An extraordinary day

Cambodia Blog 10
An Exceptional Day
January 16th 2011


Hellu everyone!

I have been a bit tardy with the blogging, but I figured that today was such an incredible day I will ignore the backlog of things I have to write about (like our adventures in Thailand last week) and tell you about a more typical, but no less incredible, day in my life.

Today marked the first of my 6 day work week, something I am quite happy about. This day gives me a chance to tutor some of the kids who are struggling with school but too busy during the week, and I also have a chance to help out with homework. This morning Tim, Niamh, Kester (lovely new volunteer from England) and I all went in early and took two Tuktuk loads of kids (which is 12 by the way) to a playground near a beautiful temple. We all went into the temple and then tumbled around on the playground until the kids were exhausted. Back at NFC we broke out the paddling pool we bought for them for Christmas. I got to spend the afternoon teaching to the sounds of shrieking splashing delighted children, which was wonderful!

While we were waiting for Tim to finish teaching French Kester and Niamh and I took a rest in the library, which turned into reading books to the various children who wandered in, which rapidly turned into a tickle fight, which quickly became all out war. This was a war we did not win…. The three of us were soon barricaded in the library surrounded by small children doing (I kid you not) war chants. It was the most terrifying thing I have ever heard! We were completely overpowered, and held hostage in the library by half a dozen orphans half our size. Fortunately Tim came to our rescue and we all escaped with minimal casualties ;-)

I am writing this right before going out to eat some really really awesome extraordinarily cheep Indian food with my friends. I am completely in love: the children, this day, this country. I could never have imagined a life this good!

This is Ronika, our youngest. She is a terrifying fish.