The new day started with a quite windy and cold morning. The breakfast (Fried Rice with Sausage) was really nice. We were fortunate to be able to have packed food for breakfast, lunch and dinner as compared to some of the locals who may not have the ability to enjoy this luxury. After breakfast, we split into 2 teams to help out with the furnishing of the school. One team helped out with the construction of the concrete bed while the other team dug holes to plant 5 coconut and 5 mango trees.
Constructing the concrete bed
Constructing the concrete bed, which we had never been exposed to before, was really an interesting process. At the very first beginning, we thought it should be quite easy to align these bricks into a line. But the fact was that we spent quite much time in finishing only a few ones. The villagers were really friendly to give us the demo again and again. Although we did not speak the same language, we could still communicate through the body language and understand each other very well. After finishing the first concrete bed, we found the bricks were not enough to construct the second one. Finally, the villagers found the way to help finish our plan by making the wooden mode and fill the cement into it.
Planting trees
Initially, digging holes for planting seemed like an easy and straightforward task. We did not have to mix the cement or fetch water like what the concrete bed needed. We watched as Mr Ros mon taught us how to dig the holes which were square-ish in shape. It looked simple enough. Swing the chunko down, pull, get the soil out and repeat the process. However, it turned out to be much more difficult than expected. The angle that we swing the chunko down determines how much soil we were able to dig at one time and also determines how efficient we are. It was also extremely tiring for us as we are not used to manual labour. It was interesting to see how a particular kid was supervising Wilson and taking over from him every now and then. The kid was small in stature but he was able to dig better than most of us. This made us wonder about the age at which they start doing manual labour.
Playing with children
During our free time, we also played games with the kids. Their games required a lot of stamina and were very physically strenuous. Our old bones were put to the test with their enthusiasm and eagerness. Many of us were panting after the games while the children seemed to be able to play another 100 more rounds. Their boundless energy is really amazing. They were playing with us during our break, amongst themselves during our lunch break and continued even after our lunch. Their childhood seemed to be a lot more fun and interesting as compared to many of us. Another moment that was really touching is when the children go back and bring the cow home. When they see the sun set down, the elder brother or sister in the family will stop the games and go back to bring the cow home. As a child, they are really disciplined and bear more responsibility compared to us at the same age.
Lunch time entertainment
An interesting incident happened during lunch. We saw that there were 2 dogs mating. The dogs were eating our leftovers and after they had their fill, the male dog went over to the female dog and initiated the mating process. It was an eye-opener for many of us as we had never seen dogs mating before. 
Waste management
At the end of the day, we discovered that the way that they dispose rubbish in Cambodia was by burning. They burned everything, including plastic bags and boxes every day. Many of us told them burning the plastic could produce poisonous gases and it was harmful for the health of the children. But they had no choice. In that place, there is no certain place to throw away and depose the rubbish, nor is there any rubbish truck going around to collect these waste. The kids just consider it as a funny game and cannot realize it is a dangerous action.
A sense of achievement
In the evening, Mr Chenda brought the signboard saying “This School is constructed in December 2011 by NTU SIFE (SINGAPORE)”. We all had a strong sense of achievement. It is amazing that in only two days’ time, the school can look so different. We do hope that those lovely kids all can study well in this better condition and have a brighter future.
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