Art Olympics

 I want to share with you some of my students art work as well as a project I've been working on. For the past couple of weeks I've held art workshops with my art club in order to help put together an art manual that I and another volunteer are putting together. These pictures will be used to demonstrate examples for the art curriculum that we are writing up. This art manual is apart of the Art Olympics project that we have been working on for the past three months. We're trying to provide students across Cambodia with an opportunity to learn the history, skills and technique of art. Most students in Cambodia grow up without ever experiencing the joys and wonder of art and due to the poor education system most schools are not able to provide any funds for any sort of art classes. This is where we step in and try to help. We have over 30 volunteers who have signed up and each one will get to team up with a counterpart and teach art classes for a period of 2 to 3 for months. The grant that we have written is requesting funds and donations for art materials and such. We're also doing an art competition at the very end and which ever student's pieces get the top votes will get to come into Phonm Penh for a day and take an art workshop with an established Khmer artist as well as have their art work displayed in an art gallery.

This is the third year that this project will get to carry on. We're following the footsteps of the volunteers before us who have paved the way. I wanted to step up to the plate and take on this project this year because I have such a strong admiration for my art students. We have come a long way and have grown in so many ways. A year ago I struggled teaching them art because of my lack of Khmer speaking skills and also because I was at a loss on how to teach art to a group of students who have never practiced art or who haven never seen iconic images (the kind that we're used to seeing while growing up in America, such as the Mona Lisa, the Scream or the Last Super.) But now, 18 months later, my students and I are able to bond and communicate in a way where I'm able to present to them a new art lesson and they are able to run with it. I remember the first time I showed them Salvador Dali's art work and their response was total confusion but eye opening. One of them told me that he doesn't understand what he's looking at or what the art work means but that he likes it. Sometimes I can't talk about my art students without tearing up because of how proud I am of them for their dedication and perseverance. They really have come a long way and I am constantly amazed with their talent and imagination. They'll always have a special place in my heart.

We're still low on funds and haven't reached our goal yet. If you would like help us out please check out our website at https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=13-303-008
Anything will help and my students and I will forever be grateful!

 nature art.

 pencil drawing: Lady Gaga

 water color scribbles

 magazine collage

 abstract art

 The Buddah

 Angkor Wat

My art club and their huge thank you card to some friends from back home who sent us some art materials. Love you guys! <3 <3

Happy Human Rights Day!!! Lets go fly a kite!

December 10th was Human Rights Day and schools all across Cambodia had the day off to recognize this holiday. My counterpart, Vanny, invited me and a few other volunteers to join her and our students for a day of fun and kite flying. We had so much fun and I was really impressed with all of my student's skills and talent with their kite making abilities. We went to a national park that has open land and natural spring water. It was a bright a beautiful day and even though their wasn't to much wind flowing in the air it did not stop us from running back and fourth just to see our kites lift off the ground and fly high up into the sky.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

For Thanksgiving this year I was able to spend it at my site with my students. I taught them about American holidays and the traditions that comes along with them. I spoke to them about how the meaning behind Thanksgiving is to bring families together so they can give thanks for all the food and happiness that we have in life. I decided to have them do an art activity that I remember doing in the third grade that would have them practice with their writing and speaking skills. They cut out the outline of a turkey and then traced their hands which they also cut out in order to make feathers. They had a good time making them and I really enjoyed listening to them speak about the five things that they are grateful for. One student said he is grateful for his bike, a few of them sad that they are grateful for their books and most of them said they are grateful for their family. They are such great students. I couldn't help but feel grateful that i was able to spend my last Thanksgiving in Cambodia with them.

Sure! Lets Bike Across Cambodia!

In the beginning of December I biked across Cambodia with a few friends. It took a few days for me to recover from a sore behind, a cramped back and a serious tan but I had the best time of my life. I met up with four of my friends along the national highway and biked more than 220 kilometers. It took us about two days to get to our destination which was Siem Reap where we had also signed up to do a bike marathon. It was a hardcore week of physical activity but I felt like it was a good mental and physical challenge that I really needed. I spend so many countless hours just sitting around in my room because sometimes it's to hot to do anything or simply because i'm bored that sometimes i fall into a funk. But biking across Cambodia was exhilarating and I really enjoyed viewing Cambodia on my bike, laughing with my friends along the way and pushing myself to new boundaries.  

There's no better way to bike into Siem Reap with your friends than to ride in with a big Texas flag.

Me and my friend and six in the morning for our bike race.

Ghat-haun

I'm not even sure if i'm spelling this holiday correctly but in the beginning of November the students at my school were excused from a few classes to come and line up along the road in order to participate in a religious holiday. We had a mini parade of a few interesting characters dressed in masks that passed through. The students were filled with laughter and cheer and I had a great time watching them.