A Wedding, a new teacher - and a Nurse.

One of the wonderful things about being a long term volunteer out here is the deep friendships that are forged with many of the local people. Of course most of our relationships are with people that have worked for many years at Spitler School and more recently, those at Kurata School. These relationships haven’t always been easy; our role means we sometimes “tell it like it is” regarding  the need for child protection, play equipment, time keeping and so on. But always, always the kindness of the locals wins through.

A few weeks ago we were presented with a red and gold envelope. One of the teachers was inviting us to his daughter’s wedding. We knew what to expect, kind of, so we were looking forward to a trip out with our friends, lots of food and drink, and lots of noise. We were not disappointed! Some of the interesting features of a Khmer wedding include the fact they can last over three days, the main players might change anything up to seven times into beautifully ornate and brightly coloured clothes, there will be seven courses served (good luck number)  and EVERYONE will clink their glasses, touch their elbows and have a lot to drink. The level of busyness cannot be underestimated, food flies out of the cooking area, the huge, stacked speakers make conversation pretty well impossible and people laugh and shout. Glasses are spooned full with ice, guests are dressed up to the nines and children enjoy playing together and talking to their relatives. Rice appears at the end of the meal to avoid looking as if people are feasting on that and the courses generally include lots of chicken, duck and fish.

Sarin, Nick and Loll.

Loll - with Vebol and Daro
 in the background.

This particular wedding was a very happy occasion, with many of the teachers from Kurata and Spitler School enjoying a moderate drink.  Nick, presented with cans of 8% Panther Beer (a very dark stout), felt that moderation wasn't entirely within the spirit of the occasion.  We were sitting with some of our friends about one metre away from the sound system.  Its funny how soon you get used to the intensity of the noise, which you feel with your whole body, not just your ears.  In some respects, it makes life easier: no need for small talk (my Khmer only allows for the most minimal of small talk anyway) and lots of opportunities for clinking glasses and smiling amiably.

Our teachers in relaxed mode!

Enjoy a few more shots of the wedding - including the back stage mass-catering, the grandmother and her granddaughter - and, of course, the bride and groom themselves.

New English Teacher at Kurata

Neang Pisey

After an exhaustive (and exhausting search) -we have finally managed to replace our Kurata English teacher, Phoeum, with a young lady from Siem Reap.  Her name is Neang Pisey, and she started work at the school at the beginning of this month.  Although she does not yet have a lot of teaching experience, she speaks very good English and has shown that she has a lovely attitude towards the children.  Ratha, our other teacher at Kurata, has agreed to mentor her in the early stages, and we are confident that we will gain an excellent teacher in Pisey.

Loll and Nick went in for their final Activity Afternoon, and we all worked together on introducing new songs, doing some phonics, reading a story about a washing line (I know - but it's actually a bit more interesting than it sounds) and then doing some matching cutting and pasting (real cutting and pasting: glue and scissors! No computers at Kurata yet) and clothes bingo.

It was also our last opportunity to bring out the parachute, kindly donated by Northlight School, Singapore.  Pisey seemed to enjoy the experience, but looked a bit apprehensive about using this last item.  Don't worry, we said - it's not compulsory, and you will learn!

The Hygiene Programme

Sour Savang

Along with other things, this has been one of Loll's most important projects for the Spitler School Foundation on this trip. She set up some hand-washing instruction, using the lively talents of a number of students from Pannasastra University (and they are coming out to Spitler School this coming Thursday to repeat their instruction) and had identified a woman from her 'Play and Share' Sessions with the women (and young children) from the village who could act as a school nurse.  Sour Savang met with Loll and Vebol on Monday, and Loll was able to talk to her about the hygiene programme and what we should expect from a school nurse.  Of course, she has no medical qualifications, but she is a sensible woman, with young children of her own, and is very keen to promote good hygiene in the school, as well as try to cut down on the number of diseases that can afflict a poor community.  We were able to give her a copy of selections from a wonderful book called Where there is no Doctor - a book designed to give essential information about health issues that can be applied in very poor communities.  The folder we gave her deals with common problems, such as dehydration and how to mix a re-hydration drink, the link between malnutrition and diarrhea ('Malnutrition causes diarrhea; Diarrhea causes malnutrition'), as well as dealing with skin problems,  burns and wounds and snake bites - and many other things.  It's a well-illustrated book - and, crucially, is in English and Khmer, so we can all understand it! Savang will make sure she sees every class once a week, and will keep a close eye on children's attendance so she can pick up any underlying problems.  We also have a list of materials for a basic but appropriate First Aid Kit - which we can put together for the princely sum of $25. (Donations welcome!  And the donation link now works properly, so there's no excuse!)