Hey there! I just changed my blogskin :) It's a little user-unfriendly because you can't navigate my past posts by headings or hashtags. So i'm gonna update the codings, stay tuned! (The font's kinda hard to read too..other than these 3 peeves, i'm quite satisfied) Follow me on the links below! :) 29/4/2015.
Started this blog during the last few weeks of SEM1(AY2014/15) cos' i regained interest in blogging. I blog about anything - news, social issues, music - but mostly about my university life :) Hope my posts will help you to make better life (and module) choices! Currently a Sociology Major. Still fresh. xD  : Amelia Lim, 20 October.+ follow | Email | insta | twitter | fb magic sprinkles: recent updates :
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Happy CNY!
written on Saturday, 28 January 2017 @ 04:23 ✈
Wow how long has it been since i posted?
Anyway, if you guys have emailed me regarding my blogposts, i'm sorry for taking so long to reply because i've been overseas, and busy preparing for my exchange. Here's an article about my cambodia internship - just to revive this blog haha: 
Selfie with Yufei!
Introduction
I embarked on my first ever overseas internship last
December. I taught English and helped with curriculum planning for 5 weeks at a
Learning Center in Kampong Speu, Cambodia. I chose this internship for 3 main
reasons – First, it fit my schedule; Second, I was interested in learning more
about sustainable community building in overseas non-government organisations;
and lastly, I wanted to head out of Singapore for a quick breather, and if I
can value-add to a community in the process – why not?
My concerns
Of course, when I told my parents I wanted to go for this
internship, they vehemently protested.
They weren’t exactly very supportive, and that made me worried too. They
told me stories about people getting raped, things getting stolen…as if people
living in third world countries are all baddies. As much as I disliked stereotyping, its these
kind of images the media has been feeding us, and I just wanted to expereience
it for myself. It was a decision I never regretted!
Other concerns include if my help was really value adding to
the community – or was it increasing their dependence on outsiders, or fuelling
voluntourism. That’s something that is hard to verify online, so I took abit of
a risk and went for it. I looked up the organisation and found that they had a
subtantial web presence, and also a detailed documentation of their activities.
Also, FCC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cambodian Government,
and hence I trusted the organisation.
Market
Class selfie!
The trip!
Kampong Speu was an hour and thirty minutes drive away from the
city center Phnom Penh. Ann, one of the founders of FCC, picked me up from the
Phnom Penh International Airport. She shared with me more about what she does
and how it all started, which made me less nervous. She knew what she wanted to
do since she was 11, which was to help the poor and needy. After completing her
studies in early childhood education in US, she volunteered her services in
Thailand for 23 years, before heading to Cambodia for another 10 years! Over
here, she set up a few learning centers in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
 
Snack Shop!
Soccer!
The Learning Center in Kampong Speu had a room specially for
international volunteeers to stay in. Hence, the community here was used to
outsiders who come and go. I was pretty impressed by the facilities – they had
a proper bathroom (though the flush does not work and there’s no heater but I
was satisfied), and also a cupboard, small dressing table, 3 beds and we had
our own water tank. The facilities were much better than those of a previous
Overseas Community Involvement Programmed I embarked on, where we slept on the
floors of a classroom and bathed in bathrooms which didn’t have showerheads.
Hence, I didn’t have much difficulty adjusting. It was abit dusty and dry
though, we had to sweep the floor everyday.
Teaching
experience
As the local school teachers are underpaid, the lessons are
not as structured compared to Singapore. Students would have morning class on
one week, and afternoon class on the following week. The timetable changes
weekly and hence, we have morning and afternoon sessions everyday to cater to
all the students.
I was glad to see that the Cambodian teachers here all had a
basic command of english and I was able to converse with them! This is a sign
of sustainable community building, where the Learning Center can function by
itself without relying too much on volunteers. The students here speak pretty
good english as well, and this helped a lot in communication.
It was my first time teaching in a class setting, and most
of the students are pretty cooperative. The morning class was good because I
taught with a cambodian teacher and he had his own curriculum. For the evening
class, I only had a textbook as a teaching material and thus, I would use
powerpoint, and also some grammar exercises I found online to teach as well. There
are a naughty few who always play soccer, but attendance improved after I
introduced some games along with prizes I bought from their bookshop. I
struggled with those students for awhile – they are really fun-loving, but they
just can’t sit down and study – but no regrets because I have tried my best to
engage them. The evening class was only forty five minutes and I had to make
the best out of it by teaching those who want to study.
Favourite Part
I enjoyed teaching the students, and also having
conversations with the people here, about their way of life, culture and
aspirations. It made me realise we’re more similar than different. Those are
really precious moments, where we talk about the things we hope to achieve, and
the challenges that we face and how have overcome, or are trying to overcome
it. Mr Raksa, a local cambodian who started the Learning Center, shared with me
stories about the beginnings of the Learning Center, how it grew, and his hopes
to expand and help children who live in the outskirts. We helped him to draft
up a curriculum for pre-school kids as he hopes to standardise it, educate
them, and hope that they will help others in future as well.
At the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh
Ta Phrom, Siem Reap
During the weekends, we will travel out to Phnom Penh and
Siem Reap! I enjoyed travelling out because there’s not much to do in the
learning center during the weekends, as the markets are mostly closed. Together
with another NUS intern, we spent a night at Phnom Penh. I also travelled with
her family to Siem Reap, and we visited the Angkor Wat and Pubstreet!
Advice!
If you’re thinking if you should embark on an overseas
internship, here are some tips and pointers for you:
1.
Think about what you really want out of this
internship – How will it help you in figuring out what you want to pursue in
future?
2.
Research about the organisation you’re applying
for – Read up the news related to the organisation, and what they have been
doing, and what people say about them to help you assess if the organisation
suits you
3.
Money-wise – I paid 150USD/week to stay at the
learning center, and all meals were provided. All excess funds goes to the
maintenance and improvement of the learning center. It’s a little expensive,
but NUS helped to offset half my expenses (750SGD). I applied for IE-YTP and
NUS International Internships Award – do check out the financial aid portal for
available fundings! Also, if you’re paying to stay, remember to ask where those
excess funds go to, to makes sure it’s accounted for. Check out the local
currency too – in Cambodia, they use USD and Riel interchangeably. By default, 1USD
= 4000 Riel and you’ll get change in both currencies.
4.
Location – if it’s a little out of the way, you
can request for the host organisation to pick you up!
5.
It’s helpful to always keep in touch with the
news in the country – the political happenings and natural disasters that may
affect your trip.
6.
Make friends and be open, and if possible you
can ask the locals to bring you around too! And also, booking.com is a great
website for cheap accomodation!
I hope this post helps anyone who's looking to intern/volunteer overseas (:
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