Lychee taste amazing. No one knows what an avocado is.
There are hot water showers at the swimming pool.
Numkong doughnuts (with melted palm sugar on top and sesame seeds) are still amazing.
Gym Bar shows Wimbledon AND the Lions Test Matches.
You can get an awesome manicure 5 minutes down the road for 5000 rial ($1.25).
UK Trade and Investment - I met with Jeffrey Lamb this week, head of UKTI to talk about ways in which he can help the students at Harpswell.
Free books - I bought some story books in Khmer and English and gave them to the little street children. Puss in Boots was the most popular!
Just for Fun
I have been trying to work out what cheap activities we can do next. So many of them never leave the dorm simply because they don't have the money.
This weekend we went to the Plae Pakaa Theatre produced by The Cambodian Living Arts. Friday night was the show Mak Therng (a Khmer story about a man and his wife who is stolen by the prince and his journey to win her back). Saturday was The Passage of Life, a journey through a typical Khmer life and the way in which each life event is celebrated, from birth, coming of age, marriage and death. They loved it!
Next Saturday we are off to see Phnom Penh Crown FC play their next match at the Olympic Stadium.
Nat and Roith are looking into a Khmer Kick Boxing Match. SOOO excited.
Community Project Competition
I have asked the girls to come up with a project to win $200 and help their community (either in the provinces or Phnom Penh).
It can relate to anything they want and four teams have so far talked to me about their proposals. They range from helping rural villagers set up businesses to grow produce, buying books and helping an orphanage.
Deadline is 31 July.
Update from the girls:
Bopha is off to Vietnam on a scholarship for one month from 10 July . She will be continuing her study into the reasons why there is a lack of women studying mathematics at universities in Cambodia and Vietnam.
Por won $2,500 in a national competition for her project to build a youth centre in her village. It is now build and BBC Media Action filmed it. Link to it below and some pictures:
Vechou is doing really well with her English classes (we have two per week). Pronunciation is progressing. She is about to start an internship with Cambodia Cares.
Salin, Sampours, Keourn, Mala, Sereraith and Siekmouy have a class with me between 6 -7pm Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on listening, reading and writing skills.
Sodalin in a total Jane Austen convert. She has read Pride and Prejudice and watched "Becoming Jane". During our weekly session we watch clips from Persuasion and translate it. She is really getting the hang of reading between the lines.
We went swimming again this week and taught Sopheap how to swim and Sohim how to improve breaststroke technique! They did really well.
Masters in Economics at UCL or other London University
Vechou is in her third year (with one more year to go until she finishes her undergrad degree in Economics). Her dream is to study a Masters in Economic Policy in a London university. Does anyone know how she could get a scholarship??
I know how to sort out her accommodation (there is a fantastic Housing Association in the UK called Zebra Housing Association which provides low cost housing for foreign students) and I may sponsor her myself in terms of living costs...but I need to get her on a course first!
She has a mum and dad in the provinces but they are quite old and her brother died a few years ago.
She was selected for an interview with Harpswell by the director of her high school and asked to come to his office. She was really scared because people only go to him when they are in trouble! She was bright enough to be selected from a large number of applicants and joined Harpswell three years ago. She wants to be able to help Cambodian businesses operate and run effectively to promote economic growth in Cambodia.
She is very bright but a little shy and not very confident (which I am working on... :)). She has great aspirations for Cambodia and a year in London would transform her life. It would be a platform for her to really change the country when she came back. I would love to be able to surprise her with an offer of a place before I go.
There are now lots more photos in the Gallery and videos on the blog. Take a look!
Bye for now. Enjoy WImbledon.
Rach x
