Day Ten: Homeward Bound

After a sleep in and late breakfast, we packed up our belongings and checked out of the hotel by 11.30am. It is raining in Singapore today, so our initial plans to catch the train to Chinatown were changed to a visit to one of the local shopping malls, where we were able to spend some of our remaining Singapore dollars and also enjoy some lunch at one of the many food outlets - we were spoilt for choice!

We then found some market style stores a block further up and perused these before we were collected by our coach and guide from the hotel. 

We are now at the airport awaiting departure for our final leg of our journey, on flight SQ 221. While we have thoroughly enjoyed our time with each other, we are greatly looking forward to being reunited with family in the early hours of the morning.

Day Nine: Singapore Activities

This morning, the creative abilities of our group were put to the test as we attended a batik class at the Goodman Institute. Our instructor gave us directions about the use of the tools of the batik artist, particularly the tjantings, the tool that traces the wax over the batik design. She also demonstrated the painting of the water colour dyes on the fabrics. After we each selected a design and then traced, first with pencil and then with the wax from the tjanting, we were well on our way and were able to fill in the spaces with a variety of bright colours. Some were able to incorporate effective shading skills as well.

When we finished our smaller first project, we continued on to a larger and more complex work that required more careful tjanting, though some experienced frustration as their tjanting dripped wax where it was not required or spread it too thickly. It was certainly an activity that had everyone well engaged. There were some most impressive final peices of work that were achieved by the end of our three hour workshop.

We then proceeded to lunch at a Chinese restaurant in the city centre and were served local Singapore cuisine, including fish ball soup and fried tofu. Following lunch, we were back to the hotel for a break from touring. This allowed some of the group time to go for a swim, while others purchased time on wi-fi to catch up with social media. 

As Stuart had his birthday on the first day of the trip when we were flying from Sydney through to Siem Reap, it was decided in advance that we would celebrate his birthday today. This allowed some group members time to organise special items for the celebration, including a birthday sash, a crown, a cake and various other small gifts. 

As we left for our evening meal, we crowned Stuart and then got stuck into a seafood meal, which included a local speciality, chili crab. When eating crab, you must have a bib on as it is going to get messy. We then had the birthday cake, although Stuart experienced significant difficulty blowing out the trick candles.

Afterwards, we went for an evening ride on the Singapore River in a bumboat. It was a spectacular evening as we were able to appreciate the colourful night lights of Singapore. On arrival back at the hotel, some had time for some card games before heading to bed for our final night in a hotel for our trip.

Day Eight: Singapore Sightseeing

A rather weary troupe arose this morning, with some sleeping through their alarms. Following our morning devotion, we met up with our guide, Fiona, to commence a day of sightseeing around the island of Singapore.

We started our tour in Little India. Singapore is a multicultural community with the strongest connections to Malaysia, India, China and United Kingdom. During our visit to Little India, we were able to see the many Indian clothing stores, a Hindu temple and market places. The very mention of henna started a frenzy of activity as all in our group added a henna design to their arms or hands. 

After Little India we headed to Merlion Park, where we were able to see the views of Marina Bay including some amazing buildings that occupy the shoreline. Unfortunately, the Merlion was wrapped in scaffolding as repairs were being completing in preparation for the 50th Anniversary of Independence of Singapore to take place in August. The merlion is a mythical creature that is half lion and half fish. It is the icon of Singapore.

We visited the Singapore City Gallery, and were delighted to enter the air conditioned comfort of this building which housed many scale models of the Singapore island and the city area. We were able to see how much of the exisiting island is actually reclaimed land from the sea. The scale models were most impressive and captivating.

We then had a visit to Chinatown. Yes, even Singapore has a Chinatown. This one has extensive markets and shops where you are permitted to bargain. Some more gifts and souvenirs were purchased during this short visit. 

Next was a buffet lunch at the Landmark Hotel in the Arab quarter. We were able to enjoy a range of dishes from different cultures, and many enjoyed the narn bread and chicken kebabs. 

The Changi Museum provides a snapshot of Singapore's wartime history during the Japanese occupation. There were some very moving and explicit descriptions of the impact of the occupation and also the deplorable treatment of prisoners of war, many from Australia. We had an afternoon break at the Bark Cafe alongside the Changi Museum before heading off to the SIngapore Zoo in readiness for the Night Safari.

Night Safari commenced with a buffet meal at one of the zoo restaurants and then we went to the live animal show to observe various trained creatures of the night in an entertaining show. We were then off on our safari tram ride where we passed through many different animal enclosures to observe a range of animals from throughout the world in subdued lighting. While some animals were inactive or well hidden, we were greatly impressed with the Asian tiger, the elephants, giraffes, zebras and many different breeds of deer. After such a long day of sightseeing, we were relieved to be delivered back to our hotel in readiness for a good night's sleep.

Day Seven: Phnom Penh to Singapore

We enjoyed a sleep in today and gathered together at 9.30am for our daily devotion and then a walk along the river to a local Gloria Jeans Cafe! While the group was inside, Mr Fowler organised for tuk tuks to take us back to the hotel. We squeezed five people into each of the tuk tuks so that there would be a teacher with each group. The drivers were trying to convince our groups to take them to the Killing Fields or Toul Sleng to get a bigger fare. 

When back at the hotel, we had our final Cambodian meal together, which included some very tasty spring rolls, sweet and sour fish, chicken and fresh fruit. 

We had some time to spend our final US Dollars at the Central Markets and our groups were particularly adept at bargaining as they sorted out the gifts that they were wanting to buy for their families. We also bought some gifts for Ny, our guide and also for his family. Earlier, we purchased some cup cakes for him. Ny has been an amazing guide and our students have really connected well with him and greatly appreciated the ways in which he has accommodated our requests. 

From the markets, we travelled directly to the airport in readiness for our flight to Singapore. At the airport, we came across a group of students from Central Coast Graamar School who also had been house building with Tabitha. 

Our flight to Singapore went very smoothly and we were soon processed through Changi International Airport. We were met at the airport by our new guide, Fiona. She guided us to ATMs and Money Exchange Counters and then we were on our way to our accommodation at Hotel Royal @ Queens. It is a very nice hotel, but we are already discovering that most of the charges are similar to Sydney prices.

We have a full day of activities on Monday, so after a quick snack, it was time for bed.

Student Reflections

After our Service Days with Sunshine Centre and Tabitha Foundation, we asked the students to provide some reflections on their experiences so far. Here they are:

Stuart - The trip has been great. I spent my birthday on a plane for 10 hours but that was OK. Every night so far we have had dinner in really fancy restaurants and it has been great every time. The temples were great but they did get a bit boring, but the highlight was the Sunshine Centre and building houses. It was amazing how they were so grateful and kind. It is so upsetting seeing so many people begging for food. The funniest night was when the boys and I all wore our happy pants to dinner!

Grace - Today I got to experience a whole new way of life and culture. Knowing these people live on less than a dollar a day made me happy that I could give something to them - it was a true privilege. 

Mackenzie - It wasn't until this trip that I realised how lucky we are as Australians to have food in our stomachs and a home and family to return to. It's nice to exit out of our comfort zone and help those in need.

Kate - The day we built the houses was by fare the best day of the whole trip. It was an amazing experience that will stay with me for a long time. I loved seeing the smiles on the people's faces after we built the houses.

Jesse - Today I saw a new way of life with people living on very little but still able to have fun. I helped people with things that would have taken them so much longer to complete. I had fun with everyone, except Mrs Watt - JOKES! Go team - nailed it!

Georgia R - Today when we did the house building, it opened up my eyes to just how lucky we are in Australia. To see how much that meant to them, even though it didn't take us long to finish the houses. We could see how it would impact all of those people for a very long time. It is an experience that I will remember for life.

Connor - The biggest impact for me was the difference we made to the ten families we built houses for and the impact of the genocide on the country. The shocking reality of genocide made a big impact on the group and impelled us to want to help the people. The group joined together and built the houses in record time. We all enjoyed helping the people of Cambodia.

Taylor - So far, this trip has been amazing and life changing. We have visited many temples, Toul Sleng and the Killing Fields, both of which were very eye opening and emotional. We have also visited the Sunshine Centre to play games with the kids which was a lot of fun and I wish we had more time there. Today, we went house building. It was amazing to see the villager's faces light up when we handed the houses over to them. I'm so glad to be part of this team and we worked really well together, finishing all ten houses in 2 1/2 hours before lunch. So far this trip has been amazing and I am so glad I cam and would definitely do it again.

Steph - This trip has been incredibly challenging and rewarding. It has provided an opportunity to step back and reflect on life. I have been able to put things into perspective and consider how I can apply the lessons I have learnt here when I am back home. I have found it so eye opening to hear about the atrocities the Cambodians encountered because of the Pol Pot regime. I found this knowledge to be incredibly beneficial on the service days in communicating with the people and being able to understand where they have come from. I feel after this trip, it will be impossible to return the same as I left.

Charlie - So far on the trip, the experiences I've enjoyed the most have been the Sunshine Centre, markets, house building and all of the meals. It felt good building the ten houses, although we could easily have built more if we had the funding. We definitely could have spent more time at both the Killing Fields and S21, as we could only briefly hear about the horrible history the country encountered. (Fish soup was a definite no-go!) 

Emily - During the service trip so far I found the house building both rewarding for us and for the people who will enjoy the use of the houses. Even though we only spent a bit over an hour at the Sunshine Centre, I found it fun talking to the kids. 

Hamish - Over the last few days we have had a lot of culturally enhancing opportunities through visiting the temples and exploring the markets of Cambodia - specifically in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. 
Today we built houses for a rural community. Their response to our gift of the houses was greatly encouraging.
We've also visited Toul Sleng - the old high school that was converted into a prison to torture people. It was an awesome eye opening experience to see and learn about the horrible offences that the Khmer Rouge committed during the war. All round it was a good trip - it would have been great to be involved in even more service though.

Caitlin - This trip has been amazing so far! Experiencing a different culture for the first time has changed my life. Seeing how different the Cambodian lifestyle is to the Australian lifestyle has impacted me greatly. From the visiting the children at the Sunshine Centre, to visiting Toul Sleng and the Killing Fields and finally building the houses in a rural village. This trip has changed me as a person and I am so thankful for this amazing experience. 

Chloe - This trip has been truly amazing so far. My favourite days were our service days here in Cambodia. Seeing the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng on Friday morning was very challenging. However, visiting these places has helped me to truly understand what the country has been through. Going to the Sunshine Centre in the afternoon was a definite mood lifter. Seeing their smiles and hearing their giggles was enough to melt a heart of stone. Then on Saturday when we built houses for a rural community we were all physically exhausted. But being able to see the faces of the people receiving the houses made it totally worth it. All-in-all, this has been the single greatest experience of my life.

Rosie - The last few days have been really eye opening and I have experienced a roller coaster of emotions. After visiting the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng, I became aware of the intensity of the genocide and the repercussions that this had on Cambodia. After this, I understood the poverty I have witnessed throughout the trip, and I became extremely sympathetic towards the Cambodian people. As a group, this experience has allowed us to gain insight into the importance of helping the Cambodian community.
After visiting Toul Sleng and the Killing Fields, we began our service at the sunshine Centre. I really enjoyed seeing the children's joy and hope even though they have so little.
House building has been my favourite part of the service trip. The group really bonded together and finished the houses efficiently. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life to be able to serve people that truly deserve it. I am so blessed to have come on this trip. 

Luke - 6am is an unusual time to be getting up in the holidays, unless you are getting up to build houses in Cambodia. Today I realised how lucky I am to to be who I am. My mum came to Australia from Cambodia when she was a child. If she had of stayed in Cambodia I could've ended up like any one of these unfortunate people. 
Today was an eye opener! I really enjoyed 'slaving away' for people less fortunate than me. It really didn't feel as bad as 'serving' should feel. I had fun, I learnt, I laughed and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. 
I learnt to hammer in a few short hours. I learnt how lucky I was in a few short seconds of being in view of this country. I learnt that this country could some day become my home. 
Thanks to the wonderful teachers for this trip and thanks to Ny for being a wonderful guide. 

Shalea - Today I got to experience a whole new world. I met people who live off $1 a day and all live together in a house that would be the size of my room. Although these people don't have as much as we do, they still were over the moon and were always smiling. Today I was very privileged to meet these people and build a house for them- a house that they had worked very hard to save some of the money for. I really enjoyed building houses today as it really opened my eyes to see how lucky we are back in Australia. I also loved working together as a team. Even though I hit my finger a few times, got a few splinters and even got a bit burnt, overall I really enjoyed helping the people as now they get to live a safer life.

Georgia J - These last few days have been unlike anything I've seen or experienced before. Everything we've seen, from the temples and culture, to the blatant poverty on the streets and the suffering that permeates the very grounds of S-21 and the Killing Fields, have confronted everything I know and consider to be valuable and important because being here and seeing everything has completely contradicted it all. While we can just get on our bus and leave, distance ourselves from it all, this is the reality of life for all of these people. It just puts everything into perspective. I think the reality of Pol Pot's regime really hit when somebody pointed out how few old people there are in Phnom Penh. But despite all this, it doesn't mean there were no positives to this trip. This is far from the truth. Just being able to immerse ourselves and learn about this culture has been unbelievable. The people are so kind and genuine and patient with us. Our visit to the Sunshine Centre and building houses today was the most amazing experience. The children and families were so happy and beautiful, the language barrier not mattering, my only regret being we didn't have more time to get to know these people. And how could I forget Ny? One of the most amazing and kind people I've had the privilege of meeting, he has looked after us exceptionally, going above and beyond to make sure everything went to plan for us. From food to tours, he never once left us in want for anything or even a little disappointed. 

All in all, this service trip so far has quite genuinely been an experience and privilege I'll never forget. I can only hope that I go back home a changed person, a bit kinder and more open, more grateful for what I have. If this experience has changed me I could hope for nothing else. 

Bronte - During the trip I have had an extraordinary time. It was so much better than I expected... everyday I feel I have grown closer to more and more people. Everyone has become like one big family. What affected me the most was the killing fields because it was very confronting. Over all the trip has been so rewarding and it was so worth going. I would 100% go again! 

Annika - We've all seen many pictures and videos of people living in poverty. It's one thing to know that people have to live in little tin houses but it's a completely different thing to actually see it in real life. I loved the service part of the trip. I loved going to the Sunshine Centre and building houses for needy families because it feels fantastic doing something that is hands on and has a direct impact on the people of Cambodia. It is wonderful to know that we have done something that has really helped the people. Seeing poverty first hand really makes you want to do something about it. 

Day Six: House building

For our house building day, we needed an early breakfast and we were soon off in our three mini buses to the village of Siesa in the area of Svay in the Kampong Chhnang Province, northwest of Phnom Penh. It took two hours and fifteen minutes to arrive at the village, including a quick bathroom stop along the way and another opportunity for some of our girls to practise the use of squat toilets!

As we were arriving at the village, I was able to point out the house frames to our group and then we noticed the large gathering of people on the road who were waiting to greet us. They were very excited by our visit and after some greetings (chum reap suar suk su bai te), we made our way to our base which was located under a shady tree. There were two platforms for our belongings. We were divided into five groups and we were soon assigned to our first houses. It was a huge blessing to note that the floors of the houses were all timber, rather than bamboo. While the timber is hardwood, it is still significantly easier and faster than bamboo. There were still a number of bent nails and an occasional thumb that was hit by a hammer, but we all came through strongly. As a result, all ten houses were completed within record time, allowing us to eat our lunch of crusty baguettes with a variety of spreads that had been purchased the previous evening. Some tried some interesting combinations such as nutella and peanut butter, peanut butter and honey, or the more adventurous vegemite, pringles and oreos! 

This year, the houses we were constructing were spread across a larger area, and it was interesting to see some of the houses that we were replacing, whose walls and roofs were made from palm leaves, meaning that there would be a lot of leaking during the frequent rains that this area receives. It is now the beginning of the wet season, but the area that we were buidling in was very dry for the time being.

Following lunch, we had a handover ceremony, where members of our group presented each of the families with a quilt made by Tabitha staff and then we had a group photo. Then it was time to say good bye (Chum reap pleah) and akun (thank you). Another phrase that we learnt which would be helpful was "som toh" - meaning sorry, and if you have done something really silly, "som toh, som toh, som toh"!

On return to the hotel we had time for a swim and relaxation before heading off for our final dinner in Cambodia. Our excellent guide, Ny, arranged an amazing restaurant, The Titanic, on the riverside which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

One of the houses that we were replacing. While this house is on stilts, it may still flood and certainly is not waterproof.

Day Five: Tabitha Orientation and Sunshine Centre for Children

Today was both a challenging and rewarding day. We commenced with a visit to the Killing Fields at Ek Choeng. This is one of a number of locations where the Khmer Rouge conducted their viscious genocide during the late 1970s. It was very confronting for our group as they heard the stories of what took place here and stepped through the areas where thousands of bodies had been unceremoniously dumped in massed graves. The final part of our visit was the stupa, which is a buddhist memorial for the dead, where the ashes of the dead are normally housed. In this case, the stupa contains the skulls, bones and bone fragments, and clothing of those that they have recovered from this site. 

Our next stop was the notorious S21 Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. This was a high school that was converted to a prison camp during the reign of the Khmer Rouge, under the leadership of Pol Pot. Any people with a reasonable level of education and certainly any professionals such as doctors and teachers were brought to this prison, where they were subjected to torture and unbearable living conditions. 22,000 people were executed at this prison. The High School was closed because Pol Pot insisted that education cease. The Khmer people needed to undertake physical work and this did not require education. We were able to view rooms where prisoners were kept and row after row of the photos of people who were detained and executed. Those that survived the prison, were typically transported to the Ek Choeng Killing Fields where they were executed. There were, however, just seven people who are survivors of Toul Sleng, some of which still live today. Two of the survivors were at the museum to sell their books and allow photographs.

It was great to arrive at the Tabitha centre for our orientation session with Janne Ritskes, the founder and director of Tabitha. To assist us with a further understanding of the people of Cambodia, Janne gave a chilling account of some of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge period in what was a very valuable history lesson on Cambodia and the Indo-China region. Janne also told us about what we would be doing during our house building day and provided us with a list of rules that we must abide by while visiting the village. Some of the rules included not holding babies under the age of two otherwise parents would think that you want to take the child as payment for the houses, don't take their money or eat their food, leave your belongings on the platform provided for the group and they will not be touched by the locals - anywhere else, it is considered community property, don't react to any injuries but seek very quiet attention from an adult of the same gender, boys should not touch girls and vice versa as only people who are married touch people of the opposite sex, etc. Following our briefing session, we perused the impressive collection of silk items that had been produced at Tabitha and a number of purchases were made.

Following a stop for lunch we proceeded to the Sunshine Centre for Children, this time in a new location for us. They run a new centre on Friday's at Prey Teah, nearby the Phnom Penh International Airport. We were met by the director of the Centre, Nop Channey, who guided us on his motorscooter through many narrow roadways to the small hall where they meet each Friday. Today there were over 30 children who were taking part in their program. They were very excited to see the visitors from Australia. Miss Fowler gave a welcome and then led a talk on the Prodigal Son, ably assisted by a number of our group, with Connor playing the role of the Prodigal Son. Following the talk, we played a number of games with the children including "Stuck in the mud", "duck duck goose", and balloon relays. Our group greatly enjoyed interacting with the children and the children from the centre certainly had a lot of fun as well. As the children were dismissed from the centre at 4pm, Nop Channey gave our group a tour of the surrounding neighbourhood and provided some insights into the challenges of living in Prey Teah. We were also able to see the construction work on their new permanent centre that will be established in Prey Teah thanks to the generous donations of Australian supporters.

On return to the hotel, we had a brief time to have a swim before heading out to dinner. Early night today as we have a long day ahead of us as we head out for our house building day.

Day Four: Phnom Penh Sights

After enjoying breakfast in our hotel, we gathered for our daily devotion led by Mr Conoulty and then headed out into the busy morning traffic. Our hotel is located in a narrow street which has been cut off at one end by a market, so our bus normally has to reverse out of our street and then onto a very busy main thoroughfare. Our drivers have managed amazingly well and have so far not knocked into any parked vehicles.

Our first stop today was the Royal Palace, home of King Norodom Sihamoni. The palace was built in 1866 while under the French protectorate and has some amazing buildings including the silver pagoda, where the floor has been lined with silver. We were not able to enter the main meeting building as the King was due to receive a visit from a leader from Norway. We were able to determine this by the flags that were placed at the front of this building. Later in the morning we saw the police cavalcade for the Norwegian visitors. 

From the Royal Palace, we visited the National Museum, where we were able to view artefacts from the pre-Angkorian period as well as the Angkorian period. In the centre of the museum there was a garden area with ponds and they were selling food for the many fish inhabiting these ponds. Our group greatly enjoyed this activity and delighted in touching some of the fish. 

As the city is located on a river plain, Phnom Penh is very flat, but on the one small hill in the city area, there is the Wat Phnom Temple. This was our next attraction. We climbed the steps to the temple, removed our shoes and hats and observed the intricately decorated shrines and buddhas. 

Lunch was at a buffet style restaurant and we used this opportunity to prepare ourselves for a busy afternoon of market shopping and haggling. We visited two markets today, the first being Toul Tompong Market, more commonly known as the Russian Markets. It was so named during the Vietnamese occupation of Phnom Penh, when Soviet troops and business people moved into Cambodia. These were the markets where the Russians shopped. On arrival, we split into small groups and commenced our major shopping expedition. Many purchased happy pants and other items of clothing; some bought souvenirs, others purchased sunglasses or gifts for family. 

Our second market was the Central Market, which is a larger market place and includes many more watches and jewelery items as well as electrical items and handbags. There was much haggling in these markets as our group were becoming more experienced. On return to the hotel, there was time for a swim in the rooftop pool before going out to dinner.

Part of the dinner experience tonight included a local dessert, baked banana and tapioca. For some, this was well received, but for others not so. Most at the table were able to get one mouthful past their lips, but unfortunately, we did not have the cameras at the ready to keep a record of their facial responses. 

On return to the hotel, some students were involved in planning for our activities and presentations to the Sunshine Centre which we are visiting tomorrow.

We came across this gardener in the Palace who was wearing a Parramatta Eels Cap. It left us wondering whether he was an active supporter or whether an understandably disappointed fan had given up his cap. 

Day Three: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

After an early breakfast, we left the comforts of the Prince D'Angkor Hotel for our road trip to Phnom Penh. The roads of Cambodia are quite unique and unexpected in terms of their condition and also how they are used by other drivers. Rules are really treated as suggestions!

The drive certainly gave our group a perspective of life outside of the main cities of Cambodia and the basic forms of agriculture that are practised here. The main attraction of the day were the pre-Angkorian ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk. These temples were built under the rule of King Isanavarman I during the seventh century. While still very impressive, many of these temples were significantly damaged or destroyed by American forces who were bombing the Khmer Rouge, who had set up their base among these ancient temples. The temples that remain were built with bricks and have held up extraordinarily well over the centuries with minimal restoration efforts.

We also learnt that this area had been heavily booby-trapped with land mines by the Khmer Rouge. These have now been completely cleared, although our group were very keen to stick to the marked paths!

There were just a couple of young local children who followed us through our tour of these temples, wanting to sell scarves to our group. "You buy for a dollar". 

After our visit to the temples we headed to Kampong Thom for lunch. Unbeknownst to our tour guide, he had organised for us to have lunch at the Sambor Village Hotel, which our group had stayed at two years earlier. We enjoyed a very pleasant lunch, but there were some in the group who were very watchful of local wildlife and no, we did not see any snakes!

The trip from Kampong Thom through to Phnom Penh was very slow, with quite a few extensive sections of road works. We had to stop a couple of times for toilet breaks and a number of our group raised to the challenge (or should I say lowered) of using a squat toilet. Mrs Watt fearlessly led the way saying that you haven't been to Cambodia until you have used a squat toilet. During the road trip, our guide, Mr Ny (pronounced knee), showed us three movies, Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft (which features Ta Promh Temple), a documentary on the Angkorian and Pre-Angkorian temples, and then a lesser known movie called two brothers, which features Australian actor Guy Pearce in a story about twin tiger cubs who lived among the Angkor temples.

We arrived at our hotel in Phnom Penh at around 6pm, and were off to dinner shortly afterwards at a very well appointed hotel. As we sat down, the restaurant staff impressively opened up the roof above us to allow a sky view. We were again treated to a cultural show featuring traditional Cambodian dance while we enjoyed our meal.

Tomorrow we will be visiting a number of the tourist sites of Phnom Penh.