Adventurous Living. Responsible Giving.
Teaching in Chanleas Dai
The past three weeks have been crazy. Since I stepped off the plane into Cambodia's omnipresent heat and humidity I don't feel like I have stopped to think. Ive already been to Kampot in the South, attempted to learn my way around the orchestrated anarchy that is Phnom Penh and had the priviledge of staying in Chanleas Dai.
My Journey from Siem Reap to Chanleas Dai was quite a test of nerves, with my driver ("Mr. Kamikaze Taxi" - my choice of name, not his own) making an admirable attempt at killing us both. At one point almost putting us into an irrigation ditch, the car left teetering on the edge, it felt like an Asian tribute to the Italian Job.
To my relief life in Chansleas Dai village is much more sedate, where time seems to slow down to a snail's pace. On arrival I was greeted by Tolors, the very friendly and welcoming English teacher. He immediately helped me to put a bed together and hang my mosquito net, something of a first for me. After unpacking and settling in I went for a wander around the countryside to take some photos. The land here is flat, flat and empty. Paddy fields interspersed with the occasional Sugar Palm tree or errant cow. If you ever feel you need to get away from the trapping of an western urban life this is the place to be, it is impossible to describe how desolate the landscape feels.
After dinner I went for another wander in search of my first Cambodian sunset, the skyline in Phnom Penh blocking most of the suns dying glory. Within 2 minutes of leaving the PEPY teachers' house a small girl came hurtling straight towards me screaming, she grabbed my hand and proceeded to gabble at me in child-Khmer. She wouldnt let go for the next 15 minutes and dragged me to meet most of the children in the village who were playing in a muddy pond. Although I ended up missing most of the sun set the children's antics put a big smile on my face.
The first day of teaching at Chanleas Dai was by far the most fun. After teaching all the children rudimentary turn left, turn right, go forwards, I paired of my students and blindfolded half the class. They were then guided by the other half of the pair by voice commands in English. The ensuing spectacle caused hilarity and general anarchy but I felt that the children had really learnt something of use. Its also really great to see them enjoying their learning. There are a few of the photos I took posted on here.
The students at Chanleas Dai are very bright and motivated. I was incredibly impressed by how keen they were to learn and how willing to try. By half way through the second day some of the classes had finished all three lesson plans that I had prepared. Students would use their break times to come into the class room to practice, some lessons would over run by half an hour as the children didn't want the class to end. Even then they would ask to be allowed to stay on and use the new XO computers, resulting in a hoards of screaming children running from one classroom to the next. It really is inspiring to see how eager they are to learn.
By the final day I was sad to leave, the children had been incredibly friendly and endearing both inside and outside the classroom. How ever, I know it wont be too long before the entire PEPY crew heads out to Chanleas Dai to do a bit of team building and care taking of the school.
My Journey from Siem Reap to Chanleas Dai was quite a test of nerves, with my driver ("Mr. Kamikaze Taxi" - my choice of name, not his own) making an admirable attempt at killing us both. At one point almost putting us into an irrigation ditch, the car left teetering on the edge, it felt like an Asian tribute to the Italian Job.
To my relief life in Chansleas Dai village is much more sedate, where time seems to slow down to a snail's pace. On arrival I was greeted by Tolors, the very friendly and welcoming English teacher. He immediately helped me to put a bed together and hang my mosquito net, something of a first for me. After unpacking and settling in I went for a wander around the countryside to take some photos. The land here is flat, flat and empty. Paddy fields interspersed with the occasional Sugar Palm tree or errant cow. If you ever feel you need to get away from the trapping of an western urban life this is the place to be, it is impossible to describe how desolate the landscape feels.
After dinner I went for another wander in search of my first Cambodian sunset, the skyline in Phnom Penh blocking most of the suns dying glory. Within 2 minutes of leaving the PEPY teachers' house a small girl came hurtling straight towards me screaming, she grabbed my hand and proceeded to gabble at me in child-Khmer. She wouldnt let go for the next 15 minutes and dragged me to meet most of the children in the village who were playing in a muddy pond. Although I ended up missing most of the sun set the children's antics put a big smile on my face.
The first day of teaching at Chanleas Dai was by far the most fun. After teaching all the children rudimentary turn left, turn right, go forwards, I paired of my students and blindfolded half the class. They were then guided by the other half of the pair by voice commands in English. The ensuing spectacle caused hilarity and general anarchy but I felt that the children had really learnt something of use. Its also really great to see them enjoying their learning. There are a few of the photos I took posted on here.
The students at Chanleas Dai are very bright and motivated. I was incredibly impressed by how keen they were to learn and how willing to try. By half way through the second day some of the classes had finished all three lesson plans that I had prepared. Students would use their break times to come into the class room to practice, some lessons would over run by half an hour as the children didn't want the class to end. Even then they would ask to be allowed to stay on and use the new XO computers, resulting in a hoards of screaming children running from one classroom to the next. It really is inspiring to see how eager they are to learn.
By the final day I was sad to leave, the children had been incredibly friendly and endearing both inside and outside the classroom. How ever, I know it wont be too long before the entire PEPY crew heads out to Chanleas Dai to do a bit of team building and care taking of the school.
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