Final moments in Cambodia

We are now approaching the end of our Cambodian experience with one full day left here. Phnom Penh is a much different city to Siem Reap, with our new hotel overlooking the river. Yesterday we had a chance to visit one of the markets in Phnom Penh, the Russian market, where we all took the chance to have another go at bartering and securing another bargain. After the markets we visited one of the universities in Phnom Penh to help students learning English. We had conversations with them to help them improve their English skills and in return we learnt more about what life is like in Cambodia for people close to our age. We got a tour of the university by the students and some of us gained new Facebook friends out of the experience.

We spent our second last night in Cambodia enjoying a buffet tea beside a swimming pool. We all welcomed a night swim to cool us down and to unwind and relax after a full on, eventful, insightful and enjoyable week and a half. We are now all ready to enjoy our final day and final moments in Cambodia ensuring to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Demi

Phnom Penh

Sunday started with a five thirty am wake up where we moved locations from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh via a seven hour boat ride across the Toenail Sap (Tonle Sap) lake. Arriving in PP (Phnom Penh) at around two pm, we moved into the Paragon hotel where you can conveniently sit on the toilet while showering at the same time! We then went to the FCC for wood fire pizza which was fabulous.

Monday started with a seven am wake up where we had breakfast at the chill cafe which is right next door to our hotel. This was a very emotional day as we learnt about the history of Cambodia at the genocide museum as well as the killing fields. After a difficult day we split into two groups where one group went to a traditional Khmer cooking class while the other had a relaxing night at the hotel. At the cooking class Lucky number 2 (teacher) taught us how to make spring rolls and fish amok.

Tuesday began with a 5.45 am wakeup call. We were off to build eleven houses in a remote village of PP. After traveling for approximately an hour and a half via mini bus we arrived at the village where we split into four groups to build the houses. This is when we began putting the floor into place by nailing at least a million nails into the bamboo flooring. We then helped to put up the walls with the help of the Cambodian villagers. After a fantastic team effort we finished a couple of hours ahead of schedule. We had a short ceremony to hand over the houses to the eleven families where we gave them a blanket as a house warming present. Arriving back at the hotel we had a short break and then swapped roles from the previous night with the other group attending the cooking class.

Wednesday began with possibly the first sleep in for the entire two weeks, however with the renovations going on downstairs, the alarm clock of several drills woke us up much earlier than planned. We headed to the Russian market where they had everything from car parts to toilet paper. After a few hours of looking around we boarded the Tuk tuks and headed off to Royal University of Phnom Penh. This is where we visited an English class. After getting to know the Cambodians we received a tour of the campus where Kerang David turned down a date from a lovely Cambodian boy. After returning to the hotel we had a short remembrance ceremony by the river before heading off to the pool for a buffet dinner where cheeky Craig thoroughly enjoyed the burgers and reading over my shoulder.

Catchyas, Tegan H, Ashton and Tiarnah. #cambodialyf

Words from Numbulwar

Numbulwar participants: Blog entry

Sunday 1st December
On Sunday we got up at 5:50am, hadbreakfast then we jumped in the bus to go to the boat. We caught the boat from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh which took 5hours along the river. It was interesting because we saw people living in the bush near the river and we saw houses floating in the river. People were fishing and we also saw the water plants that we never seen before floating along the river. Lyndell said “I thought the water plants were going to get caught up in the motor of the boat and I thought the boat was going to stop and break down in the middle of the inland ocean. The water made me think of our home townbillabong which we call ‘little creek’ in Numbulwar NT in East Arnhem Land”. We even think that most people live by the river because maybe they love going hunting everyday for fresh fish (like us!).

When we got to Phnom Penh at 3pm we were feeling really hungry because we didn’t eat on the boat and we didn’t want to talk to anyone in a friendly way because we didn’t eat anything since 6am! We got our bags and then we jumped in tuk tuks which were our little taxi. We went to our hotel dropped off our bags and went straight to eat some food to make us feel good. Doreen had a HUGE triple decker sandwich which was the biggest sandwich she ever had. When we were full and we finished eating and we had left over food we gave the poor kids some because we didn’t want to end up giving them money because we might make them come to us over and over again. When we see the street kids we feel sad that they are selling things to buy food for themselves or for their mum and dad because they think that most people might feel sorry for them (the kids) instead of theirmum and dad and give them money instead. In most communities we see children getting looked after by their own parents and others around them to feed them, clean them and play with them but here we see a lot of kids just walking around not going to school which they should be in school to have feed and some money from the government but it doesn’t happen here. Such a sad moment they have in this country.

Monday 2nd December
This morning we didn’t feel like getting up because it was too early for us which we always get up between 7-8am in the morning for school….not 6am!? We had our breakfast next door to the hotel and we jumped in a private bus. First we visited ‘Tabitha’ house which is the place we are working with tomorrow for the second building project. After the talk there we bought some things in the shop which the profits go towards ladies who make the products to support themselves and their families. Next we jumped back in the buses which took us to the history place called S-21 Office which was at the old Tuol Svay Pray High School which used in the Khmer Rougue civil war under Pol Pot. When we got there we didn’t know what we were going to go through until we went into the classroom seen a mattress and some old photos that made us feel sad because it wasn’t a good picture of them that they were sick, skinny and some weredead. We learned that Cambodian people were forced to kill their own kind because they were living in fear. There were four buildings at the old school which were used for imprisoning their own kind to ‘dob’ their own families or relations in because they were maybe hungry and wanted to go hunting or stole food from the soldiers so they got locked up. The soldiers had to beaggressive and did a lot of bad things in the past that you would never imagine, even us didn’t imagine that in our own way. We thought that the Cambodian people were more polite to themselves in the old days until we read the histories and saw pictures of what happened to them.

After lunch we went to a history place called Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as the ‘Killing Fields’). We got a headphone and recorder each and listened to a man talk about what’s happened in the area and how they discovered it and how it became a ‘killing field’ to a museum for many people to remember what happened in the past to lots of children and families as well. We felt sad walking around because we didn’t imagine that a man found lots of dead people and seen blood everywhere when he went to collect some food to feed his family. The touching story that hurt us the most is when they killed little innocent children, even ones that weren’t even walking, just because they felt guilty they (the kids) might get revenge (against the KhmerRougue soldiers) in the future. They didn’t even let any of them children survive because they were grabbing them from the feet and smashing them against the ‘killing tree’ smashing their brains and cracking their skulls. It is very important to keep the memories of those who had the bad times in the past because we needed to know what happened to them so that the historykeeps passing on and on so many people will feel sad that they might donate anything to the museum or feel sad because we had a good life this year and they didn’t. It’s very hard for most people who survived the tragedy in their country. Lyndell: “I think most people want to spread the news about what happened in the past but maybe some didn’t want to talk about it because it was hard for them to spread the news because they are hurt inside and they lost the ones they love”.

Final thoughts half way through the trip:
It has been a very harsh week because we had to get up early in the morning and have had very long days. But in the meantime it has been a very good experience for us Indigenous participants because we have never been so far away from our families this long and in another country where we didn’t even know the history or language so it is a good moment for us Indigenous students plus our teacher to come to this lovely country and try different sort of food that we never tried before and met some of the most kind and good students and teachers. We have eaten lots of mardiya (which means ‘food’ in our language Wubuy) and we look forward to what happens along the way for the last week (expect for waking up really early – we don’t like doing that!). Thank you for reading blog and we hope you can imagine the good times and the bad times we are having in this wonderful country Cambodia that we have been to.

Spoken by: Lyndell and Doreen
Typed by: Selena

Busy Phnom Penh!

We have arrived safely in Phnom Penh and it really takes a bit of getting used to.  We apologise for a few quiet days on the blog, but long days and a few technical hitches have meant it has been difficult to get onto the site. We will attempt to add more entries today.
Sharon C.