Waterfalls, elephants, and dirt...oh my!

The day after Christmas, Christine, Andreea and I embarked on a week-long adventure, venturing into the wild north-west of Cambodia. The trip began with a 10-hour bus ride (fun, fun). The one good thing about long bus rides is that you really get to see a lot of the country-side. There was a drastic difference between the bustling city of Phnom Penh, and Ratanakiri Province, which is well-known for the red dust that coats everything (trees, cars, and you!).
Besides the dust, Ratanakiri is full of natural beauty. It is an incredible feeling to catch the first sight of a waterfall as you are hiking through the jungle. And even better to climb and swim under it!
I think just about everyday we were there, we went swimming in the blue crater-lake. The lake is perfectly round and believed to have been formed by a meteor strike. Ratanakiri is home to many different indigenous minorities, some of whom believe the lake is inhabited by mysterious creatures (luckily, we didn't encounter any).
One of my favorite stories from the trip happened while we were swimming at the lake. Christine, Andreea and I had all dived into the water, when a group of Buddhist Monks arrived for a swim. I'm sure they spotted the three of us swimming in the water. Andreea, very considerately, got out of the water to move our stuff over to make more room for them. However, as soon as they saw a girl in a bathing-suit, they immediately turned their backs, covered their eyes, and ran away! Needless to say, Ratanakiri isn't quite as modernized as other parts of Cambodia.

The one thing I really wanted to do in Cambodia, was to ride an elephant. And I got to do it!!!

After all our explorations in the north-west, the three of us headed to the south coast of Cambodia for New Year's. Here are the three of us on the beach on New Year's Eve.

We had a great time relaxing and enjoying the beach over the next few days, before going back to class.

Happy Merry Christmas!

Through the month of December, one thought kept running through my head "I can't believe its almost Christmas!". I'd never been in a tropical climate for Christmas, much less a Buddhist country. The only place that put up Christmas decorations were the major shopping centers; around the city one could also find signs of "Happy Merry Christmas!". Christmas cards I received from my students, also have this greeting on them : )

On Christmas Eve, the Sisters held a party for all the school staff. The teachers prepared a Khmer dance for the event, and included Andreea and I. They even found us Khmer clothes to wear for the performance!
A few of the Sisters also dressed up and performed a skit for the occasion.
The first time I felt like it was actually Christmas, was during mass on Christmas Eve. Although the mass was celebrated in Khmer for the most part, somewhere between hearing Christmas songs I finally felt the Christmas spirit. After mass, we returned home and celebrated with the Sisters; opening presents, playing games, and eating.
Christmas morning, Christine, Andreea and I woke up early to prepare a special breakfast for the community of Eggs Benedict. Here are some of the Sisters about to dig in!
Later that day we had a big Christmas lunch complete with games and dancing : )

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

The month of December was dedicated to preparing for the school's annual Christmas play. The play this year was "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". Coincidentally, Christine happened to bring the DVD of this story with her to Cambodia before the play had even been selected for the year! Our school's play is greatly anticipated by a number of expats as Cambodia is 95% Buddhist.

During this month, our class schedule changed just about everyday (as practice shifted from the morning, to the afternoon, to mid-day). While I consider myself a fairly patient person, I really had to remind myself to be flexible throughout these constant changes.

Somehow, I was but in charge of the choir for the Christmas play. Anyone who has ever heard me sing, knows just how ridiculous this is...while I play piano and clarinet I can't carry a tune to save my life. Despite this, I had a lot of fun singing everyday with the chorus.

Here I am with the chorus

The dress rehearsal...

The angels...

Mary and Joseph...

Before major events, the blessing dance is performed. Below, students performed the dance before the start of the play.

The 23rd of December was the official performance of the Christmas Play. After the performance, the school had its Christmas party (complete with Khmer dancing and a gift exchange). The students always love seeing me attempt Khmer dance : )

Vanne's Wedding Continued

Saturday morning, the traditional Khmer wedding ceremony began at 6:00 am with attendees lining-up in the street to enter the wedding tent. Andreea (the new volunteer) and I, didn't make it to the wedding quite that early. However, we did arrive early enough to see most of the ceremonies. Below, we're in a Tuk-tuk (which is basically a small carriage pulled by a moto) in our wedding finery ; )When we arrived, my students were excited to see me dressed-up (they are always good for a confidence boost!) and rushed to make sure a had a good seat. I was really glad they were nearby to help explain some of the different rituals that took place. The family was also extremely welcoming and treated Andreea and I like honored guests. Even including us in family photos!
Below, the hair-cutting ceremony begins. Individuals take turns pretending to cut a lock of hair from the bride and groom, symbolizing their new begginning together.
When we weren't with the family, Andreea and I spent time with the students at the wedding, who had earlier performed a special blessing dance (led by Dimang).

Here we are! Called in specially to take photos with the whole family!
Unlike home, where brides search for the one, perfect wedding dress, a Khmer bride changes into multiple dresses throughout the day. Vanne had around nine different outfits on Saturday (I have pictures of most, but not all!). Luckily, the majority of these dresses can be rented.

Pictured below is the begginning of the hand-tying ceremony, which symbolizes the union of the bride and groom.

After many ceremonies and pictures, the bride was able to take a break and rest in the early afternoon before her reception began. The family was incredibly sweet and invited Andreea and I to nap at there house until the reception. It was fun to see the girls in between outfits. During their small slumper party they gossiped and giggled. It was interesting to note that while there were many differences in traditions some things are exactly the same acroos cultures.

Around 4:00 pm, the reception began. Vanne donned her newest dress to head-up the reception line (which she would change a few times before entering the reception herself).

Here is Andreea and I with three of my students (who were Vanne's bridesmaids).

Dimang and I

Another dress...

Three more of my students, who Andreea and I sat with through the reception. They all looked so different then they normally do in their school uniforms. Especially Gakleang (who is in the middle). You wouldn't guess it from the picture, but she is such a tomboy!

And another...

Andreea, Phirun (our school secretary) and IThe final dress! Which Vanne wore when she sang a Khmer love song. She is quite the performer and a beautiful singer. She had the whole crowd captiaved!

Vanne's Wedding

In December I went to my first Khmer wedding. It was the wedding of one of the teacher's at my school, Vanne, whose younger sister is also my student. She and her husband had met at a church function and dated a number of years (in the traditional Khmer sense...with little time on their own). But they seem perfect for one another. The wedding festivities took place over two days. The church ceremony was held on Friday and the more tradional Khmer celebration on Saturday.

The whole school was invited to the wedding on Friday. Below, you will see me with some of my students.
Here I am with Vanne's sister, Dimang. She is one of my top students; incredibly bright and such a pleasure to have in class! She is also a very talented Khmer dancer. She has trained some of the other students in our school, and they are the ones who always perform at school functions. She was rushing around the wedding ensuring that everything went smoothly, the dedicated younger sister, but found time to snap this photo with me.
The bride and groom enter, followed by their parents.

The ceremony begins. While a Catholic wedding, it was interesting to see how the local culture played into the ceremony, with everyone sitting on the floor and of course, the colorful dress!Below, Vanne and her husband are about to begin the foot-washing ritual.

All in attandance bless the newly-weds by showering them with flowers three times.

The couple thank Sr. Malen (our school director) for coming to the wedding. The couple proceeded to thank everyone, before processing from the church (only to begin preparing for another big day)!