This post is a reply to several emails I got wondering where I am... I am still in Siem Reap.
Last week I have extended my Cambodian visa for the second time (which means third month), originally I asked for 3 months extension this time, but eventually I was granted with only one month with an option to extend more.
I am teaching 5 groups a day, from 12:00 to 17:00. The groups are getting bigger and bigger everyday. Today in totally I have around 80 students, unbelievable, I started with 15. I spend most of my free time during the week working on my test plans, checking homework, vocabulary tests, etc'. I have started singing Fridays tradition in the school and we already did "Imagine" - John Lennon and "Get up, Stand up.."- Bob Marley. Today, my students started the lesson with "Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!", I was so happy to hear them singing, but they were disappointed I asked them to open the books "Today is Monday and not Friday" - I said...
Evenings, I spent with my friends. Weekends are usually are for roaming around. This weekend, on Saturday we (Me, Mattew, Da) went to a country side. And on Sunday I was taken by one of my students to the lake, we spent a lovely afternoon talking and spelling every new word :-).
I have a big family here. I live (share a room) with my Cambodian sister, Seni. I know her from my first day in Siem Reap, and now we share a room. She is an amazing girl, I will tell you all about her next time. I spent almost every night with my Garden Village (a guest house I stayed when I first got to Siem Reap) family. Saon, a woman who manages the pub is like my mother. If I miss an evening she worries, and always, always she feeds me (this is because I look so skinny :-) ). And of course, my friends: Long - my Cambodian brother, Da- who rolls the best joints and have a special place in my heart. Yan (or Coffee, nickname), Tea (nickname), and many others. For the last ten days or more, there is also Mattew, from Australia, who also "got stuck" in Siem Reap. He is a great guy and we spend a lot of time together, but Mattew is to leave home soon, I think this weekend.
So for your information, I AM doing GREAT!!! Still don't know when I am coming back. But from my last budget calculation it will be sooner than I want (2 months top). In the mean time, I enjoy every moment and try not to think about the day I need to leave here.
Be well!
