Chuh cuuuuuute

In Cambodia they call teachers "cher", not like the singer behind the song believe (one of my favorites), but as in the second half of the word "teacher". Buuut with an accent it kind of sounds like "chuhh", like a "churro", not to be confused with "burro" (eh, Bronwyn?). Now I want a churro. 

I have 2 classes I just finished teaching; one at an orphanage, and one for the hotel cleaning staff. It was HARD. There was no book or curriculum to follow, so I had to basically make everything up off the top of my head. I'm glad I had the experience to teach there, they were really great kids. Here are many pictures of the orphanage, and the nuggets who live there

waving goodbye after class

on the last day, we brought pizza!

puppies, ducks, and children run around the grounds in a mad, usually partially clothed, free-for-all

this was my classroom for a while

pretending to drive the tuk tuk 

outside one of the classrooms

This is the hotel staff that I taught! I loved them so much. Their English was very limited, but they tried very hard and were hilarious. One of the ladies, every time I saw her, said "CHUR CUUUUTE" and gave me a thumbs up. That was about the extent of her English- except for the loads of job related vocabulary words I taught her!  She might be trying to suck up to me...or she may just have good taste. 

  oh ya... Christmas tree in our classroom.

People have tons of respect for teachers here. In the US, I wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the front of the classroom; however, in Cambodia they give me way more respect than I deserve. 

Indiana Jones for a day

I recently went to Angkor Wat and other temples around Siem Reap, the most popular tourist attractions in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world. We spent a day and a half exploring temples, including the temple where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed. 

I fulfilled a childhood dream by climbing (mostly stumbling) through ruins of old temples like Indiana Jones. 

Now that we have returned to the Phnom Penh, I am taking Khmer classes and teaching at an orphanage. It's pretty difficult, but I'm looking forward to being able to communicate through spoken language, rather than my unintelligible sign language and Tarzan style English.  The writing is very difficult and I doubt I'll get the hang of it....

Tarantulas and Tuk Tuks

IT'S HOT. AND OH MY GOD IT SMELLS HORRIBLE. 

It feels like I've been in Cambodia for months. Although, when I walk outside, I smell the foul odor and I'm quickly reminded that I am still very much a Cambodian novice.  Poverty is not hidden, and the income gap is as clear as the sweat stains on my shirt.

 We ride around the city in tuk tuks. They are rigshaw carrage type vehicles pulled by motorbikes. The rules of the road here are....anything goes. And I mean anything. Mercedes, motorbikes, tuk tuks, bicycles, and the occasional cattle drawn cart attempt to share the road.  If you run into trouble, no worries! Side walks and the other side of the road are also fair game.

Lots of people ask me about the food here. It's good! Lots of rice, lots of noodles, and lots of Thai influenced dishes.  What's the strangest thing I've eaten? TARANTULA.

Oh ya. You read that right. This is me with a tarantula... pre-lunch time. Lindsay, my roommate from the states, saw this picture and said "Are you kidding?? You hold this gigantic spider but you made me come kill all the minuscule bugs we found in our apartment?!". I'm not going to lie to y'all. I was not nearly as composed holding this monstrosity as I appear in the photo. Being out of your element does craaazy things to you! 

Oh ya...I also ate frog on a stick

Aaaaand yes...this photo  is real life. I was concerned about putting the tarantula on my hand, and this little boy just stuck the live tarantula IN HIS MOUTH. EW. 

I love this country.