Weekend Trips to Banteay Meanchey
My dear friend, Alma, lives in Sway (A.K.A Serei Saophoan and Sisophon), so I often take weekend trips to visit her. There are small mountains for hiking, rice fields for fishing, and water reservoirs for swimming — never a shortage of things to do.
My friend Talia, another Peace Corps volunteer, came to visit Battambang. Talia, Espen, and I drove to Sway and went to visit Alma’s friend, Nai. Nai is an incredible cook, and she has a beautiful garden on the rice field. We had a cooking class where we learned how to make prahok, a traditional Khmer fish dip. I got to “bok” (hit with a mortar and pestle) the cooked vegetables and herbs for the dip. The dish is typically made with river fish, but we used ocean fish that had been shipped from Thailand. We ate the dip with fresh vegetables, young mangoes, and dried beef. Maybe it was just because we cooked it, but the prahok was absolutely delicious, the best I’ve had in Cambodia.
After we had our appetizer, the men decided to go fishing with a net. Alma, Talia, and Nai stayed behind to cook more, but I decided to invite myself along with the men instead, since I hadn’t had the opportunity to try net fishing yet. Espen threw the net a few times before the rain started rolling in, so I didn’t get a chance to try it. It was still fun to help get the fish out of the net and wade through the rice fields. The fish we caught were small, but delicious. We stayed at Nai’s until nightfall, eating and singing karaoke for hours. It was such an incredible time.
I took another trip to Sway with Carter (a Fulbrighter) and Espen. We had a picnic lunch of Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese (imported, of course), Khmer barbeque chicken, and Khmer pickles, a Khmer twist on southern barbeque. The next day, we went to a large reservoir, where Alma and I went swimming. On our way back, it started pouring rain. We stopped at a convenience store, and the family who ran the store offered us beer. Espen and I brought out the guitar, and we started jamming. One of the Khmer men requested that Espen play a Khmer song that had words in Khmer and English. The man didn’t know the English part, so he had Carter and Alma sing it. They didn’t know the song either, so they made it up on the spot, laughing the whole time. It was such a fun, wholesome experience.
Final Scor Dae (Drum) Lesson
My final scor dae lesson was so much fun. Two high school students have been joining in with our lessons for the past few months. I have learned all seven of the common, traditional rhythms, so we were able to jam. My teacher explained how one rhythm, Saravan, is popular at parties, such as weddings and Khmer New Year parties. Now I see why I want to dance each time I play this rhythm!
I gave my teacher a farewell gift of durian and rambutan, sought-after seasonal fruits that are harvested in May – July. Durian is known for its strong smell, so I hope the classroom smelled okay for the rest of the day!
Research Overview
My research project evolved in an organic, collaborative way. For the first four months, I learned as much as I could about current and alternative teaching methods through observations, a site visit to Opening Doors Cambodia, and substitute/co-teaching with my colleagues. We found that cultivating student motivation and discipline was an issue for all the teachers. We addressed this through structural changes, such as new policies and placement tests, and capacity building in pedagogy. In our weekly meetings, I provided training on education theory, lesson planning, arts integration, and game-based learning. I worked to present the information in a way that was sensitive to cultural and personal barriers. In my daily teaching, I began introducing arts-integration and lots of games into the program. I wrote one arts- or game-based lesson plan per unit for each level spanning the end of the school year. These supplementary lessons are meant to sustain the new teaching methods, as teachers draw from and build on them in years to come.
I would call my research project a success. The English program has improved, but more than anything the teachers feel more valued. We’ve become like a family, and I learned so much about fostering community through teaching, collaboration, and leadership. I am so grateful for my colleagues’ engagement and excitement about learning and growing together. I hope to continue working with the English teachers in order to continue building their capacity and continue improving the ELP.
Wrapping up at the English Language Program
As a farewell to my students, we hosted a party for the English Language Program on my last day. I prepared many gift bags with notebooks, pens, CVF t-shirts, and stuffed animals. These were given away as raffle and game prizes.
To my surprise, there was a delivery of cakes, set up on tables all around the party. The students were all so excited to eat the delicious cake, and I was too.
Another surprise was the many farewell gifts from my students. Candies, pipe cleaner flowers, handwritten notes, hair accessories, stuffed animals, key chains and little toys were placed into gift bags and given to me ceremoniously, one by one. Some things were new, bought at the market, and others were old, odds and ends found around the students’ homes. I was so incredibly moved by these gifts, especially the little notes that read “I love teacher Zion.”
English Language Program Day-Trip to Samlout
To celebrate the end of my Fulbright, the Cambodian Village Fund family (the English teachers, Assistant principal, Nem Vanna, and his wife and grandchild) decided to take a day trip to Samlout, known for its natural beauty and durian farms. We had multiple picnics, the first at a large durian farm on the bank of a river. On the camping stove, we cooked grilled beef and vegetables stewed in coconut water. There were also lots of sides, like pickles and dried fish.
After our meal, we went to a different durian farm, since the prices at this farm were too high. We got to pick and eat rambutan and loganberries right from the tree. We also had super ripe, sweet durian. Since there have been durian sellers lining the streets of Battambang since May, I’ve become used to the strong smell and even started enjoying it. The flavor and texture of super ripe durian is similar to rich butterscotch pudding, but with a tropical twist. It’s sweet, creamy, and decadent.
On our way back, I mentioned wanting to go to a waterfall I saw on the map. My colleagues said the waterfall was too much of a walk, and we started driving back to Kaun Khlong. Instead, we ended up stopping at a massive reservoir. It was such a fun surprise. We went on a boat tour around the reservoir and got to see the scenery and enjoy the fresh, cool air. We brought out our leftovers from lunch and cooked more beef for dinner. It was such an amazing dar-leng (trip) with my colleagues, who have truly become more like family.
What’s Ahead
Now, I’m setting off on a journey around Cambodia and Vietnam with Espen. Our first stop is Kratie, home of the Irrawaddy dolphins, a unique species of freshwater dolphin. Then, we’re off to Mondulkiri to see stunning mountains and maybe meet some elephants. After that is unknown, but I’m so excited to go on this grand adventure.
As I mentioned in my last blog, I’m going to return to Cambodia after my travels in Southeast Asia and a trip back to San Diego. I’m not quite sure what my job will look like yet, but I want to continue working with the English Language Program and pursue additional work in higher education. Though I’m excited to see my family in the states, I’m so happy I get to return to my new home of Battambang!