While I am here in Siem Reap, I make it a habit to find time to read aloud to the kids in the public school housed on the grounds of my favourite pagoda, Wat Damnak. The reading takes place in another favourite place of mine, the children’s library of the Centre for Khmer Studies, which is also housed there and which I first wrote about here. The Centre also has an adult’s library and a conference room and archive where academics from around the world come to work, many of whom come here on fellowships provided by the Centre.

But my focus is on the local kids. for one hour on a Saturday morning, the kids come to the library. I read a picture book aloud, often acting out the silliest parts, too, and the librarian translates as I go. Then the kids either draw or make book marks, and it all ends with a cold drink. The first time I did this, ten kids showed up. The next time, it was 40. I then heard that one of the kids missed that session because his bike broke, and when he arrived they found him crying because he had missed it. Can you imagine? So this past Saturday, I wasn’t sure what I would find when I went to do this next reading.
Fifty-five kids showed up, all crammed into the little room. The age range was from five to twelve, and some of them had been hanging around and waiting since 7:00 in the morning! Unbelievable. the book this time was “Mr. Large in Charge” about the family of elephants who try to give the mother a day off by being as helpful as they can, and, of course, hilarity ensues.
I am honoured to see that these readings have become such anticipated events. I don’t dare stop doing them — not that I would consider such a thing. But I am also starting to put out feelers to see if the Principal of the school would like me to try a short Writing Through taster session with some of the kids. Working in a public school not really supported by an NGO would be yet another big step for the Writing Through program, and a very important one, too, I think. We’ll see.

By the time this is posted I will be starting 3 weeks of teacher training and workshop running for Children of the Mekong. First stop, Phnom Penh.