Day 1, 05th October 2012 Friday
Usually when I go on holidays, I'll go to the airport myself. But this time, my parents & sis insisted on sending me. Probably cos I'm gg longer than the normal 4-5 days. Star's gg w me too, but she's only staying for 5 days. Had fish&co for lunch at T2. I intended to call ah ma before I board but she beat me to it. She'd been calling & telling me the same reminders over & over again. And everytime she start crying I can't help but burst out crying too. This time esp. When I hear her quivering voice my heart ache so much... I just can't control myself from crying. And I rarely do. Shawn picked us up & we headed to the center, but it was 4pm & closing alr. We then drove around looking for accommodation. The service appt Shawn recommended was out of rooms, & others were too exp. So I chose the cheapest I could find at USD$13/day. They stayed at the better one across the road at USD$35/day. I realised everything is so exp here! A normal table costs USD30+(& that's the cheapest around), & a chair can costs USD15-70! We then had dinner at Nagaworld & they sent me back to my hotel & waited for me to bathe cos I was too afraid for the 1st night. My hotel is a v small basic one, w 2 dirty floor mats, no water boiler, spiderwebs in some corners, eerie wardrobe & dark corridor, scary reception area & stairwell & a mirror in front of my bed. But its ok I just need a basic place & acceptable toilet. I expected it to be worse & alr made mental preparation for a rustic lifestyle before I come. This is going to be my home for the next 1 month.
Day 2, 06 October 2012 Saturday
It's a rainy sat! Had a good 12hr slp from 10pm to 10am on my 1st night at Phnom penh city hotel. Had breakfast at the nearby Spinelli- USD2.80 which is cheap. The sky poured shortly after, & I had a little tummyache. I was thinking "If food at an international chain spinelli can give me this, what would street food do to me? :(" I thought I had vaccination alr? Supposed to give me more immune to food here. Was ok once we reached Russian market, a place which sells lots of stuff. It was vv dirty & even flooded a little, combined w the dirt it made me cringe a little & xy complained big time. Haha! Visited shawn's new place before that & we got some new locks. Browsed around the shops (spent only about 30s in each), went back hotel rest (they slept while I watched shows), had dinner at this restaurant called shabu shabu & sushi buffet (USD7 value for $) & went to Nagaworld. Didn't gamble but I watched them, they won about USD 200 each!
Day 3, 07 October 2012 Sunday
Lazed in bed till 11.30am today cos Shawn had a guest in town & xy & him are checking out. Had lunch at this Thai place- glass noodles w pork USD1.50. Waited for shawn & his friend & we head to dongfang massage. I didn't want to massage! I'm here to volunteer but the center isn't open on weekends. Feel guilty when I eat too exp food but no choice xy & shawn's friend in town. We chose a Chinese masseuse thinking it'll be easier to communicate. Hell, it was TORTURE! The worst massage I've ever had. It was so painful everywhere she pressed & there's no technique whatsoever. USD10 incl $2 tips which I didnt wanna give. Then, we waited again cos the guys did foot massage as well. Went to Nagaworld again, & this time I played. I really have no clue how to play cos I've only played once at genting's casino 2 yrs ago. Joined xy in machine roulette, almost lost but won USD100 in the end. Tee came to fetch us & we went to pick Shawn. Takeaway KFC (yay!) & went back hotel. Finally tml gonna start the volunteering w children!
Day 4, 08 October 2012 Monday
Had breakfast at a small eatery near KFC w Shawn, xy & louis (shawn's friend who's 50+ but look 40!). They serve surprisingly good prata at USD1.80. I can see myself coming back, maybe everyday hehheh. Talked alot on business, economy & diff countries/industries w louis otw to fetch Shawn & xy. When we reached the center, it was 11am & the 1st class just ended. The next batch of children came in a little after 12pm. The feeling I experienced atm... I just can't put it into words. Everytime a kid appear at the entrance, looking shy & holding an exercise book & pen, it's just inspiring. I can't wipe that grin off me. Played w bubbles & colouring during playtime & they looked SO happy. 2 girls were esp smiley & lovable. It's hard to communicate but they were hungry for knowledge. Some stayed back wanting to learn more. I'm to teach eng classes for older kids/parents 5-7pm starting tml. Tee came to fetch xy & me, went back hotel rest awhile, then to Nagaworld, then to dreamland, a theme park opp naga. It was so so so fun! Like old funfairs we have in SG. Sat on the Viking & I was so scared I cried (I'm pretty sure it was from laughing too much & not from fear :x) Bumper cars were awesome! I feel like a kid again :)
Day 5, 09 October 2012 Tuesday
Today... is adventure day! I sat on the back of a motorcycle (my first time on one too), on the highway, w no helmet. WHAT?! I must be mad or something. Left hotel early in the morning at 6am send xy & louis to the airport. Had spaghetti at The Pizza Company (just like our pizzahut) & headed to the center. Morning class was good! Kids started coming at at 8am+. Saw some familiar faces which appeared in the afternoon again. During the 2hr break, acc Ravy to the nearby market to buy food, then to a monastery to see, then to Caltex. Bought Julie lozenges seeing she'd been having serious sore throat all week. My first official gift. Stayed at the center till quite late at 5pm+. Taught a class Aa to Zz, & another 1-20. Some learnt fast & some vv slow. Ytd Julie took 2hr to teach A to H! I could alr recognise a few kids. There's this sweet little girl Suodalin who's studious & likeable, another girl who's way ahead of others but doesn't smile, & there's playful Jimmy. After my class ended, acc Shawn for his meeting w seet & friends for the webpage. Had a real scary & dusty ride back home going round the city trying to find my hotel. Been out for 15hr today!
Day 6, 10 October 2012 Wednesday
I didn't go to the center today. Instead, I explored my area. Was too tired ytd so I slept early, for almost 12hr till 11am! Then, I tango-ed w mum & surf the net on my phone on "Things to do in Phnom Penh" & bookstores in the city. I then head out at 3pm. Bought a Cambodia sim card ytd, not sure if it had 3G but google map worked. The weather was good today! Sweltering hot but def better than rain. Found a bookshop, happy!! Spent some time browsing in there & bought Ravy an eng-Khmer dictionary cos ytd I brought my book to the center to read during breaktime. It was on body language & he was vv interested so I offered to leave it at the center this one month for him to read. But the english is too hard (even though he's teaching eng & holds a degree) & he commented how nice it'll be if there's a Khmer version so he could und better. I couldn't find a similar book so a dictionary would be best. Chose v long before i decided on which to buy. Wanted to find a place to eat lunch first but I didn't dare to walk into dubious dingy shops, so I just kept walking, for quite a distance, following my map: The Flicks. And I found it! So proud of myself. It's a place ppl recommend on tripadvisor which shows movies for just USD3.50pp/day. Next, I head back to my place, stopping by Lucky supermarket along the way. It's the largest chain in PP, & pretty extensive, way above my expections which is a pleasant surprise! They have magnolia fresh milk yay! Bought chocolates too. Then, steps away from my hotel, I stopped by the roadside to check google maps. A motorcycle zoom past & the motorcyclist tried to grab my phone!! It was in a split of a second. I screamed & for a moment I just stunned there watching the motorcycle turn the corner. Someone ran out saying something in Khmer, trying to help. After about 20s then I realised my phone had dropped on the gravelled road. I really thought it was snatched! If it was I dunno what to do. I don't have much money w me & my contacts were all in there. I always imagine scenarios like that & thought up how to react. I'd give them a good hard kick & hold my belongings tight. But it's all before actual scenarios happen. My arms & legs were still trembling when I walked into my room. Initially I wanted to go across the road & have pork porridge. Now I think I'll just fill my hunger w the snickers bar & go to the minimart downstairs borrow hot water for my Maggi mee.
3 comments:
Good to hear from you again pal. got in touch with world vision to ask them whether a kiddo i used to sponsor way back in 2008 was still available (I stopped after getting the voluntary resignation letter).. and they offered me another boy.
Ain't sure about the geography of the country you are visiting, the village that i just re-signed up to sponsor is Kirivong, Cambodia. A brief description as below:
"S has a brother and no sisters. He lives with his parents. His father is a subsistence farmer and his mother is self-employed but their combined earnings are barely enough to provide the basic necessities for their family.
"S lives in Kirivong, a mountainous district in Cambodia close to the Vietnam border. Food
insecurity, inaccessibility to clean water, sanitation facilities and community infrastructure
are some of the major setbacks faced by this community. Poor families take their children out
of school to work in fields or work as garment workers in Phnom Penh city as a result of poverty.
So did you bring along a language phrase book or pocket dictionary in their native language?
take care and enjoy ur sightseeing, should be a great experience!
rongxiang
This is a side of you that seemed to be there but was played down by you. I really admire how you feel about teaching those kids and the feelings you expressed when you looked at them. As the song says, "What the world needs now is Love, Sweet Love" and you are doing your part. So not just cute but sweet as well. I still can't see the pictures of you at the race. Bummer.
@anony 10.59: Thank you haha you make me blush. But it's in no way admirable compared to alot of other ppl. This is something I've wanted to do since last yr. Haven't got a chance after I started work & I've procrastinated long enough already. It's a humbling experience really :)
@stareyna: Haha experience already then will learn mah... if it didn't happened I'd still be v brazen not afraid of anything. Thing is I'm not harmed! So in a way it taught me something, right?
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