Kids, kids and more kids!

After 15 years in the commercial real estate industry, I left the Washington, DC area to accept a teaching position with Heritage International School located in the Beong Keng Kang I area of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

I am now responsible for educating 48 Khmer kindergarten students in the basics of the English language. Talk about stepping out of a comfort zone!  I'm in completely new territory.  Volunteer tutoring and assisting in computer literary course work is nothing like teaching 2 classes of 24 wiggly, snotty, squirmy little bundles of joy!  These little ones are dependent upon me to guide them through learning to read, write and be responsible little people.  Since becoming a teacher, I have even greater respect for those teachers who care and take the extra step to ensure the students are learning.  It really is a under appreciated job.

I've found so far in my brief time teaching that you're constantly "on".   I'll be completely honest, those first 2 days of teaching, I came home so frazzled that I wondered if I'd made a huge mistake.  All I wanted to do was sit in complete silence.  I could no longer be the grumpy, don't talk to me until after 10 am, I haven't finished my coffee, unsmiling face.  Those kids don't deserve that person and I refuse to be that person.  I've never talked or smiled so much in my life.

Kids manage breathe life into the gloomiest of days.  They also manage to breathe germs onto and into you as well.  I'm recovering from what I'm calling a cross between a cold and sinus infection. I was torn between banning the kids from ever touching me again to realizing I'd miss out on one of the best parts of my day!  The hugs!

The first weeks of teaching you're establishing rules and boundaries so these little people can have structure.  In addition, you're wiping noses, singing songs and passing out hugs.  The hugs and story time are by far the best parts of my day.  I'm trying so hard not have favorites but there is this one absolutely adorable little boy who gives the best hugs daily!  He's quick to curl up in your lap or surprise attack you from behind with a leg hug.

This past week, he gifted me with a rumdul flower necklace.  Talking about learning to woo early!  Rumdul flowers have a very lovely fragrance and are the national flower of Cambodia.

New place, new space.

This new place, space that I'm in is not like any other place I've ever lived.  

Despite having all my windows closed and constantly burning incense (which by the way, you can add to the list of things to send me, all I've seen here are the stick kind for temple) I wake up every morning to strange smells.  From someone's breakfast that smells like dinner to what smells like coals being burned.  

Since I'm on the topic of smells, let me inject about the air pollution. It's horrible!  The air pollution is insane and I carry around a handkerchief and face wipes.  The grit that finds its way onto your skin is unbelievable.  I have a love hate relationship with the rain.  I love it because after it rains, it's the only time the air feels clean yet the steamy sewage smells will catch you off guard and curl your toes.   

I only have hot water in my bathroom and you have to flip a switch to get it going 15 minutes prior to taking a shower.  Not that you even notice the water's not hot since it's so hot everywhere else.  Only having hot water in the bathroom also means either boiling water to wash dishes by hand or hauling it from the bathroom.   Oh and let me not forget having to hang my clothes to dry.  Boy, do I miss the having a dryer.

The most recent and latest discovery that is the lizards (geckos) popping up out of no where! Oh and the ants!  I had no idea.  I feel like I need to put my trash in tupperware!  The ants are amazing in hunting down one iota of sugar.  

I put insect repellant on daily like it's lotion.  Side Note: Thank goodness for great friends! My girl hooked me up with this all natural botanical stuff that is amazing! Doesn't even smell like repellant.

It's been over a month since I left the US and I've managed to lose weight (although, this has not been proven, since I don't have a scale.  Assuming this is true do to the looseness of my clothes) without even trying.  Winning!  In addition to the weight loss, I've turned what feels like, 3 shades darker.  I've gone past the golden red hue, to golden brown on to a deep mahogany.   At least, in my mind, this is what I see. 

I've embraced those bygone years of my twenties, where cereal and a piece of fruit has turned into lunch and coffee and granola bar is breakfast.  Dinner?  What's that? Dinner consist of another bowl of cereal or dinner out when I just need a real meal or a beer.  Can't beat dollar beer!

I have never appreciated bottle water more in my life.   Having to walk to buy and haul liter bottles up a spiral staircase has cured me of being water wasteful.  No more half empty bottles of water sitting around to be poured out.
   

After reading what I just typed, it sounds like I'm having a terrible go at it and I'm not!  Let me interject some of the wonderful aspects of being here.   Khmer people are very warm and friendly.  I've made some really good friends who made this transition into this new space painless along with my sister, Nik who helped see me settled in this new space.  I've been completely pushed out of my comfort zone and forced to embraced life again.  Karaoke anyone?  How about roller skating? 

The food is just lovely.  It's a very simple fair with complex flavoring influenced by French, Thai and Vietnamese. Oh and did I forget the best part, it's super cheap!  I typically have Khmer food for lunch.  A full lunch for only $2.50!!!  I may never cook again!  I love visiting the markets and local spots for fresh fruits and vegetables. 

The kids...oh the kids.  I'll have to save the kids for a separate post.  Lets just say the kids breathe life into you amongst other things.

Some of the tasty treats of Phnom Penh.

Sweet and Sour Beef Stew with French bread.

My new favorite vegetable.  Morning glories with garlic and chili. 

Fish Amok, Tom Kai and Stir fired veggie with noodles.

Can't forget dollar beer!