Cambodia.
Day starts at 7.00. Maybe a little bit later when we finally manage to get up losing the battle with alarm clock. Children already run on the corridor. Although classes officially start at 8.00, first parents bring their kids already before 7.00. Then we have classes group of thirty 2-3 years old kids (some of you know my enthusiasm to work with kids that age…). After that there is one hour of feeding, washing and putting kids to sleep and we can start with our own lunch.
Just after eating we take bicycle and bike in boiling hot temperature to meeting with some social entrepreneur or other changemaker. We come back around 4pm straight to next English class, firstly with younger and then since 5.30 with older students. We are done more or less about 6.30, but classes here continue till 8. Our free time in the evening we spend in writing stories, posts, planning next steps. Day is over around midnight, when we simply don’t have more energy for anything else.
There are also few additional issues. Firstly, it’s not easy to find food without meat (and I’m vegetarian) (meat is also big words, they eat here mostly those parts of animals which we through away as that’s cheaper solution). Secondly, it’s so incredible hot here that it’s difficult to live. Thirdly, kids with whom we work come from very difficult families, what has a lot of consequences, I will let you imagine what kind of (if you are interested I can also write you about some in private message). I could continue for long, but let’s rather go to the point.
And the point is that I’m happy. Although sometimes it’s very hard, sometimes I have no strength, sometimes there is so many things to do I don’t even know where to start. But I know that what I’m doing has sense. Really change something. Give something to others. Every day I learn a lot – about world, about myself, about life, about other people. Every moment there are new challenges, new situation, new culture, new questions and attempt to find new answers. Everything what seems to be sure before it’s not so anymore. I understand more, I see more, I feel more. I live every moment, here and now. And I wouldn’t change it for anything. I feel I’m on good way, my way. Even if I’m still sometimes waking up with thought that it’s impossible, that it’s not happening for real.
And the second point is that what is exhausting for me, for most of people here is daily routine. Work for 12 hours per day. 1-2 meals, often without all necessary nutrition. Heat. Not even mention luck of holiday and above all luck of perspective for change.
Good night.