My Story: IBDP Cambodia Service Trip Day #1

Some talking before the pictures start, tl;dr scroll down:

I survived Cambodia and am back! It was pretty fun even though super tiring. I wouldn't do it all over again to be honest because I don't think that having us all there digging a few buckets of soil and laying a few pieces of bricks and pulling some weed can do much difference to the community. I believe that the people there can do those stuff much better than us and faster too. I think that long-term solutions are better, like education, and teaching them permaculture and stuff like that.

Not that I didn't enjoy myself, but I think that this is more of a rural area vacation than actual service that makes a difference. And yes that brings me back to that debate topic that still lingers in my mind: should slum tourism be allowed? It is but an ego boost, to make tourists feel that they did something good for the local people, instead of them genuinely wanting to help. But then, one is only exposed to these kind of issues through tourism.

So now I'm going to focus on the trip itself rather than blahing about whether it is ethical or not.

Our trip is under Camps International, who deals with all the trip organising for us, and we stayed at their Cambodia camp called Camp Beng Mealea. Beng Mealea is a little place on the outskirts of Siem Reap, less than two hours away by bus.

As B is the director/leader of the documentary team, we use Yuyu (Nikon D) and Desmond (Canon 60D) for the photos and Woodsie (a tiny videocam on a monopod) for the videos. It was hilarious how the names caught on cause we kept asking "where's Desmond?" because he was being passed around and we were scared we'd lose him.

Coming up will be, to accompany my story, about 100 photos (filtered from 800+) of Day 1. Since this is my story, I'll be in most of the photos lolol. For more, Michelle-unrelated photos, check out my Facebook albums. :)

I know this is a fugly picture of me but this is the first one in the morning haha.

 Went to sleep the night before at 12am, preparing to sleep for 3 hours without anyone disturbing, woke up at 1am because Joey just had to blast his way into our house and hijack my bed (when I'm done sleeping, that is). I'm not the only one la, everyone damn groggy when we boarded the bus.

We waited a very long time for Isabella who couldn't wake up, her phone and her mom's phone switched off and nobody could possibly reach her. She turned up at the airport when we thought all was lost lol. Most people slept the way to KLIA.

Check-in!

The TCSH IB '15 class trademark is to selfie wherever we go.

I'm going to Cambodia! 

 To be honest, this is my first time flying to another country without parents. Funny enough I never thought of that as a very important point at all until I was already on the plane. I guess I'm too excited thinking about what we were going to do there.

Joey sitting with us. Selfie master.

I got all excited about the plane taking off but nobody cared cause both the guys slept =.=

Safe landing!

Everywhere is a photo opportunity LOL, even the immigration counter

Waiting for luggage!

Rumour has it that these two are the new couple haha.

Old couple already. :P

Sunny, an adorable guy who was super nice and helpful. He's our guide for the whole trip.

Views from the bus. They cycle a lot!

How is this possible ._.

Spot me videoing people around

Coming down for some bamboo black bean rice. It's like lemang.

Ms Lauren, our principal and Mr Lim, Econs teacher

Close up of the food. Thanks Dharishini.

Daryl being resourceful.

The kids are very close with nature.

Okay, we've reached Beng Mealea! From now on is a 15 minutes walk to the campsite!

But wait, let's take a group photo first.

Yay!

Jodie says: Food. 

Checking out the accommodation!

Yep we sleep in tents on mattresses.

Passports are kept away safely.

Posing for a photo lolol

Bad guy

Good food

Taking turns to wash up

Water blessing activity! Look at me so much concentration

I get a lucky string <3

Happys at a good photo

 After lunch and water blessing, we departed for Beng Mealea temple. Truth is, we were all super tired and dying from the heat (the electricity generator only turned on for awhile, meaning NO FAN). But we trudged on like the awesome people we are HAHA.

Passing by a house. This was zoomed quite far but Desmond did a great job. I love this photo, the kids look so happy.

Michelle the photographer.

See the ruins? This is Beng Mealea temple ruins.

We reached yay!

More group pictures!

Dharishini and her interesting pose

Michelle dunno how to pose 

So she did what she wanted to do *rubs nose* and let the photos take themselves.

For example, failed ^

Pass ^ cause I was genuinely looking at something interesting on the walls hahahah

The Cat is Fat but is okay hahaha

They say my face is the same colour as my hair hahahaha

I guess the red makes me have cheeks on my otherwise 2D round face.

The Cat bought a Hat for me.

Messy hair spoil.

Yes that's my teacher .__.

Why they both so cute.

Yes that's my friend .___.

I like

Loommates.

Look! It's an ANT! (I'm serious)

Loommates again.

Mar spying on us. .___.

Idk wtf I'm doing.

Yes, my friend. .___.

Believe it or not, they are posing for the picture.

Best friend - Le Nic looking so pretty.
Le Chat being bored.

I give up on posing.

Playing monkey ball with the kids

Yes, my teachers .____.

Yes, real cow.

Yes, real buffalos.

This picture has much feels but need editing.

Cambodian kids are just too cute.

Even as a baby :3

Omnomnoms at night

And I shall end with this toad that scared away many girls.

After getting back from the Beng Mealea temple ruins, it was raining when we walked back, and raining when we went to bathe. The bathroom stalls have no roof, so you can imagine us bathing, naked, in the dark, under the sky, in the rain. It was a hilarious/crazy/omg/wtf/fun experience. It was so frigging cold that the cold water feels warm. And it was one of the highlights in the trip hahaha. 

Next post, I shall show you how the whole camp looks like (including the compost toilet we had to use for a few days, without water), and what project work hard labour we did. :)

See you!