Hi everyone....feeling a bit disorganised today so this is probably just going to be some random rambling nonsense.

Last Tuesday a new girl called Bethan arrived from Cardiff and she's on my project with me. She has also just finished teacher training and so is better equiped for this than I am. Between us we have come up with a simple method of testing the little kids abilities with basics.....the numbers 1-10 and the alphabet. We've done a few of the group so far and are hoping to be able to split the little kids classes into two as there is such a wide range of abilities.

The older kids learnt about countries and nationalities as well as basic bar charts. The little ones are just so excitable and loved playing picture/word bingo.

There are so many differences between this school and anything I'm used to......here are a few examples:

The kids come and go as they please, wandering in and out of school and class as they like. Some even come twice a day to extra classes.

I have yet to see a parent.......most of them come from poor villages outside the main town and make their own way to school.

Naked or half dressed with no shoes is fine!

They are so full of enthusiasm and are constantly asking for more work. They are desperate to show you what they've done and i am constantly being given drawings. I have also been given a bracelet that one of the older boys made so I have to remember to put it on every morning now so as not to offend him.

Random people come into the school grounds to have a look round, which is a little odd when they are older men. I just glare at them and they soon get the hint!

As I think of more I'll keep you informed.

Tuesday was the hottest day so far with the Khmer teachers and kids complaining about the heat. It was so humid you may as well have swum everywhere. I erupted in a nasty heat/sweat rash on my neck and chest.....so attractive. It was so sore and itchy but fortunately loads of cream overnight and the A/c meant it had calmed down for Wednesday which was slightly cooler.

Come the end of Friday I am so exhausted that all I want to do is sleep.

Saturday I decided to chill out. One of the nice hotels in town has a deal whereby volunteers can use their facilities for $5. So I spent 5 hours sat under an umbrella reading my book, doing sudoku, drinking diet coke and swimming in a gorgeous salt water pool. Four others from my charity turned up during the day and it was the perfect way to escape from the mon to fri stress. Factor 50 suncream was applied and despite staying in the shade and it being cloudy I ended up with a sunburnt patch on my right knee and left ankle where I'd obviously missed a bit! Photos to follow.

The evening was spent in town and my early one ended up being anything but.

Today I went to my usual coffee haunt for breakfast with Bethan and Holly (Scottish 19 year old) and then we went to the Angkor National Museum. It didn't exist 5 years ago and is full of stuff from the temples - statues and carvings. It was OK but by the end I was getting bored and would rather go out to see the real things in situ at the Wats.

Another power cut this afternoon left me lying on the bed tryng not to move with a damp cloth on my forehead. Fortunately it came on again after about an hour and a half.

We have all just got back from a roast dinner which we discovered in one of the bars in town. Not bad considering we're in Cambodia!

Back to school tomorrow :(

S xx