Morning musings

  Friday morn and I have the day off.  Once a month is Rice Drop day, sponsored families get free rice and it happens at the school.  There does seem to be a lot of 4 day weeks for one reason or another, though Dec I'm told no holidays so we'll see.  I woke this morning knowing no school and I felt bummed that I wouldn't see the kids today.  I miss them.  This is a good sign, I enjoy my 'job' apparently.  I have been having fun with the kids and though there are 45-50 now and I'm struggling to keep up with their names and ascertain who needs extra encouragement things are going well.  We split up the kids now with some outside mat time and some class/hut time and then all together time with mats in the hut (not enough room or table and chairs for all).

  On the mats I've been able to set up 3 separate choices for the kids: water colors, books, and 'blocks' (which mostly consist of empty plastic medicine containers from the clinic).  Oh and if needed I pull out a few frisbees to encourage cooperative play.  I love seeing the kids pour over the books, talking to each other about the pictures.  One little guy, Soth, opens one book and starts naming the colors to me, in English, yes!  Other kids make designs and explore the water colors taking pride in their drawings.  The block builders call me over to show me their towers.  They move between the mats and couple kids get bored so we play frisbe, I'm amazed at how quickly and well they learn to throw and catch.  The Khmer teacher also likes the water colors, once coloring a kid's face and another time doing his own 'painting'.  He's young @ 20 and perhaps never touched water colors.

clever kids

the Bros'

Soth in Yellow

  After outdoor mat play we go to the hut and the other group switches to the mats.  Luckily there are some great volunteers who are able to help.  In the hut we'll sing the alphabet song, often.  Then we'll generally  work on making letters with whatever works:  paper/pencils, pipe cleaners, clay, playdough, string, tongue depressors.  We'll do the same regarding shapes or numbers.  When we all come together and the kids are on the mats we sing, read books, work on learning colors in a variety of ways.    

  If it sounds like I'm in a groove and feeling good about being at the school it's true.  I have other ideas      about what to do with the kids (paints next week!).  This is thanks to my memories of my former workmates at the FR, they are imaginative and creative in their work with kids.  I dig up those memories and think 'what would so and so do'.  The internet is helpful also but inspiration comes from the FR.  Thanks, I miss you all.  I am hoping to find some more 'work' as I don't go in the school in the afternoon.  It looks like I may be able to volunteer at the Angkor Hospital for Children.  There is a Vt. doctor who has contacts there, so I'm excited at the possibilities.

  Ok you snowbound people don't want to hear this but it is so pleasant here right now weatherwise.  Mid seventies with 'cool' breezes.  It does get in the eighties but not humid.  I hope this lasts a while.  It's great weather for bike riding, so Jess and I did take a 2-3 hour bike ride a few days ago to explore other parts of Siem Reap.  I find the different homes that people live in very interesting.  You have the thatched huts, wooden structures and concrete homes among others.  Some of the homes look like cute cottage type homes and some places actually have lawns.  And the above are interspersed amongst each other.  Some places are neatly kept and others seem to collect garbage.  No matter what kind of home as you pass people often they smile and say hello, especially the kids of course.   Jess and I went to a different area with shops mostly frequented by Khmers.  I may be wrong but it seems like a middle-class area.  Interesting, and there were also small outdoor food markets.  It's great to have good, fresh local foods so available.

an apparently abandoned temple/pagoda? we came across

Dragon boat getting ready for the Water Festival

  I finally tried to make a curry from scratch, which means the mortar and pestle routine with fresh tumeric, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and more.  It's in the fridge and I will attempt a dish soon, maybe with squid and pumpkin.  I did make a pumpkin ( it's a greenish looking one yet orange inside) stir fry which Jess and Jaz said was good but I wasn't entirely satisfied with.  Especially after Jaz's Khmer teacher Yeaun said it was good and I asked if it tasted like a Cambodian dish and he said "no".   Gotta love the honesty here sometimes.  I have to start buying and making some fresh fish.  Most often I buy it cooked for lunch.  It's delicious and cheap.  I have made what I call fish cakes.  Which is ground up fish, fried into pancakes.  But I will add maybe ginger or something else to give it a different flavor.  Many possibilities to explore with the foods here and hopefully I will.