Mr Mao

After Tonle Sap  I head to the bank where I run into Koosh and arrange to meet him in the evening. 

I am so hungy I am about to faint, so I stop at Street no 9, near the old market, at one of  the small road side cafe/restaurants that serve good and reasonably priced food. Soon after I order another loner comes to sit at the the table opposite  to me. A group of street kids stop and start talking to both of us in every possible language you can imagine, trying to sell us cards, bracelets and writing our names down. I am in such a way introduced to Stephane Mao, who is in hysterics at my inability to say no to  these lovely children ( have been able but not tonight).

Stephane is from near Marseille and we speak in two languages enthusiastically. Well...he speaks French at me and somehow I understand him and he practices his English with me. We communicate fine.  Stephane is half Cambodian. His father is a Khmer Rouge, political refugee in France. This is a pilgrimage to his roots and to his unknown second homeland. He has come here from Thailand and will head to Vietnam and Laos. Stephane has lived in different countries including Antigue.  He is an artisans, a builder, handy man, lover of the travel, journey and people. He thinks I am a gitane (a gypsy). I tell him about how much I love Cardiff and Greece. To me roots and not severing those are very important. But I have places to go with the purpose and I would like to some of it with people I love, some of it alone, but always with a purpose.

I learn :

Je vois aller au Mali pour decouvrire fabuleux pays.

(I want to go to Mali to meet fabulous people)

So many places, so little time but what I really like about Stephane is that he is not restless. He seems equally content to stay put and I think he is a man that appreciates people, stability, connection with loved ones. He is not escaping anything. Respect!

My encounter with Stephane is an unexpected present. We talk about Argentina and tango. Perhaps we will meet there again one day? He loves to hear about the children at school, Safe ,  my life and so we jump from one subject to another joyfully, until Koosh calls me and he is ready for our drink. Oops I got carried away....

'If I stay another day and we meet tomorrow here are 7?'

'D'accord mon amie'.

We kiss good  bye and hope to meet again sooner or later.

Random observations- Part 1

The Pyjama craze      

When in Siem Reap you can’t help but notice that many women walk the streets in their... pyjamas. Pyjama clad they are on bicycles, mopeds  walking, dining, shopping , catching up. After my first few sightings I found it great that they are comfortable enough to nip out in night wear. I did not find it that strange. After all students in Cardiff do this all the time when the nip out to the local tesco for fags, eggs and bacon, right? But as the sightings continue, I realise that the pyjama craze is everywhere. At Angor Wat me and the Spanish I hooked up with interrogate tuk tuk drivers. After much research there are three possible answers:

1. Cambodian ladies want to protect their skin from the sun. White skin is idolised here. What better way to do that than wearing long sleeved pyjama tops and long trousers.
2. It is now Cambodian winter and it is cold (?!!). Therefore long sleeve pyjamas are the right clothes to wear.
3. These clothes are not pyjamas in Cambodia! They are just fashionable, colourful clothes. There is a pyjama craze in Siem Ream. 

Perhaps I should get myself a pair. What do you think?

The running man

There are some pedestrian crossings in Siem Reap. There are also some traffic lights. To cross a busy avenue in this city, you are given the green light by a figure of a running man and you better run because you have 40 seconds to  do this. There is an actual countdown next to the animated running figure of the green man. And this is not an easy feat considering that the traffic does not actually stop.

Tuk Tuk  Lady

Since my first day as a walking visitor of Siem Reap I have been wondering:

How many tuk tuk offers can a lady have in an hour?

It is easier to be a bicycle lady than a tuk tuk lady if you find it hard to say no.

The Lord of Siem Reap

I am queing at the bank on the same busy avenue where the running green traffic light man puts my life at risk. I have just walked in and I turn as I hear a familiar voice, to face Koorash. 'Fancy seeing you here Mr Koosh' I think. He is greeted by a few people. I think this man is everywhere, the Lord of Siem Reap.

Who’s the boss

The fact that Koreans frequent Cambodia as tourists became obvious to me on my flight from Seoul, when I was surrounded by a jolly crowd of excursionists. But in my first week I realise that Koreans are just everywhere. The same goes for Russians. Koreans and Russians find it acceptable to travel in groups below ten. But the Japanese ,who are next in abundance, come in groups only. They usually wear matching tourist group hats and are led by some interesting figure of a tourist guide. Aussies are also around and I have met a couple of New Zealanders as well as Spanish and Italians.  Perhaps most of the British and the Americans just stick to Pub Street, the loudest and pedestrianised street of Cambodia perhaps they are in the villages. But at a first glance Korea seems to be the boss here...

Tonle Sap song

Lakeside cafe

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The boys



Tim recognises me in the morning when I try to negotiate a tuk tuk journey to Tonle Sap with one of his colleagues. Tim is the driver that picked me up from the airport with Phalla and is willing to give me a reasonable price.  This is how it works here , if you stick to one driver they become your friend, companion, guide and they can be very protective of you. But then I am lucky because I think Tim is a nice man.

Today I am at the Tonle Sap lake. The tuk tuk journey from Siem Reap is 30 minutes. The road swivels along the river. It crosses roadside neighbourhoods and villages, as we go further away from Siem Reap. There are many huts the other side of the river and small bridges , the crossing points,  at different spots. Soon we reach rice paddy land. Humble roadside cafes with hammocks are laid out one after the other. The  landscape has changed to open space fields and vastness. Here there is low vegetation and the lusciousness of the riverside is a distant memory. Soon I can see the lake.  The temperature is rising and this is hot day but it is not unbearable. 

At the lake I have to pay an entry and boat fee for a visit to the floating village and a boat ride around the lake. This is all Government run but I am really not sure whether the young boat drivers get a good wage. My boat is number B60. My drivers are two brothers, Neht and Loih (I really think I didnt get their names right), aged 18 and 10. Tim has never been to the lake, can he come with me? This is my 6^th day in Siem Reap area and I have already seen so much it  upsets me that a local has never managed to be on a boat and visit Tonle Sap. I am happy to have him along. He can only be of help and he is a subtle and discreet man. The boat ride is a blast. The boys warm to me, they sing and tell me about the village and their family in Siem Reap. They let me ride the boat to the open lake. There we go around in circles to test my skills. We watch people fishing. We watch a fast large river boat arrive from Phnom Penh, a six hour journey , which I would have thought is more comfortable than its road equivalent.

We go past a floating school, a floating pig farm, the water treatment works, houses and cafes. This is a small floating village and the people are poor despite the constant stream of tourists. At our stop the boys and I have a cold drink. They are delightful and so much fun I am in giggles most of the time. Tim is hungry and has the strange and disgusting to me delicacy of crocodilie eggs with some chilli sauce. These are sold to the locals by approaching floating vendors.  Believe it or not I think I have discovered something I am not willing to eat. ‘They are just little’, Tim says, ‘ No problem’. I can actually see the little crocodile embryo.

On the way back,  little Loih and I sit on the bow of the boat. Earlier at the café whilst gazing at the lake he was cheerfully singing to himself. It was so beautiful.  What can I do to get him to sing again? I ask him but he shyly giggles and hides behind his hands. As I sit on the bow I break into a loud song. I sing whatever comes to mind in Greek and I turn to see his amazed face. What is this he wonders? Perhaps he is willing me to stop. But I get no other reaction than surprise; this boy is a difficult one to win over. But when I no longer have any expectations, he starts to hum and gradually raise the volume of his song. His brother joins in. For the rest of the journey, I marvel at their beautiful voices and synchronised performance.

At the lake side I am in much need of a drink. I pick roadside or lakeside cafes by the face and smile of the people working there. My next pick is quite a gem. I am greeted by a brother and sister who are from the same province as Tim but don’t know him. The owner’s English is very good and he tells me about his family. His father is now a monk in old age and is family is still at the village. He runs this café, which at the moment is swarming with locals watching some Cambodian comedy show mesmerised. This is a nice rest stop before we go back. And Tim is hungry again so he orders himself a bigger meal which he devours in a few minutes. It’s 3 pm and time to go back. I am ready for a wander in town and a quiet evening (little do I know it’s not going to a quiet one). I think I will go for a swim tomorrow.

More photos from the lake are here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/liamoutselou/FloatingVillages#

Old Market and Street No 9 children photos

Here are a few images to show you what the Old market looks like inside. A cornucopia of foods and tastes. There are mainly women here and no one  pesters me or asks me to buy anything. They just mind their own business and perhaps want me to mind my own.

I, of course,  have bought some spices which I am bringing back people: amok fish at mine soon !

More photos from the old market are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/liamoutselou/OldMarketAndStreet9#


lovexx

Teaching in Cambodia with the SAFE foundation

There are numerous charities and organisations all over the world and in Cambodia that enable people like me to reach out to local communities, contribute and help. It is hard to know and understand who you could and should be working with but the fact is that it is your job to be a responsible volunteer. From my limited experience, it is important to make enquiries on the ethos of the organisation you could work with and to try to have a positive impact on the people you are trying to assist.

I like the ethos of the SAFE Foundation. Lucy's experience and her values have made SAFE a charity that gives what it promises to local people. This is very important everywhere but in Cambodia it goes a long way. The direct links and the personal communication between Lucy and the people runnning local projects or charities makes a real difference. The SAFE foundation deserves our support in any possible way.

Lucy was in Cambodia working with Cambodian Child and Hope Association in June 2010. Dan Green who works with the SAFE Foundation as a photographer has documented much of the work that takes place here at the schools. In August Lucy put out another call for volunteers to teach in Cambodia.

I thought I should write a bit about what volunteering here involves. In case you are interested.

I cannot imagine a better place to help young teachers and students in the supplementary schools of the Siem Reap villages. Many of the children (and  teachers) go the public school (run by the Government) in the morning or  early afternoon,  many also work in the fields with their parents and/or work in restaurants, hotels and resorts to supplement the negligible income of their families. They still run to  English Language School, bright eyed and willing. This is because this is a community endeavour , a place where children meet and feel safe and happy.

The teachers need assistance with their pronunciation, some common grammar and syntax mistakes rooted in the absence of plural, past and future tense in the Khmer language. Repetition is the mother of knowledge. Their brains are like sponges and they are thirsty for knowledge.  For those of us who have taught in the UK and other western countries there is so much satisfaction to be gained  (from a selfish point of view I guess). There is so much respect to the teacher. Volunteers experienced in teaching can drive teachers and students here to improve vastly. Our experience in lesson planning, revision and learnging techniques could be very useful. It is important to teach sensitely respecting their ways.

The Khmer language is a soft and nasal language. Many word endings are silent. This is a sign of respect to the person you are addressing. This is why phonic teaching is an ideal method of teaching here. It is very important to help teachers and students to pronounce some sounds correctly and help them find words in Khmer that help them reproduce english sounds or offer them pronunciation techniques.

Teaching phonics in class is very simple and any type of accent (so long as it gives them a correct sound compared to their interpretation of what a word should sound like) is helpful. Teachers and students also need help with putting the correct stress on a word or a sentence.  So listening and conversation exercises are invaluable.Then of course there are many other ways that you can help. Introducing more songs, games, interactive exercises and also just working with specific teachers and schools during your stay here could be invaluable.

There are 8 schools and teachers. Each teachers runs two classes a day that consists of between 20 and 40 students (sometimes you just lose the count as they keep streaming in). Do the maths, that's a lot of students!

As the first volunteer here I think it is important to talk a lot with the teachers and Phalla about what they need. My teaching day runs from one to eight in the evening (door to door , from my hostel to the main school, the school villages and back). It is tiring but I am very keen to participate in lessons at all village schools and inspire children. It means a lot  to teachers and students  alike that Neak rou Lia makes the effort spend an evening with them. Another place where my reputation precedes me! This is another important contribution of a volunteer, their own presence.
The first part of the day involves working with the teachers for a couple of hours, through conversational, phonic and grammar exercises. The level is still elementary. The second part involves empowering them, helping them with lesson planning, time consiousness and giving them help with structuring the lesson. They discuss their concerns, new ideas, teaching and other techniques. Finally, I play the role of a teaching assistant, observing them and helping them throughout the class. Some want me to take charge but in my discussions with them I explain how important it is for them to remain in charge. We work  well together. I help with phonetic exercises, reading texts , making sentences and acting out the meaning of words (clowning around in their class).  The teachers here might be young and in need of improvement but they are all handpicked for their teaching skills and have a real charisma in communication and teaching. It is inspiring to watch them get through to children.

So this is a snippet of what you could be doing through the SAFE foundation. Think about what you could offer and before you send an email or make an enquiry I would also suggest you think about why you would be doing this. The minimum term of volunteering here is 3 weeks. The more you can give the better of course.

Lucy is an inspiring woman. She and Phalla of CCHA deserve all the support they can get. So think if you can also help in ways other than volunteering. You can also speak to me about my experience when I am back. Don't hesitate to email me at liamoutselou@gmail.com.

If you want to find out a bit more about the Siem Reap project, the SAFE foundation and Lucy Dickenson, follow this link:

http://thesafefoundation.co.uk/index.php/projects/siam-reap-cambodia/

http://thesafefoundation.co.uk/index.php/about/

Lucy's email address is:
lucy@thesafefoundation.co.uk
info@thesafefoundation.co.uk

Dan Green's work can be viewed at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dangreenhalloween/
httt://www.biglittlecity.com

Teacher Pat and his class

Love to all xx

At the temples

http://picasaweb.google.com/liamoutselou/AtTheTemples#

As I carefully go down the steps of an ancient temple, I mutter to myself: ‘I could actually fall here’. ‘Don’t tempt fate’, advises a warning voice',  I lift my eyes to see a young tour guide smiling at me. ‘You might not be able to see them, but the spirits are here and they might just give you a push’.

I would have hoped that the spirits and I forged a strong and lasting friendship at sunrise. Today I woke up at 5 am, and met Phalla at 530 to be at the Angor Wat temple in time for sunrise. Angor Wat is the grandest but not the oldest temple in the Angor area. Phalla has insisted he accompanies me on my first visit to the temples. 'You are my volunteer, you help me so much' , he says. But when we get there he lets me to enter Angor Wat on my own and I am grateful. This is a personal experience.

The site is busy at 6 am, busier than I would have liked. But then again this is the cool season in Cambodia when tourists flock the Angor Wat area. The dawn light is mystical and I cross the bridge that leads me to the temple site. I don’t want to miss the sunrise but it is impossible to rush here. I walk mesmerised. There is beautiful music coming from a pagoda somewhere. I climb up the steps of the imposing temple in the middle of the Anghor Wat. Something stirs inside me. I am overwhelmed by my own being. Black and white spirits, fears and hopes, baggage and memories, sadness and happiness, the pressure of the past and the bliss some of the happiest moments of my life are all unleashed in the corridors of the temple noisily floating around me. I surprisingly find a quiet east facing spot on a high point. It looks like it has been reserved for me.  I sit still as my restlessness is painfully kicking me from within. But all I am able is to be still, watching the sunrise and feeling simultaneous unease and release.  

Inch by inch the sun is rising as if lifted by a giant invisible hand. I don’t know if this is a spiritual experience or if my subconscious has cunningly timed this. I realise what I already known: I am happy. The rest:  restlessness, questioning, troubles are human phenomena. Every now and then they overwhelm but with time and wisdom it all quietens down. After all the intensity of my humanity gives me the satisfaction, the contentment I am getting from this beautiful sunrise and this quietens eveyrthing down.

Happy I  continue with my tour. I admire the bas reliefs (figures sculptured in a temple wall)   of Mahabharata, one of the nicest books I have read. The temples in Angor area narrate stories of the Buddhist and Hindu‘religion’ , which interchangeably dominated Cambodia at different times. ‘Religious’ tales are depicted amongst other tales of of the empire's past warfare and glory. This is why parts of some temples are ‘missing’. When Buddhism was dominant some Hindu stories were removed and vice versa.

About two hours later I meet a smiley Phalla. Together we visit Bayen Temple entering the Angor Thom , a complex of more temples. He then leaves me again to roam Ta Prohm temple on my own. He smiles knowingly. I have just told him I love the vegetation and nature here.  

Whilst I continue my wandering, I am occasionally faced with my contradictions as well as those of this world: a peaceful ancient site conquered by hordes of tourists who sometimes just rush to photograph themselves on a site they have seen in their guide book before they go. Sometimes they annoy me other times I meet and chat to wonderful people. But my highlight at Ta Prohm aside from the impressive maze of temples, are the trees.  I think I am a true tree hugger. Imposing, gigantic trees, with their beautiful trunks and scents greet me everywhere. Their roots embrace the temple stones: a triumphant coalition of nature and human ingenuity wins you over. There are moments when I really want to share this with people I love. I really do. As I say to Phalla later I think life is for sharing. Whilst I am content in my company and self (most of the times): I cannot think of anything that makes my joy and happiness more intense and real than sharing it.

Even driving and walking around the area is an experience in itself. At Bayen temple, I wander off to a Pagoda, where I am once again amongst Cambodians this time in their festive wear paying their respects to the Buddha. Some excitable nuns jump around making me dance to the music. I enter the Pagoda and pay my respects. I watch the pilgrims bring presents for the monks. I am filled with peace and joy. Am I really here?  Then I suddenly miss Dan so much. There you go I am a living contradiction!

Tomorrow it’s my day off as the teachers have an exam with the Ministry of education.  I might head to the Tonle Sap Lake and then deposit myself in a hammock on the banks of the western barray (a manmade Angor era lake in the Angor area). I might even have a swim.

For now I sit and sip a much needed coffee with Phalla who proudly beams at my excitement. It’s just after one in the afternoon and time to meet my lovely students again.

A Persian meets a Greek

The Tuesday and Wednesday of my first week in Cambodia are dedicated to planning, teaching, more Siem Reap scouting nd getting in touch with some of you lot (and correcting my online spelling as Mrs Beth Woollam has suggested -you cow!-).  On Wednesday I enjoy a much needed quiet morning at the Arun guest house with the female crew. If you want a laugh listen to the recording of my pitiful attempts to remember and pronounce the numbers 1-5 in Khmer after a lesson from Ming Pow and before I sip any coffee. Sorry I cannot edit audio files here so you have the full 2 minutes.  I have now learnt to count to 9 in Khmer (mainly because 6 to 9 are the sum of 5 and the rest of the numbers I know).  I  then spend my usual teaching shift from one to eight pm (door to door) first teaching the teachers and then assisting with Pat’s (one of the teachers) class.

After the classs, I turn my Cambodian phone on to find a welcoming text from Kurash. I mentioned Kush in an earlier blog entry. Kush is a good friend of Phalla who has taught and helped progress the work of the Cambodian Child and Hope Association project unimaginably. Kush has returned from Battambong and invites me and Phalla to meet him at the Golden temple (the hostel I love and where Lucy and Dan have previously stayed). The hostel is close enough to the heart of Siem Reap but nicely tucked away in a small street away from too much commotion. But then Siem Reap is not a loud club laden spot. I have been told by many people already it’s quiet compared to other neighbouring destinations like Thailand.

Kush whose roots are Iranian, looks like a Buddha, with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern features. It’s really nice to see the affinity between the two men. Kush narrates the story of their encounter and how the CCHA collaboration followed on from that. Phalla was a venerable monk with a golden heart and willingness to help educate the children of his community. If I understand correctly he had already started the project when he met Kush but was still practicing to be a monk. Kush went to Phalla for meditation and as the two men got to know each other and talk it all kicked off. Since then he taught at Phalla’s school, liaised with Lucy on Safe Foundation matters, after Safe offered support to the CCHA. Phalla has given up being a monk for the time being as this imposed a lot of limitations on doing essential business needed to progress the work of CCHA and interacting with volunteers and supporters (e.g. no handling of money, no close interaction with women, no driving and transporting oneself amongst other but my knowledge is very limited on this). Progressing CCHA also requires much of his studying/practising time. There have been a series of wonderful coincidences that have brought Phalla, Kush, Safe and Dan together and here I am joining in. It is a pleasure to sit and talk with Kush animatedly. I love the soft speaking Khmer people but equally like the fire hearted people that Kush comes from. Phalla laughs out loud full heartedly when he hears us speak. This is a really nice evening. We talk about another project supporting disabled mine victims that Kush works with, our lives and of course Kush’s time with Dan and Lucy (and the yapping dog-Dan by the way the dog now lives in Battambong but a lovely white cat sits happily on Kush’s lap purring away).

And so at the Golden Temple of Siem Reap and in the presence of a gentle Khmer, a Persian meets a Greek…