Updates :)

So yesterday marked the 3rd month since my Peace Corps journey began, and it has been interesting and challenging. This is my 4th week at site, and the difficulties and realities have all presented themselves. It’s been tough adjusting to my schedule and being out on my own without volunteers close by. But it’s all a learning experience, and I’m just taking things day by day. So I guess updates are in order.

Firstly, let me just say that first impressions about people can definitely be misleading. I am working with 3 co-teachers at the high school, and although one of them speaks amazing English, he decided to go to Vietnam this week instead of showing up to class, which left me winging the lesson plan for 2 hours. He told me he’d be gone for Monday’s class last minute, and didn’t even tell me that he wasn’t coming for Wednesday’s 2 hour class. Needless to say, I am a little annoyed! I guess he figures that he gets paid whether or not he shows up, and ‘hey, there’s an American girl who can do the work for me!’ But part of our role as Peace Corps volunteers is to improve teachers’ English skills as well as their teaching methodologies- this is a more sustainable type of development. But it’s a two-way street and I need my co-teachers to want to participate and show up!

But so far, my other 2 co-teachers have really shown an eagerness to improve, which is refreshing to see. Chan tha is one of my co-teachers and he is such a hard worker! Despite the fact that he doesn’t speak perfect English, he refuses to speak Khmai in the class, which I think is very important. He has been extremely flexible and open to new ideas/activities, which is rare in teachers. So I do feel very happy to be working with him! So I always look forward to my Tuesdays and Fridays, when I work with him and my 11th grade class! Tomorrow’s our first test, so it will be interesting to see how that goes…

In other news, all of the volunteers from Svay Rieng and Prey Veng came to Svay Rieng town last weekend for the Water Festival here in town (the winners then go to Phnom Penh next week for the BIG official Water Festival- yet another holiday in Cambodia). It really was great to see everyone and exchange stories about our sites and teaching schedules. We had a great time chatting, laughing and just being happy to have some other Americans around who understand! One day, we were walking by the Child Fund office (an amazing organization that helps extremely poor kids in Cambodia and around the world) and saw a foreigner and immediately stopped to chat with her (you never see foreigners in Svay Rieng!). Her name is Miia and she is here working with Child Fund until January. She’s 32, originally from Finland but lives in Australia, and is so nice/friendly! She invited us to go to the Water Festival with her and the 2 other Westerners who are living in Svay Rieng the following day, which was great! Bill and Nicky are in their late 40’s/early 50’s and are from New Zealand, working with VSA (the New Zealand volunteer organization). Bill is working at Svay Rieng University and Nicky is working with a mistreated women’s organization, re-integrating them into society. Bill and Nicky will be here in Svay Rieng until I think March of 2011, so I’m really happy to have found them- they’re awesome! Miia, Bill and Nicky all live by themselves and have living conditions a bit nicer than mine- hot water, cable t.v., fridges and toaster ovens! They have been so welcoming and told me I’m part of the gang and had me over for dinner last night- a delicious meal of spaghetti and chocolate cake for dessert…and I can’t forget the great wine as well! I told Miia I have been running a lot, and she was very happy to hear that since she feels a bit awkward running around by herself, so today we are going running together- it’ll be nice to have a running partner and not be stared at all on my own!

I also started working at the PTTC and I really like the atmosphere there! The students are older and a bit more mature and my co-teacher is AMAZING. He’s got his stuff together, which is another rarity in Cambodia. I will start teaching more there in December, after the 1st year students have taken their entrance exam and begin classes.

Another nice thing that happened is a brand new internet place opened up, with new computers that have video and headphones (yessss if I ever want to Skype!), AC, and fast connections- definitely a big thing! Other than that, I’m doing my best to acclimate.

So I filmed a video today of my house so you can all see where I live, but of course it's not working. So I will try to upload it the next time I check the internet- I hope that it works! Please let me know how you all are doing- I can now respond to emails more frequently now that I have better internet very close by!

XOXO!