Answer: Thirty-nine, plus two APCA employees and one carsick American (me).

Question: How many Cambodian children can crowd around a ten-inch laptop screen to watch a Khmer movie?

Answer: Thirteen, plus one confused American (me).

Last weekend the trek to Phnom Penh went as smoothly as possible. The kids were incredibly well behaved, and the entire day you could just see their big round eyes soaking up as much city as they could. We visited the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda before eating lunch on a boat ride down the Mekong River.  It was hot, the kids were falling asleep right and left, and the Lil’ John, Kanye, and Mariah were blaring the entire two hour trip.

Once we disembarked, we found our way to Wat Phnom and the playground area nearby. The kids went crazy on the jungle gym and enjoyed watching the monkeys (which would approach a little too closely for my comfort) and elephant.  On the hour trip back to APCA, I had one girl on each leg, a boy hanging onto my back, and another boy’s head jammed into my left kidney. We sang "Jingle Bells" and some Akon (the only English songs they know) until someone pressed play on the cd player and it was Khmer Pop the rest of the journey. The kids all loved singing to me and trying to interpret the lyrics.

The main topic of this week’s lessons was oral health. Supriya and I discovered that about half of the kids have toothbrushes, and only half of the girls have toothpaste. Once again, thanks for all the toothpaste and toothbrush donations! I had just enough to distribute them in class and we did our best to explain the importance of brushing daily. So many of the kids would remove their brushes from their mouths after fifteen seconds of brushing and discover that their brand new, formerly white brush bristles were now covered and dripping with blood. No wonder they don’t like brushing. I can’t even imagine trying to teach them how to floss; we are doing our best to make brushing a fun event, and some of the kids have caught on. Every day in each class, we spend the first few minutes brushing.

We were hesitant to teach the big kid class about the importance of brushing; we thought that these 16-20 year olds might be offended that we were teaching them such a basic skill. However, after one of the best students explained to us that he was told if you brush too much, your teeth will grow smaller and smaller until they disappear, we were glad we didn’t overlook this class. We reassured him that by NOT brushing, your teeth will surely rot, break, and disappear (which has already happened to a number of the smaller kids).


On Saturday I broke out the cds I brought with me and taught a few kids some line dances. They picked them up super quickly (because they're used to the intricate Khmer dancing which is about a thousand times harder to learn). The kids decided that instead of the normal country music, they would rather line dance to Shakira and Zumba music. I'm glad I brought a wide array of music with me. 

Yesterday was Sunday, so the two other volunteers and I decided to take a bike ride to Baset Mountain. It was the most relaxing, beautiful bike ride I have ever taken, and once we got to the top, we were welcomed by the monks and walked around the pagodas. We stopped twice for noodles and Sprite. What I miss: cheese, orange juice, Yoplait, and chocolate Riesens.

Today I didn’t teach any classes because I woke up feeling ill. I won’t go into the details of my symptoms, but I slept the entire day and I think the kids enjoyed the day off, too.  My stomachache could be from about a hundred different things, but I’m sure it’s because yesterday I mentioned that my stomach was taking the orphanage meals pretty well. Let’s just say there is a reason why you’ve never flipped on the Travel Channel just in time to see Anthony Bourdain test out the cuisine at a Cambodian orphanage!

A week in review – too much to write about! I started teaching classes, learning 70 names, and getting used to waking up at 5:30am. My stomach was also patted by a twelve year old as she looked up at me and asked, “baby?”

I teach six classes every day. My mornings start out with four year olds who know how to sing their ABC’s and count to ten. Every morning they greet me with, “HELL-OOO TEACHA! How are YOUUU to-DAAAY?”. Their favorite thing to do is to color – they could color the entire day if they had the opportunity. Unfortunately, I’m learning there is a paper shortage at APCA, so I kind of have to ration out the pages from the coloring books I brought.

Before I continue, I have to say thank you to everyone for their donations. I couldn’t imagine not having the pencil sharpeners, crayons, coloring books, ribbons, flash cards, games, English kids books, and everything else. I use them every day with the kids, so they are appreciated and enjoyed! They also allow me to be more creative with my lessons.

I teach two classes of 9-12 year olds. They are chatty and energetic, but they learn quickly and are very eager to learn. Next I teach a ‘middle’ class of 12-14 year olds who ask me every day, “Ma-liss? Test today?” They actually look forward to tests! Then comes the ‘big kid’ class. These are 15-20 year olds who seem to want to do nothing but study. Some of the older kids come from the community and attend Khmer school with APCA kids. This class is challenging to teach because of their huge range of English ability. Some want to know about the different verb tenses while others are still having a hard time with basic English vocab. I have learned that an English – Khmer dictionary is my best friend! This week we learned how to read time.

My last class is made up of APCA staff. Every day at 5pm the seven of us get together to practice conversation. I took my picture dictionary (thanks, Connie!) one day and they said they really wanted to learn how to read time, so that was the topic of the week for them.

I could (and will one day) write a posting just about the kids. They are more than amazing. Every day (including the weekend), they get up at 5am (I’m told the older kids get up at 4am, but I’m never up that early to see them!) to study. Breakfast is at 6:45 and then they either ride their bikes down the street to Khmer school or go to Korean or English class at APCA. Then at 11:30 everyone comes back from APCA for lunch. At noon I have “English Story Time”, where I read three or four stories while the kids relax and rest a little. At one they head back to Khmer school or stay at APCA for English and Korean. Five thirty is dinner, and then they all have Khmer dance lessons from 6-8pm. The older kids have their Korean class from 7-8pm.

Their schedule is jammed packed, so in any free time I have I like to spend it playing with the kids to give them a break. Yesterday I taught them four-square (glad I took those balls!) and last night we crowded around the single table outside and played Uno for the first time. They loved it! After fifteen minutes, there were 20 of us playing. It’s great for the small kids because it helps them learn their colors, and the big kids hover around and help out the little ones. It’s amazing how they all look after each other and take care of one another.

My days are busy, so I look forward to crawling into my mosquito-net covered bed each night. I have had an ant infestation in my bathroom, but I’m learning that spreading baby powder all over quickly kills them.  The walls of my room are already covered with pictures the kids have colored for me.

 Because the boys don’t have a dorm, they either sleep under the thatched roof of the outside classroom or on the tiled porch of the main building. No mattresses, no blankets, and sometimes no pillows. I am very lucky to have my own room, bed, and bathroom at APCA. However, I go to sleep each night feeling guilty for having such amenities. Today I gave my extra oranges to some of the boys and their eyes lit up. Fruit here is expensive – a dozen small bananas cost me $1.50 at the market, so when you live in a village and make $12 a week, fruit isn’t always an option.

Today, Terri Kellogg and Jen Bonicelli came to APCA for lunch and a visit. Jen pulled out her huge coloring books and the kids went crazy. They all sprawled on the floor and colored for hours. I came back to Phnom Penh with Jen and we did some shopping for APCA (the kids don’t really know how to wash their hands, so we got some nail brushes). All week, I have been craving two things. The first: a drink of some sort that isn’t water. The water at APCA leaves your mouth smelling like you forgot to brush your teeth. The second: anything but rice! Rice for three meals a day has already gotten old, but I know I can hang in there! It’s nice to have a chance to come to the city for a real meal and fruit juice.

After Jen and I were through with our shopping (my SE Asian art collection has grown!) and dinner, I got a small room at a cute little guest house where I am currently enjoying the air conditioning and wifi. As I am writing this, my body is recovering from an $8 hour massage. In Phnom Penh, there is a cool program called Seeing Hand Massage; they train blind Cambodians massage, all while helping them become self-sufficient and providing them with jobs. Whatever “Khmer Traditional” massage is, I received it tonight. The nice lady who spent an hour with me seemed to only know two English phrases (which she said over and over): “Miss, you okay?” and “You very strong”.

I shouldn’t say what I’m about to say. It’s going to sound mean and be incredibly rude. I’m going to say it anyway, though. Instead of being blind, I wish the nice lady was deaf. That way, I wouldn’t have had to hold in my shrieks and screams. Although I am over exaggerating (just a little), it seemed the hour was made up of three parts. The first part consisted of her locating my funny bone and slowly (but forcefully) massaging it. Then it was on to the other arm. Two words: not comfortable. The next part included assisted stretching – no, strenuous assisted stretching. Now, I’m no Gumby, but my yoga has loosened me up a bit. This lady was folding, pressing, and pulling me like crazy. For the last bit she pulled each toe individually until they popped. Not just ten little tugs, but ten yanks. I can’t believe I can still wiggle the poor things.

Tomorrow, all 70 kids from APCA climb into a huge garment truck and ride an hour to Phnom Penh. Here, we’ll get to visit the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, and take a picnic lunch on a boat ride down the Mekong River. Total, the day will cost less than two hundred dollars. The kids very rarely get come to PP, so I’m excited to share the day with them.

This has been the best first week I could have imagined. Aside from a few communication hiccups (that darn language barrier…), everything has gone smoothly and I’m learning the kids’ names quicker than I thought. Again, a big thank you to everyone who donated (especially my FTJ’ers!)

I don’t know how to write about every wonderful thing that’s taken place in the past two days. It feels like the week in Vietnam that inspired me to revisit SE Asia took place much less than three years ago! 

The flight here was brutal. The 14 hours from LA to Taipei seemed like 30, and the fact that I had a window seat was not a good thing. The two ladies next to me didn’t get up the entire flight, so I felt bad every time I had to get up to relieve my bladder. I couldn’t sleep, either, and the words ‘deep vein thrombosis’ kept running through my head the whole flight. The seats were too crammed to perform chair aerobics, otherwise I would have tried it.  

On my flight from Taipei to Phnom Pehn, I sat next to a nice Cambodian who has been living in California for the past 25 years. He was so excited for me to see his country; he talked to me about everything from Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt’s break-up, to his daughter’s poor spending habits (she prefers True Religion jeans), to the best ways to get around the country. He also taught me my first Khmer word, ‘aw kohn’, which means ‘thank you’ and I have been saying it none stop since I landed.

Actually, the first words that came out of my mouth when I walked off the plane in PP were ‘Oh my God’. Then after I said it I realized I wasn’t talking to anyone. The heat: bad at first, (probably because I was wearing jeans) but after a five minute tuk-tuk ride to our hotel room, I was used to it. Now, I’m in heaven. 

Yesterday was the first day at APCA, and the two other volunteers and I were treated to a welcoming party. The founder of another Cambodia orphanage came along with us, as well as Jennifer (the volunteer coordinator), a volunteer from the PP orphanage, and an Aussie school teacher who wanted to donate some school supplies she has been lugging around with her during her visit to Cambodia. There was Khmer dancing, chicken, and plenty of kids running around until they were asked to line up by size to receive clothing donations. It was amazing – so orderly, quiet, and thankful. 

Today I woke up at 5:50am….I’m not sure if it’s still my jetlag or if the kids running around woke me up. It’s nice to have the sun up and shining so early. There are two other volunteers who are Australian students – one is a med student who will be working on giving every child (there are 68-ish) a physical. The three of us decided to ride bikes into the small market about a mile down the street. We were accompanied by five kids who tried to help us negotiate our bednets, fruit, and towels. They were a huge help and we treated them to ice cream and oranges. 

Since it’s Sunday, it’s basically recess all day for the kids. It will take me awhile to get used to the lack of structure, and I’m sure I’ll appreciate it. Right now there are three girls throwing bricks at the dozen white cows trying to enter the APCA yard. It’s pretty entertaining. We bought all the kids ice cream (about $3.50 total) from a moto driver who happened to stop outside the APCA entrance. Something tells me he’ll be coming around here often!

Tomorrow is my first day of teaching. We’re going to make nametags first thing so I can start memorizing the kids names! I think the first few days will be a review of their English workbooks and notes.  There were workbooks left over from the past volunteer (thanks Jen!) that I will put to use and try to supplement with the materials I brought. 

The internet is super slow right now, so I'll only be able to post a few pictures. Hope everyone is doing well! Thanks for the comments. The spacing is weird..I'll try to fix it.