TukTalk 77: Follow-up visits, Rotary from Canada, Read Louder
April 11, 2024
TukTalk 79: 2nd workshop, new blue shirts, visit from GDG
June 20, 2024TukTalk · Issue 78 · May 2024
Khmer New Year, workshop preparation, PhanEy
How Cambodia celebrates Khmer New Year, preparing the next teacher workshop, an update from musician PhanEy and a Canadian volunteer's visit.
It's still scorching hot here in Pursat 🥵
How are you, everyone? We managed to escape the scorching temperatures by taking a brief trip back to Japan, but even upon our return, we were taken aback by the heat! Cambodia seems to be experiencing unusually high temperatures this year, leading to afternoon school closures and delayed starts. Thankfully, there have been a few rain showers lately, hinting at the onset of the rainy season. Let's hope this oppressive heat eases off soon...
At the TukTuk Office, we've switched to full work mode after the Khmer New Year. From now until the year's end, it's a flurry of workshops and school visits almost every month, feeling like we're in marathon mode once again. Luckily, the office has been equipped with air conditioning since last year, providing a cool sanctuary. Everyone eagerly anticipates coming to work, recognizing the value of a comfortable work environment. However, the venues for our workshops lack air conditioning... We're keeping our fingers crossed for cooler weather or finding an affordable venue with AC. Regardless, we're excited to reconnect with the teachers at our second workshop!
And speaking of May, yes! It's the season of the king of fruits, durian. Thanks to Keiko's generosity, the office has been permeated with the aroma of durian for the past few days. 😂 All the Cambodian staff have been happily indulging (given that it's quite an expensive fruit), but our reactions have been mixed, to say the least. Milly even tried it for the first time, but it seemed it wasn't quite to her taste.😅
Anyhow, despite the relentless heat, we're all enjoying ourselves and having fun together!
Warm regards,
Adrian & Mayu & Milly 🦘👘🧒
What's Khmer New Year like? ✨
The most festive event in Cambodia's calendar is the "Khmer New Year." But what does it actually entail?
Khmer New Year falls on different dates each year, generally around April 13th to 16th. This year, it was a four-day holiday from the 13th to the 16th. During this time, many Cambodians return to their hometowns, so usually bustling urban areas become quieter than usual. It is believed that the goddess descends to usher in the New Year, determining its beginning, so families and workplaces prepare for her arrival by cleaning, preparing offerings, and dressing up. Cambodia also has its own zodiac, this year is the Year of the Dragon 🐲.
As families gather from different regions, each household starts its celebrations. On the second day, people visit temples to offer monks food and money. Since many dishes are brought from different households, visitors to the temple can enjoy a variety of foods (some jokingly call it the "temple buffet" 😁).
On the other hand, young people look forward to the tradition of "water splashing" during New Year! Originating from the ritual of washing Buddha statues, it has evolved into a lively nationwide event annually (though it was restricted in the capital, Phnom Penh, this year due to overenthusiasm… 😥). Streets are lined with people armed with water guns and buckets, splashing water on passersby and smearing baby powder on their skin. Unless you firmly decline, you're likely to end up soaked and with powder on your clothes, so it requires some caution. 😅But for those who want to enjoy the fun, it's a highly anticipated highlight during Khmer New Year!
There are many more customs and histories tied to the Khmer New Year that I haven't touched upon here. If you're interested, you should check out our original storybook, "Happy Khmer New Year!" which delves into how Khmer New Year is celebrated. 👀
Workshop preparation 💪
We're deep into the preparations for our upcoming workshop 💪, which promises to be quite content-packed. In addition to computer lessons led by members of the Rotary Club of Pursat, we'll be introducing two Tukbooks along with all the related teaching materials prepared by our TukTuk team.
During our follow-up school visits in March, we collaborated with several teachers to showcase how to effectively use the activity materials that we'll be introducing in this workshop. We recorded them in action, demonstrating practical applications of these materials. Building on this valuable experience, these teachers will play a central role in the upcoming workshop, sharing their insights and techniques with fellow educators. This approach aims to transform the workshop into an interactive platform for active learning and idea exchange among passionate teachers.
Once the workshop wraps up, we'll dive right back into action with follow-up visits to each school planned for June. It seems like TukTuk is gearing up for another bustling and productive period ahead!
Khmer of the month
Khmer Word: Chong Cheh
Since April began, Cambodia has been enduring daily temperatures nearing 40°C. 🥵Air conditioning and staying hydrated have become absolute musts; the heat is truly intense! It's now a common greeting to remark, "Isn't it hot today? 🥵" Every time the temperature rises excessively, people often say "Chong Cheh (I'm almost burning)", and honestly, it feels just like that 😅. Stepping outside feels like facing a wall of scorching wind, making even breathing a bit of a struggle. That's why air-conditioned restaurants and cafes are like oases in this heat, greatly appreciated by everyone.
Khmer Food: Nom Sloek Toy Khteah Dong (Pandan leaf agar jelly) 👇
What's PhanEy up to now? 🎹
PhanEy, who used to work as a music creator at TukTuk until the end of 2022, has been remotely working from Battambang Province, our neighbor to Pursat, since the pandemic. Wondering what he's been up to lately? We reached out to him! 🎤
What are you up to now?: I'm still doing my weekend acoustic live performances while also pursuing music with AF Ent. Productions, a production company I'm affiliated with. (AF Ent. Productions featured him on their page here!)
Where do you perform your acoustic live shows?: I perform live every weekend at "K'TREY-K'TROK COFFEE & BAR" near the Central Market in Battambang City.
Is your experience at TukTuk helping you now?: Definitely! My experience at TukTuk was wonderful, and I believe it's because of that experience that I was able to start my current job.
What are your current goals?: My current goal is to have more people know about me, to support my family, and to continue growing as an individual.
PhanEy, now more focused on his music career, feels more seasoned than ever. Although he occasionally contributes to music production at TukTuk, his primary focus is on composing and recording new songs based on lyrical ideas.
He now goes by the name "Ee-SIV." If you happen to visit Battambang Province, be sure to catch one of his performances 😊
Voluntuker spotlight | Natalie
This time, let us introduce you to Natalie, who visited TukTuk with Manon from the Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown in March.
What were your impressions of Pursat?: A cute little town with some great people. Very friendly.
How did your visits to the CLIP schools go?: Fascinating to me as a former educator. Especially to see what these teachers achieve with the limited resources they have. It was great to see the Tuk Tuk books and pictures being used in the preschool classes. It was so fun to see the little kids all engaged in learning.
What did you think about TukTuk?: I don't know much about Tuktuk, but the resources I saw looked very user-friendly, colorful, and engaging. I think the resources which are prepared for the teachers to use in their classrooms are useful, and designed to encourage the teachers to expand on the ideas. The team was very friendly and eager to learn.
Were there any memorable moments from your trip to Cambodia?: There were many wonderful moments, but some notable events include:
- Attending a Cambodian wedding (She attended the wedding of the families of Sokha, a TukTuk staff member).
- Trying various Khmer dishes such as "Amok" and stir-fried chicken. The small bananas were especially cute and delicious 🍌.
- Experiencing the heavy traffic in Phnom Penh, riding tuk-tuks, witnessing 4-5 people on one motorcycle!! Also, the long bus journey from Pursat Province to Siem Reap Province to Battambang Province and back to Pursat Province.
- Exploring markets and shops.
- The unbelievable heat! 🌞
- Visiting the historic and magnificent Angkor temples in Siem Reap Province.
- Meeting wonderful people at the Rotary Club of Pursat and TukTuk. Seeing the amazing projects by the children of the Rotaract Club of Siem Reap in Siem Reap Province.
- Helping with the creation of teaching materials at TukTuk.
Natalie worked as a primary school teacher in Canada for 27 years. During that time, she also taught Cambodian children living in Canada. The visitors to TukTuk's free teaching materials website include not only Cambodian users but also users from overseas, such as India, the United States, and China. This might be because families with Cambodian roots, like the students Natalie taught, are also using the materials.
Like Manon, Natalie also helped with the preparation of TukTuk's teaching materials for the next workshop when she had free time during her stay in Pursat. Natalie, thank you so much! 😊
We are currently looking for volunteers with the following skill sets to help TukTuk bring educational resources to Cambodia;
- Google Ads
- Fundraising
If you want to get involved or know someone with skills that could help us spread positive education in Cambodia, hit that link below and say hi (we're friendly, we promise). 😉
Tuktography highlights 📸
