So I finished my first full day of school, and only had one boo boo, two tantrums, and five minutes of dead air. I really need to brush up on my little kid songs! On the plus side, I get to play all day, they feed me snacks and lunch, and it is a five minute walk home to relax during my break in the afternoon. I'm kinda digging the little ones. It's nice to just have to focus on one letter a day, teach them the chicken dance (which is kinda like herding cats. Runny nosed, adorable cats.) They love the part where they hold hands and dance in a circle, the rest of the time they just start blankly at me while I demonstrate the rest of the dance. Baby steps, right?
Volunteering is going fantastic. I have had three classes with the ladies, and they have been amazing. It is so great to see them smiling and laughing, and learning. They have been divided into two groups, and they are so fun. Tonight was my beginner group, and they were fantastic. By the end of class, they could say hello, goodbye, and ask someone what their name is. We have also started on the phonic alphabet, those kindergarten songs are coming in handy! They were also singing ants on the apple, ah ah ah, ants on the apple, ah ah ah by the end of class. So much fun! Once I get more settled into teaching the kindergartners, I will try and add more hours with the ladies, but for now, I am with them three hours a week and I love it!
I also get to take a moto over to the house, and it is normally around sunset, so it is just nice to feel the breeze and enjoy the beauty around me. (Also, if I focus on the sky, I don't see the chaos around me...) Traffic laws here in Cambodia are more like suggestions. Lights, lane lines, even which side of the road you drive on, pretty much anything goes. They have a few stop signs, but I have yet to even see someone slow down at one. If you have ever read Medium Raw, by Anthony Bourdain, he describes it so much better than I can. But riding on the back of the moto is almost like poetry. It should be a disaster, but it just works. Since you expect everyone around you to do whatever they want, it's not a surprise when you see a truck or a tuk tuk coming at you, you just go around them and keep on going. I will not drive my own moto anytime soon, but it is fast becoming my favorite way to get around the city. Not to worry, I am buying my own helmet tomorrow, so that in case I encounter a rouge expat on the road, my noggin will be safe!
On the down side, I just realized that Cambodia doesn't do daylight savings, so I am missing out on one of my favorite weeks of the year! I won't get the joy of feeling like I am sleeping in an hour later, and giggling over it every morning. On the flip side, I won't be angry for a week in spring when I lose an hour... I'll take missing a week of giggles, since it takes away one of my worst weeks of the year! Plus, every time one of those little munchkins calls me teeCHERR, I giggle. I'm for sure coming out ahead on the giggle/giddy front!
Happy November to everyone! Miss you guys!
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