When Does Vacation REALLY Start?

            Actually, I am supposed to be teaching until tomorrow. I asked students, teachers, and administration alike, “When does Khmer New Year Break start?” They all responded April 6^th. I even asked again “No, but when does it REALLY start?” and still, I got April 6^th.

Monday March 19^th to Wednesday the 21^st, grade 12 students had national exams. So the other grades had a 3 day break while the 12^th graders tested.

            Thursday the 22^nd, I went to school to teach as normal, to find that the grade 12 students decided to take the rest of the week off, as well as about a quarter of the rest of the school.

            Monday the 26^th I again went to school. Most of the students were there, so I taught like normal. My co-teachers also taught. But they did not skip a beat in informing me that we were the only ones teaching. Sure enough, I look outside and see all of the other teachers hanging out at the School Director’s office. Students started leaving because the teachers were not going to their classrooms to teach. So, I went to talk to the teachers. I asked them why they aren’t going to teach. All of their responses were “because there are no students.” That’s ridiculous. I’d say about 75% of the students came to school that day. Every single teacher was just turning a blind eye.

            On Tuesday the 27^th, about 50% of the students came. But again, “no students came to study” according to the teachers.

            On Wednesday the 28^th, maybe 25% came, and they were all gone by 10AM.

            Thursday, I gave up. Khmer New Year Vacation started on Thursday March 29^th.

            Now I have been told that school will start again on April 20^th. That’s a Friday. I asked a friend and co-teacher “Now REALLY teachers and students will come to school on April 20^th?” His response was “yes, they will come. But maybe not.” How does that make sense?? Then he said “maybe many students will come on Monday, April 23^rd.” However, I have reason to believe that maybe even some of my own students will not be showing up til May.

            I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. After all, there’s nothing better than the foreigner getting up and dressed in her tight, heavy burrito-skirt and biking a mile to school to find that no one is there. 

The ancient ruins in Kampong Cham at "Golden Hour"

The Mekong River. That's the bridge to Kampong Cham. Oh and I have no idea why that dude is digging.

purty river with a boat.

This is the river in Prey Veng. That is NOT how you are supposed to eat dragonfruit. However, I do not carry around a knife, so this is how it's done. 

The sign I posted earlier in the year with the names of the first draft of Honor Society Inductees.

This is what rice looks like after it is harvested and before it is put through the rice mills.

In November and December, tarps are out front of every house to dry the harvested rice. Then the rice is bagged and stored to last the year. I was amazed by the amount of rice they put in our garage just for the 6 of us. They informed me that I, myself, in just one year will eat multiple bags this year alone. WOW I guess a plate or 2 of rice every day, 3 times a day really adds up.