Well, its official: rainy season has begun. Which means, of course, that the road from my house to anywhere that I would need to be (the city, the school, the market, the coffeehouse) is completely horrendous. There is a giant never-ending puddle that I have to cross on the way to school, which means that my shoes and my feet and the bottom of my teaching skirt are always filthy and that I haven’t seen the silver in my bike for ages.
On the other hand, I am happy to say that I finally made it to the chapter that I taught in practicum: Folk Tales. For this chapter, there are three equally entertaining sections: The Tiger and the Monk, about a monk who heals a tiger, who in turn gets angry and tries to kill the monk; Who Stole the Baby, about a woman who stole a baby off of the riverbank and tried to sell her until the King intervened with his infinite wisdom; and, The Magic Bird, about a man who finds a bird who talks and lays golden eggs until his gossiping wife gets greedy and kills the bird to try to find the big egg store.
It’s a very Cambodian chapter… but one with lots of things to do – I told the first story with little pictures of the monk, tiger, and other characters, then had the students tell the story in small groups to practice public speaking. And then I had the students act out the baby-stealing story, which got some of my girls up and out of their shy shells. It was excellent, and finally… finally, after a full year of teaching, I feel like my students are stepping out of their comfort zones and actually getting the feel of student-centered learning. I see what the other Peace Corps Volunteers say… the second year is so much better than the first. After you feel settled, after you are comfortable with the daily aspects of life, you can finally begin to branch out and do some real work.
In othe
r news… I’ve found that weight loss is not necessarily the most convenient thing that could happen. Of all the clothed that I brought to Cambodia, only two things that I have still fit: one polo shirt and a jacket. Everything else is too big, has been tailored, or has been given to the great pile in the Volunteer room for others to take. I have found this to be a bit irritating, taking all my skirts in and re-sewing things to make them fit again. Ah, the price you pay. I’m still happy, especially because I know that I’m a bit of a special case; lots of the other volunteers are having trouble keeping weight off. I’m also thrilled at feeling so good, the best I have felt in my life. That’s Peace Corps for you!
On the other hand, I am happy to say that I finally made it to the chapter that I taught in practicum: Folk Tales. For this chapter, there are three equally entertaining sections: The Tiger and the Monk, about a monk who heals a tiger, who in turn gets angry and tries to kill the monk; Who Stole the Baby, about a woman who stole a baby off of the riverbank and tried to sell her until the King intervened with his infinite wisdom; and, The Magic Bird, about a man who finds a bird who talks and lays golden eggs until his gossiping wife gets greedy and kills the bird to try to find the big egg store.
It’s a very Cambodian chapter… but one with lots of things to do – I told the first story with little pictures of the monk, tiger, and other characters, then had the students tell the story in small groups to practice public speaking. And then I had the students act out the baby-stealing story, which got some of my girls up and out of their shy shells. It was excellent, and finally… finally, after a full year of teaching, I feel like my students are stepping out of their comfort zones and actually getting the feel of student-centered learning. I see what the other Peace Corps Volunteers say… the second year is so much better than the first. After you feel settled, after you are comfortable with the daily aspects of life, you can finally begin to branch out and do some real work.
In othe
r news… I’ve found that weight loss is not necessarily the most convenient thing that could happen. Of all the clothed that I brought to Cambodia, only two things that I have still fit: one polo shirt and a jacket. Everything else is too big, has been tailored, or has been given to the great pile in the Volunteer room for others to take. I have found this to be a bit irritating, taking all my skirts in and re-sewing things to make them fit again. Ah, the price you pay. I’m still happy, especially because I know that I’m a bit of a special case; lots of the other volunteers are having trouble keeping weight off. I’m also thrilled at feeling so good, the best I have felt in my life. That’s Peace Corps for you!
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