COUNTRY: Borneo & Cambodia
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Building & Conservation
WRITTEN BY: Maddy King
Two weeks has gone exceptionally fast looking back at our first day in step-in lodge we really didn't know what to expect nor did we have many expectations. Time has just gone so fast... Camp Tinangol has definitely been an experience, the people here - there's a big group of us 28 in total - are all so lovely! Night one we were welcomed with a traditional dance, then we all joined in, the traditional costumes were amazing.
We then became aquainted with the staff Ram our camp leader is so much fun and very attentive to listen to any queries we had. We got settled in to the long house our communal living quarters. The next day it was time to get to work...we were introduced to the construction site after a long, picturesque and extremely muddy walk we arrived, the first day we were very unsure of what we were doing. There were tools that seemed more foreign than the dreaded squat toilets - which can I add are not all that bad. We got to experience the local village through our walk to work everyday and we seemed to be improving in our productivity and skill because construction work wasnt as easy as we'd anticipated.
My favourite day or experience thus far has been visiting the kindergarten the kids were all super enthusiastic to interact with us and eager to listen and learn some english. Impressively, they already knew loads of english words which made us feel guilty about our lack of knowledge of malay words - but then they taught us some. They were all full of energy and were such spiritied children you couldn't help but feel happy after leaving.
We've had a few RnR days - we went to the beach and had a little BBQ. We also went into Kudat (a local town) most of us to satisfy our internet cravings plus there was a KFC.
I've thoroughly enjoyed my last two weeks but not for the reasons I'd expected. We've all had to adjust certain expectations about feeling clean mainly and the reality of 'roughing it' in the (almost) jungle. It has been quite confronting revealing a lot about our reliance on the comfort and convenience of home - being able to pop down to the local supermarket, having a comfy bug free bed, having clean dry shoes - all of these things I miss but its all part of the experience - everyone feels this way and personally I wouldn't change it. The next stop is KK - the Aussie bar for Australia day until next time. Xoxo gossip antips
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