Teacher Muoi and Seametrey School Visit

On the last day of camp, Year 7 students visited the sites around Phnom Penh, Year 11s engaged in a presentation by Anthropology University professor Karen Green and Year 6 visited the Seametrey Montessori School, founded by French-educated Cambodian teacher and entrepreneur, teacher Muoi.

Year 6 were invited to visit her rooftop solar energy plant, specially designed by Muoi, as well as meet the students in the school and sit to ask questions about her upbringing during the Khmer Rouge era and her experiences of education around the world at that time. When asked what her hopes for her students are, Teacher Muoi said that she hoped they would not only obtain academic excellence and capabilities, but also become highly competent and capable citizens of the world to really make a difference within Cambodia.

Musings of a student

In this entry, the teachers overheard or saw students writing, saying or doing random things. This is a small collection of them.

1. Year 6 student on the jungle trek
In a very exasperated voice: “We’ve just walked to hell”. This was only after 10 minutes of a climb up a hill and 15 minutes of walking on a flat path with no incluine!

Another student: At the top of the hill, a Year 6 student asks: “Can a car pick us up now?”. This was on the same hill as the first entry, and he’d only been climbing for ten minutes as well.

2.Year 11: On the way to Phnom Penh

Mr. Duncombe: “Shall we sing a song?”
Year 11 students: “No!”
Another student nearby to her friend: “Do you have earphones?”
…
At a random service station for a toilet and drinks break:
Maria to Mrs. O: “Mrs. O, Mrs. O … This is the first time in my life I’ve been frightened by a toilet!”

3. Golden Gate Hotel

Josh: “To top off a great day, I was comforted by a far from sober 56 year old woman from Brisbane great yarn which ended with a cuddle and a headache from her breath that smelt like a few too many bottles of wine”.

(This delayed this and the other blog posting by at least an hour!)

4. Nicole got inspired for tonight’s blog entry and wrote this English story snippet. Please note that it is a masterpiece in progress and thus is not finished:

It took a while for the eco-talk to be completed, but after the enlightening speech made by the owner, he headed towards the jungle trek that was calling for the students. Naturally we followed him apprehensively. The trek began at the resort with rocks and pebbles littered all over a dirt path. As the mountainous jungles drew near, a dog approached with what appeared as white foam coming out of its mouth. The students immediately assumed that the dog was rabid, but they realised that it was simple a white flower. I can’t imagine Jasmine Valley allowing rabid dogs within the premises. The students who were trekking in front of me probably haven’t been out of an air-conditioned room before! They were struggling a lot, despite the slope being very gradual. I suppose the heat really weighed us down. Twenty minutes of waiting for people to scramble up a hill passed and the view was exquisite when we finally reached the top. Kilometres of beautiful landscape reached out to a clear blue ocean. A breeze blew through my hair and the waterfall of sweat on my body helped to cool me down.

Linking the school world to the real world

Year 11 were asked tonight to reflect on the day’s happenings and find out for themselves how their subject knowledge is applied to real-life situations. Today’s case study is an eco-tourism resort called Jasmine Valley in the surrounds of Kep.

Here are snippets of the links between their subjects and their experiences:

Brodie: “The jungle hike today was very invigorating and allowed us students to explore the jungle scenery of Cambodia. Although everyone was sweating it out, once the students made it past the treacherous stage of the bush walk up the hill, there was a fast paced walk to a lookout that looked over the ocean and islands surrounding Cambodia.

Jasmine Valley’s practices are drawn from the need to protect the environment and resources in the world today. By doing so, they encourage other people to start resorts like this in different countries. As a part of Travel and Tourism, we studied eco-tourism, which is exactly what the students experienced at Jasmine Valley. The Travel and Tourism students are fully aware that the need for more eco-lodges is high as well as general eco-practices. Therefore the methods Jasmine Valley used educated many of the studnts about this form of accomodation”.

Danh: “We went to Jasmine Valley for jungle hiking (bush walking), explored the jungle and went to swim in natural water. I got to know more about Jasmine Valley resort and the nature around it. I experienced eco-tourism, it is so natural. I learnt more about things work together in an eco-system.”

Khiem: “We went to Jasmine Vaelly for a jungle trek and swim in the natural pool. I don’t really like walking and climbing so it wasn’t very fun for me. And I also didn’t swim in the natural pool as well. I don’t like swimming with fishes and natural water.

In my opinion, Jasmine Valley resort has a very good location. The place is wild and fits perfectly for an eco-resort. It also has a very good potential for future development. For example, if an airport is constructed in Kep, the amount of customers will certainly increase”.

Phi Anh: “We visited Jasmine Valley today, I admired the spirit of the owner in setting up the resort, how he used all the materials from the surrounds, and local labour to make the entire resort eco-friendly. I liked the way he used mud to build the bricks”.

Anthony: “We visited Jasmine Valley today, and received lots of useful information about the eco-resort set up there. I myself admire the determination of the people who stood up for something they believed in and built the whole are being eco-friendly. They even created jobs for many local workers. From a business perspective, this motivated the workers to give their best. The proof is that although the whole resort – including every brick – was made by hand, it only took 2 years to finish the resort. This also saved a lot of costs for maintenance of modern machinery or even pesticide to kill the mosquitos as they rely on the snakes, which is brilliant!”

Joshua: “Today was (in my opinion) the best day so far for Year 11. Students finally got to experience the great beauty of ‘Jasmine Valley’. We walked through surrounding jungle full of native flora and fauna such as monkeys and orchids. The view was breathtaking from the top of the mountain, despite the fact that even though it was an easy walk to the top, the humidity had a fantastic time making you drip with sweat. As one group marched on, the other one crawled behind salivating at thoughts of refreshements being offered up at Jasmine Valley.

I’ll be honest with you: at first I wasn’t so sure about Jasmine Valley’s ‘eco-pool’ with fish, lobsters and mussles without any form of chemical cleaning. With a little encouragement from the small kids who were with us, I was in there swimming before I knew it. And I LOVED IT!

After leaving Jasmine Valley, thoughts ran through my head about the work and effect put into Jasmine Valley, it’s truly admirable. To me, Jasmine Valley is special, those guys are living my dream. It took them 1 year to become a fully functional resort from an abandoned durian orchard.

Although Jasmine Valley has had a fair amount of guests, if I had to apply Butler’s Theory of Development, I would say that it is in the stage of Exploration. ”

Trung Kien: “Today wasn’t the best day for me. I had to climb up the hill and walk for a long period of time with a cut on my foot. It wasn’t painful but it was a bit uncomfortable. However, the whole walking experience was fun as I had a chat with my frineds during the walk as well as seeing many great views from the mountain. I learnt a lot about the eco-system in Jasmine Valley and how things contribute to each other.

Apart from that, I had a terrible time travelling back to Phnom Penh as I had to sit next to a seat with a leaking air-conditioning unit above it. It kept dripping the whole time. It gaave me a negative opinion about the trip and that’s what I think will happen in business situations whereas if I don’t treat my customers well, then they won’t come back to my business again.

In general, today wasn’t as pleasurable as what I had expected, but I think that’s what life is. Everything doesn’t always go smoothly and you have to overcome it”.

Day Four – 100% MORE fun in the sun, torturous jungle treks, bugs and crabs

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Here we are, sitting once again at the end of a long day in the foyer of the Golden Gate hotel, Phnom Penh. We had an excellent drive back from Kep (reluctant as some of us were to leave that place!) and concluded the day with dinner at the favourite Khmer Surin.

The activities today were switched between the groups.  This time Year 6 and 11 did the Eco Education workshops and jungle trekking at Jasmine Valley, whilst Year 7 waited for rough weather to clear before heading out to Rabbit Island to compete with Year 6 sand sculpture skills and topped it off by sampling the famous crab at the crab market.

Tomorrow the groups will be split by year level for various activities around town including a final souvenir purchasing trip at the Russian Markets. Year 6 will be visiting Seametrey school, Year 7 will visit Wat Phnom and the National Museum, Year 11 will be taking part in a seminar with Karen Greene, an Anthropologist who has devoted her career to studies on Cambodia.

We return to Saigon, arriving at 275F Pham Ngu Lao street at approximately 8.00-8.30pm. For a more precise time please contact Robert Crowther on +84909052059 after 6pm tomorrow.

Day Three – Jungle, Crabs, Bugs and Boats

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Today the students woke late after a solid sleep and had numerous stories to tell about bugs and creatures on the first night in their naturally ventilated rooms! The day’s activities were different for two groups: Years 6 and 11 … Continue reading →

“Oooh … Aaah,” exclaimed Year 6

“We made a sand city!” – Jay

“I dealt with the challenge by just being happy” re Rabbit Island – Vu

“Did I say that!?” ask Year 7 …

“I love this place, I could live here forever … if it had air-con!” – anon

“I’ve never walked walked this far in my life!” re the Jungle bushwalk    -anon

“Is it okay to swim with the fish?” – Minh Thu

“You don’t see this every day” – Hugo

And Ladies and Gentlemen, may we present this anecdote, straight from Year 7:

Mr Crowther had thrashed fifteen, maybe twenty students and had been quite “gentle” on them. When Quentin was asked the question, “Do you think you can beat Mr. Crowther?”, what do you think he said?

“Maybe,” he shrugged in his cute French accent.

The match was exciting with many “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd. By all reports, he was as cool as a cucumber. The result: 11-10 round 1, and 21-18 round 2; both going Quentin’s way.

Congratulations Quentin for rising to the occasion, being a cool customer and accepting the challenge. Mr. Crowther accepted the defeat with dignity and was a great role model of good sportmanship.

PS: Mr. Duncombe finally got one back for the teachers by beating Quentin at dinner tonight. 🙂

Jasmine Valley Reflections

Jasmine Valley Resort, Kep has opened our eyes with many of students accepting the “difference” and embracing the simplicity of the concept of ecotourism.

Ecotourism is, in fact, a title that is being overused, with many resorts merely paying lip-service to the concept of being green! Jasmine Valley is not one of these. It would appear to be truly ‘green’ in that it does have a genuinely low, even a positive impact on the environment. It manages this by the use of some high-tech solar panels and some low-tech use of natural materials for its buildings such as mud and bamboo. The food it serves is sourced locally. The waste products both direct and indirect, are minimal. Electrical use is minimal, achieved by not running huge lights, fans or aircon. The design of the buildings makes excessive use of electricity unnecessary.

Positive benefits to the environment are realised by regeneration of the land, using mulch (to conserve groundwater), compost and close planning of many diverse species. The concept of permaculture is embraced in all of Jasmine Valley’s activities. ‘Permaculture’ is an attempt to develop a sustainable positive environment. It would appear that Jasmine Valley is designed to achieve this. And best of all, it is a beautiful place to be.

— by Mr. Peter Hoyles.

Fun in the sun

It’s Day 3 of our adventure here in Cambodia, and we thought it was about time we chilled out, had some fun and reflected on what experiences all make us the same and that are fundamental to all human beings.

Here’s a snippet of what occured:

Trung Kien: “We went to the pepper plantation. For me, it wasn’t different from the pper farm I’ve seen before. Then we went to eat seafood. It was really delicious and I ate a lot.”

Harith: “It started with a lovely breakfast, omelette with cheese and some vegetables plus the sweet orange juice. Then we went went to a pepper garden which only used the natural environment to grow … Soon we went to the beach and played around with the sea just like the Year 6s with us. On our way back to the garden, Ms. Neaves had a run-in with some old French men that didn’t care about children, who were upset with the fact that they had lost the boat which they had double-booked!”

Huu Danh: “We went to Rabbit Island, had fun with my friends, ran around on the beach and got soaked. It was an amazing day”.

Anthony: “Today was exhausting, but totally exciting as well. Firstly we visited the pepper plantation, it was far from what I had expected. We learned many new things about pepper planting, like how the organic digester is used. In the afternoon, we went to Rabbit Island, it took us ten minutes by boat to get there. We had to wait for some “technical errors” to be fixed by our boat’s driver but it was fine because Ms. Neaves was there.”

Joyce: “Josh’s sandcastle caused havoc among the Year 6 boys who tried to create a better sandcastle. During the trip today, I got to interact with some of the Year 6 students that I never thought of interacting with. It  was a relief to go beyond our maturity level and really apply our leadership to the situation. Last but not least, the highlight of the trip: double-booking of the boat. Our patience was put to the test as Ms. Neaves settled angry French tourists over the boat. From this experience, I learnt that unexpected things do happen and sometimes you just have to laugh it off”

Bloom: “Honestly, today’s journey was not as fun as the two previous days. However, after this Wednesday trip, I’ve learnt a lot of new things. First of all, I now know how people in Cambodia generate power in Kep province. Secondly I’ve learnt how the Cambodians plant such delicious pepper. Lastly, we had a good time on Rabbit Island beach with all my friends relaxing after a tiring boat trip. However, I didn’t like the boat at all. Moreover, my boat was even double-booked. Ms. Neaves was successful at bargaining with the French tourists. I thought after this that Cambodia needed about ten more years to be more developed”.

Brodie: “The group of students were walked through the pepper plantation and Annie (one of the workers) explained who the pepper was grown and harvested. The students were also given the opportunity to taste some red pepper: I must say it was very good quality and tasted quite distinct … It was a very educational experience that showed us an important Cambodian practice as well as teaching the students about sustainable farming and living.”

Day Two – Update from Kampong Speu and Kep

Today the students are once again exhausted after a long day, including long bus rides, remote rural villages, sporting comps in Phnom Penh with ICAN international school, fabulous food and finding rooms at Jasmine Valley. All were cheerful, in high spirits and excited by the adventures of such a demanding day. It was a privilege to be with such a fine group of young people and see them respond so positively to the new situations.

We were hosted by ICAN international school at 8am. Numerous events and ice-breakers made for a high-energy morning. Following that was a 2 hour bus ride to Kampong Speu province, off the beaten tracks where few other tourists had ever wandered, to HAP orphanage. The students were welcomed as honoured guests by distant drumming of the Khmer instruments and Apsara dancing as we approached. Later, after Mrs O organised lunch, it was the turn of our students to show their dance moves and they did us proud. Whilst at HAP we presented our contribution to the orphanage – funds raised on Australia day for a much needed water tank, and the students donated gifts they had purchased at the Russian Markets yesterday.

Another long bus journey in the afternoon before we got to Kep and were again welcomed by a wonderful feast in the Jungle eco resort, Jasmine Valley. We seem very far from Ho Chi Minh City indeed! The sea air is clean and cool this evening, crickets and frogs chirping, and the occasional gibbon call. It was a delight to see the students eagerly climbing up the stairs of their tree house or dragging suitcases across cobbled mudbricks to their bungalows. They are all enjoying the natural environment and discovering more about the jungle and themselves as they encounter it.

Tomorrow we have more time to enjoy our surrounds

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. We will break up into 2 small groups: 1 to travel around Kep and Rabbit Island, the other to remain at Jasmine Valley for workshops and activities led by local guides.