The final fling in Cambodia

26th October: Today is my last day in Cambodia. I can't believe it. More unbelievable is how much I do not want to leave this dirty, stinking place. What a difference a few weeks makes.

I've had a pretty amazing weekend to end on though. On Saturday, Sarah and I did a Cambodian cookery class. It started with a tour of the market where our guide told us about the local fruits, veg and herbs and how to cook with them. I wasn't quite so keen on the tour of the dried fish stall, live chickens and eels and the duck embryo stall. Duck embryo is a local delicacy and you see them selling it on the streets. The idea of it is utterly revolting and I think I may rather eat my own eyeball (and that's coming from somebody who ate a tarantula 4 weeks ago!)

Back at our rooftop cookery school, we made a series of dishes including spring rolls, a delicious fish amok, banana flower salad and sticky rice with mango. I will never underestimate what goes into a curry or amok again. Faced with the biggest pestle and mortar I have ever encountered, we had to pound the herbs, spices and lime into a paste. It was bloody hard work I can tell you! Haven't they heard of a food processor? Anyway, we were very proud of our final efforts, especially my enviable banana leaf basket containing a delectable fish amok. Do Tescos sell banana leaves?

Sunday was the day we'd all been waiting for - the wedding. Our camp guesthouse owner invited us to attend his adopted son's wedding. We were oh so honoured until we learned that we were among the 600+ guests. The day started at 6am sharp, when we were ushered onto a bus to the bridal house. There we all had to collect a gift on a silver platter. I carried pomegranates. Others had oranges, bananas, sweets or (my favourite) 4-packs of Tiger beer! Pomegranates had to walk with pomegranates, bananas with bananas and so forth. We processed through the streets to the venue - a kind of Cambodian marquee in the street. The groom arrived with his groomsmen in their first outfits - smart jackets with sarongs tied like a kind of nappy cum trouser. It made us laugh to notice that their actual trousers were rolled up to the knee underneath.

We all had breakfast together - a rice and meat soup (bit much at 8am to be honest) and then ceremony number 1 started. There were several ceremonies and dress changes and I won't go into them all. One involved the bride and groom cutting each other's hair and then having their hair cut my guests. I think she was wearing a hairpiece but he certainly wasn't. I half expected him to end up with some cool shaving in the back of his head, but no. By 12pm we were done in. There was loads of hanging around in between ceremonies. Fortunately we had a few hours break before the big party in the evening.

600 of the bride and groom's closest friends (ahem) celebrated with them at a riverside hotel. I say that we celebrated with them, but that's not entirely true. The bridal party stood outside greeting people from 4pm until after 8pm. Soon after 9pm, they were back outside to say goodbye to people as they began to leave! Inside, we were guided to a table and took in the wonderfully kitsch decorations. We were fed several courses of food and lots of drinks. Unfortunately, although they said that wine was on the menu, it was wine of the Johnnie Walker variety!

It was just fascinating to watch the men get so drunk. They really knock it back. Women don't drink unless they're sluts apparently - oops! Dancing began and there was some sort of Cambodian conga. At least, that's the way I saw it. I really don't know how the women bend their hands backwards so beautifully though. Mine just don't do that. The bride and groom rushed in for a quick dance and an awkward peck on the cheek before hurrying back outside again. We had a brilliant time and it was a great last night in Cambodia.

It's only been 5 weeks but it has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I have learnt so much and been through so many different emotions, challenges and rewarding highs. I don't want to get off this ride now...

Week 1: I survived

26th September: Phnom Penh
So it's the end of my first week (feels like a month) and it's been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I can't believe it was only a week ago that I was sipping bubbly in Hoxton and wearing high heels. It's another world away!

I'm staying in a guesthouse in central Phnom Penh which is pretty good (basic but ok). I've got my own room and bathroom which is a bonus as some others are sharing. There have been about 12 volunteers together this week, but several went home today and we won't get more for another week. Most are in their twenties but I suspect one is over 30 and there was a woman of 60 here last week too. We all get along well which is great, so we go for dinner together and help each other to plan lessons.

There are 3 projects out here - the farm orphanage, the 'library' and SECOLT. They're all for orphans, street kids etc but of different ages and abilities. Some have kids there full time and others just provide extra lessons when they're not at school. I'm on the farm project. Some of the orphans actually do have family, but they can't afford to look after them. A grandmother brought her grandson to the farm this week which I found quite hard to deal with.

There were 4 volunteers on the farm but one dropped out after the first day. I'm teaching the advanced class which is mainly 15-20 year olds. The bonus with that is that they can speak a bit of English - a real advantage when my Khymer is rather limited. The downside is that I thought I'd be teaching nursery rhymes and making sock puppets, instead I'm bluffing my way through conversations about Beyonce and hip hop!

We get picked up at 8am by tuk tuk (motorbike tuk tuk) and travel over to the farm (about 40 mins away). The roads get progressively worse as we go on. On day 1 the driver made us walk the last 100 yards or so as the road was so bad after the rain in the night. Picture me in flip flops, squelching through muddy potholes in the track which were probably about 80% cow dung! Great start to the day.

We won't be teaching in the mornings until the term starts properly in October, but we do teach from 1.30 - 3 in the afternoon. We make sure to finish on the dot of 3 and jump on our tuk tuk out of there to be home by around 4ish to recover and scrub ourselves clean.

The farm supervisors are so disorganised here that we spend a lot of time sitting around doing nothing. The Cambodians break from 11.30 - 1.30 which frustrates the hell out of us as we'd rather be busy. We've kicked up a fuss, saying that we're here to help and do more. Now, they're getting us to help on the farm and with chores. The good thing is that it means that I mix with lots of the other kids who are keen to help us garden, paint or clean. My down day was Thursday when we had to treat the kids for headlice. There were 2 of us with 50 lice-ridden kids, bottles of nit shampoo and a nit comb. It really was not my finest experience - the kids are just riddled with them and no doubt I will be too by the end of a month!

I'm getting used to being called 'Char' by the kids (short for teacher!) and generally manhandled by them as they all want your attention. The kids are so happy though. They play with each other and have great fun with next to nothing. No need for DVDs, Wiis and DSs when you've got a few rocks, a puppy and a younger child to throw around! The scary thing is that kids of about my 4 year old nephew Barney's size are aged 10+. I can't get over it. The youngest child is 6 and I thought they were about 2. They are just tiny.

Teaching is going ok but it does make me sweat. Mind you, that's pretty much a constant here at the moment as it is so humid. My hair is not coping with these conditions though and it is getting bigger and curlier by the day - it's the humidity!!

Anyway, it's Saturday today and I'm so glad it's the weekend. To relax after our first traumatic week, 3 of us have been to The Killing Fields and S-21 (the prison during the Polpot regime). Oh my god, it is such an eye opener. I can't believe the torture and atrocities that happened here only 30 years ago. At the killing fields, the soil is being eroded and there were bits of clothing, teeth and bone poking through the ground. It was like something out of a horror film. Fascinating, but really disturbing and I feel awful that I don't know more about this history.

Phnom Penh is really busy (motorbikes and tuk tuks everywhere). Crossing roads isn't easy, you just walk and hope for the best. The divide between rich and poor is shocking too. You either live in a shack or a rich, ornate house. You have a motorbike or a massive 4x4. It's filthy here too. However, the people are friendly and helpful. They really want to learn English and make their country more prosperous. I'm looking forward to getting out of the city and seeing more of Cambodia. This isn't magical like Cape Town or Sydney, but it is so interesting to discover more about the history and its effect on the country.

Highlights so far:
- Spotting how many random things people stack on the back of their motorbike. Best spots include 6 people on one bike, a woman breastfeeding her baby with 3 other adults also on the same bike and a couple carrying home their cash and carry produce on a bike. Monks on a motorbike never fail to amuse.
- Beautiful Khmer food - beef lok lak, fish amoy and banana flower salad in particular. I'm hoping to do a Cambodian cookery course while I'm here.