Sambath Chey
November 2008
Update
Another month is going
to pass in few days. During this month I have not done anything
exciting besides going to school and attend my class as normal. Now
the university is getting quiet since most students have just
finished the final exams and probably some of them are on their
holiday in mainland or abroad. For ELC students, they are still
having classes till the middle of December. I am, one of them,
working with my language skills. Hopefully, I could end up with
satisfying result.
Last module, there were
nothing special happened in my class. Basically my class focused on
Academic English, and it tended to have a blitz on writing skills.
This module is not different. The class is progressing stepping
stones. However, I feel I like my class even more. All of my
teachers are nice, friendly, and skillful. The classmates’ relation
is getting close as a big family; and the class went smoothly with
the sound of students weep and laugh.
On the 14th
this month was my birthday. It was the happiest day I had within
this month. Angelica, Maritriny, Thong and some other friends made
me a surprise thing. Then we all had a yummy dinner in my share
house and some of them got drunk. Last weekend, Angie,
Maritriny, Thong and I went out for a buffet. At first, we planned
to talk and end up our peace action group during the meal but I
forgot because the food was so nice. Finally we just reminded each
other that we had forgotten.
At first weekend, Thong
and I went over to have a lunch with Val Elliott first friend in
Hobart. We had a nice time discussing about our new environment of
living and studying. We had beautiful conversation; especially, she
is the one in Hobart who knows every peace scholars from Cambodia.
She’s really interested in talking with peace students.
The weather in Hobart
was seem bad during this month. Three to four days within a week
were wet by raining and shower. Many people were stressful I guess;
especially, students who were preparing for their final exams.
However, at the beginning of the month, some friends of mine,
including Maritriny, and I joined a cycling activity which its aim
is to promote clean air in the city. It is called “Critical Mass.”
I am looking forward to involve in this activity again and other
social activities occurred in Hobart, especially during summer
break.
October 2008
Update
Everyone is right! I
also think that Time is flying very fast. I have already been here
almost four months but I feel as though I just arrived few weeks
ago. There many things I have not done and waiting for me to
explore in Australia. At the beginning of this month, it was my
mid-semester break. I went to Melbourne. During this lovely trip, I
had met many Cambodian living in Melbourne and especially I met two
peace scholars, Socheata and Rizki. We had a lot of fun together
and enjoyed many surprising things in Melbourne. One of those
surprising things was that I had chance to celebrate Cambodian
religious ceremony, Pchum Ben, which I had never expected before. I
spent a week in Melbourne, but I just know a little part of the big
city. It disappointed me a little.
It is sad to talk about
Hobart Peace Action group. When the two other groups in Melbourne
and Perth counted the money, Hobart group have been working on our
Fundraising event. However, we have made some noise in the public
places and we made nearly eighty dollars. We sold muffins and
spring rolls at school and at Salamanca Market.
The first public holiday
I had in Australia was Royal Hobart Show day which is going to be
happened different time in every state in Australia. Firework, fire
show, dairy show, bag show and many other things I had never seen
before just came into my eyes in one day. I advice all peace
scholars who wished to learn about Australia go and see this event
and at the same time have fun with your friends and your
lovers.
Though time went by so
quick, we never forget our study. Day by day, our knowledge
increase and our language skills are continually improved.
Maritriny and Angilica are still my class mates. We do have fun
together both inside and outside class. In short, we are all,
Angilica, Maritriny, Thong and I moving forward to reach ours gaols
which we wished learn from ours living and studying in
Australia.
September 2008
Update
Time went by so fast. September will pass away
in next several days. I feel I am now familiar with most things in
Hobart. I did adventure, joint community club, and learnt many
other things involving in my daily life.
At the beginning of this month, Thong and I
with few following friends did a small adventure to the top of Mont
Willington to see the whole view of Hobart city. It was the
sunshine day and we could see the views clearly from the top of the
mountain. Surrounded by the sea and mountains, Hobart is one of the
beautiful cities in Australia.
In this month I join a club namely “Sandy Bay
Rotaract” which its aim is to give young adults the chances to
express their ideas and use their energy to help the community. It
is really convenient for me as well as our peace scholars since it
is settled in the university and we have chance to absorb good
experiences from the mentors in the club who used to run and are
running other clubs. Actually, this club was just started. Thus, it
has not processed very smooth and there were not many activities to
do by now. However, on 23rd this month we just organized
a fundraising event for Ronald McDonald House to buy cinema tickets
for poor children. Thong, Maritriny, and I were also involved both
physical and psychological energy in this event, and we have also
learnt a plenty of things from this activity.
Moreover, at the beginning of the month peace
scholars in Hobart (Angie, Thong, Maritriny, and I) participated an
AIDS fundraising party which known as ‘Red Party’ by buying party
tickets. The party raised fund to support Oxfam’s AIDS orphans
nutrition program and for World AIDS day which coming up on
1st December.
My second module is being finished today. I
think I have learnt several beneficial things from it especially
some techniques for university usages and my language skills, of
course. During this module I did few presentations, bibliography,
debate, online research, survey and questionnaires, and some other
skills related to university uses.
August 2008
Update
First of all I want to say I am so sorry that
last month I did not report detail about my conditions in Hobart,
Tasmania. I am studying English at The University of Tasmania. I
just finished my first module last week. Well, the class was better
than I had expected. It gave me chances to improve my language
skills, make friends from different parts of the world and exchange
cultures’ knowledge. I am really satisfied with studying here; The
University of Tasmania is a big, convenient, and quiet place which
is favorable for studying. At the end of the last module my class
had a small party. It was the wonderful time for me and the
classmates since we have been working hard.
Tasmania is a peaceful place to live on. I
think I like the environment here so much. It is clean, fresh but a
bit cold in winter. Trees, flowers, sea, beach, and birds are
everywhere, and with the mountains they make the beautiful
sceneries which sometimes make me thought it is hard to believe I
had an opportunity to be here. People are friendly and forgiving.
The words ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank You’ and smiling are common in the
life of Tasmanian people. Thank for their warmly welcomes.
Moreover, Thong and I have met an Australian woman who always helps
Peace Scholars from Cambodia. Not different, she have helped Thong
and I a lots since we arrived here. ‘Thank’ to her, Val Elliott,
and ‘thank’ to previous Peace Scholars, Vichet and Vuthny, that had
left me many useful things.
Now, I am living in a share flat with others
two guys. One of them is a Cambodian peace scholar, Thong MEAS. And
another share flat mate is a Korean. Unfortunately, we have not had
much time to exchange some good experiences with each other since
we all are being busy. My house is in a walk distance to the
University and very close to the shopping zone.
During this month, August, my group (Hobart)
has made few posters about Fundraising and Peace scholarship. Its
aim is to inform people to know and understand more about Peace
Scholarship and IDP students. Indeed, we just realized that there
are not many people here know and hear about Peace Scholarship
program including IDP students. For instance, in the first week of
this month we had tested our plan of Fundraising event with people
at the Salamanca market. Most of them don’t know what Peace
Scholarship program is, and a seller responded with his
doubtfulness whether it was the religious groups.
Furthermore my Hobart group has talked with the
student advisor to see if there are some helps for our fundraising
event. Unfortunately, the university can help us only advices. And
now we do need some facilities to run our plan such as LCD and a
lecture theatre, otherwise few plans will be cancelled. Despite of
that fact we still have many things to do.
During this month, I had some happy times with
my classmates and few friends living nearby my house. Last week, I
joined a friend birthday party and went to Kingston city, 20
minutes by bus from central Hobart, for fishing. It was the great
time to building more relationship with new friends and also was a
good time to understand Australian people’s lifestyle.
July 2008
Update
It is a couple of weeks that I have been in
Hobart, Tasmania. I spent most of time here looking for
accommodation and prepare for the class.
I have attended new class for a week by today.
The class and the university are quite interesting and peaceful. A
good thing I have met is that Maritriny and Angilica (the two
scholars from Mexico) are my classmates that it is easy for us get
in touch. I think we will have more time to know each other and
arrange for fund raising event.
We four Hobart group have met once for short
time and talked about when is the best time for doing fund raising.
The week after next week, we will gather again and discuss on the
possible options which we have noted them down during orientation
day at Sydney.
I think that`s all about me to report in this
month.
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