May 28th: Fun times with kids

Good'ay Mates!

I have not been able to get internet for the last week, and hence no blogs until now. But all is good and well here! I am still happy and healthy!

So here are the highlights!

Last week during my volunteering, I was able to do some teaching of kindergarten and grade one kids at the local school. It was really fun! All of the kids, especially the little guys in kindergarten are so cute and all they want to do is hold your hand. There was one point during play time that I had 6 little girls (all at the same time) pulling me in a different direction. It was just crazy! Finally when I broke free, I started running and this initiated a game of "catch the white girl". I had about 15 kids all trying to catch me by the end of it and inevitably, when I was out of breath, they did just that. I definitely felt the kid inside me come out as we were all playing together.

Then over the weekend it was my birthday and also another guy on my trips birthday, so it was time for celebration. We went to an island off the coast of Kep province in Cambodia, Rabbit Island, to sleep in bungalos and play on the beach! We took a ricketty boat ride, about 20 minutes long, to get there and when we reached the island we had to jump off into ankle deep water with all of our gear on. I felt like I was on the show survivor or something. Saturday on the island was full of surprizes! It turned out that a few of my group members had very imaginatively created the "Birthday Olympics" for all of us to compete in on the beach to celebrate our birthdays! They had organized shot put and diskus with coconuts, a relay, 100 meter beach sprints, and a few other events that were not the stereotypical olympic type, but fun none the less. For the winner and loser of every event, you had to drink from the chalice (ie. a bottle of 95 cent whiskey), which tasted disgusting, but was halarious all in one. This was definitely my favorite day in Cambodia yet. I have many photos to show you from this day!

As for now, I will be spending the rest of the week volunteering and enjoying my last week of beautiful Cambodia. I will have internet again this weekend, so you can expect another post from me at some point!

In the words of the space ranger, to infinity and beyond!

Peace out!
the travelling gypsy


Maggie B 
DWC Student Participant
Cambodia, May 2012