Day 118 - Final week, it's going to be sad!

I look about ready to fall!

Day 118 - 19th October

It's a weird feeling thinking I only have one more week here. I can remember talking to people back home about my travelling and I always spoke so much of the nine weeks I'd be spending in Cambodia, sports volunteering with kids. It seemed like a distant project on the horizon and as I travelled around in the two months prior to it, it was always more than a few weeks away.

Here I am now, eight full weeks down and one to go. This has been one of the more awesome and more importantly educational experiences of the whole trip. Seeing and experiencing Khmer life for longer than a few days in one place has really shown me the kind and generous nature of the Khmers who have so little they can afford but so much that they can give. They always want to learn English and I always love to talk so we've gone hand in hand. So much so I'm now poised to pick up a job here next March. I can't wait.

As per our usual Monday's we had the morning off so I had breakfast and looked at some places in Laos I'd like to visit. Aside from the capital city, I aim to visit Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang in addition to Paske, if I fly. It looks like a hell of a country so I can't wait to visit before my move to Chiang Mai just under two weeks later.

At 11am, I met with Charlie and DK for our weekly sports meeting and we discussed the topic of the environment as our talking point this week using Rugby as the sport. It's going to be a busy last week and I'm going all out for the finish.

DK had his vocabulary tt with me and gain 10/15 so I was really proud of him. Our lessons will continue in the form of email as I carry on travelling and he's started university now for two years to achieve his English teaching dream. He's going to make it, I sure of that!

In the afternoon, we went to Project A and tested out new games. Similar to the big drop game that we'd created a few weeks earlier, this time the kids had to balance the rugby balls on the cones whilst an attacker knocked them off. The message was that no matter how much they cleaned up, others who didn't care would always come along and make more mess. Only together can they keep the environment clean.

I was pleased this was the teaching for the week given this was the biggest issue I had with Cambodia when I first arrived. The amount of rubbish here is unbelievable and if they want the countrysides and cities to continue attracting people they need to clean up and stop littering.

In the even, I went out to suss out more bus tickets to see if I could get a lower cost and I had dinner in  my usual place.

One day down, four to go! Crap!

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Day 107 - Quiet before the storm

Why not?

Day 107 - 08th October

Just another Thursday but this one came with a hangover! Yeah, I'd had one to many beerios last night but had fun in spite of my morning tiredness and burning in the stomach!

I headed down for breakfast and then relaxed, organising my visa for Australia and just reading up on news. Good to hear that something is finally being done with the crooks at FIFA. Better late than never!

At 1pm, the sports for social impact meeting had been cancelled so I had a Khmer language lesson with Vith. We exchanged words before I gave him some English tips for his university dissertation. He's a great guy, always willing to learn and be constructive. As with DK, he has a bright future ahead of him!

After trying to crack the password to my sitcom for the thousandth time, and failing AGAIN, I headed back to Bou Savy and psyched myself up for the big game. I had nerves, I don't know why but I wanted to win this game so badly so we could reach the playoffs.

When we first started playing my legs were like jelly and I felt light headed but once I settled, it was just wave of adrenaline after wave of adrenaline. All my flicks were coming off, my passes were making the man and my shots were on target.

We ended up winning 11-0. Charlie and I scored three each whilst Nico shifted 4. All round it was a faultless performance and great to be a part of. Up the Willies!

As The Four Seasons said, 'Oh What A Night!'

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Day 106 - It's all about stamina on Wednesday and Don's birthday

Ah, the fun and games!

Day 106 - 07th October

Wednesday means all day at Project C. It's such a great place, an hour away from Siem Reap and I love going out to volunteer with these kids. Of course all the kids are great but this project has a real village vibe to it and I like that.

The morning consisted of only one session so by 10:30 we had a two and a half hour slot to feel. Of course I did some editing whilst DK learned some more English. You could say it's two guys working on their passions, or not! It depends how you think really.

My lunch and writing.

DK's fish was tasty.

DK and one of the teachers took a nap whilst I continued to walk and be badged by the local dogs. They saw my leg as a licking post which had me gently shooing them away before we did the whole act all of over again three minutes later.

Somewhere in there is a teacher!

The afternoon saw us really testing the older kids, having them keep the volleyball off the ground in every game. Any dropping was penalised with ten squats or push-ups. They don't tend to push up and down with their arms, instead opting to push their pelvises into the ground and back up again. It's quite comical to say the least.

On the hour's journey back, DK and I were sitting in silence, tired and worn out from a long day in the sun.

But night was just beginning. It was Don's birthday (Don being a volunteer from Project B). He'd kindly invited me along to his 50th at the Triangle Club and I met some old faces from Project B, a team mate of mine from Big Willy F.C and some new faces from Australia and The Netherlands.

We sat for a good five hours, enjoying beers, eating cake and helping Don celebrate in style. He bought all the beer and wine and everyone dinner so it was so cheap! Thanks Don.

We all gravitated to Pub Street and The Temple Club for dancing. By then, Don was done and dusted but he kept up the celebrations to the end. Top man.

I made my way back to Bou Savy, walking I might add, doing the fifteen minute journey with 15 or so beers inside me and crashed out.

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Day 94 - That Friday feelin'

Trying to explain in Khmer and failing miserably!

Day 94 - 25th September

After the public holiday break, it was back to business as usual.

The eight sessions ahead of us needed a good breakfast and the noodle soup was the perfect start to the day.

DK talking Khmer to our first set of students for the day.

The warm up demonstration.

We headed to Project 5 and began work. The first three groups were really understanding the message we were trying to get to them. They laughed as DK did his usual jokes and great coaching techniques. 

Getting involved, it'd be rude not too.

DK loves a selfie.

By the time the fourth group came out, we had a well oiled routine with my warm ups and DK's lesson. What we didn't know was that we had younger students. As everybody knows with young kids, the attention span is short so we had to do mini games to keep them interested. It worked well but it left us thankful for the lunchtime break.

Even the teachers want to get involved in the warm ups. 

Back at Bou Savy, I was drinking down litres of water, ready for the hot afternoon.

Such a great place to volunteer.

Everyone is always laughing, including me!

Back at Project B, we had the familiar scenario of three classes of more senior students followed by the young kindergarteners. The fourth class was out late due the boys playing around (boys will be boys) and then we let them run free in the yard, playing tag and generally having fun. It's virtually impossible to get them all to stand in a line and follow instructions, so why fight it I say.

The urge to go down that slide is so strong. So far, I've resisted. Let's see how the next four week fare.

Simple but so effective.

The evening was very much chilled, with a 30 lap swim, working on my book and reading a little more Papillon. The book is starting to pick up pace now which makes it so easy to read so much of it in one go.

It's a sweet life, sometimes!

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Day 73 - Wet season . . . sure, if it's wet from sweating and night buses, AGAIN!

The magician noodle lady! Penn and Teller eat your heart out.

Day 73 - 04th September

So I bundled up a fruit salad for breakfast and headed out to meet DK at 7:45. I was greeted by an old favourite Tuk Tuk driver, Mr Barang. DK had kindly bought me a cupcake in banana leaf for breakfast. It was tasty.

Our first few sessions were done in the scorching heat. I thought it was supposed to be wet season here. We ran around sweating and trying to keep the kids entertained. They seemed to be content with the drills we put on and after 2 and half hours, and four main child rights done, we headed back for lunch.

I went to the post office to send a number of postcards to friends and family before I had to be back for afternoon lessons.

The owner of the noodle stop. A great guy!

I had a great take away noodles pot, which being just outside Bou Savy, is a convenient stop for lunch.

DK and I met Srey Mom at the same project as the morning. We had three sessions to teach. The teachers and DK wanted me to take the whole lesson, from start to finish in English. I did so, but at times I felt like I was out of my depth, the kids were just staring back at me blankly. I felt like I was on a documentary, giving an eye witness account, which was then translated into Khmer by DK and Srey Mom.

Our last group of kids, ranging from two to eight I think, were working so hard to get involved and one of the older students that I had worked with the previous week at CIC, was extremely helpful in translating and getting the kids to stay in line. A big thank you to her.

Before I knew it, I was back at The Red Piano restaurant, with Dan and Abigail. My Croque Monsieur was tasty and the Tomb Raider, bright blue cocktail went down a treat. 

We grabbed a Tuk Tuk and headed 3 kilometres to Angkor Wat Golf to meet Abigail's colleagues from her school - Don and Kate (the westerners) and Sophie and her friend (teacher's at the school). It he lure of crazy golf was strengthen when we were told every hole in one came with a free beer. I was ready!

Sadly, no holes in one. The closest I managed was three strokes or a birdie on a par 4. Thîs was a tough course. We only finished six holes because we had to run to get our night bus but it was something different on a Friday evening to what I've been used too.

We met DK back at Bou Savy and quickly loaded up onto the back of a truck like a military drill to be transported to our night bus.

We realised the company we booked with, VB, was notorious for bad service and accidents. This wasn't going to go well I felt. Low and behold, an hour in, laying in my double berth with DK and looking out the splintered window, the bus came to an abrupt halt in the middle of nowhere. We'd broken down.

The air conditioning stopped working so it was like an oven in there and after forty minutes or so, the issue was resolved.

Onwards to Phomn Penh!

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