Wednesday, December 27, 2006

I am staying...

I have finished the amazing Angkor site a week ago and every day for the last week I said I am leaving the next day, but I never did. First it was Christmas . As a good Jewish girl I stayed to celebrate Christmas with Jamie (21 Australia) , Diana (~20 USA), Sarah (~20 New Zealand), and my local friends, the tuk-tuk and motorbike drivers gang. Jamie, Sarah & Diana left yesterday, but I still couldn't...Instead I went to search for a home and something to do with my free time (which is all my time :-))...

Today I have moved to my new HOME, first home since I am away! I have rented a room in Yan's mom house (my good friend) . It is in the heart of Siem Reap local dirty and poor neighborhood, two rooms house. Yan and Sunny live on the first floor room and I rented the room on the second floor. It is a nice big room, with shower and toilets inside (not flushing toilets of course). There are two more houses on the same property, more accurate wooden huts where Yan's family lives. So I am surrounded by friends and family!!!

Teacher Bopha (my new Cambodian name, it means flower :-))
I also had my first lessons today in Jay's school. It is half abandoned wooden hut that serves as a FREE language school for all who want to study. There are one hour long language lessons supposedly running the all day, English and Japanese. Many people need Japanese because they work with tourist from Japan.
Anyway Jay asked me to take the class at 12:00 and 15:00, and any other hour I want if I can fill in a classroom. I got to the school today at 12:00 and found a full class of students ages from 15-30. Some are waiters, others still in high school, of course, tuk-tuk and motorbike drivers, etc'. They come to learn because they need English to provide themselves and their families. They all are working and/or studying and it is very hard for them to find this hour a day to come to school. We had an introduction session and starting from tomorrow, present simple.
I stayed in school after my lesson to clean the hut a bit and to prepare the lesson plan for tomorrow...
My second group, at 15:00 started with one student, but by 15:30 I had 8 students, one man and the rest are girls, the same characteristic as Group 1.

I need to work on my lesson plans now, so I will talk to you later...

Be well!!!

Yours always, Bopha, from Siem Reap, Cambodia

P.S the Internet connection here is impossible, so no pictures :-(...

1 comment:

The Miner said...

Plus pictures plz !

Big hug,

Bobby~