Teaching in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Wow, one whole month since my last post.  I guess that's just the way things go sometimes.  Well, after Ayutthaya I went back to Bangkok for a few days, which solidified my urge to go spend time immersed in nature.  So I decided to spend a week camping in the jungles of Khao Yai National Park.  It was an absolutely beautiful experience full of hikes, elephant tracking, wild animals, and nothing but time to take it all in.  I have plenty of footage that I'm currently editing so I'll hold off on posting pictures but I assure you that it was a very memorable week.

At the moment I'm in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, living in an apartment with a man from London named Simon and teaching Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate English at a school very close to my home.  Quite a change of pace you say?  I would have to agree.  Let me explain.

The idea was first planted in my head in December when I was talking to some foreigners living here and making a living by teaching English.  That was the moment that I became aware that a real possibility even existed.  I left Cambodia and made my way to southern Thailand to meet Hadley and talked about it with her as a next step I was considering.  Phnom Penh left a very good impression on me so I felt a strong draw to return there.  Being able not only to break even but actually save some money while living abroad in Southeast Asia just sounded too good to be true.  So I returned to Phnom Penh, checked into a Guesthouse and began my search for a job.  It was at the Guesthouse that I met Simon, who as it turns out was doing exactly the same thing.

In one morning a dropped off my Resume (or CV) with a smile at ten different schools, trying to talk to anyone beyond the front desk and leave a good impression as I went.  A few days later I received a call to come in for an interview, at the end of which they told me to come in on Saturday to pick up my schedule.  With jobs secured, Simon and I decided to join forces and go house hunting (also done by motorbike taxi).  We found a very nice place that came fully furnished so we jumped on it.  It was especially convenient for me because I can walk from home to work.  So within the span of few days a few great leaps were made and I now call Phnom Penh my home.  Here's a picture of me sitting in our living room wearing my teacher clothes:

I don't know how long I'll be here or where I'll go next.  We'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.