Five Must-Do's in India!

COUNTRY: Palampur
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Individual
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Piplica

This trip in it's entirety has been one of the best things I have ever done. I have learnt so much and, importantly, I feel like I have been able to give a lot as well. There are so many amazing experiences I will take with me. These are just five of the most memorable parts of the last month.

5. See the Taj Mahal 
You may have seen it a million times in art and popular culture, but this stunning piece of history cannot fully be appreciated until it is seen close up in all its detail.

 4. Go trekking in the Himalayas 
Perhaps one of the most physically challenging things you will do; well worth it for the spectacular views and to be able to say "I've gone trekking in the Himalayas!"

3. Camp under the stars in the Himalayas 
Everything you'd imagine it to be: keeping warm by the campfire, sing-alongs and watching the gorgeous morning sunrise over the mountains.

2. Go horse riding through the mountains in Manali 
Feels like a scene from a movie. The most amazing landscapes accompany you; a great time to relax and reflect on how lucky you are to be in India!

1. Volunteer 
By far the most rewarding experience of all is volunteering in India. You will fall in love with the beautiful and hospitable people and will leave with a great sense of having a second home in India.

Feeling At Home in Cambodia – Newcastle Nursing in Phnom Penh

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: University of Newcastle Nursing Placement
WRITTEN BY: Molly Batinic

Sous sdei! (Hello)

One week down and we're almost locals. This week we have spent much time absorbing the culture of beautiful Cambodia. It's Tuesday afternoon and we are currently getting pedicures after a long, but rewarding, day. We have seen over 500 kids, with only the teeny tiny kindergarten students to go. Each grade has its own profoundly unique characteristics and personalities. 

The grade 6 students are extremely smart and caring of both the younger children and us foreigners. The infant children are much louder, however, but their endearing smiles and everlasting happiness take us by the heartstrings. We have poured out heart and souls into trying to help these children and the outcomes have been absolutely incredible. Watching these children smile and laugh, as well as holding their hands when they cry has been extraordinary and inspired us to continue to do such great work each and every day.

However, this week has not all been about hard work and no play, we also had the weekend to explore the everlasting sights of Phnom Penh.

 Our top 5 must-dos from this weekend included a visit to the heartbreaking killing fields. Our Saturday morning was spent touring the place where millions of Cambodians were slaughtered only 40 odd years ago, and was a life-changing experience, especially hearing the survivors’ stories. On a happier note, that lunchtime we immersed ourselves in some traditional Khmer food... Tarantulas. Huge, scary and hairy – but delicious – spiders.

 Another must-do in Cambodia is to get a massage. They are super cheap and perfect for anyone who wantsto relax for a peaceful hour. We decided to go to one named seeing hands, which employs blind locals and gives them a stable job to live by. Another highlight was the night markets. The setup of these was unexpected in an extremely delightful way. They were completely different from any markets back at home, with live music and so many food options to choose from, we were absolutely in our element whilst bartering away for cheap shoes, clothes, jewellery and everything in-between.

But after a couple of nights here, our wallets were begging us to stop. So the last must-do for this week was a free and eventful night at the Olympic stadium. But no, it was not for soccer or football, or even athletics – but rather, for aerobics. Every night locals spend sunset swaying and Cha-chaing the night away whilst listening to all types of music. It's the funnest way to burn away all of the food we have been eating.

Speaking of food, we have been getting to know each other, as well as our translators, much more this week over lunches at the mall. These were done throughout the week in the middle of the days at the clinic. The air conditioning and good company has been a great way to split up some of the difficult days. The translators are incredible locals who all attend the university for either medicine or dentistry. We laugh hysterically on a daily basis when we are together, and they are absolute lifesavers with both their translating and medical knowledge. They will surely be missed when we leave.

Ah kon (thank you) to them all.

First week of education in beautiful Nepal

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Education
WRITTEN BY: Amy Ross

While volunteering in Nepal, fourteen others and myself are staying in a Tibetan refugee camp named Tashi-Ling. The camp is situated on the beautiful lakeside of Pokhara. We all live in the close-knit community in shared accommodation with host families.

On a typical day we wake around 5:45 am and meet with others to hike up to Shanti Stupa, the World Peace Monastery. As we walk we can hear the sounds of the villagers praying in the nearby monasteries.

We arrive back home before 8 am to the smells of our host mother cooking Tibetan bread and brewing hot Tibetan tea. After a beautiful breakfast with our host families we get ready for school.

We all meet out on the roadside amongst the neighbourhood cows and dogs for our rides to school. My mother is setting up her jewellery stand and waiting for tourists.

At school the smiling faces of the children welcome us. They are all so intrigued by us and ask lots of question about Australia. We teach for 10 am until 2:30 pm Sunday to Thursday.

Usually after school we will all meet in the lakeside area for a late lunch. We discuss our varied experiences as we take in the beautiful view of the lake and mountains. We wander through the shops bargaining for the best price on sleeping bags and gifts to take home for family.

Later in the afternoon we head back to Tashi-Ling to spend the evening with our families. Mum is usually cooking traditional Tibetan food such as momos (dumplings) or thukpa (noodles). We spend the evening eating and laughing with our families before heading to bed.

No two days are the same living in Nepal, this is simply a glimpse into the adventure we are all experiencing. The sights, sounds, and smells are immeasurably different from that at home but still we have managed to settle in to our new homes with ease.

Namaste.

Adeus Timor Leste

 COUNTRY: Timor-Leste
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Georgia, Tim, Katie and Jess - University of Queensland

What an amazing experience! As our time in beautiful Timor Leste comes to an end, mixed emotions have set in. While we’re so excited to come home to Australia and see our family and friends, we are sad to leave our new friends and the clients we’ve been working with for the past four weeks.

We have faced some challenging and complex clinical cases during our time but have also had many instances of joy. We’ve been so encouraged by our clients’ commitment to their rehabilitation and their perseverance and have been humbled by their gratitude and efforts during therapy – this is something we will never forget. We also acknowledge the staff at CNR for their dedication to their clients in what is often a complex situation.

We feel privileged to have learnt about Timor and the Timorese people and are inspired by their passion, resilience, and happiness. We were lucky enough to travel outside of Dili and experience some beautiful parts of Timor. Most recently, we climbed Mt Ramelau, the highest mountain in Timor Leste. The picturesque views at sunrise were simply stunning and well worth the 2:45am alarm!

To our beautiful butterflies (i.e., the students), we’ve watched you grow and develop across our time in Timor and are so proud of all you have achieved. While there were many challenges along the way, you’ve taken it all in your stride and will be better clinicians because of this experience. It has been a pleasure to share it with you and to support you in your clinical journeys. Continue to reflect on your experiences and draw on them in your practice in Australia. Next year’s team have a lot to live up to!

Adeus!

Finding True Happiness in Cambodia

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Education and Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Divya Jamdagni

To sum up, teaching at PIO has been a life changing experience. After getting off the plane 4 weeks ago I never would have guessed what was waiting for me on this exciting journey. Being the first time I had been travelling, by myself, overseas this adventure has been greatly rewarding.

For a person travelling for the first time, alone, and to a country overseas, Antipodeans is definitely a rewarding and exhilarating opportunity. Not only to engage in a great international volunteering experience but also for personal growth. With trips where you are thrown into a situation with no other option but to adapt, the end result is eye-opening and full of memorable moments. These moments (if you’re as lucky as I have been) are shared memories with the other travellers in your group that you will never forget. Not only do you get to meet like-minded people with travellers wanderlust and a passion for volunteering, but also you will find a new group of friends who you probably never would have met if it hadn’t been for the Antipodeans program.

The group of 6 girls that I’ve gotten to meet and share stories with has definitely been a highlight for this trip. If it hadn’t been for them this program definitely would have lacked a particular element of fun that could only be made possible by the craziness of Balpreet, Isabelle, Julia, Nami and Sunny.

I’ve never felt so glad to have meshed so well with a group of girls in such a short period of time. Special shout out to my teaching partner Isabelle, couldn’t have asked for anyone better! Antipodeans has provided me with an international volunteer opportunity that has definitely let me learn so much about myself while also creating a new perspective from which I am able to view the world.

Just by watching and participating in simple school activities such as sports and life skills, I have gained a new appreciation as to what it means to live your life simply, savour every moment, and treasure what you have. The fact that the PIO school has emerged from a former dump site is astounding, the progress that they have made shows the dedication of the school and is definitely a motivator for volunteers to continue wanting to work with the children. The overflowing happiness of the children is also overwhelming.

The true happiness that radiates through them when they see you, learn something new or get something correct is absolutely worth every bad feeling of ‘funny tummy’ that you experience on your trip.
Despite some illness, mosquito bites and the constant question of “lady you want tuk-tuk” you are gifted the chance to see some spectacular sights and true happiness in the eyes of children who have so little but have so much to offer the world. Antipodeans has given me wonderful chance to broaden my horizons and I would definitely encourage others to grab onto this opportunity with both hands and never let go!

UniBreak conquers Machu Picchu

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Laura Manzi

Someone once said that waking up at 4am was hard; well, waking up at 4am, walking to the gate of Machu Picchu, waiting in a ginormous line and then trekking up the side of a 4km mountain is hard! Never under estimate the real fulfilment that you get from a day in the ruins of the city of Machu Picchu -- the serene hills, the fresh air, the excitement from other tourists, and the chance to get a “money-shot,” is what makes the morning struggle feel worthwhile.

We decided to buy a bus ticket for the return back down the mountain because, for most of us, the trek took just over an hour to complete. We explored the hills after watching the sun rise over the mountain; we had the best weather because usually the area is very foggy before 6am and it’s quite rare to have no fog, but we were very fortunate and managed to get the best photos.

We tagged along on one of the circling tours, baked in the warmth of the sun near the edge of the Condor Temple and made friends with a variety of people from America, Europe and Mexico – this experience has made our trip to Cusco one that will always be remembered.

We met Jerry, one of the in-country-partners, this week when he tagged along with us to school on Monday. Jerry’s story made everyone smile because, after living in a suburban life in Australia, Jerry decided that he was going to use his good fortune to make a difference in the world and that’s when he joined the Peru’s Challenge team.

Jerry’s smile brightens a room and his optimism is extremely contagious and we all feel grateful for his support at Pumamarca primary.
I actually started painting a mural with the kids this week after noticing that my group had most of the art classes, which was convenient.

I painted a tree and then we had students put their hand-prints around the tree like leaves. It’s coming along very nicely and I feel that it captures the school’s mission to bring the community together and create a sense of belongingness.

Funnily enough, we had accidentally bought plaster instead of paint but this was easily sorted with the ICPs. While Alex and Hannah were assisting kids to print their hands on the mural, I had the year 4’s and 3’s making animals out of rocks and blowing bubbles into paint-water in order to participate bubble-printing.

The ICP’s are great when we need to organise resources and bring our lessons to life. My roommate, Jade, has been very successful with the older years in computer classes – she had the kids make acrostic poems out of their names by using English words and Australian animals.
Today Jade has gone to laminate the end results which look absolutely fantastic. The other girls, Jemma and Elle, made butterflies with the little kids and the boys, Zac and Josh, did AFL skills in sport this week.

I unfortunately rolled my ankle on the way back from Machu Picchu which meant that I had to miss out on school today – this was so hard because school is the most exciting part of the day and really makes our efforts and contributions feel appreciated, and seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces every day makes every cell in our bodies feel alive!

Nicco took us down to an Incan Palace near the school which was really interesting, however we were distracted by a puppy that kept following us down the mountain. It was adorable and none of us could let the poor thing go. It’s cool to see how casual people are with the dogs here and it almost feels as if the dogs roam run the streets.

In the community Jerry also took us to see a jewellery maker who sits in his little workshop handcrafting some of the finest jewellery that we have ever seen. Yet again, this week in Cusco and Pumamarca has proven to change our lives and help to grow the students and our perspective of living and life outside of Peru and beyond, as well.

Week 3 Cambodia: Beauty and the Beasts

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Education and Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Isabelle Khaicy

Culture
The Royal Palace offered beautifully detailed architecture on their luscious green grounds. Our tour guide was fantastic as she explained, in detail, every aspect of the Palace and how time haschanged certain traditions and practices.

Children of Bassac Cambodian Dancer Performance is a must see! The vibrant colours and energetic performance proves to be very entertaining, from traditional movements to country/folk tell­tales. We were all cheering for more!
Angkor Wat offers both breath­taking beauty and culture in one massive compound. Unfortunately our sunrise view was clouded by some overcast weather, but I would recommend the early start to anyone who wants explore the temple before they get swarmed with tourists. We opted for a short temple tour and filled our cameras with pictures of ancient remains. Many selfies to come!

History
The National Museum shows great detail of Cambodia's religious findings. Many artefacts in the museum are left intact and are attached with English blurbs so we were hooked onto every word.
Visiting the S21 Killing Fields Genocide Museum is not for the faint hearted. Walking through the killing fields with our tour guide, who was a survivor of the Pol Pot regime, we were told horrifying stories of what the Cambodian victims had to endure. It's was an extremely confronting morning as we walked through the mostly ­untouched fields and prison.

Food
I've experienced cuisines of different forms during my stay here. From bring introduced to road-side food by locals, that were interesting to say the least, to dinner at the Foreign Correspondent's Club, I'm delighted to say that I haven't been disappointed. The most adventurous I've been was having a red- ant salad at the Friends Restaurant. I'm glad I took a bite before our tour guide pointed out the 'juicy leaders' and how succulent they look. The Friends Restaurant has been a regular destination for our group, and we've vowed to tick off everything on the menu before we leave. Only 20 or so meals to go!

Adventure
For someone who loves a rush of adrenalin every now and again, I was impressed with what Cambodia had to offer. Zip­-lining through treetops and quad biking into the sunset were on our agenda for our weekend away in Siem Reap, although I was only able to experience one of them.
Julia and I jumped on a tandem quad bike and rode for an hour through Cambodian fields and took a few failed jumping shots (mostly hers) against the sunset, before riding back and signing our names against the centre's signature wall; #AwesomeExperience #Antips2015. The rest of our group had the opportunity to go for the treetop zip­-lining and came back with great reviews, so that's definitely on my list for next time!

Entertainment/Leisure
Aeon Mall is a new shopping mall, which caters for many entertainment options. After our late afternoon dips in the hotel pool, we have headed to the mall on numerous occasions to fill up our spare time, ticking off karaoke, ice skating and 4D movies off our list. The mall is also great for shopping, if you're willing to spend a little extra, although I'd still recommend the Russian and Central Markets for bargain hunters. Working through our 'Cambodian Bucket List' we still have a number of items to tick off!

A Day in the Life of a PIO Teacher

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Education and Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Nami Wickramatilake

A day in the life of a PIO teacher can be tough, challenging but also inspiring and rewarding when you are greeted so loudly by your adoring students. By tough and challenging, I mean it was hard putting behind an Australian understanding of an educational system completely alien to me. From enforcing behaviour management constantly in Australian contexts, the theorised positive behaviour for learning module was definitely shining through here at PIO.

Instead of constantly probing students, it was suddenly so easy to ask a student a question. You begin to quickly understand that these students are here to learn, that these students are here to see you and only you, because you become the instiller of all knowledge in their eyes. Their eagerness is something that attracts myself to PIO. Despite living in poor living conditions, I have come to realise these students are still nothing but happy, always smiling, always sharing with each other a single pen. There is no such thing as bullying here. A harmonious environment is what I'd definitely call PIO.

On my third day at PIO, I had grown attached to my Year 6 students, and noticing my hair was out of its usual bun, they had offered to braid my hair.
I was so touched by their desire to help me (look decent enough to teach). These kids have an amazing set of skills, commonly unnoticed unless monitored and I could not believe the amount of creativity these students have.

Each day I left carrying a present from a student, mostly drawings, sometimes origami and these were not simple everyday paper aeroplanes type of origami, I'm talking paper cranes, frogs and even roses. Creativity does not only lie with their ability to beautifully craft origami, but their strong desire to sing.
They knew more songs that I did! (A little bit embarrassing, I felt incredibly old) From the Frozen soundtrack, to Jesse J's Price Tag to Happy by Pharrell Williams, these kids knew how to belt out an amazing medley of songs.

So that's when I decided to integrate music into teaching English - hence, all the theory of engagement through a deeper understanding of the intrinsic interests of students really paid off! It does get tiring... 3 hours of English a day can be tiring for both students and teacher, especially in the dry Cambodian heat, but it is definitely a rewarding experience; a definite life-time changing experience.

Fiji First Impressions

COUNTRY: Fiji
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Issy Steadman

Stepping off the plane and straight into the humid winds of the Fijian islands was a very welcome change from the chilly Australian winter we had just left behind. Walking through the arrivals gate we were giddy for our Fijian expedition to begin and when we saw the lovely Shabreen waiting for us we couldn't believe it was finally time to start this long awaited adventure.

Out first hours in Fiji were spent at the combined birthday birthday party of our host brother and his cousin. The party meant lots and lots of food, including our first taste of kasava, a traditional Fijian root. Not only did we meet Miss Fiji, but we also got to experience a traditional Kava ceremony whilst looking out over the sunset on sleeping giants mountain range.

Monday meant orientation time, so in the morning Shabreen picked us up from our host family to set out and see the sites and what the beautiful city of Nadi had to offer. This orientation included meeting the headmasters of our placement schools, experiencing the over crowded buses and digging into some traditional curries.

On Monday night our host parents welcomed Shabreen and the other antipodeans girls, as well as some of their own friends, to a kava ceremony in their home. The ceremony involved learning about the traditional distribution of kava and the rituals that occur when consuming it, and it's safe to say that after two nights of kava, the taste is growing on us.

Our first day at the Nadi Special School involved meeting and interacting with the students and teachers. At times we were left alone in classes with students which was rather overwhelming but a great experience all together. Each day our role in the classroom is becoming more significant and the students have come to rely on us. Friday afternoons at Nadi Special School mean sports afternoon for the whole school and we have found that we are no match for the students in the soccer, volleyball or badminton games.

So far afternoons have involved trips to Denarau to take advantage of the many glamorous resorts and soak up the last of the Fijian sun before jumping on the peak hour bus and heading home to our wonderful host families. Our host family have been incredibly welcoming, their three children always keeping us entertained and the beautiful food our host mother makes is a welcome surprise to our taste buds.

Friday evening involved spending the evening at smugglers cove to eat by the sea and enjoy the local entertainment. An early start on Saturday morning saw us trekking to a hidden waterfall through an inland village, in the sleeping giants mountain range, whose name can be translated to "I'll be back".

The morning was spent swimming in the fresh water and jumping off waterfalls, while lunch was a more relaxed affair, enjoying traditional Fiji food inthe hut of a local village. The afternoon consisted of zip lining through the sleeping giant and horseback riding on the dirt tracks and heading to the Sabeto springs, where we bathed in mud and a 72 degree hot water spring.

The Fijians we have met so far are such beautiful people and as we walk through the streets each day we are greeted by a "Bula" from every direction. Even though it's the very start of our time here, we already feel like locals and know our time here will speed by so to not take for granted the remaining three short weeks we have left.

The Long Road Ahead...

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Laura Manzi

The first day of school was daunting for most of us because we were unsure of what Pumamarca was going to be like. As soon as we walked through the bright blue gates we were greeted by a tidal wave of miniature humans who smothered us with hugs, kisses, smiles and howls of laughter…

I have never felt so welcomed in my life and the simple words “Hola Amigos!” made each one of us feel like the contribution that we would be making over the next four weeks would be greatly appreciated. In a way, though, by experiencing Cusco from this viewpoint, I feel that we will grow not just as teachers, but as healthy human-beings as well -- most of my fellow teachers have described this experience as soul-fulfilling and spirit-rising.

We were then ushered around the school grounds and given the chance to take it all in. Llamas (and not alpacas, which have shorter necks) reside in a little paddock, beautifully decorated by recycled materials; greenhouses line the back wall, which are used as learning tools for agriculture; and bright blue buildings covered in marvellous murals have been carefully arranged around green grass and a soccer field which tells visitors that the school functions like a small community.

The newly formed kindy area was the first place that we visited. Small, beady-eyes and screams of excitement pulled each one us and made it extremely hard to leave the place at the end of the day. It just goes to show, though, that these kids hold a certain level of resilience and compassion that children that grow up in the city don’t have.
These qualities tell me that these kids have a heart for experience and are not strangers to the idea of family and acceptance. Near the end of the day we had gravitated back towards kindy again. I had lifted one girl on my shoulder so that she could reach the monkey-bars and suddenly, moments later, I had a line of five year olds eager to have a turn.

I was more than happy to give every child a go because I knew that they would be grateful. It really puts a smile on my face to be a part of a project that not only support healthy child development but also directly feeds into the community and thus helps the futures of under-privileged kids.
Over the next couple of days we started to fall into a regular routine and each volunteer naturally moved into their positions without hassle. We spent the morning cutting up fruit and showing the little kids how to wash their hands. One of the volunteers had told me that a little girl had struggled to understand how to apply moisturiser and simply slapped it on her face in excitement.

Even though there exists a small language barrier between us and the children, the small connections that we make and the way that we communicate with the kids is a rewarding experience. We visited the homes of one of the children’s families which proved to be a very humbling experience. We brought groceries to this struggling family which turned into a very emotional visit – we all cried together and gave the mother a round of hugs and kisses.
If we continue to improve the lives of a small community, let alone one family, then happiness will spread like a wildfire. I have no idea what the road ahead of us has install, but all I know is that it will prove to be an extremely long one.

'Clean up Thinadoo Day' and a dose of tropical sunburn

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Jessica Moyes

We returned from our island stay sunburnt, exhausted but very grateful for our awesome experience.

This week is the first week that the senior primary students are involved in swimming which is great. They were enthusiastic and fun to swim with. It was much easier to work with the older kids too because of their increased English and greater trust in us.

Australia Day celebrations were in full swing after swimming. I had brought a beach ball, bucket hat and bunting flags, as had other girls, with Australian flags which added to the spirit. We walked to Chappeys house where he had a BBQ set up with roast potatoes, fish and vegetables. An Australian flag was erected in the sand and a table and chairs under an umbrella were also set up. We ate and then watched local maldivians perform with bodu beru (drums) and singing. This was a pretty fantastic cultural experience for us. We then continued to dance and sing to current music from home. At around 11 the police arrived, and in regular Aussie style, our party was closed down due to noise.

We strolled home still singing and dancing. An unreal end to a very busy week, and a wonderful celebration that was organised by asad and chappey.

On Monday shafeeq sir allocated me a class with grade 6B to teach an English lesson on the Statue of Liberty as a comprehension activity. This was a little nerve racking as I am much more comfortable instructing in an aquatic location and am not used to classroom time. It was rewarding to chat to the kids at swimming that afternoon and find that they knew much of the skills and content from the class.

A few members have organised a 'clean up Thinadoo day' which was held on Friday. We performed a rap chant in front of the school to promote the event. The clean up was a huge success and a whole truck load of rubbish was picked up from the beach area, stadium and school surrounds.

A few of us have attended bodu beru practice on a couple of occasions at night which is fun. They teach us how to play and perform for us. These are the cultural experiences that are likely to stay with me for a long time! They played we will rock you as Lauren and I sung along, and also played Madonnas 'Isla boneta' and a Santana song. Very cool!

I decided to get up early and go for a run because of a school cancellation. You'd think a 6am run would be refreshing, but I've never been so exhausted from a run. The heat is incredibly draining. However the sunrise was a welcome motivator.

Speaking of sunrises, Lauren, steff and I woke on Saturday and Sunday morning for the sunrise and watched from the jetty.

We ended the week with a farewell party for Lauren B and Mel P who departed for Singapore. We had plenty of chocolate and chips. Iku's wife even made desert dishes for us which was lovely! We ended the night with an affirmation circle where we each wrote something positive about each other as an anonymous comment.

Week three has been unreal. Apart from our excessive Oreo, banana, coconut and cereal consumption, everyone is well and ready for our final week in the Maldives.

Maldivian Antips are ridiculously spoilt!

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Community Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: Erin Smith

There is no doubt about it, us Maldivian Antips are ridiculously spoilt! We have had yet another fantastic week in paradise with so many of us having unique stories to share.

The weekend here falls on Fridays and Saturdays and each time we are treated with a totally different experience to the ones we have every day. Last Friday we trekked out to an uninhabited island where we were free to snorkel and relax to our hearts content. We even sampled some local cuisine, sweet lips; an overly large, remarkably delicious fish, barbecued to perfection. The following day we jetted off to a local resort where we were allowed access to a hotel room, 2 pools and the restaurant and bar. It was the perfect way to unwind after a long, hot week and we are immensely looking forward to the upcoming weekend.

Rowing training began and is run by a English boy named James. Occasionally we head down to give him a hand and help out where we can. It is so great to see so many teenagers involved, particularly teenage girls who are usually expected to dedicate their lives to preparing for a family. Swimming lessons have kept us all extremely busy this week. With two lessons running a day, both morning and night, we are able to teach over 50 students a day. Being able to teach these children such valuable life skills reinforces the reason why we are here. We are, however, now requiring tactical 30 minute naps between school and swimming but you win some, you lose some.

For us at Sharrafuddin this week has been a bit jumbled. Most of us have been moved classes in order to maximize our skills and the impact we can have. We had been concerned the previous week that we weren't able to contribute as much as we hoped. Brooke and Megan have both been moved to separate grade 2 classes and Lucy and myself have been relocated to the Special Education and Needs classes. Whilst we will miss the school friends we made in the older grades, already we feel we are making a difference to the education of these young students. Lucy and myself in particular feel we are learning so much from the talented and inspiration kids we have met; I'm certainly getting good practise of my sign language skills!

The Antips at Hithadhoo have had another great week. The girls and Josh have spent the week bonding with their students and teaching alternating lessons. Together with this and the swimming lessons, they finally feel as if they are making a positive influence to those around them. Cait at Kangeroo Kids continues to be spoilt by the teachers with love and extremely sweet tea.

This week at the hospital there has been a range of exciting things going on. The girls and Ty have travelled all over, speaking at Feydhoo High School about mental diseases and and visiting the elderly on home trips. Additionally, they have witnessed the birth of both a little boy and a little girl: fortunately arriving 30 minutes prior and skipping the night long labour. The have spent their free hours conversing with the doctors and professionals, learning as much as they can from the experience. They have been lucky enough to integrate themselves into island life and have met a wide arrange of interesting people as a result.

This weekend is going to be totally different again. We are being treated to an overnight stay on an uninhabitable island this Thursday night, followed by a day with the local Defence Force. We will spend the day planting trees to create awareness about being environmentally friendly and doing something positive for the environment. The following afternoon we will have our own Australia Day celebrations by putting on activities and games in the park for the locals. We endeavour to make this afternoon also about waste management and will lead by example in how to dispose of waste correctly. Next week we will partake in beach clean ups all around the island. Additionally, some of us girls will be running an extra session at 8pm at night to teach preschool teachers basic first aid. We also aim to include the need for sun safety and protection. It promises to be a busy week indeed.

We love our dust-free weekends here in Nepal

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak - Kathmandu
PROJECT: Community Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: Sherman Chu

Our second week has gone by so quickly! I think everyone is more settled into both their families and placement sites, and feeling more confident, more proactive and being more hands-on. I think our week has gone by so quickly because some of us only had 2 days of placement! Our Monday and Friday was occupied by vocational activities- Mountain flight on Monday and early weekend departure to Chitwan Royal National Park on Friday. Wednesday was a public holiday for some placement sites (SERC and CP centre), so some of us took this time to be a tourist and explore the Kathmandu city. Kiara and Jess visited the Swayambhunath (also known as the Monkey Temple), which is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Nepal’s most sacred Buddhist shrines. Catherine joined them to visit Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, which was once occupied by Nepal’s royal family and now home to the Kumari, Kathmandu’s living goddess. The Kumari is selected from a particular caste, be somewhere between four years old and puberty, and meet 32 strict physical requirements ranging from the colour of her eyes, the shape of her teeth to the sound of her voice. We all found this so intriguing!!

Back to placements. Alana and Lisa are still waiting to see a surgery at Stupa hospital, but in the meantime, they’ve bonded really well with the staff there. They have their daily lunches and mini Nepali lessons with the nurses at the hospital cafeteria. Emily says she is having a great time at BAS! She doesn’t mind the morning start at 8am! She has the longest day out of all of us, with a very structured routine. E.g. 8am feed the children, 9am play time with the children, 11am shower time for the children. She has really got herself involved and feels a great sense of achievement each day! She also mentioned that they only have one pair of latex gloves and they wash and reuse that one pair. Back in Australia, we would use maybe three pairs of gloves when performing first aid on someone (one pair for each wound). After hearing this, we were thinking of using some the money we had fundraised towards a few boxes of latex gloves. Anthony and Tarryn are very well-settled and doing physiotherapy sessions at Sahara Hospital. They’re seeing clients daily as if they work there! This week they were very lucky to see the staff deliver a baby!!

Last last weekend, we all went to Bhaktapur and Nagarkot. Bhaktapur has the best-preserved medieval architecture in Nepal. It is famous for its pottery and making its own special kind of paper. Many of us bought this special handmade paper for souvenirs. Nagarkot is famous for its panoramic views of the Himalayas. We had stayed there overnight, however, it was very cloudy both days so we only saw some of the peaks intermittently.

Last Friday, most of us took a trip down to Chitwan Royal National Park for some safari adventures and with hopes to see a rhino! A 5 hour trip turned into a 7 hour trip due to windy cliff-side roads which will only allow one vehicle to pass at each curve. This weekend was packed with adventures from wild jungle walks, jeep safaris, canoeing down the river and elephant safaris! We spotted monkeys, elephants (wild, captive and also baby elephants at the breeding centre), boars, deers, peacocks, bison (less than 2 metres away in our jeeps), ducks, wild chickens, crocodiles and TWO rhinos!! We were all SO happy to see 2 rhinos on our last day during our elephant safari. Overall it was another relaxing and dust-free weekend of quiet and no honking cars. Next week, we all have split ideas where we want to go, after all it’s our last weekend trip!

Super ratri! (goodnight!)

Cambodia: A city of contrasts

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Nursing
WRITTEN BY: Natalie Payne

A City of Contrasts.

Our first week in Phnom Penh was filled with contrasting emotions; excitement, apprehension, happy, sad and sometimes too exhausted to tell the difference between them all. Our first day at PIO school was amazing. So many smiling children! We were thrown in the deep end straight away and asked to do our education plans for the kindergarten class which held 128 children and one teacher! Yes, you read that right, 128 kids! We made fools of ourselves singing, playing the ukulele and performing a puppet show, teaching the kids to brush their teeth and wash their hands. They sang for us too, well more like screamed at the top of their lungs, ive heard jumbo jets quieter!
By the end of the day we had seen 225 children and were impressed and surprised at the overall good health considering the disparity of living conditions.
A visit to S21 and the killing fields gave us a somber insight of the trauma the Cambodian people have experienced. Cocktails, massages, markets and some time spent away from Phnom Penh is a much needed break for these hard working nursing students!

New Nepali names and families for our Kathmandu UniBreak team

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak - Kathmandu
PROJECT: Community Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: Sherman Chu

Nameste! We are all health science students who will be volunteering over a range of sites from hospitals to non-for-profit organisations including disability centres. Our volunteering group consists of physios, speechies, paramedics and nurses.

We have all experienced the traffic of Nepal since arriving at the program house. The traffic was very crazy to say the least (but not as busy as India), the air was very dusty and the people are incredibly friendly! Arriving at the program house, we met the other members of the group, Rajesh’s family, and another volunteering group from Australia. Everyone from our group seemed to know who everyone is despite having met for the first time. Some of us had arrived in Nepal a few days earlier and it was interesting to hear where they had already been and what places they would recommend.

The first two days were mainly an introduction for us to Nepal, the Do’s and Dont’s of the customs of Nepal and orientating us around the area where we will be staying over the next month. We were shown where our nearest restaurant is (in case we crave for a good burger or Italian) and also where to get Wifi even if there’s a blackout! Nepal’s electivity generation is dominated by hydropower and it has a huge hydropower potential. Nepal has approximately 40,000 MW of feasible hydropower potential but has developed only 600 MW of hydropower. Currently, there are scheduled black outs as part of the daily rotational load-shedding.

We were all welcomed through a religious ceremony presented with red rice in the form of a tika on our foreheads. We were also given Nepali names, which I found was a lot easier to use with the locals and the staff from our placement sites. The locals found it funny that we had Nepali names but it was also a lot easier for them to remember. Our Nepali names are Amar, Aruna, Babita, Ekta, Laxmi, Jamuna, Jun, Kruna, Kabita, Samjhana and Tara. Can you guess who’s who?? Our introduction was followed by a traditional dinner of Dahl Baht meaning lentil soup and rice using only our right bare hand. Initially, it sounded a bit too hard for me, as I had tried to eat rice with my hands back in Australia. BUT, there is a really good technique where you grab the rice with all five fingers and then you use your thumb to push the rice into your mouth.

Day 3- This was our first day to visit our placement sites. We were all shown which microbus to take which was a relief! Catherine and I will be working the Self-Help group for Cerebral Palsy, which is two microbuses away (with a total commute of 2 hours). Again, our first day was mainly an introduction to the centre, and who we can go to when we have questions or feel like we want more work. Catherine and I are both speech pathology students from the University of Sydney, and we were both very grateful to have the opportunity to work with 1 out of 15 speech pathologist in Nepal. We are very much looking forward to working with the speech pathologist and other professionals at the CP centre and try to achieve some short-term goals while we are there.

After our crazy 4 hour microbus commute, we all meet our families and moved into our new homes. We were assigned to our host families in pairs, and I believe we all got a modern toilet and our own room! Our aaama (mother) have been so accommodating and always asking what we would like for breakfast and dinner. Some of us will also be involved in some cooking lessons and learn to make Nepal’s unofficial national dish- momos! (vegetable-filled dumplings). Towards the end of the week, everyone is easing into their placements and feeling a lot more comfortable within their placements sites and at home. This weekend, we’re looking forward to seeing our first glimpse of the Himalayas at Nagarkot!

Sherman Chu

Weekday volunteers turn into weekend tourists

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Community Healthcare & Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Emily Miller

Well if someone told me two weeks would be done and dusted in the blink of an eye I definitely wouldn’t have believed them. Today marks two weeks for us Aussie girls. Personally I feel like I haven’t done anything memorable as of yet but there is still two weeks to go and don’t we have a lot planned.

I promised an update on our weekend adventures from last weekend, so here it is. Imagine waking up at four in the morning after a full week of work and having to ride 7km in the dark with just a single head torch. May I add thanks dad for being the bright one and telling me ‘you never know darl you might need it!’ well I definitely don’t know how I would have done the ride to the temples without it! As a group along with Dayvy we did a 17km bike ride for bike4kids. The ride was spectacular, we got to ride around most of the main temples and sneak in a few pictures along the way.

We decided to dedicate our weekend to doing the temples over two days. Day one we were able to fit in Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and a sunset ride down the mountain on an elephant who was 55 years old, doing pretty good for his age I would say! For the second day we hired a tuk tuk driver to take us around. We did some shopping at the market where we each purchased paintings done by a man, and visited Bayon and the temple where Tomb Raider was made. By the end of the two days we were exhausted yet full of awe from witnessing first hand one of the wonders of the world.

Now you would think any normal group would go home and rest up for the week of all those adventures, well you thought wrong. We managed to store a little bit of energy to complete a traditional Khmer cooking class. Definitely something I recommend for any tourist or future volunteer going to Cambodia to do. It was amazing to get a firsthand look at how everything is made. And mums out there if you’re anything like my mum she’s expecting me to bring the recipes home and cook for her, something that is very rare for me.
The week went well for all of us, on Monday we attended the child protection workshop at concert.

The day may have been long but we each learnt a lot from it and it was really eye opening. Each morning Amanda and I complete a health promotion class for the males while Sasha and Rachael complete a health promotion class for the females. The classes are going well, we all had hoped for a lot more people to attend but you work with what you’ve got and hope the word spreads. We also started house evaluations this week which I personally was really looking forward to. It was fantastic to gain a better understanding of how these people live and find ways in which we can help.

The English classes are going along fantastic, the kids are amazing and so willing to learn. This week we focused on food, body parts, and days of the week. On Thursday because it wasn’t a compulsory school and numbers were low we decided to join classes and incorporate a craft lesson to help get the kids active. The class ran really well. Overall the week was a success.

This weekend we are off to Phnom Penh for a bumpy six hour bus ride followed by a day at S21, the Killing Fields and a sneaky little shop at the Russian markets. Stay tuned because I have a surprise for you all next week, I hope you have strong stomachs!