REHEARSALS

So we're now at the point where 95% of the kids have all their lines memorized. It's been difficult to get everyone together at one time to practice and this has actually only happened once. And to be honest with only 2 and a half weeks before performance day, I'm afraid the kids won't exactly be ready but even if I did post-pone for another month there's no guarantee the kids would be ready by then either. I'm asking a lot from the kids. The kids are still learning how to speak in proper English sentences but I'm having them memorize conversational dialogue while trying to comprehend exactly what their character is saying and at the same time act believably- not exactly easy but I just know that if the kids pull this off, they will be so proud of themselves and their confidence will just shoot through the roof. I've already seen improvement in many of the kids. It's so rewarding seeing the kids push themselves and then getting better and better. It's sounds so cheesy but watching the kids act and nailing a dialogue with perfect pronunciation makes all the challenges and frustrations worth it, even when we are rehearsing in the heat;)

Amphai (the shiest one of them all) and Srey


Sokuam being silly and Chy sipping on pumpkin soup


Funny boy, Sokuam


Boreith's turn to be silly (Loplop in Khmer)


The advance class trying to learn their lines

Last week I took the kids to Pannasastra University. Since the Anjali students are playing college kids in the play I wanted them experience what it would be like to be a college student - I was trying to incorporate a bit of method acting here. Eight students, Sreylin (the Khmer teacher) and I biked over on a Tuesday morning. There wasn't really much to observe in terms of the building itself. It was basically just a two floor, L-shaped building with basic square rooms for classrooms that could fit about 40 students into one. Nothing like the massive campuses we have back home. This looked more like a western style motel. Anyhow, I had arranged for us to sit in on the English class. There was a lovely foreign teacher, I think she was from the U.K., who welcomed us in. I gave a brief explanation as to why we were there and what I was doing with the kids. After about 20 minutes of just observing, the Anjali kids were paired up with one of the college kids to see what they were learning and to have a chat if they so wished. It was so adorable seeing these shy kids conversing, in English, with these 'older kids'. At the end of the class, my kids got to stand in front of the classroom, which was intimidating for them, and ask the college students any thing they wanted. The questions were what I expected; "What do you want to do after you graduate?"; "What is your favourite subject?"; "How long have you been studying for?". All in all, I thought it was a successful attempt at getting the kids more into their characters and have them think about where they want their own futures to lead to.

FIELD TRIP TO PANNASASTRA UNIVERSITY