An interesting experience

This is not the usual scene for 7.15 a.m on my Sunday morning, but this morning saw me speaking to 150 Cambodian parents about choosing the right school for their children. My hour long slot was filled with my speech and translation followed by a question and answer session, with some challenging questions. I was impressed with the engagement of the audience on this issue.

The other key note speaker was an excellency of the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport) spoke for 1hr45 with no translation.

While this tested my endurance, I was struck once again by the amazing experiences I am gathering.

This evening, my boss took me, my colleague Lisa and our husbands for an extravagant dinner to celebrate completing a successful school year. As I was sat around the table, which was covered with oysters and Iberian ham and the conversation turned to politics (the husband of my boss is a government bigwig), we held our breath not knowing what we could or couldn't say. But this aside, I was struck by how lucky I am to be working for with people I believe have a good cause at heart (even if I disagree with some of their ideas and practices), who respect and value me and whose company I enjoy. A rare combination and I do not take it for granted, even in the challenging moments that arise with cultural, status and financial barriers.