Day 8 - Sunday

Today is our final day in Cambodia. We made our way down for breakfast as per usual at the early hours of the morning. We went and visited the slums for a walk to see a glimpse of the poorer parts of the city. After the we went to the Russian market for our final activity. We shopped and camebback  to hotel for a final swim and clean up. We said goodbye to our amazing guide Sunny. And now... We can't believe we're at the end! What an amazing trip!!!
Chloe & Ella U

Day 7 - Saturday

Today was our last full day of this experience. We went to Chabad house for Shabbat shule service and we were able to experience the Jewish community and culture outside of Australia. We were able to learn many new facts which  furthered our knowledge. It was a great atmosphere and everyone enjoyed it. Later, we then were able to go on a boat which went around the river twice. On the boat ride, everyone was dancing, laughing and talking. The vibe was nearly as good as the view. It was a great ending to a once life in a life time Cambodia trip.

Blog post - Elli, Alana, Sammy

Day 6 - Friday

the blog for tonight!

Today was a somber day in comparison to the fun filled, , spirited adventures we've had so far. We began with breakfast in our new hotel, who we sadly share with the general public. Then we took a short bus ride to S-21, a "VIP" prison with torture chambers, which was highly known and frequented during the Cambodian genocide, under the rule of Pol Pot. We walked its grounds and entered the actual rooms in which government official's were mercilessly tortured for information. Hundreds of photos adorn the walls of the horrible means of torture, as well as photos of every single person who entered S-21, never to return. After that, we made our way to the infamous killing fields. Here, anyone deemed a threat to the communist rule would be executed. Mass graves are all littered in bracelets, signs of blessings and hope that this awful event is never repeated. Within the centre of these fields is a large glass cabinet, in which all the skulls of the victims are displayed.

With heavy hearts and introspective minds, we headed back to the hotel slowly, mulling over what we had all just witnessed and the terrible crimes that had been committed. How could we better raise awareness of this monumental event in history? Why don't we talk about it?

We were given some free time, where most of us retired to the hotel pool to relax for an hour or so.

Finally, we all began to get ready for our shabbat dinner at the Cambodian chabad house. Every one having proper showers and getting tidied up, preparing for our dinner.

As shabbat comes in, perhaps we should all take a moment to consider how little we may be aware of the world around us. This trip is an opportunity for us all to learn and grow beyond our small communities, becoming aware of this big, wide world we belong to.

Shabbat Shalom to everyone back home, we are all safe, well and happy.

Claire and Shani

Day 5 - Thursday

Today was a very busy and fulfilling first day in Phnom Penh! It started off with a nice early wake up at 4:00am and flying for a painfully long period of 25 minutes. Upon our arrival we headed to the Royal Palace and had a short tour of some of the most magnificent buildings complete with breathtaking and meticulous architecture. We were lucky enough to have another unique market experience at the Russian Markets where we browsed the local crafts and produce and also bought some clothes for the children at the Sunrise Children's Village (an orphanage and daycare centre). After the market trip we travelled back to the hotel to eat our delicious hot noodle boxes that did not help with the intense heat that we were already feeling. We set off again and traveled to the supermarket to stock up on snacks. the teachers and a few of the students had $1000 altogether to spend to buy toothpaste, shampoo, laundry detergent and many more toiletry and homeware gifts. we packed back onto the bus and headed to Sunrise Children's Village where we delivered the goods and had quality time to laugh and play with the children. We sat down with the head of the Children's Village to discuss the importance of the program and she shared with us some eye-opening stories about a few individual children. The children were sad to see us go just as we were sad to leave them but they touched our hearts and we will never forget them. After a hot and tiring day we finally checked into the hotel properly and relaxed for a bit before leaving to go to Chabad House for dinner. This was an eventful trip as we drove to the Chabad House from last year unbeknown that they had changed locations. Finally we made it to the Chabad House and had a very enjoyable meal with the owners of the house. Today was a long day however we pushed through and had an amazing experience to start off our time in Phnom Penh.

Written by Liora and Lexi !!! :)

Day 3 & 4 Tuesday/Wednesday

We began the morning by purchasing food supplies for the village we built the houses for, quickly perspiring in the 98% humidity. After that, we made haste to reach the families and begin to finish up the houses we had been tirelessly working to build for the past two days.

Both teams made quick work, which was punctuated by frequent rock games with the village children, whom we'd all grown infinitely fond of within the short period of time. Everyone was dreading the moment we'd have to leave our small friends and we cherished each second. Lunch was a mass group of both teams and the children, laughs and food being passed around like it was nothing.

Finally, we cheered and whopped as the houses were completed. We completed a traditional house warming ceremony and eagerly handed out bags of rice, cans of food and toys for children to the entire village. It was a successful build.

We ended our day with a visit to a local school teaching English to its pupils, where we conversed with them in multiple dialects, played many games of soccer and footy, as well as learning some local word games.

Overall, we returned to the hotel sweaty, tired, exhausted, smiling and happy.

Liam F and Claire

Day 2 - some teacher observations

Zac & Josh P were superstars when it came to sawing.
Ashley & Joe did not stop working all day.
Riley, Mia & Bailey have been amazing at work.
Josh O loved sawing - the hardest job!

Day 2 - student update

Today we continued to build the houses in the village. Although it was extremely tough and hot we all had heaps of fun. The temperature was scorching while we were building but this didn't stop us. We had lots of fun playing with the children of the village and learning their many fun and entertaining games. On both houses the structure is up and the floor is nailed down. For many of us, today was the first day we ever used saws, hammers and nails. After the full day of working we visited the local market to our hotel and we bought the village children and adults, 100kg of rice and more necessities for their home, we also bought presents for the children we felt strong friendship and connection with. An aspect we found confronting was the view from the bus. Many cows on the side of the road were malnourished and you could see their bones bulging from their bodies. Ultimately, today was very enjoyable and we all feel that we have made a huge difference to these families lives.
- Tommy, Ivy and Emily