Hello everyone!
Although I've been here for the same that Michael has (but with an 2 extra days), I'd still like to take the opportunity to tell you all about my time here in Cambodia. And I also know of at least one regular reader of this blog who's been waiting ever so patiently for the last 3 weeks for me to post (hi mum!)
So, where do i begin?? It's been an awesome experience for me over here, and from day one I was thrown in the deep-end and was teaching some of the contacts. And they sure do want to listen! A typical afternoon of teaching would last for at least 3 hours! Unfortunately chinese new year happened a few days after I arrived so many of the contacts (who are mostly university students) went home to the provinces for the holidays. But that did give me more opportunity to help out Michael with his search and set-up of the boy's dormitory for the Bethezer project.
I'm sure my experiences here in Cambodia are fairly similar to those who's feet have trodden this incredible land before me, so I thought I'd be a bit different and use some of my poetry writing skills which must have been genetically passed down to me from my grandmother (anyone who's been to coolum camp is aware of betty phillips and her poems!). One thing to keep in mind is that the negative experiences are always much more humourous than the positive ones, so naturally they feature more frequently, but honestly I did really have a great time over here! So, here it goes, and please hold your applause to the end ...
at night we try our best to sleep
while ignoring the neighbour dog's howls,
the food here is great but often chooses
the express lane through my bowels.
the markets are incredible endless mazes,
with everything: clothing to live chooks.
day and night the streets overflow,
with moto's and things called tuk tuk's.
a visit to cambodia would not be complete
without a side-trip to see the temples.
so for four days we went out to siem reap,
that's me along with the strempels.
even with the swarms of tourists
the temples are still quite a sight.
there's small ones, and then there's huges ones,
and some that they light up at night.
there's always a swarm of children around me,
and constantly do they holler,
"hello sir, where you from?
you buy from me, one dollar?"
and now a word of advice i'll share to you,
from my experience it's crystal clear,
don't visit the angkor temples
just after chinese new year!!
we return to the capital phnom penh
and teach our contacts day by day,
and i was even blessed to be a witness
to the baptism of dear sister Gaye.
it may be a noisy and dirty city
and has large open sewers that smell,
but all in all it's a wonderful place,
i recommend you all to visit as well!
so farewell to you all from cambodia
or cambodge as they call it in france,
and once again i urge those who are reading,
to come here if you have the chance!
For those of you who are wondering, that first photo is Don gazing pensively into the distance on our boat-trip up to siem reap, the impressive looking temple is Angkor Wat lit up at night, and the third one is your typical garden-variety cow (thankfully she doesn't ask money for her photo to be taken, unlike some of the little kids!). I didn't put in any of me because Michael has already had the pleasure of doing so, both here and over at the Bethezer blog.
And now, possibly to the disappointment of only a few of you, I bring this post to a end, as I must shortly take the tuk tuk express to the airport.
Cheerio!
Jamie.
Although I've been here for the same that Michael has (but with an 2 extra days), I'd still like to take the opportunity to tell you all about my time here in Cambodia. And I also know of at least one regular reader of this blog who's been waiting ever so patiently for the last 3 weeks for me to post (hi mum!)
So, where do i begin?? It's been an awesome experience for me over here, and from day one I was thrown in the deep-end and was teaching some of the contacts. And they sure do want to listen! A typical afternoon of teaching would last for at least 3 hours! Unfortunately chinese new year happened a few days after I arrived so many of the contacts (who are mostly university students) went home to the provinces for the holidays. But that did give me more opportunity to help out Michael with his search and set-up of the boy's dormitory for the Bethezer project.
I'm sure my experiences here in Cambodia are fairly similar to those who's feet have trodden this incredible land before me, so I thought I'd be a bit different and use some of my poetry writing skills which must have been genetically passed down to me from my grandmother (anyone who's been to coolum camp is aware of betty phillips and her poems!). One thing to keep in mind is that the negative experiences are always much more humourous than the positive ones, so naturally they feature more frequently, but honestly I did really have a great time over here! So, here it goes, and please hold your applause to the end ...
at night we try our best to sleep
while ignoring the neighbour dog's howls,
the food here is great but often chooses
the express lane through my bowels.
the markets are incredible endless mazes,
with everything: clothing to live chooks.
day and night the streets overflow,
with moto's and things called tuk tuk's.
a visit to cambodia would not be complete
without a side-trip to see the temples.
so for four days we went out to siem reap,
that's me along with the strempels.
even with the swarms of tourists
the temples are still quite a sight.
there's small ones, and then there's huges ones,
and some that they light up at night.
there's always a swarm of children around me,
and constantly do they holler,
"hello sir, where you from?
you buy from me, one dollar?"
and now a word of advice i'll share to you,
from my experience it's crystal clear,
don't visit the angkor temples
just after chinese new year!!
we return to the capital phnom penh
and teach our contacts day by day,
and i was even blessed to be a witness
to the baptism of dear sister Gaye.
it may be a noisy and dirty city
and has large open sewers that smell,
but all in all it's a wonderful place,
i recommend you all to visit as well!
so farewell to you all from cambodia
or cambodge as they call it in france,
and once again i urge those who are reading,
to come here if you have the chance!
For those of you who are wondering, that first photo is Don gazing pensively into the distance on our boat-trip up to siem reap, the impressive looking temple is Angkor Wat lit up at night, and the third one is your typical garden-variety cow (thankfully she doesn't ask money for her photo to be taken, unlike some of the little kids!). I didn't put in any of me because Michael has already had the pleasure of doing so, both here and over at the Bethezer blog.
And now, possibly to the disappointment of only a few of you, I bring this post to a end, as I must shortly take the tuk tuk express to the airport.
Cheerio!
Jamie.
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