The Superstars of NPIC...

Well, we are still without the Internet at NPIC, and so communication has been a bit difficult.  When we come into the city on the weekends we are trying our best to post on our blog and send emails to all of you.  That being said, here is a quick recap of our week:

We made it back to the countryside Sunday evening, and relaxed a bit before starting classes again on Monday.  We are in our third week of teaching, and are finally hitting our stride.  Our students are wonderful, and we are regularly surprised with their command of the English language.  However, there are those few students who still stare at us with blank faces, which make it a little more difficult. 

Two events this week stand out as memorable, and consequently, both happened on Friday.  First, we had a small group of students over for lunch on Friday afternoon.  We made them Mexican food, which they had never had before!  It was a great experience.  Andrea and I handmade the tortillas, whipped up some seasoning for the beef, and splurged on some cheese.  All in all, I think they liked the flavor, but a few of the students found it just a little too foreign.  We had some great conversation however, and are thoroughly enjoying building relationships with our students.  They wanted to know everything about us, from what our friends and families are like, to how one eats a burrito, to why we celebrate Christmas.  Needless to say, we had a splendid time, and are really looking forward to our next gathering. 

Second, after our “Mexican feed,” we moseyed on over to the NPIC soccer field and watched the opening game of the NPIC soccer season.  It was the IT department versus the NPIC Superstars.  Why were the IT students playing against the Allstars, you ask?  Well, because the IT department has won the NPIC championship three years in a row now, so the University President decided to create an exhibition match so the IT students might experience the agony of defeat.  Hilariously, we were the guests of honor, so they sat us at the fifty underneath the shaded portion of the bleachers (imagine a medieval joust).  It was a great game, the students were thrilled that we were their, and the Vice-President of the university asked me and our team leader, Bryant, to play on NPIC’s teacher team, so…we’ll have to keep you posted on the NPIC teaches’ soccer season.  That being said, NPIC is beginning to feel more and more like a community, and we are slowly (oh so slowly) starting to view it as our home. 

In other news, Andrea’s pregnancy is moving right along.  We are buying tickets today for her flight to Thailand on the second of January (I will be shortly following behind her on the fifteenth), and each day we are able to make out the movements of our daughter a little more. 

Well, the rice patties behind our dormitories are being harvested, and that can only mean one thing: CHRISTMAS!!!  So, we put up a small Christmas tree in our kitchen room, however, no matter how many trees you see, or how much Christmas music you listen to, it’s a little hard to get into the mood when it’s eighty degrees outside.  But, the season is here, and all of you are increasingly on our minds.  As a matter of fact, tonight we will be going to a Christmas concert that a local high school is putting on in Phnom Penh.  It should be a good show, but it is still difficult being away from friends and family during the holidays.  We miss you all and love you, and we hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season.  Until next weekend…

Ben and Andrea