One more week

Hmm news... Let's see...

I just booked a bus and hostel to go to Siem Reap, supposed to be a great town, and is the gateway to Angkor Wat, which is supposed to have some AMAZING temples. Taking the night bus down there Friday (with the 3 other volunteers that came at the same time I did and went through orientation with me) and then coming back Monday just in time for my flight Monday night. Should be fun.

I've enjoyed my time at the orphanage, but it's been ridiculously short. It's tough teaching kids when their skill levels are so varied. The young ones are hard to keep control of if you're not showing them constant attention, and even then it's a struggle.

I went with my Danish housemates ( a couple of guys) to get a massage last night. It was nice and relaxing... Apparently the first time they went, they ended up at a kind of shady place, and at the end were offered extra time for extra special (inapproprate) treatment, if you get my drift. I think there are alot of places like that around here, but the one we went to was recommended by someone else and was good :)

Last weekend ended up being fun, though the girl did end up throwing up. Luckily, I had given them all ample warning that I would not be the one to take care of her, and one of he guys did the honor. Though she ended up telling him to take her to the wrong hotel room, and then I ended up lokcing myself out of mine lol... Saturday and Sunday were spent exploring Phnom Penh. We visited Toul Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields - depressing and educating. I had no idea what Cambodia had been through. It's crazy that it was only in the 70's. I can't fathom how someone could torture and kill so many innocent people. So sad... We also visited the Royal Palace and National Museum. Royal palace had beautiful asian looking architecture, along with some nice gardens. The National Museum was full of ancient statues and carvings from all over Cambodia. One evening, we ate at this wonderful little restaurant that had live music with traditional Cambodian dancing.

 

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but at the orphanage I work at, they really emphasize developing the arts in the kids lives. They are trained in traditional dance and song (singing and playing), as well as other arts. It's pretty neat. The dancers develop these amazing flexible fingers. It's a key characteristic of their dance, their fingers bend backward, past the point of normal, very unusual.