FR, there were always enough fellow teachers there to take that on.  The Khmer teacher here is picking up on that also and being a bit more 'out there'.  Unusual for teachers here.

  It's amazing what can be done with tongue depressors.  We taught math, shapes, letters and in genreal cooperation/sharing, fine motor and the kids had just plain old fun.  My fellow teacher, Ratha is great.  He's willing to try new things and is coming up with ideas for the materials I bring in to school.  I haven't even brought in playdough or ooblick or used things from nature, lots to look forward to doing. We do sing and read books.  Very interactive songs and books.  Did I mention I'm having fun.  I'm just sorry there is not a class for the younger kids in the afternoon.  I am going to be going in afternoons anyway to help in some of the slightly older kids' classes.  Right now not a lot to do in the restaurant training program, so I might as well help out a bit more if I can.

  It's tough living with an angel, that would be Jessica.  She has been working her a** off.  How could I not put my time in also.  Though her schedule is 3 hours in the morn and 3 in the afternoon she is often doing stuff for work in between and in the evenings.  This is often what she would do at home, but keep in mind she's volunteering here.  No paid vacations to look forward to.  She'll naturally will dispute this but that's why she's an angel and add to that the fact that she puts up with me.

   A few food comments of course.  They have great leeks here and very cheap.  I have been going to a couple of the little food stands I pass on the way to work.  For a few dollars I can get lunch for the 3 of us, we all converge home around 1130 to have lunch together.  There are soups, fish, meat or banana filled pastries (deliciously greasy), stir fries, rice/noodles and baguettes.  And all kind of fruit is readily found, I especially like pomelos, large grapefruit looking but very sweet.

  We had our Khmer cooking on Sunday and Tues was Western cooking.  Marina and I are trading off recipes.  We had a feast Sunday and 2 guests.  Richard the British Doc from the clinic came to learn and Rithy a Khmer friend of the family's and ours also came to help and eat ( his fav. thing to do).  So we cooked morning glory, which I've had and loved but never cooked.  I'll be cooking that a lot as Jess and Jaz like it also.  Eaten quite a lot here and I heard packed w/ protein.  We also had an omlette with these yellow flowers that are in season now.  Two different kinds of fish, (different form last week), and mango salad.  And of course rice.  It was outstanding and we all got stuffed.

  Tuesday Marina came over to learn how to make sandwiches, grilled/sauteed chix, chix salad, tuna fish and a potato/leek/garlic soup.  Like me when I learned some Khmer cooking she said "easy".  She seemed to especially like the soup and I must say it came out pretty good. Like I said the leeks are great here and for some reason they don't seem to be so dirt laden as the ones at home.  I believe we'll have another session Sunday, perhaps a curry and/or fish amok which is a traditional dish here.  I'm told everybody makes it a bit different, like Lori says it's comparable to chili in Texas, every corner a different taste. And for Tuesday I'll have to think of some Western dishes.  Any suggestions?

  There is much I like about being here and there are the small things.  Like no fruit flies and no earwigs.  It's hot here so I don't get it but I always hated those little buggers back home.  And then there's the fact that our fridge closes without having to make sure it's closed, so I don't hear that reminder beep beep.  It's great as I ride my bike and kids of all ages are saying "hello" and sometimes "what's your name?"  I like that the grandma downstairs stopped me and pointed at a trail of l'l red ants marching up the wall.  As I said "oh many" (of course she has l'l or no English) she made a motion of eating them, ah red ant sauce.  Jaz has but I haven't tried that yet.  I like the fact that when riding if one accidentally cuts another off or gets cut off, (moto, tuk tuk or bike), no one yells they just smile and wave.  You would think the way that people ride/drive here that road rage would be happening constantly.  Haven't heard it yet.  I like that I can pretty much trust people not to rip me off.  I'm getting the money thing down and the cost of things/food.  But I could be charged double and that is not happening.  I pay 4000 Riel for 2 delicious soups and 2000 for a nice piece of fried fish.  3000 Riel equals 75 cents.  I probably wouldn't blink an eye at twice that.  I like that at the markets and food stalls you almost always get great little red chilis thrown in complimentary.  I eat them all the time and only bought them once.  
 
  I did go to the afternoon class midway through writing this and pretty much was given the reins to the class.  Odd as I thought I was just going to check it out and perhaps help out a bit.  Nevertheless I had fun and taught the kids and the Khmer teacher a few new songs.  Going back today with some materials and books to read.  I also ended up today in a new class because the Khmer and the Western teachers did not show up.  I had a blast though the kids were much larger than what I'm used to working with.  They certainly seemed to have more concepts down but were a little shakey on colors and vocabulary.  They seemed to get a kick out of me moving around the room and having them get up to 'open' and 'close' the door and yelling to learn 'loud' and being 'quiet' to learn that word.  Who would have guessed I could have fun with BIG kids.
 

   I have to mention there was a little kid, maybe 3, who was with his older sister in the afternoon class.  One arm was deformed with only a thumb and it looked like rubber bands had been wrapped around 2 parts of his arm.  Jess said it was something that happens in the womb.  And one leg had no foot.  But his sis kept him in a chair and he looked sometimes ok and sometimes bored, small wonder.  At break he sat there with his head down as kids left the room.  I sat with him but I wish I had a book, I will today.  He did brighten when we sang songs.  It tears my heart out.  He left with his sis on a big bike, she is only 7 or so, he was on the back carrier holding on with his good hand.  How he doesn't fall on the bumpy, rock and garbage strewn road is amazing.  I hope the volunteer who's a pediatric P.T. can give him some help.  I wish I could help more.  Thank your lucky stars daily, I'm glad I was born under one.