Gelato

It started with an idea of going to Italiano Gelato for homemade gelato. The store is having a 15% discount moving sale you see. So each scoop is 60 cents. Now how could one miss that deal? Plus the idea was to get all the teachers out for a time of bonding and fun after a long week of work. 

So at 4.45pm on Friday, we left the school and walked to the cafe about 15 minutes away. By "we" I mean myself, 6 other teachers and our funky 21 year-old administrative officer. Oh, and how could I forget, dear Poll, a little Korean punk who's sister just arrived from Korea and just started volunteering as a music teacher in our school. She was invited to come, so obvisouly Poll invited himself to come as well. Poll is an interesting 10 year-old boy who is quick, streetwise and a little James Dean - quite the diva. And I have the honour of being one of the teachers he acknowledges. Remember, he's quite the James Dean so it's a compliment that he says "good morning" to me at all.

Suffice to say, the highlights of the evening were:

5. Talking at the top of my voice in a mixture of Korean, Khmer and English with Poll.

4. Being called "Teacher Caramel" by Poll.

3. Seeing Poll ever so non-chalantly go for his fork and carve chunks off my gelato! After which, making faces to express either his disdain or delight at the particular flavours. 

2. Having 4 scoops of gelato! 2 of which were Peanut Butter flavoured and tasted like a milky version of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Chingan-nah (very delicious, in Khmer)!

1. Being pestered to run up the hill as Poll calls out "pah-li, pah-li!" (faster, faster in Korean?) to me at the top of the hill.

Fun times with the teachers and Poll! That kid cracks me up. And I love him to bits. Life is quite a little adventure in Cambodia. But the best thing about this place, is not the place. It's the people.