Question of the Day!

Is there enough carbon dioxide gas within a bottle of Coke to fill and pop a balloon?

In science class, we are in the middle of  the unit on the 3 Phases of Matter: Solids, liquids and gases.  Teaching science without the proper science lab and tools has been a challenge at CIA so I needed to find an interactive and fun way to teach my class using the limited resources I have in Phnom Penh...

This led to my lesson on gas and carbonation!  Soda pop! This experiment allowed me to physically demonstrate what the atoms and molecules are doing within a gas and then send them off to their Khmer teachers, thirsts quenched from soda filled with about 1,000% of their daily caffeine and sugar intake!  Hyper active children=no longer my problem.  I am evil.

The warmer of my science lesson is usually a "Did you know??" segment related to whatever we are learning. And sometimes not. So...

Did you know...The pull ring tab was introduced in 1962 and the re-sealable top in 1965?

Coca-cola was the first soft drink to be consumed in outer space?

All porcupines float in water?  

To begin my lesson I taught my students why soda is fizzy. The carbonation found in soda is a phenomenon in which carbon dioxide gas is dissolved in water using high pressure.  The pressure is lowered when the soda bottle is opened, releasing the CO₂ in the form of little tiny bubbles.  To make it easier on the minds of my little fifth graders, I had them imagine a Giant Soda Monster squishing a gagillion of his little CO₂ prisoners into a plastic bottle jail cell and the prisoners are very angry and want to escape.  This was accompanied by lots of flailing hand gestures and my best evil monster voice, but I am pretty sure that from now on, whenever they open a soda, they will imagine they are helping with the release and escape of millions of tiny oppressed carbon dioxide prisoners. (Pun intended: oppression is derived from the idea of being physically weighted down!)

So how much CO₂  is actually inside a bottle of soda? Well the cola in a bottle of cola is pressurized to about two atmospheres of pressure and if one could get ALL the CO₂ out of the cola, it would fill a volume of about four times the volume of the cola itself.  To demonstrate this, I had my students do a simple experiment using a bottle of Coke and balloons! We started by opening the bottle of Coke at room temperature, (soft drinks hold more CO₂ at warmer temperatures than at colder temperatures, so if we did this experiment with cold Coke, less gas would be released.) Then we immediately fitted a balloon over the mouth of the bottle to trap all the CO₂ that was released from the Coke.  My students then watched in complete fascination as the gas released began to fill up the balloon.  We recorded our observations and I had them predict and guess what would happen next.  And of course, all good science experiments end with a bang so I had them shake the bottles as hard as they could.  They discovered that there is in fact enough CO₂ within a bottle of  Coke to fill and pop a balloon! Science is awesome. 

PS: Did you also know... Cambodia is the only place on Earth where the laws of physics and gravity do not apply? How is it possible to fit four people plus luggage on the back of a two person moto? Case and point below.  

I am also working on a coffee table picture book titled "Bizarre things found on the back of a moto in Cambodia." So look forward to that.

Murphy's Law applied to Cambodia.

"When one is in need of a tuk-tuk or moto driver, he is either not available because he is busy pestering someone else, he is drunk or he is asleep.  When one doesn't need him, he is asking to give one a ride even though one has already told him no literally two seconds ago."

In Phnom Penh, you will find the streets lined with tuk-tuk and moto drivers ready to give you a ride to virtually anywhere you want.  At first it was rather endearing.  Someone is always extremely  enthusiastic about getting you to where you need to be.  But after living in Phnom Penh for just about two months, I've really lost my sense of humor with tul-tuk drivers.  Let me try to being to explain....

The phrase "You need tuk tuk lady?" will forever haunt my dreams, as I hear it all day every day.

The drivers that sit at the end of my street have only just begun to figure out that I live on the same street and when I am walking home with keys in hand, heading in the general direction of my front gate, I do NOT in fact need a ride somewhere.  "You need tuk-tuk lady?" Um...no. I am already home. 

When I am stepping out of a tuk-tuk, because obviously I have reached my intended destination, I do NOT need a tuk-tuk. "You need tuk-tuk lady?" Seriously? I haven't even paid this one yet. 

What really kills me is I will be running to Independence Monument, about a mile from where I live, and I am clearly exercising based solely on the fact that I am in my work out clothes, sweating and oh yeah...jogging? And yet somehow from somewhere I still hear "you need tuk-tuk lady?"  Exercising of any sort is a foreign concept here so a person running is someone who needs to get somewhere quickly and time could be saved by driving.  

Whether you politely or rudely decline a tuk-tuk ride, you will be asked again not five seconds later, just in case you have changed your mind within the two and a half steps you've taken.  Then be prepared to be asked yet again by a different tuk-tuk driver driving next to the first one, even though he clearly heard you say no the first time you were asked.  It's a vicious battle.  

Also ignoring tuk-tuk drivers is not really an option as they take your no answer as contemplating whether or not you need a ride.  The best way to answer is with a simple "Maybe later," as this implies that at some point or another you will in fact need their services, just not at this very moment. Either that or "eff off." That usually gets the point across. 

 "You need tuk-tuk lady?" ...to anyone living in Phnom Penh, or has visited here, you understand my pain. 

Note: And of course when Murphy's law is applied to this situation, when one is caught on a sketchy back alley street in desperate need of a ride, there is not a tuk-tuk in sight. It's as if the universe is working against you.

I'm a grown up now with a big person's job.

My first couple of days back in Phnom Penh were very busy for me as I had to scramble around to what seemed like every single school in all of Cambodia to drop off my resume.  I was told that it was much better to show your face at a school and hand your in resume in person than to simply shoot them an email and wait for a reply.  After two days of traveling in tuk-tuk's all over the city with a new layer of dirt covering my freshly ironed interview outfit after every school I visited, I really couldn't be bothered going out to the last school on my list, Cambodia International Academy.  So I sent the academic supervisor my resume via email instead.  Funny that they were first school that called me back.   I had an interview, a demonstration teaching class and a full time job offer within the first weekend. 

I am now into my second week at Cambodia International Academy, a private international school for students K-12.    I am teaching 5th grade english, math, social studies and science.  Meet my morning students!  They are the sweetest. 

My favorite quotes from my students thus far: 

Note: In Cambodia, students will more often than not call their teachers "Chur." As in the last half of "teacher." 

"Teacher Rachael, you are from California?! You're like that Katy Perry Song." 

"Chur, I love your clothes. You are a fashion icon." (I am 100% sure she didn't understand the real meaning of fashion icon, but she was my favorite student of the day none the less.) 

"Chur are you Skype friends with Justin Bieber? Please say YES."

"Can you cook a chicken on the surface of the sun?" (I had just told my class that the surface of the sun was 6,000 degrees Celsius.) 

"That woman must be pregnant.  She has short legs." (I really couldn't tell you the context of that conversation...)

"2-4 is 2 Chur." (He sounded so confident when I asked him, like duhhh chur I'm not an idiot.)

"My girlfriend kick me so I kick her back." (I asked my student Barmey if he did anything fun over the weekend.  I don't know if that counts...)

It's quotes like these from my students that get me through the day just when I think I might go crazy!

It's My Life.

I have a long history of making quick decisions before I really sit down and think about the consequences, whether they be good or bad.  From going sky diving for the first time to packing my things and moving to Southeast Asia, I am not one to sit around and try to talk myself out of doing something I've put my mind to.

There are many aspects of my life of which I have absolutely no control over.  I've certainly learned the hard way that all of a sudden life can push you off the boat and leave you flailing in the middle of the ocean and all you can do is inflate your BCD and hope to keep your head above water.  And just when you're about to give up you look up and see there are two hands that are ready to pull you out of the water.  One is God's, and one is your own.  I've been there, gasping for breath, but what I've learned is that it's up to me to move on and make the best of what life has given me.  

For this reason, I take advantage of the comfort of knowing which parts of my life I can control.  I decide what I do with my spare time, whom I spend my time with, where I travel, where I live, what jobs I apply for.  I chose my own emotions and how I react to instances in my life and figure out whether or not to take them with a grain of salt.  I take responsibility for my actions.  I chose to be happy.  Granted, I've worked hard to get where I am, as happiness is not something that is served upon a silver platter.  Being happy is an reward you have to look to yourself for.  Too many times I've seen people living their lives clouded by the judgement of what they think is happiness, when really their lives are a reflection of someone else's.

"Tis' better to live your life imperfectly than live someone else's perfectly."

You need to do what makes you happy.  For me that was moving halfway across the world to live in a dirty third world country. :) Even though I miss my family and friends everyday, I needed to do this for me.

Point of this post being, I've again made a big decision in my time here in Southeast Asia.  I've once again packed up my suitcase, hopped on a plane, and moved back to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  There were many reasons that factored into my decision to move out of Pattaya, but the main reason (or at least the one I'm telling myself) was because I wanted to be back with the friends I made here.  It had nothing to do with Thailand or the "sinful" culture in Pattaya, and I could see myself moving back there eventually, but to surround myself with good friends seemed like the right choice for the time being.  Jobs are also easier to come by here.


I only have one life, and I plan to make the best of it!

Sa waa dee kah!

I have always thought I was pretty good at picking up foreign languages.  When I lived in Italy I could get around without speaking any English and I could carry on a full conversation in Italian.  During my travels through Germany I could get by on the basics despite not having spoken a word of German since high school.  My confidence was pretty high.  Until I came to Thailand.  It was like a high kick straight to my foreign language ego.   The language of Thailand is perhaps one of the hardest things I've ever had to learn.  The only things I can think of that might be harder would be learning brain surgery or how to fly a space ship or something.

Reason being: Thai has five different tones. High, low, rising, falling, and flat.  Literally you can make a complete sentence using only one word depending on which tone you use.  What the heck? But to a native Thai speaker they are completely different words with different spellings and meanings.

ไม้ ใหม่ ไม่ ไหม้ ไหม

mai - mai - mai - mai - mai

high - low - falling - falling - high

"New wood doesn't burn does it?"

Example of my first Thai language FAIL:

Me: "Chan yak pai Pattaya Neah kah."  Meaning "I want to go North Pattaya please." Or so I thought.
Motor Bike Taxi Man I: something in Thai that I didn't understand and then a look of confusion. "I no understand." 
Me: "Pattaya Neah....Pattaya NEAH." 

...more confusion and then a second motor bike taxi man got involved and they are rapidly speaking Thai as I am frantically repeating "Pattaya neah." 


Motor Bike Taxi Man II: "Pattaya neah!"
Motor Bike Taxi Man I: "Ahhhhhhh Pattaya neah!" 
Me: "I flipping just said that." 


What I learned later was neah with a rising tone means North, but neah with a flat tone means beef.  So apparently I was telling this poor guy I wanted to go to Pattaya beef.  Oopsies.    

All beef aside, Thai is a fun language despite its obvious challenges.  It will make me more sympathetic towards my students as I know what it feels like to be the student learning a foreign language.

Teacher teacher!

My first few days in Pattaya, Thailand have been very hectic.  I packed up my things in Cambodia last Friday and spent the weekend on Koh Chang, the second largest island in Thailand.  It was literally an island in Paradise.

I met some really great people along the way and it was nice to relax for a few days before the crazy part of my training began...

For the next two weeks I am teaching at a Christian Church down the road from where I am staying.  I have 12 students of all ages and language abilities, which is why my job is a bit more challenging.  On Monday I walked (more like was thrown) in with my own written lesson and a structured plan, but in actuality I absolutely had no idea what I was doing.  I felt like I was on a freight train headed straight towards Disaster Town with me hanging on for dear life.  I didn't expect my students to come in ready to discuss the philosophy and major works of John Locke, but I did expect them to know how to speak and write basic sentences.  Something simple like "Hi my name is Rachael. I am from California in the Unites Sates.  I like to read books." MISTAKE.  When I said okay your turn, I was greeted with blank stares and silence.  Clearly they had no idea what the hell I just said.  Double friggen frick.  My whole lesson plan was now moot.  So from there I had to improvise, make something up, and pretend like that was my plan the entire time... Crisis averted. Although it was a very narrow miss.

The great thing about my students is how nice they are.  They bring me coffee, juice and breakfast every morning.  

"Teacher teacher! I take care for you!"

In asian cultures, teachers are highly respected, especially farang (foreign) teachers.  Days two, three and four went a lot smoother as I got to know my students and could gear my lesson plans towards their ability.  They appear to really like me and come in eager to start learning.  My favorite part is when they thank me after each lesson and sit down and pray for me.  Funny how a small act of appreciation can go a long way.  I love it.

The Chaos Theory in Motion

Driving to class can be an adventure in itself.  In the states we are generally accustomed to abiding by the rules of the road; stopping at a stop sign, slowing down at a yellow light, never crossing a double yellow line, etc.  Here in Phnom Penh, there are two main rules of the road.

1. If you see a gap, drive towards it.
2. Use your horn whenever possible to signify that the gap is yours.

It's the chaos theory in motion, but it works.  Yes of course there are traffic lights, but they are merely just pretty things to look at as you whizz through the intersection.  I'm also almost positive that one is supposed to drive on the right side of the road, but you could never tell in Phnom Penh.  If you need to get somewhere, then you simply just go, even if it means driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic.  Just don't forget to use your horn.   If I were to stop and take a picture of traffic in a main intersection, I could guarantee to find at least ten things wrong with the picture by American standards.  Four people on the back of a two person moto, children not two years old riding on the handle bars, women in skirts riding side saddle, a car with a steering wheel on the right side of the car, people driving on the sidewalk, twenty people crammed into the back of a pick up truck, and whatever other traffic violation you can think of.

I told Dara that I got a texting while driving ticket back in California and he literally laughed out loud.

This last weekend I also had the amazing experience of visiting Angkor Wat, which means "City Temple." This was hands down one of the coolest places I've ever been to, and I've been to some pretty neat places.  Angkor Wat was built during the 12th century for the king and is the world's largest religious site.  Relatively little damage was done during the war and Khmer Rouge control during the late 1970's and early 1980's, and thank goodness because where would've the movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider been filmed had it been destroyed? Point being Angkor Wat is a fascinating spiritual site and I could feel the energy as I walked through its temples, and I'm so thankful I was able to make it there.

I also passed my exams with high marks which I guess means I am grammatically and phonetically able to pass on the english language knowledge to my students, but the hard part is coming up next week.  The actual practice of teaching a class full of students under observation. Yikes!