Catching Up

ជំរាបសួរ មិត្តភក្តិនិង គ្រួសារ and good morning to everyone back in the US!

So we know that it has been a couple of days since we posted - sorry! Saturday was a very relaxed day and Friday was a busy day so we will only really be talking about yesterday, Sunday, but will include a brief update on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday we rode bikes to school which was very nice because both Leah and I really liked riding bikes here. Maybe something about knowing that there are people speeding all around you who aren’t the best drivers gives us an adrenaline rush. When we got to school we played with the kids and then went outside to jump rope. It had been so long since Leah and I jumped rope and it took us a few tries to get the hang of it. The kids were so adorable and taught us how to count to 20 in Khmer (even though we still only know 1-3). After this we had a meeting with Nesa on the talent show; she had so many great ideas including a skit done by the kids on the environment! School was great and so was our lunch which was only $1 each and really delicious.

On Saturday we just relaxed pretty much all day. After we walked the 20 minutes to get to school we were planning crafts in the incredibly hot art room for about 20 minutes then walked back home. I ended up taking a six hour nap after we found out that we didn’t have to go to school because no kids go to JWOC that day. For dinner we got DELIVERY PIZZA - a concept that in the U.S. didn’t make me this excited but in Siem Reap made me and Leah very happy girls.

Yesterday we went to school and played with all the kids in the library. Every other week there are classes that take place in the library and yesterday Nesa was teaching a science class. Leah and I were so impressed by the fact that the lesson was in Khmer as well as English. We can’t imagine how difficult that is for Nesa and the children but that just shows the passion for learning on both sides. Because we couldn’t really add anything to this lesson we went to Peace Cafe for lunch. Leah got a peanut butter shake and spring rolls and I got a lime juice and a noodle soup. When I ordered the soup I wasn’t expecting the soup to be spicy, but dang was that thing HOT! And of course I got this on the hottest day that we have been here so I got some delicious coconut and chocolate ice cream to cool my mouth off. We took four Tuk Tuks because it was too hot to walk the distance. When we got back to school we played a game of Sorry with two of the scholarship students. One of the things that we are so excited about for the next five months is to connect with the staff and students because everyone here is so nice and friendly.

In the middle of our game I ended up leaving with another scholarship student, Chamreou, to go advertise. At first I was confused about what this meant but I later realized that we were going out into a village to tell children about JWOC and the art class that would be offered in the afternoon. It was really eye opening seeing this village and the people that are living there. Just to see how little these people have yet they are still so positive and motivated; it really made me think. Many young children ran around naked and none of the children had toys to play with but the smiles across their faces as they ran around in the hot sun was heart warming. Although I couldn’t understand the conversations that Chamreou was having with the parents she told me that some of them said that their children could not attend school because they needed to stay home and help around the house. I also saw two children who came to art class last week which was the first class at JWOC that Leah and I attended. The kids, who are brother and sister, were helping to wash their families Tuk Tuk, but they still made it to JWOC in time for the 2:00 art class. Leah and I were so happy to see them. Seeing this made everything that JWOC is doing so real and concrete and made me realize just how amazing it is. You can really tell how many great people there are working there who want to help make a change in people’s live and how passionate they are about educating others. I am so honored to be a part of such a fantastic non-profit and I am excited to spend the next four months of my life here with everyone who makes it such a great place. That’s it for today, before I get too cheesy and emotional :)

Love,
L&S