Working from 9 to 5 every week day means that I don’t have a lot to blog about in Cambodia that doesn’t involve my English students. While I’m sure giving you a run-down of each student’s linguistic abilities would not be very exciting, I thought you might enjoy hearing a little bit about my different pupils’ backgrounds and personalities. So, I’m going to try to devote a section in each post to highlighting something about one of my 7 students.
Today, I wanted to tell you about Mouyteang.
Mouyteang is 19 and studying Economics. She is incredibly bright and really witty. While I enjoyed studying with Mouyteang long before I knew about her background, finally hearing about where this remarkable girl has come from has made me appreciate her even more. A few weeks ago, she and I were discussing her family. Mouyteang told me that she is the oldest of 5 children, and from a province outside of Phnom Penh. Her parents work in the lumber industry, and must spend a great deal of time away from their home. Consequently, from the age of 7, Mouyteang was given the responsibility of raising her 4 younger siblings. She would wake up in the middle of the night to feed her infant brother, change her sister’s diaper and rock them to sleep. Though life was not easy for her, Mouyteang still managed to stay in school and even made good enough grades to earn special scholarships from the government to pay for her school supplies and books. She graduated at the top of her class, and has come to Phnom Penh to study on another scholarship. What amazed me most about Mouyteang, though is not the difficult life she has led. Rather, it is her attitude about it. She told me that, though she often felt sorry for herself as a child, now she sees how her additional responsibilities helped her to grow and mature. She is thankful for her experiences and knows she would not be the person she is today without them. Hearing this young lady speak with such strong conviction really touches my heart and inspires me to really view my own life in a new light.
And now, onto the processed meat!
While it is true that MOST of my time here has been spent teaching English one-on-one, that is not the only way PIP tries to give its Cambodian students exposure to the English language. This weekend is a perfect example.
This past Saturday, the PIP English Program hosted an “All-American Weiner Roast” for our students and their friends. Inspired by a fellow-Texan teacher, this party was designed to allow our different students to mix and mingle with one another, as well as interact with the teachers and practice their English in a less formal setting.
Complete with the biggest hotdogs I have ever seen, this party had everything you would expect at a similar function in the United States. We even rustled up some marshmallows, chocolate (a rare and expensive commodity in Cambodia) and “graham cracker-esque” cookies for s’mores.
Three of my students made it to the party. Here I am with Monorea:
And Kimsam:
I didn’t get a picture of Sary.
The afternoon ended with Gene, our resident cowboy, raffling off his entire Texas ensemble. His hat was the preferred item, though the belt and boots came in close second. I’m not sure that the girl who won his shirt was terribly excited about her prize, but it seems like everyone enjoyed their authentic western wear!
2 comments:
Tell me... how many of those people there where sick after this wiener roast. I can't imagine that their tummies where up to something so... oh whats the word...inedible ;)
I didn't hear of anyone getting sick, though I'm not sure HOW that's possible! A lot of the Khmers halved the hotdogs, since they were basically twice as long as the buns... But you have to remember that in Cambodia, they eat ALL of the animal (bones, beak, eyes...), so a hotdog made of the rejected meat doesn't phase them a bit!
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