Winter warmth

  It seems to be getting warmer and more humid as the days go by.  Though at times it may be 90 but low humidity and that feels fine.  I've been busy.  Busy in the mornings at the NGO and busy in the afternoon at the children's hospital.  I've also been busy playing tennis, on average 3 times a week, which is great considering there was some doubt about me being able to play at all here.

 The past week and a half has been lots of fun as we have guests from Vt.  It's wonderful to have folks here who have 'fresh eyes' and enjoy us showing them around Siem Reap.  Our friend Alison is here with her 2 kids Willa and Julian.  A girl, 13, and boy, 10, respectively.  They are lovely kids as is mom and it's been a pleasure having company.  I get a kick out of the boy as he very much reminds me of Skyler when he was his age.  For example he's obsessed with soccer/futbol, though Sky played soccer I think baseball was more his obsession.  In fact might still be.

  I am still at the NGO that treated Jess so poorly.  Why?  The kids of course.  I have tried to justify my position on this, weak as that was, I just can't bring myself to leave.  I don't deal with the bullshit there, I just concentrate on the kids.  I have lots of materials, many thanks to all back home who were involved in sending the much needed supplies.  Everything is being put to use.  I also have somewhat of a budget to mostly buy consumables, clay, flour for playdough,water colors etc...  We have a good daily routine and one of the Khmer teachers is especially good.  As I've stated in the previous post the class is split for the 1st part of the morning.  Higher level kids in the 'hut' doing more formal learning, though still with play and fun involved.  And the 2nd group of kids outside involved in preschool type activities.  Though recently we've been introducing more learning or at least giving exposure to numbers, letters, colors etc.. to many of those kids.

 Most often I am in the 'hut' but not always and I do often float between the 2 spaces.  Which reminds me of my work at the FR.  The 2nd part of the morning we are all together which is good because I get to interact with all the kids still.  Well here's one reason I am sticking with this gig: a few of the kids who have moved up to the next 'grade level' have come to me showing me what new words they are learning.  Yes I do see progress, the kids are learning and not just learning but there is a confidence I see in them and enthusiasm for learning.  I'd like to think I had a part in that.  I am still very much enjoying my time with these kids and there are new kids all the time which means new challenges.  This I like and need actually.  

  The hospital work is very different, which is good.  I see different kids and parents every day and interact with many parents.  There are some repeat folks as kids I imagine have to come in for treatments and/or follow-up care.  Let me see if I can articulate what I do there.  I sit on a kid's preschool chair at a low table with kids also sitting around it as well as parents.  Wait a minute that sounds like the FR scene!  Ok it's a bit different as few speak English, hmmm that was the case often at the FR also with so many refugees/'new' Americans.  Well in any case there is the occasional kid or parent that does speak English.  And of course I am the one who doesn't speak the language of the country I'm living in so the onus is on me to understand.

  Ok so what I'm doing is trying to relieve the boredom of them having to wait to be seen.  So mostly the kids are drawing and coloring and often the parents too.  But I have also brought in books and small manipulatives.    I had an especially good day there today.  The kids and sometime parents try to teach me words, mostly animals and fruits.  Three girls, about 9yrs. old were there today and they got a kick out of me trying to say different words they were trying to teach me.  The best part of my time there was when a mom brought over her baby @ 9 months old, maybe a bit older.  I gave her a flower drawing and she started coloring it.  Of course the baby wanted attention so at that point I wasn't tied up so I offered to take her.  And she gave her to me!!!  I got to hold a baby, it's been a while.  Before she started coloring I was amusing the baby and she had no problem with me holding her.  It was great.

  I interact and 'talk' with parents almost as much as I do with the kids.  And the parents, moms and dads, like to draw and color also.  One particular dad, and I've seen him twice, traces pictures of vegetables/fruits and writes the names in Khmer and then tells me and I write it in English and tell him.  Some parents ask where I'm from and ask how long I'm here for.  One rather interesting interactions I've had is 20 something moms asking me if I could help them find a Western boyfriend, mostly so they could move out of Cambodia.  One mom said she was married but would leave him if she found a European husband.

   It's been over a week since I started this blog so I'm going to finally post it and start a new one.