Bali and Murali

I just got in touch with my Indian classmates, Azad Bali and Srivatsan Murali, again thru Facebook. Bali is now working in NUS daw as an Instructor at LKYSPP. While Murali is in India working for a small consulting company, he said. They made me think of going back to the economics profession. Why not indeed? What am I doing in Cambodia was their question.

Leeyaj used to ask me, "Bakit Heids, ayaw mo ba maging academic?" Well, as I said in my profile, I have been in the academe all my life but I didn't know where to go with it. I guess it only takes one thing. And one thing only. I have to put my passion into it. May God bless me. Amen.

Qualification

Hahay, think of your future daw, get a good qualification! Pila pa man diay ka qualification ako kuhaon? Cge lng ko'g ineskwela for nothing!Like what I said this morning Lord, I've had enough of those awards when I was young. I pray na lng you'd award me with a good husband. Funny, I was singing "Please Be Careful with my Heart" on the way to graduation this morning. Then who should I see on the road? Si Darwin Geroche. He must've been on his way to pick up his sister, Genevieve. What are you telling me Lord? I just keep the faith. Amen!

Thoughts

Now that I am officially on vacation, I think if I'd really want to stay on here in Phnom Penh. I am missing home and I am thinking of getting married! I know I don't wanna be alone for the rest of my life!

Two weeks ago, I thought I'd stay here in PP, at Western Intl School in particular. Mdm Shirley told me that she'd put me in K3 again next term pohon. Then she also gave me a tutorial session that will start by end August pohon. Kwenta2 nako, if I persist in this tutorial, in 4wks I'd have enough to cover for my visa.

But then, I always think of my Palm Heights bayranan and the fact that nobody lives there now. Unsaon man na nako nang balay kung wala ra diay mopuyo?

I guess I'll hold on. Bigay naman ito lahat ng Dios e so Siya ang mas nakakaalam. I keep the faith!

Kirirom

I decided to go to Kirirom last Sunday after all. I saw Abbey and Chris man gud in church last Saturday and I realized how short is our time left to spend together. Manglarga na gud na sila ig Sunday, 24 Aug pohon. Even Amy went to church last Saturday too, she told me in the bus on the way there.

It wasn't much, layo ang byahe and the waterfalls were not so spectacular. But cge n lng coz mao ra man pud toy barato2. Excited kaau mga estudyante, 630am pa lang didto na sila CWF when they were told that the buses would leave at 7am and 8am respectively.

7pm na mi nauli sa PP. Guess it was time well spent after all. God bless!

Rock the Boat

We're gonna be transferring to a new bldg this Sept phon. Grade school na daw mahibilin sa amo bldg right now. Gusto daw kunin ng head ng English dept sila three white guys as teachers sa grade school. Pero si Mdm Shirley daw fought na maretain si Teacher Nick sa kinder. Pero si Teacher John wala. Tua na tawn sya sa Montessori Campus. I miss him somehow. He gave Tita Sonia and I refrigerator magnets man gud. He has lived in Phils before, sa Subic. Back in the 1980s. We talked about it once, in the old bldg. Told him I haven't been to Subic, and I'd love to go.

Some of my students said, "Teacher Heide, when I go to Grade 1, I will not see you there anymore". I miss them and I'll pray for them.

Good luck to us all!

How to Deal

Maybe that's the reason why I am alone all this time. I don't want to deal w/ people in a close way. Gusto ko naa lng ko academe para mga libro lng pirmi nako makita, I will not say or do anything bad to them. But I also must grow up right? And even if this is only Cambodia, this is my 1st time to be teaching in a school which is not my home somehow. This is a foreign territory! I felt so at home in USC: Aside from staying for too long in there, I also studied there.

Mao na lagi na, lesson learned from that experience. Di na nako pakialaman ang mga bagay that are beyond my sphere. "He doesn't care". Stay on your level daw. And like what Ate Maline once told me, "Don't get too close. Hibaw na ka, ang mga intriga". Cge, I'll bear that in mind. Amen.

Old Ways

Ìt must be true. You cannot teach old tricks to a new carabao. I have ways man diay from USC that gidala nako all the way here in Cambo. Nahimo na nuon kong pakialamera. Di man ta ko nakialam sa mga report card. Bat pa kasi nya ko tinanong e?

And I got into a misunderstanding with Ate Tess too. Ug sa iya pang words, ako kuno syang gisiraan. I had wanted to back out of the 530 to 630 ESL class at Western Boeung Trabek nya la man ko nitunga pagka time na sa klase mao nahitabo to. I admit it was all my fault. But I was just telling the truth!

Even during our graduation last Saturday, daghan daw nainis nako kay akong gipangsigawan. Well, la man gud na sila kaila ug mga Bisaya; normal ra man to para nako, sigaw na to para sa mga Tagalog. Kani laging mga tawo nga naa na sa posisyon, di na gusto macorrectionan. Well, what can I do about it? Shut up my mouth lang jud. Know my place.

Good luck to us all. I still keep the faith.

Bantil

I just read my sister, Bantil's email of her arrival back from Brunei. La sya nagdugay didto kay hago kaau nya gamay ra sweldo. Tulo pa jud ka bata iya bantayan! Btaw, unsaon man gud nang magtrabaho nga gamay ra sweldo! Gibuligan sya sa mga kalag, didto kuno brown butterfly nibulig niya.

God is really good. Tua na sya Manila ron. Nan-aw na lng kuno pud sya for Taiwan. Ginoo na bahala sa tanan. Amen!

Zephaniah

I know there is a reason why I am here in Cambo as of this exact moment. Ug ni Lenlen pa lagi ganiha, "Naay plano si Lord para nimo, Heids, wait lang (hold on) and trust Him. Amen! He will restore me lagi to what is really my right as a child of God. Forever optimistic...

SURVIVE

Seems I have survived my 1st month teaching kindergarten. And the good news is, I might be teaching full-time in the next term in September, as our coordinator told me. We might move to our new campus also. Hehe, things seem to be looking up; good signs for me! I keep the faith.

Told Ate Jing I'm gonna look for a new place na in Toulkok. Hope all things would turn out well. It will be my 4th house na. Okay lang, si Teacher Ryan man sad gani is on his 4th house na pud kuno. Depende na lang ni. God bless us!

Thing is, my volunteering and my paid work would end at the same time, 23rd August pohon. There must be a reason for this and I am expectant to see what it will be. God will reveal it soon, I trust. To Him be all praise and glory. Amen!

Household

Kataw-anan kaayo kay sa amo ang household last Saturday. In the morning pa mi kahibaw ni Ate Ica that kami food service. Decide na lng mi palit manok. Then in the afternoon after church, we learned that kami ang host. Hahay! Dali2 tawn ko uli, andam. Lingaw, busog mi tanan.

I had asked the Lord to show me how to share my blessings. Donate man ta ko Missionaries of Charity, la man kuno didto sisters, didto Kampong Som. So mao diay to gusto sa Lord na way.

Budget2 na ko ako money. Maigo lagi ni tanan, Dios ang nagbigay sa kin nito e. I keep the faith!

Around Cambodia

Yesterday afternoon, Ate Ica and I went to buy my two new skirts for work. La man tawn ko mga dala sanina for work from Pinas. Then we had a burger meal at BB World. She said, "Kakaon na jud ko sa imong hinaguan, Dok" That was really something for the books. Giuwan pa jud mi, lun-oy na pud ko tubig pauli.

When I was still living in St 200, I was able to go to the border, Bavet, on Easter Sunday, then Picnic Area, and Siem Reap. Nakishare ko kadyot ila Ms Ruth then we went to Sihanoukville for Khmer New Year. Then I moved to St 472 in TTP and nagkakulay mundo ko. I volunteered for CWF but I didn't really go anywhere outside PP. Then I moved to St 302 and I was able to go to Kirirom, Thailand and to the border again yesterday. But mao lagi, I found work when I moved to this new place. La lng. Iba lng sya sa lahat jud. Jia you Doki!

Should I stay or should I go?

I received my first ever pay in Cambodia yesterday. Kakwarta na tawn ko diri after a very long time. But I can't help but think if this is what I really wanna do. I feel that I'm only doing this coz I don't want to keep asking money from Ate Jing anymore. Uni-Lu acknowledged receipt of my application and they are just going to screen it daw. It's now all up to You, Lord; I just keep the faith.