The kids:
Currently, there are 64, so I can’t write about each one’s
wonderfulness. Well, I guess I could, but tonight I will write about the
‘babies’. The youngest kid at APCA is five – although you’d look at her and
probably guess three. I’ve discovered that almost everyone here has had to make
an estimation of their age. To increase the uncertainty, many kids I have
talked to explain that in Cambodia, when you are born, you are one year old.
Needless to say, I really have no idea how old the youngest kids are – or any
kids, for that matter. However, I am confident in the following:
-
They have the longest eyelashes I have ever
seen. Sometimes I wonder how these kids can actually see! When they come to
class after bathing, their eyelashes are in dark, long clumps that is, for some
reason, adorable. I’m talking about eyelashes that are nearly two centimeters
long. If that doesn’t sound long to you, find a ruler and see for yourself. I
had to flip open the “Quick Reference” page of my Lonely Planet to give you
this estimation, so this time I’m not exaggerating!
-
They want to study ALL the time. “Molly,
stuDEE?” some of them whisper through my bedroom window as I’m heading out the
door to teach them colors, animals, days of the week, and Old MacDonald. Their
morning class only lasts a half hour, so by the time we brush teeth there’s
only twenty minutes left! They are also big fans of coloring, so I treat them
to crayons and paper on Fridays.
-
My class is the only schooling for four of them,
so during the entire rest of the day they entertain themselves outside. That
might mean kicking Kiki, the poor mutt who gets harassed by 64 kids everyday
(and every night receives food scraps from the volunteers), playing in the
middle of the boys’ dorm construction area, snake hunting, going through the
garbage pit, napping, or jumping up and down ready to pounce on me and tickle
my neck the moment I step outside.
-
They have
definitely given me a different perspective on growing up. No real bed, dolls,
or stuffed animals. A few pieces of clothing to their names. No snacks,
dessert, or birthday cakes. When one of them cries, it lasts for approximately
ten seconds and then they’re good to go.
They can already ride bicycles, even though the bikes are adult-sized,
because all the big kids ride them and so they taught themselves. They think
saying, “Hello, yellow!” is the best thing ever. They are very easy to please,
and their independence blows me away.
Over one month!
I can’t believe it even though I knew it was going to happen
like this. I’ve been teaching for over a month but it feels like two weeks.
Here are a few things I’ve gotten pretty used to in my time at APCA:
-Getting asked ten times every day, “Mollyball, you eat rice?”
The answer is always yes.
- Watching an elephant slowly saunter down the road as I am
teaching about third person singular verbs. An hour later in another class, we
see the elephant again, this time headed back in the opposite direction. I
think to myself, “Where am I? What the heck am I doing?”
-Hearing the only Akon lyrics they (think they) know. The
APCA/Cambodia version goes something like, “I wanna mango right now, now, now”
instead of, “I wanna make up right now, now, now”.
-Getting asked, “Maliss, pee?” in the middle of class. So I
say yes, and the boys stand up, walk three feet, and relieve themselves. Way
easier than hall passes.
-Getting stared at in the market. I have yet to see another
Westerner out here in the countryside (and not as many as I though in Phnom
Penh, either).
-Playing ‘football’ with twenty boys in the cow poop covered
pasture under the 85 degree sun. No shoes, no fouls, no field boundaries, no
shoulder-exposure for Molly. That might be the only thing I’m not a fan of in
Cambodia. I’ll be coming home with some pretty white thighs and shoulders!
-This one makes me sad: Being told, “I wish I have more
money so I can have better grade in study.” I won’t go into the details, but
some of the older kids’ teachers at Khmer school prefer to make the students
pay for extra help. It’s really sad, since all of the kids here are dedicated
and passionate about their schoolwork and getting good grades. I am so happy I
can be here to help the kids (especially the older ones) with their English
anytime they want – for free!
Holidays galore:
This weekend is “Chinese Happy New Year” AND Valentine’s
Day! Jessica and I have been working our butts off cutting, coloring, and
organizing valentines for everyone. The kids made them in class for their
peers, so 143 were made all together! Was there confusion about the mixing of
holidays? Probably, but who doesn’t want to burn some fake money, eat a
fire-roasted pig, and receive a heart with candy and a pencil taped to it all
in one weekend? The holidays ended with a good ole’ orphanage-wide lice
cleansing session….I think I’ll go take a shower now.
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