Seus dey!

Back again!

This really has been a day of filling up the blog. Now is my chance to get everyone fuly up to date. So I finished my last blog as I was on my way to Cambodia.

This is where I am going to be completely honest. I was pretty nervous. After my initial culture shock in China way back in October I was concerned that returning to Asia was going to have the same effect on me. I was also nearing 6 months away and getting on yet another plane was certainly making me think of home. So although I was excited to see this country I had been longing to visit my journey there felt a little emotional.

However, wanting to see the bright side to everything, my flights, both Darwin to Kuala Lumpar and Kuala Lumpar to SIem Reap, were pretty empty. So I had the chance to stretch across 3 seats and catch up on some sleep, having only having 4 before I had to get to the airport.

Arriving in Siem Reap I had to get my visa sorted before they allowed me in the country. Unlike America, China and Australia, I was able to do this when I arrived. All went smoothly. I collected my luggage and was greated by my friend Sras who's house I would be staying in for the duration of my stay.

I was lucky, when I arrived there was no culture shock. The people of Cambodia are unbelievably friendly, kind and generous. I was still missing home but there certainly could be worse places. Sras and her friend took me straight to a restaurant to get some lunch. Well I say restaurant, it was more of a collection of tables and chairs outside a wooden building. But the food was good. Cambodians love there food, and it is easy to see why. The flavours they use are divine even if they were to flavour frog! Yup, in first hour of arriving in Cambodia I was eating frog! And actually it isn't bad, very much like chicken. So if anyone sees Mr Clark you can tell him that I much prefer frog to the snails we tried in France with Year 6.

Sras then took me to her house where I could settle in and have a rest (catch up on some sleep)

I INTERUPT THIS BLOG FOR A CURRENT UPDATE

A cockroach just feel on my head from the ceiling then fell between my face and glasses......yuk!

Ok back to the blog...

So I was at Sras. What I love about staying with friends is that I not only get to hang out with them, but I also get to see what places are like from the view of a local, not just a tourist. So I was staying about a 15 minute walk from the town centre (I should say city but it really is a town). The houses are all occupied by Khmer people (Cambodians) many who are children who are keen to practise the little English they know. So I am constantly hearing "Hallo! Hallo! Ok! What's your name? Bye Bye! Hallo!" Repeative but very sweet.

In my first week in the area I was painting outside, and a few of these children passed by and saw what I was doing. They were fascinated because, unlike you lot in England, these children don't get taught art at school. They attend school 6 days a week and do it either in the morning or the afternoon so they are limited to the number of lessons they are taught. Unfortunately art is considered not important.

Anyway before long the children were sitting in a circle around me, each with their own piece of paper sitting in front of them, paint brush in hand ready for their first art lesson. Together we painted similar watercolours to those that Year 6 did last year and the children even learnt some new words: blue, white, green, brown, paint, water and paper. They loved it. I loved it.

However that is not the only work with children I have been doing out here. One of my main reasons for coming to Cambodia was to do some volunteer work, and through friends I found the Giant Puppet Project. This is a project set up to help disadvantaged children through art. Together with Cambodian artists and volunteers the children create giant puppets (a bit like the ones you might see of dragons at Chinese New Year) and they parade the streets in Siem Reap.

It is a wonderful project to be involved in. The children have a variety of backgrounds such as having to beg on the streets or have been affected by landmines. It is wonderful to work with them and see them enjoying themselves so much. The result is the biggest children's art celebration in South East Asia.

TMy day working with them is filled with constant please and thank yous and many many smiles! On one occassion I was in the fit of giggles when the children and I were covering some of the puppet in tissue paper. Every time we needed another piece a would say "A little bit more" which they would repeat in their own way "A-lil-bib-moooore!".

The puppets are now looking great after the children's hard work and just a few finishing touches and lighting are to be done before the parade next weekend.

But as I write this I realise that I haven't actually described Siem Reap itself. I find it a fascinating place with numerous photo opporutnities. The town is dotted with statues of chinese lions and gods. The streets are lined with tuk tuks, motos and bicycles (It is quite an interesting experience to cycle on the roads here!) And as you approach the centre you reach the Old Market that is filled with little stalls bursting with souviners and clothing. Right in the centre of all this is the food market that sells a huge range of fruit and veg that I have never heard of and body parts of many different animals.

Just the other day I was stepping over a bowl, then suddenly I say the contents move! At a second glance I saw it was a turtle....of course....perfectly normal! :S

In addition to meeting the locals and exploring the shops, my days have been filled with meeting up with many of my friends who I met in America but live out here. It is has been lovely to catch up with them and see their homes (and be given lots of food too!) and through them I have made many more friends, who I hope to visit at some point on this visit or another.

But it hasnn;t been all work and hanging out with friends. I have been doing the good old touristy stuff too, such as visiting the museum to find out about the countries history and visiting the floating villages. Yes villages that float!

Last Friday I took a trip to visit the famous Ton Lesap Lake am . Our trip took us through a twon which stood about 6m above the ground on stilts which, during the rainy season, would be nearly completely covered in water from the lake reaching the base of the houses.

A little further one we caught a long barge like boat, with dinning room chairs nailed to the floor for seating. This boat took us through to the main part of the lake where every building you can think of that is needed in a town was present. The only difference...everything was floating on the lake. Home, shops, cafes, schools, churches, pagodas everything. It was amazingly colourful too, everything painted in bright colours.

Whilst there we were taken to a crocodile farm, where I finally saw a croc. Only it wasn't how I wished to see them. The space was unbelievably small at about 3m by 6m for about 6 crocs. Not particularly fair and I can't say I was particluarly comfortable witnessing an animal kept in those conditions.

We soon moved on to a large boat where we could see a much more beautiful sight. The sunsetting over the floating village as I swing in a hammock on the lake. Then there was no complaning!

All too soon the trip came to an end and it was time to return back to Siem Reap. And brings me to my current location sitting in a cafe writing my blog. Over the next few weeks, as well as finishing the puppet project, I hope to visit the world famous Angkor Temples, something I have been dying to do and I look forward to sharing it with you.

So this is where I leave you until next time and all that is left is to say the normal things: Sorry for any spelling errors, check out the photos and I hope everyone is doing well.

If you have time check out the Puppet Project from last year, it really is a very good cause. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v4dVmFa0w4