Thursday 18 July 2013

Hot Like Pepper - Sokun Kanha

Culture Show

We are having a culture show on Sunday!!!  

Lots of the girls from both dorms are performing (with support from the wonderful Leadership Residents).  We even have MCs and sound girls.  

The current line up consists of a traditional Khmer story, sketch from The Wizzard of Oz, apsara dancing, Khmer songs, a fashion show, tap dancing and a Bollywood dance. 

I'm singing a Khmer song called Hot Like Pepper by Sokun Kanha.  I'm terrible!!

Rakesmay is going to do my hair like this....


It's going to be awesome. Can't wait.

Elections

Hotting up here generally ahead of the general election on 28 July 2013. 

There was a prayer gathering yesterday outside the Royal Palace for peaceful elections.  You get t-shirts for pretty much everything in Cambodia. The peaceful protest t-shirts are a tasteful shade of green.

A few of the girls are helping with the process either as independent advisors or monitors.  

Cambodia Daily

Tonight is Siekmouy's turn to lead the Cambodia Daily class. 

We are talking about a recent employment fair organised by Japan to recruit Cambodians for Japanese companies in Phnom Penh.   She is going to present her evidence and information to the group via Powerpoint (for the first time) so that's fantastic.

Fun stuff


Off to see Despicable Me 2 at Legend Cinema shortly and we have more swimming on Sunday morning (I take five at a time with priority to those who haven't been with me before - it's very popular and good for them - lots can't actually swim so it's really lovely for them to have a go).

Running with me at 6am is proving very popular.  There's the same crowd every morning:

1 a guy with a MASSIVE dog (Dog Guy)
2 a guy with learning disabilities, no speech and limited movement who wears flip flops to exercise (Silent Guy)
3 a group of ladies who always ask how old I am and then giggle (Ladies Group)
4 Cool dudes doing "training" but mostly just posturing (The Dudes)

Jon and I bought Silent Guy trainers and socks yesterday and the girls and I gave them to him this morning.  He had the widest most genuine smile you've ever seen, there were lots of thumbs up!! It's amazing how much you can communicate with only limited Khmer (me) and not being able to speak (him).



How could I forget the monkeys!!! Here they are. Adorable. No mummy I didn't touch them...honest.

Still checking Daily Mail showbiz daily for any signs of the Kate and Wills Royal birth.  When is it going to happen!!?

Leadership Update

Vechou is applying for a Chevening Scholarship to study economics in London.

Vatey is applying for an internship with General Electric in Phnom Penh.

Panha has secured a teaching job (maths and English) which she is doing in addition to her university studies.

Pang has secured a part time job with a medical equipment/pharmacy company to support her studies.

We've organised for DC Cam (documentation centre of Cambodia) to come and show the Harpswell girls its brand new film called A River Changes Course. It analyzes economic development and globalization by following the lives of Cambodians in 3 different locations.  There is a young family in Ratanakiri, a Cham Muslim family in a floating village on the Tonle Sap, and a young girl who moves from her province to Phnom Penh to find work. 

Other than that I've got CVs, scholarship applications and interview preparation sessions coming out of my ears.  They're all working really hard. Post interview downloading is proving important too.

Learning curve

Only a couple of things in the last few days...

The vast majority of the students don't have bank accounts.  Their parents literally put $30 on a moto or with a relative coming to Phnom Penh who physically hands them their monthly allowance.  Jon should set up Metro Bank here...

Girls get a 50% reduction on university fees to encourage them to study.  Thiery is one of TWO girls on her engineering course.

There is a massive amount of bribery that goes on during High School.  All over Cambodia.  Almost all the girls have had to pay teachers a bribe at some point (one girl's teacher asked the entire class to pay up in order to pass).  

I had dinner with this lovely Christian family on Saturday evening.  The parents are Sokha and Lee Nam Soon.   Mum, Jon and me are going to sponsor the children's school education for this year.  It's a christian school which they hope will be less open to bribery and focus more on education. 




Bye for now.  

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