Friday 14 December 2012

# 18: “The secret of happiness is: Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it.” - Dan Dennet

Another week of fun in downtown Battambang.
I've certainly found Happiness....
We had a meeting with the Principal of Dewey International School (where most of our kids go) about a potential collaboration with the Ethics/Philosophy course. They seemed impressed with what we're doing. I'll be sitting in on one of their "Ethics" classes next Wednesday...
I really hope we can make some inroads here, it could be the catalyst we need to have our course introduced in more schools.
 
Our classes are getting more and more raucous as the kids continue to gain confidence in asserting their own opinions...and disputing each other's.
I've had the older kids, from 5th grade up, playing 'Devil's Advocate' and debating things like 'Animal Rights' and 'Intervening in Nature'. Interestingly, the boys have no trouble finding arguments to support something they actually believe is wrong, but the girls find that really challenging.
How the girls prepare for a debate...

..and how the boys prepare for the same debate...

Our illustrious leader returned from the Wonderful Land of Oz bearing tales of adventure, like watching the total solar eclipse from above the clouds over the Great Barrier Reef and making a speech at her old school, NEGS at Armidale, that brought the entire room to tears! Then managing to secure Full Boarding Scholarships for 2 of our girls to attend this prestigious school from years 7 through 12 as a result of said speech - that's a gift of about $120,000... FOR EACH GIRL!! 
She also came home bearing gifts for her loyal minions. Check this out family:
AEROPRESS - and REAL COFFEE!!
...now all I need is Tim Tams and Paradise will be complete......
We had a party at CCT to welcome Tara home and the kids put on a delightful Apsara Dance concert.
They were SO beautiful, both the boys and the girls. It's such a graceful and artistic form of dance.
I'm afraid I only had my Android with me since I went straight from work, and the 'stage lighting' was provided by Tara's headlights so the pictures are pretty poor quality, but you get the idea...
The Big Girls...

The Little Girls...

..and a dodgy video of the boys & girls together - The 'Coconut' Dance 


Tara showing the little ones her awesome moves...


After the concert, the party started with hoards of wild'n'crazy dancers and loud, western dance music - Don't think I've ever heard such an enthusiastic and impressive rendition of 'YMCA' or the 'Macarena' or even Bieber's 'Baby' !






And then there was the gorgeous Face-Art...
From just sa,aht' (beautiful),






 To stunning Dragons...




I just love watching these kids in party mode. They all get along so well, they all look after each other and they very clearly ALL LOVE TARA...




Nat & Kate...tehehe..

 



I feel I should point out that not ALL the Face-Art was so spectacular...






Meanwhile, back at my Li'l Log Cabin, my very first Lotus flower burst into bloom:


And I am now one-up on the silent mozzies!


Everything continues to roll along beautifully, I'm definitely where I belong ! 

1 comment:

  1. It's fantastic that Dewey are willing to work with you. I guess a lot of folks are just muddling through trying to find the "right" way to help. Collaboration is definitely a key ingredient for success.
    I LOVE the video. So nice to experience something of what you are living there.
    That aeropress contraption looks really interesting. I look forward to trying a coffee from it when we are there. Miss you. xxxx

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