Sharing Our Journey
  • Home
  • Spring Trip 2022
    • VT to VA
    • VA & NC
    • VA to VT
    • VA Wildflowers
    • Mad_River_Canoe
  • 2019-2021
    • 2021 >
      • Winter 2021
      • Spring 2021
      • Summer 2021
      • Autumn 2021
    • 2020 >
      • Winter 2020
      • Spring 2020
      • Summer 2020
      • Fall 2020
    • 2019 >
      • Nov - Dec 2019
      • Oct 2019
      • Sep 2019
      • Jun - Aug 2019
      • Mar-May 2019
      • Jan-Feb 2019
  • 2017-2018
    • Hiking/Biking Sept-Dec >
      • December 2018
      • November 2018
      • October 2018
      • September 2018
    • Moving to Vermont
    • Cambodia >
      • Intro Phnom Penh
      • First Days
      • Temples & Drumming
      • Organic Farming
      • Khmer New Year
      • On the Beach
      • Royal Palace
      • Siem Reap
      • Water Sanitation
      • Teaching
      • Bits and Pieces
    • Super-Blue-Blood Moon
    • Great Allegheny Passage
    • Texas Motorcycle Trip-1
    • Texas Motorcycle Trip-2
    • Short Travel Videos
  • 2014-2016
    • Azerbaijan >
      • Nakhchivan May 2016
      • Quba Apr/May 2016
      • Museums Feb 2016
      • Friends & Gatherings Baku
      • House and Plants
      • Around Baku
      • Qax June 2015
      • Billy's Decade Party
      • Ganja & Goygol Oct 2015
      • Lahij Feb 2015
      • Yanar Dag/Ateshgah
      • Petroglyphs/Mud Volcanoes
      • Oguz, Xal Xal: Oct 2014
      • Absheron Park: Sep 2014
      • First 2 Wks Baku: Aug 2014
    • Turkey >
      • Cappidocia Nov 2015
      • Trekking Lycian Way >
        • Overview
        • Kayaköy
        • Ovacik-Faralya
        • Faralya-Alinca
        • Alinca-Gey
        • Gey-Sidyma-Gey
        • Patara Day 1
        • Patara Day 2
        • Patara Day 3
    • USA >
      • Amtrak Cross US Nov 2016
      • Summer 2016 >
        • Vermont 2 Trips
        • Long Island, Connecticut
      • Summer 2015 >
        • OR, WA, IN
        • Long Island, Connecticut
      • 2 Birthdays: Jan/Feb 2015
      • Long Island Winter 2014/15
  • 2011-2014
    • Germany: 2011-2014 >
      • Berlin & Koblenz 2014
      • Year End Summary 2013
      • Romantic RoadOct 2013
      • Jan - May 2013
      • Ahr - Blankenheim Oct 12
      • Aug - Dec 2012
      • Trier, Luxembourg: 2012
      • Nov 2011-March 2012
      • Mainz Frankfurt: Feb 2012
      • Windeck: Oct 2011
      • Eifel Park & Ahr: Oct 2011
      • Vineyard Tour 2011
      • First Impressions
    • France: April 2014
    • Netherlands: May 2013
    • Ireland: July 2013
    • X-Country Motorcycle: 2012
    • Paris: Oct 2012
    • Spain: Oct 2012
    • USA >
      • Summer 2014
      • Motorcycle MA & VT: 2014
      • Mom Memorial: Feb 2014
      • Wedding & Ft Wayne: Feb 2012
      • Greg & Jess Wed: July 2011
      • Summer 2011
  • 2008-2011
    • 2011 Video
    • Xian, Chengdu, Leshan
    • Yang Shou: Apr 2010
    • An Hui Province: Apr 2009
    • Harbin: Jan 2009
    • Singapore: Dec 2008
    • Nanjing: 2008-2011
    • Habitat Humanity: Nov 2008
    • Chinese New Year
    • New Zealand: 2009-2010
    • USA >
      • Road Trip to Florida 2010
      • Motorcycle Trip: 2010
      • Long Island Winter 2009
      • Summer 2009
  • 2006-2008
    • Zambia >
      • Northern Zambia 2006
      • Zambia Travels 1
      • Zambia Travels 2
      • Vic Falls & Chobe: 2007
      • Vic Falls & Chobe Videos
      • Zambia Thoughts
    • South Africa Hiking
    • Kenya & Congo
    • Romania
    • USA >
      • Summer 2008 Book Video
      • Summer 2007 Around USA
  • 2003-2006
    • Hong Kong >
      • HK & Macau: Aug-Dec 2004
      • NY Visitors: Oct 2004
      • Jon's Visit: Aug 2004
      • New Flat: May 2004
      • Spring 2004
      • Butterfly Hike
      • Nov 03 - Jan 04
      • Richard's Visit: Oct 2003
      • Mao Ping: Spring 2004
      • Intro to Hong Kong
    • Guilin Tour: Spring 2004
    • London
    • Northern Thailand
    • Malaysia
    • Mekong Delta Bike Trip
    • North Vietnam
    • USA
  • Cars & Motorbikes
    • Cross US Trip 2012
    • Honda Goldwing GL1800 >
      • Goldwing Details
      • Goldwing Extras
    • BMW K1200GT
    • 1984 Honda V65 Sabre
    • Chang Jiang 750
    • Rocky SX Daihatsu
    • Honda NightHawk 750cc
    • Nutmeg: 1971 Super Beetle
    • Volvo C70 T5
  • Mom & Dad

Volunteering in Cambodia

Picture
Picture
Being in the US for the past 18 months had us missing the overseas life. We seem to be aging out of the overseas teaching market and maybe not ready to take on a full-time contract anyway....so this unique opportunity popped up some months ago. It promised to be a great opportunity - get back overseas and get to do some teaching again. So after applying, having a Skype interview, and being accepted, we decided YES! let's do it!

'Volunteer in Cambodia' 
 is the name of the organization that we are teaching English for, for 3 months in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. We pay a small fee for room and board and teach local Cambodian students mostly ages 15 - 20 (but up to age 50) at the 'Conversations With Foreigners' (CWF) school. It has been a lot of preparation yet worth it. Such wonderful students from all economic walks of life. Our students vary in age from 18 to 50, placed in classes related to their abilities. Mostly mid 20’s but some older persons wishing to present themselves better in English so that their business or occupation will be improved. It's exhausting, challenging and very rewarding!
The organization takes the students' tuition and after expenses funnels the money to partner organizations that do work in rural Cambodia such as organic farming, working to provide safe drinking water, improve the quality of education and more. CWF has 4 semesters each year and brings in about a dozen teachers four times a year - what logistics that entails! They have a comprehensive 10 day orientation program that familiarizes us with the country, culture, students, local area, and academic needs, tools, and ideas for teaching. 

Ann taught the lower levels while Billy worked with more advanced students. Each class is 1.5 hours and we taught 3 classes a day. There is a lot of time spent in planning lessons, activities, games for each class. Not having been language teachers, we really didn’t realize what a difficult occupation it really is. Many sounds that are made in English are SO foreign to other language groups around the world. In addition we have learned that it is not only sound and intonation, but cultural differences make some idioms and words practically impossible to explain.
​