New Hobbies

There is not a great lot to do in Phnom Penh, compared to Australia anyway. So I have joined a drawing class at school. It is a fun class where we are exploring different drawing styles and media. I thought I would show you my second pencil drawing. I spent a number of hours on it as a project to try different techniques, so they don't all work in the one picture...but it was fun and a great experience... some of you will recognise where the picture comes from....

Naomi has taken up the piano keyboard and tinkers very very nicely with it. I can't show you the sound, but can let you know, she has a natural ear for music...which I wouldn't mind encouraging!

However, now I should really do some marking and write reports...

The life of a teacher goes on!

Fiona

And along came Tevy

During the mid semester break we visited Mondulkiri. It is in the far north east of Cambodia. We stayed in a simple cabin at the Nature lodge, with an outdoor shower and toilet. We took along with us a young christian girl called Tevy (21), who is a classroom assistant at Hope School. Tevy is also my Khmer language teacher.
Khmer life revolves around one's family / extended family. Young girls cannot go on trips with their girl friends as it is not considered safe, however their extended families are so large that it is not affordable to spend money or work time to go on holidays as a family. Needless to say, when we invited Tevy to come away with us she was very excited and pleased that her parents gave her permission.
For those who are unaware, Cambodia is pretty well flat. There are no hills to speak of in most of the country. Instead there are just long stretches of rice-paddy filled floodplains with palm trees and small timber or straw houses on stilts, baking in the suns heat. Mondulkiri is different, it is about 800m above sea level with grassy hills, tall trees, thick vines and creeks flowing through the jungle. The cool air at this time of year requires trousers , jackets, and more than just a sheet to sleep under.
So Tevy enjoyed many first-time experiences in Mondulkiri: grass plains and hills, water falls, 4WDriving, cold weather, sleeping with a blanket and sitting around a camp fire. We also introduced her to Burrito wraps, a pool table,"ten green bottles hanging on the wall" and taught her to coo-ee. We visited the Thompson family, who are CMS missionaries from Australia, they also introduced Tevy to pumpkin soup, dessicated coconut, home made bread and flat Indian bread. We spent quite some time with the Thompsons learning about their work in the region, sharing food, a picnic and playing cards together after dinner.
Tevy fitted into our group seamlessly, she enjoyed being silly with us and mucking around with Naomi and Nathan. She bargained for us in Khmer wherever we went. Since Khmer rates are cheaper than foreigner rates when purchasing this proved to be quite beneficial.
During the visit I came to appreciate in much greater depth the culture of the Khmer and about jungle tribes. Khmer and tribal people are so very supersititious, trapped in the associated fear they are not free to tackle many of the major problems which face them. It was also evident that many subsistance and minimal impact practices have been lost and replaced by non sustainable and ecologically destructive de-forestation and exploitation.

The Elephants of North East Cambodia

We have just returned from our mid semester break during which we visited Mondulkiri in the far north east mountains of Cambodia. We visited some CMS missionaries, taking up some supplies for them and blessings from people back here. In the Mondulkiri region live the Bunong people, an ethnic tribe who are culturally quite different from theKhmer and who speak their own dialect. The Bunong have for centuries captured domesticated wild elephants for work, however the elephant numbers are dwindling. The Bunong are very superstitious and will not let the domesticated elephants breed as they consider this brings bad fortune. Many of the traditional elephant skills were lost during the Pol Pot Period. The people often share an elephant between extended family groups and significantly overwork them, sometimes until they die. The Elephant Valley project seeks to meet the needs of the local people and elephants, renting farmland and elephants so that they can work along side the Bunong people and teach them how to care for their elephant and give it enough food and rest. The aim also is to manage this area of forest and prevent the rampant deforestation that strips so much of the region as outsiders grab the land, ​​fell timber and grade the soil, leaving large bare dust bowls. Some of the funding for the project and the local Bunong community comes from visitor costs, including fees for an afternoon trek in the forest with the elephants. Visiting this project was a highlight of our time in Cambodia.

Our Tutor Group: Year 7 at Hope School

Here are the students of year 7 this year at Hope school. They are standing in front of a mural which depicts areas of Australia. They are a friendly group of students from all around the World. From left to right in the front row: Alex (USA), George (England), Ye Sung (Korea), Ethan (England), Afshin (Malaysia), Elspeth (Scotland), Serenade (Cambodia). Back row: Daniel (Tanzania), Halldor (Norway), Toby (Australia), Kevin (Cambodia), Jordan (England), Chizuk (Nagaland), Naomi (Australia), Ha Young (Korea), Sarah (Korea). Between them they speak 7 different languages and have visited 30 countries. Their parents are predominantly missionaries and represent organisations such as Save the Children, Hope School, Interserve, Hagar, AZTEM (Australian Tentmakers), Korean Methodist Church, Korean Presbyterian Church, ICA (International Christian Assembly), Hosea Ministries, the United Nations, New Frontiers, Bible College Phnom Penh, EFC (Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia) and OMF (Overseas Missionary Fellowship).