Week Number Two for the Exercise Physiology Students in Siem Reap!

 COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Healthcare and Rehabilitation
WRITTEN BY: Teagan Bulman

Monday rolls around again and after a weekend of fun, it's back to work for us. Just when you thought you were starting to understand the placements, there is a new part to discover. The stories we have been told about our clients, the hardships they have been through and being all around the same ages as us. This makes us rethink our own lives and our own complaints of hardship. At the age of 21, I would of never of thought about the same hardships they have been through at the same age.

With our placements going well, the feeling that we are making a difference, fills everyone with a sense of fulfillment and success that we can make a difference in the exercise profession. Using exercise to improve the lives of people, just puts smiles on our faces and theirs. The simple idea of participating in exercise catered for the individual, words cannot describe the happiness and the cheesy grins of the clients. The simplicity of what we do, is not met with resistance but with curiosity and willingness to learn. The cheesy and cheeky grins make it all worthwhile.
With the exercise programs in place and the assessments rolling through, we decided to help improve the ergonomics of the disabilities work stations. Simply purchasing pillows to support their lower backs and make it a little bit more comfortable.

Teaching the staff and the clients exercises to improve their activities of daily living, they are excited to learn why and how. These simple stretches and range of motion movements can improve and manage their conditions.

Attending a primary school we were treated like a star attraction. The children just wanted to play our games, hold our hands, speak English with us and take photos with us. The laughs and giggles when teaching the children to play our games, gave us the chance to let of go all the tension we obtained over the week.

Putting the seriousness aside, the girls attended the Phare Circus while the boys attended the kickboxing arena with some of our translators. Moving around many restaurants and trying all sorts of foods from Little Italy, Asana, Khmer BQQ (where you cook your food yourself) and many many more places.

Finishing the week off, 3 of us headed over to Phnom Penh, to experience the killing fields and S-21 prison, 5 of us headed into the mountains to swim in the waterfalls, visit the reclining Buddha and experience the landline museum and that left 2 of us to sleep in and lie by the pool.
Saturday night included a dinner party at our translator's house with homemade cocktails and food. Definitely an experience we won't forget.

The Tally Board!

3 Split Pants
40 Massages
1 TukTuk Stack
1 Broken Bath
1 Broken Key
3 Room Changes
3 Self Inflicted Injuries
53 Mosquito Bites (42 on one person)
But.....
0 Hospital Visits.

So far so good... This trip is definitely an humbling worthwhile experience. I do not wish for it to end.