Beautiful Goodbyes

May has definitely been eventful and super busy, things are changing, feelings being expressed and many are moving on into different walks of life!

Carmen, the fellow volunteer here, decided to go home.  Her mother had been hospitalized twice and had serious conditions so Carmen decided to try to make a peaceful and planned exit giving her enough time to say goodbye to the girls, but to also get her home to her mother.  The girls were devastated when they found out, but then of course immediately started writing songs and planning ideas to say goodbye to their wonderful teacher!

I helped to teach the girls a beautiful song by Tyrone Wells called The time of our Lives.  With songs its always a bit questionable.  Do they understand the song or do they just like the way it sounds, but the first time I played it, many of them started to cry so I think they understood!

Us teachers also wanted to be apart to send off Carmen, so we decided to do a traditional Khmer dance for her, the Coconut dance :)  so funny, and too much fun to practice.  We had Rith, one of the second years teach us and she was also my partner when we danced. We learned the whole thing in a week and I was literally shaking before we went out in front of Carmen and the girls!  I was in traditional Khmer dress and done up in make up and my hair as well.  Carmen knew something was going on, because I had been in and out, escaping early for bed and sneeking off a bit, all too practice but it all made sense on Friday!

The girls sang to Carmen so many songs, they had practiced several and then after they finished those, they would start into another as if they continued to sing they wouldn't have to say goodbye at some point.  Finally they stopped singing and began giving gifts to Carmen, necklaces of jasmine, candles, scarves, wooden boats so many things (as if she wasn't already having a hard time all in her suitcases).

We sadly sent her off and said our final goodbyes on Sunday, May 13th and waved goodbye as she was going up to security at the airport.  I miss our meals and our random outbursts of laughing at whatever it was, the girls missed her joy and her love, they miss their mother they say :)  Carmen you are and definitely always will be loved here in Cambodia.  I'm trying to take care of your girls the best I can and i keep telling them to be emailing to you, so I hope they are.

Our next goodbye was on Friday, June 1st---HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANE!  This was the last day of schoool for the second years.  On Monday they began their internships, some went home to their provinces only to come back for graduation, so they took this time to reflect and say sorry in the morning for anything thing that might have happened through out the year and remember all of their beautiful memories together, we had a slideshow of alot of the pictures from the year!  Then in the afternoon we said goodbye to one of the volunteer teachers would had been coming here for 5 years and teaching accounting and then the 1st years had some things for the second year about thank you for guiding and helping them throughout the year and then the second year also gave back to the first years.  The second years presented them with their blue (2nd year) ribbons and watching my first years stand with their ribbons, they were so proud and ready to move up and be the leaders of the school! So exciting to see and also sad, everyone was crying and sad to go, but it was really sweet how much the girls do for each other!

So they cried until about 3 and then the dance party began. And we rocked it until about 5, perfect way to go out :)

This week has felt so strange, some of the girls I have gotten so close are gone and yes, they have called to let me know they made it home and that they miss school, but they aren't here.  These two months will be such a good time with my first years and i am so excited about that!

I also hope the girls are out working hard and trying to figure out what they want to actually do with their life, what is their choice and I hope that this school and us, teachers gave them not only some of hte skills within the office, but the mindset to also think on a grander scale and to CHOOSE what they want and what they can do!!

Teaching is so emotional...

Enjoy the videos and us makin fools out of ourselves :)

Oratory outing to Bokor Mountain

So much flair..

Yary and I

We really love Mary...

Carmen's last weekend here, we finally decided to try, 3 on a moto!

Our bike ride to find the students for oratory

The chicken moto

The girls performing a farewell skit for Carmen

Saying Goodbye

After our big performance

My beautiful teacher, Rith

dance party

Soreth, one of my first years

Sin and I

Check out the view behind us!

Swimming in our clothes once again

Happy feast day!  Mary Help of Christians

All the love between 1st and 2nd year!

Mony comforting

A goodbye at the house!

Some very special girls!

Carolyn is in Cambodia, she was the SLM here before Carmen and I that has come back to work in Cambodia, fighting for women's education

Our last day all together

Us dancing, I am having a hard time getting the video up on here, but I'll keep trying