I’ve been interested in learning how to Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) for some time so, last summer, once I knew that Edward and I were heading out to south-east Asia for a few months, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take the plunge.
My studies were specifically geared towards teaching English as a volunteer by including such modules as teaching large classes, teaching using limited resources, as well as teaching English to young learners. With the course completed, all that remained was to find somewhere I could practice my newly acquired skills.
It dismayed me to discover that most opportunities to teach English as a volunteer around SE Asia would involve the payment by me of a hefty fee, the commitment of a continuous period of time (often of at least a couple of months), or both. I was opposed to the first on principle as I didn’t feel I should have to pay for the privilege of giving my time and expertise, nor could I commit to teaching in one place for several months. It looked like my plan was not even going to get off the ground.
However, my searching paid off when I discovered KNGO Volunteer (short for Khmer New Generation Organization), a non-profit organization based in Bospo village near Battambang, Cambodia. After contacting the founder, Sun Saveth, with the dates of our arrival in Battambang, he invited me and Edward along to teach some of the 250 children involved in the project.
Apart from learning English, the children are also provided for, and educated on, a variety of health-related topics including basic dental care, they are taught elementary application skills with donated computers and improve their social and environmental awareness through recycling and tree planting. The organization has many projects planned for the future, but as in all these matters, the issue of funding creates restrictions on what can and cannot be achieved at the present time.
We were warmly welcomed on arrival at the school and when we entered the classroom to give our first lesson, the children and their Khmer teacher all stood up to chant their greeting. The children were adorable, bright, confident, very respectful and seemed to delight in being taught by a native English speaker. They asked us lots of questions about where we were from and what we liked and disliked.
Our lessons went well, in a classroom with no glass in the window frames, rickety-old desks and with only a blackboard and chalk as classroom aids. Oh, and did I mention that there was no electricity? We were in the middle of one of the regular eight hour power-cuts that blight most areas of Cambodia. At the end of each one hour lesson, the children stood and thanked us for giving our time – and then almost without exception came forward and either gave me a “high five” or hugged me, before they left. As you might imagine, I was very moved and humbled by this experience.
But what happened next was astonishing. I noticed that three or four children appeared to be scrabbling around on the floor under the desks and chairs and when I looked closely I could see little brooms in their hands – made from very thin twigs bound together with tape around a bamboo pole – and they were sweeping the classroom floor between lessons! Amazing!
I certainly smiled the next day as Edward and I were on our way to the school by tuk-tuk for a pre-lesson meeting, when a number of children I had taught the day before saw me passing by, and came running down the track after us shouting ‘Hello teacher’.
I got a good feeling about the Khmer New Generation Organisation and have vowed to continue with my efforts to assist them, once I get home. If any of you can find it in your hearts to donate your time, money or ideas, I know how gratefully they will be received.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
We very nearly didn’t visit Battambang in Cambodia. It was one of those places we just weren’t too sure if we should deviate from our route to spend some time at. As it turned out, I’m glad we did because we got to ride on the Bamboo Train. (click this link to watch a video).
Known by the locals as the norry, the Bamboo Train is technically illegal, though on arrival at the train station you are greeted by the tourist police, who explain in English what is going to happen and invite you to pay the $5 fee to the driver.
A small motorcycle or tractor engine provides the power, and the passenger compartment consists of a bamboo platform resting on top of two sets of wheels. If you’re lucky, you may even get a dried-grass mat to sit on. Fortunately we remembered to take our fleece jackets, for extra rear-end padding! The bamboo trains reach speeds of around 40km/h (25mph), with the track just a few inches below the passengers. The warped and broken rails make for a noisy, bone-shaking journey as the train clackity-clacks across the countryside on what would be a white-knuckle ride – if there were actually anything to hold on to! Oh – and there are no brakes on the train – the driver merely switches off the engine allowing the train to coast to a halt.
Anyway, what happens when a bamboo train meets another bamboo train coming the opposite way on this single track? The answer is simple: whichever car has the least amount of passengers is quickly lifted off the tracks to allow the other to pass. It is then reassembled, the passengers climb back on board, the engine restarted and off they go again, much to the amusement of the tourists. This can all be done within the space of a couple of minutes.
The train travels approximately seven kilometres down the track until you reach the terminus, where you are given the opportunity to purchase scarves and cold drinks at one of two shanty-style shops. In return for supplying some local children with balloons, we were given lotus flowers, a few bananas and a grasshopper made of a banana leaf. Amazing! Then it was back on the train for the return journey, where our tuk-tuk driver was waiting to take us back to our hotel.
I can safely say that our experience on board the bamboo train was totally OFF THE RAILS !!
Choeung Ek, better known as one of The Killing Fields, is 15 kilometres away from Phnom Penh.
Nowadays, Choeung Ek is a memorial site to those who were killed by the Khmer Rouge. It is a peaceful place filled with birdsong and butterflies. A place for quiet reflection, far away from the atrocities committed there.
We were just sitting quietly by the lake, listening to the audio guide when I noticed a little girl in ragged clothes on the other side of the fence. She was standing, watching us – and how her face lit up when I opened my bag, produced a balloon and blew it up to give to her.
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Our final destination in Vietnam was to be it’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh city, formerly known as Saigon. The city centre is situated on the banks of the Saigon River, more than one thousand miles south of Hanoi, where we began our adventure in Vietnam, almost three weeks ago.
Under the name Saigon, the city was the capital of the independent state of South Vietnam from 1955–75. South Vietnam, as an anti-communist state, fought against the communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War (known as the American War here), with aid from the United States of America. Saigon fell when it was captured by the communists on April 30, 1975, thus bringing an end to the War.
The Reunification Palace was the place where tanks crashed through the gates to signal the fall of Saigon in April 1975 and which, curiously, has remained trapped in the time warp of the 1970s ever since.
We then strolled to the very grand Central Post Office which looks much more like a well-preserved Parisienne railway station, near to the Notre Dame cathedral before ascending to the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower – better known as the Saigon Skydeck.
The following day we took a trip out of the city to the Cao Dai Temple to witness the noon ceremony attended by hundreds of tourists and worshippers alike.
The Cu Chi tunnels provided a fascinating alternative viewpoint of the war in Vietnam as seen through Vietnamese eyes. This immense network (over 200 kilometres) of connecting underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong were of great importance in their resistance of American forces, and helped achieve ultimate military success. A short section of the tunnels has been enlarged to allow tourists to crawl through – and I can tell you that they are cramped, dark, hot, humid, airless and very claustrophobic.
Our final thrill of the day was to play at being Rambo and fire some rounds of an M30 machine gun on the shooting range at the Tunnels before we left. The power and noise were absolutely incredible and Edward proved to be a pretty good shot!
Nha Trang on the south Central coast of Vietnam is known for it’s pristine beaches, so we decided it was exactly the place to chill out for a few days – and Edward could supervise the early morning Tai Chi sessions!
Nha Trang is fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers as well as more affluent travellers on the Southeast Asia circuit. There is almost ten kilometres of prime beach where the water is warm all year round.
We took a boat trip out into the beautiful bay on Valentine’s Day, visiting four local islands and enjoying a splendid day of food, drink, music and lots of sunshine.
We were delighted when our next stop along the Vietnamese coast, heading south, was Hoi An. It was just the kind of place we were hoping to find – beautiful beaches, picturesque riverside setting, historic buildings and lots of great places to eat. There is a peaceful feel to this place as life goes on just that little bit slower. It was just what we needed after the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.
A stroll through the narrow cobble stone streets of Hoi An offers sixteenth century houses, moss-covered ancient temples and pagodas, silk tailors, shoe-makers and, of course, beautiful hand-made lanterns. It came as no surprise to learn that the town has been recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
What makes it even more attractive is that the central part of the old town has been designated a walking and cycling area, meaning that the manic motorcyclists are not allowed here!
Pretty enough during the day, Hoi Ann really shines after dark when thousands of multi-coloured, hand-made silk lanterns light up the streets. What a pretty picture!
Hue was the national capital of Vietnam until 1945, when the last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dại was forced to abdicate and hand over power to a communist government which was established in Hanoi, in the north.
I won’t profess to knowing much about the war in Vietnam, as it happened not only when I was still a kid (and much before Edward was a cub), but from what I can ascertain, whilst Hue’s central position placed it very near the border between North and South Vietnam, the city was located in South Vietnam. During the Battle of Hue in 1968, the city suffered considerable damage, with great loss of life on both sides. These tremendous losses negatively affected the American public’s perception of the war and, thereafter, political support for the war began to wane.
Nowadays, the city of Hue, set on the fragrantly named Perfume River, is well known for its historic monuments, which have earned it a place in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
The grounds of the Imperial City were surrounded by huge walls and a moat, known as The Citadel and, within the Imperial City, was an enclosure reserved for royalty. It must have been quite an impressive complex – sadly now mostly destroyed by the ravages of war.
We visited the house of one of the Mandarins of Imperial Court, and the Thien Mu Pagoda, also known as the Heavenly Lady Pagoda.
Ha Long Bay, in the north-east of Vietnam is the country’s most beautiful natural attraction.
Thousands of limestone islets soar from the turquoise water to create a scene that was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1994. If that isn’t enough, Ha Long Bay has also been listed as one of The New 7 Wonders of The Natural World . Now, that doesn’t happen without good reason.
This weekend, we have been fortunate enough to take a cruise around the many islands on a traditional Vietnamese wooden junk.
We were picked up from our hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi and, after a four hour journey, arrived at Ha Long City, where we climbed aboard the junk for an overnight cruise around the bay. There were only 15 people on our cruise, sharing the nine luxurious cabins on board. We were treated to an itinerary of activities including a visit to a floating fishing village, Sung Sot cave (also known as Surprising Cave) and a chance to try out kayaking and Vietnamese cooking. We dined on plates (and plates) of good food, artistically presented, and made new friends with fellow travellers.
As usual, Edward had fun steering the boat and helping the crew by splicing the main brace! He really is such a clever little bear!
We flew into Hanoi in north-west Vietnam yesterday morning with Air Asia – winner of the Best Low-Cost Airline for the past three years. The city is absolutely manic yet, at the same time, good sport. The streets are filled to capacity with motor cycles, with only about thirty per cent of vehicles being cars, and almost no system of control at junctions.
There is the constant sound of horns blaring. It appears at first sight that you have no chance of crossing roads and junctions, but in fact there does seem to be some sort of a system where everyone just pushes forward gently and everyone else goes round you, whether you are on foot or riding. It doesn’t look like it would work, but somehow it does. It’s a bit scary at first, but you just have to hold your nerve, walk steadily across the road looking oncoming drivers in the eye and they move around you – hopefully!
There are often three un-helmeted people or whole families perched on one small motorcycle and anything that is carriable is done so, in vast quanitities, including trees, animals, beer barrels – you name it, we’ve seen it!
We are staying in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, close to Lake Hoan Kiem, where yesterday we visited the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son Temple) by walking over the wooden red-painted bridge.
Oh – and another thing – you have the privilege of knowing a couple of multi-millionaires (at least whilst we are in Vietnam). When travelling around south-east Asia, it helps to be carrying US dollars so that you can take them to money-exchanges in each country you visit – and it just so happens that the Vietnamese Dong changes at the rate of 21,000 per US dollar. This morning we changed $150 US dollars (about £100) for over 3 million Vietnamese Dong – yipee we are rich!
We decided to treat ourselves for a few days before we head off to Vietnam, so we are staying at the beautiful Amari Atrium Hotel, whilst we explore the delights of Bangkok.
Instead of taking a taxi from the hotel into the city centre, we opted to take a khlong boat along one of the canals - OH BOY – what an experience.
First on the list was Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand’s most important and sacred temple and home of the Emerald Buddha, together with the adjoining Grand Palace. Wat Phra Kaew is an architechtural wonder of gleaming and gilded stupas, polished orange and green roof tiles, mosaic-encrusted pillars and rich marble pediments. The revered Emerald Buddha (which is actually made of jade) resides in the temple complex’s main chapel. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the Emerald Buddha as it is only just over 60 centimetres tall and sits high above the heads of worshipers in a glass case, making it difficult to see.
Next stop was Wat Pho, home of the spectacular Reclining Buddha. Whereas the Emerald Buddha was smaller than we had imagined, it was hard to take in the sheer scale of the Reclining Buddha at 15 metres highand 46 metres long with his right arm supporting his head. Even his feet are 3 metres high and 4.5 metres long and are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Wow! It’s SO big!
We strolled around Th Khoa San, the infamous backpacker ghetto mentioned in Alex Garland’s book The Beach, but to be honest, we are very glad to be staying where we are!
