“Happy, happy, very happy!”

The GROW team had another Skype call with Mr. Chanthan this past Wednesday, which for me personally, always makes the internship seem somehow closer and more real. We dialed in a full hour early this week, forgetting that not everyone in the world “springs ahead” for daylight savings time. But Mr. Chanthan greeted us with a smile – as always – and we planned a little more for the upcoming trip.

We were able to speak about the English lessons more concretely, as Mr. Chanthan expressed the importance of starting from basics like the alphabet, saying that it would be beneficial for all levels of experience. When Gabby suggested that we also spend some time learning Khmer with CSSD, he joyfully responded that we would have teachers all around us, and that the team would be “happy, happy, very happy” to help out! The staff seems so excited about mutual learning between our groups – the energy is both refreshing and motivating.

The team also spoke briefly about the documentary and proposal-writing workshops, and Mr. Chanthan suggested that these could be planned on a flexible basis as we become familiar with the environment at CSSD during the internship. As he says, “we are all very open here,” which allows for adaptability. And I think this will be important for our productivity while we are there.

Before leaving for the night, Mr. Chanthan gave us some general advice about being in Phnom Penh, speaking to us about things like the weather and traffic conditions. In this way, he began to give us a sense of what it will feel like to be on the other side of the planet this summer. And it seems that I’ll be hunting for a pair of rain boots this weekend for the rainy season!

The call was a welcome reminder of the all the preparations we still have to make before the internship. The GROW team will be spending the next few weeks planning our lessons and workshops, learning about NGO capacity building in general, and staying up-to-date with current events in Phnom Penh. It’s truly one of the most exciting learning experiences I’ve ever had.

Best wishes until next time!

-Nabgha