Advice for Future Leadership Residents

Okay, during my time in Cambodia and at the dorm, I picked up on a few things that I hope will help future leadership residents.

- When the girls say you look "sexy," it is NOT a good thing. This might happen if you are on your way to the shower and are wearing a towel without a smaller towel or shirt draped across your shoulders or if a little skin is showing somewhere they think it shouldn't be. Take note!!!

- Getting a visa extension: Savada can help you with this but Vanna Peou knows the person, too. It is someone who works at the passport office at Norodom and 208 Street. Bring $45, your passport, 1 passport photo, and a copy of the e-visa if you did that. You will leave the passport there and pick it up with a few days.

- The girls LOVE books and reading. If you can bring some with you, definitely do. Otherwise, bring some money with you to buy some for the dorm when you arrive. I purchased quite a few for the dorm, and there are a few good bookstores in town (IBC and PBC - though I did purchase most of the ones they have; D's books is good for cheap kid's and juvenile books but way too expensive for other books; there is another used store that Dany So took me to and it is cheaper for adult and travel books). Just be careful - no books with sex or kissing or anything!!!

- There are TONS of mosquitoes on the first floor. If you go down there in the evenings, load up on bug spray first!!

- There is a little shop across the street from the dorm. It has a fridge and you can get cold bottles of water and soda there. They also have different kinds of ramen if you are starving between meals (although I never figured out how to turn on the stoves to make hot water - one of the girls should be able to help you!).

- Definitely no movies or books with sex! Only G or PG movies. Be careful with some of the PG movies because they really don't like kissing either.

- There is a good pharmacy with someone who knows English on Norodom (on the right side if you are going north), at the main intersection with a light that is just south of Independence Monument. Both Savada and Dany So took me there.

- Buy a helmet or use the one that I left (it is kind of big, I know)!!!! You will feel so much safer! One of my friends was in a moto accident there, and it could have been really bad if she wasn't wearing a helmet.....

- Communicate with Vanna about your plans and arrangements for the girls. There will be things that are going on that you don't know about. Also, be aware that there always will be changes to the schedule. I highly recommend making sign-up sheets to let the girls sign up for what they would like to do instead of just deciding that you are going to have them do something. This mostly pertains to field trips, not to the classes you will offer in the dorm.

- Your classes in the dorm: Don't plan to do something that will build a lot from week to week and will require everyone to be there for each session because it will not happen. Even though I was there in the summer (a less busy time for them), I think I had a different group of girls in my classes each week. Just be prepared to expect this - it doesn't have anything to do with you!

- The beginner students really are beginners and won't understand most of what you say. Prepare your classes accordingly or see if one of the advanced or intermediate students can come to the classes to help translate. This is a lot to ask though because they are already very busy.

- Yeast infection...it probably will happen unless you already are used to a super humid climate. Bring some medicine with you, or you can go to the SOS clinic to get something (for like $30) or you can go to a pharmacy here (and get something for like $4). I went to a local pharmacy, and the medicine worked just fine. It was so cheap that I actually bought a couple extra to take home with me so that I can bring them to Romania!

- Clothing: Some tank tops (with more coverage - not low cut or with skinny straps) might be okay to wear around the dorm, but I would recommend wearing something with sleeves whenever you leave the dorm. The girls always wear shirts with sleeves and either long skirts or pants. You can wear long shorts to the knees, but I wouldn't wear anything shorter. Skirts are a good idea, especially if you come in the summer when it is hot. I brought one that came to my knees and wore it around the dorm. You probably won't be able to wear the skirts out because they are tricky on the motos!

- Bring pepto-bismal pills. They are a lifesaver. Just chow down on a few whenever your stomach is not feeling at its best.

- Take 2 or 3 showers a day (morning, afternoon, before bed), especially in the hot season. It will make you feel less miserable, and all of the girls do it!

That is about all I can think of, but please let me know if you have questions. I hope that this helps....