Apsara Dance

I wouldn't be an art teacher if I didn't do some form of promotion of arts and culture would I? Here's some information on a form of dance that the region around Cambodia is famous for.

Mr Kamal



Apsara Dance (Robam Tep Apsara) is a famous Cambodia Royal Ballet which is widely seen around Cambodia and other countries such as Thailand, Laos. The Apsara Dance is particularly inspired by the style from around one thousand Apsara statues in Angkor Wat.

Apsara Dance is one of two major forms of Khmer dancing and incorporates parts of the other much older traditional or popular dancing, which has its roots in animism and primitive magic with Hindu forms introduced during the time of Indian influence beginning in the 1st century. The dance draws its inspiration from the mythological court of the gods and from its celestial dancers, the Apsaras. An Apsara, also known as Vidhya Dhari, is a female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Apsaras are supernatural beautiful girls; they appear as young women of great beauty and elegance who are proficient in the art of dancing.

The dance took on its own unique form adding movements and meaning, during the reigns of Jayavarman II and Jayavarman VII as well as the foundation of Angkor era. By the 13th century, the dance received a Khmer identity rather than Indian, unlike any other dance form in the world. It got a soft movement and a loudly traditional Khmer music during its performance and was exclusively performed for noble classes and royalty.

Khmer classical dancers use stylized movements and gestures to tell a story much like a mime, but in a more vague way as most audiences will probably never understand more than a couple of gestures. Dancers do not speak or sing; they dance with a slight smile and are never supposed to open their mouths.

Gestures in Khmer classical dance are called kbach (style). These kbach are broken down into several categories depending on which body parts are involved. Hand gestures that involve fingers are called cheep which means to pinch. These hand gestures can represent various things from nature such as fruit, flowers, and leaves. When put together in combinations they can have different meanings.

Information extracted from Wikipedia

Counting Down the Days We Are Heading to Siem Reap...

I'm feeling excited to go to Cambodia. I'm glad that I got the opportunity. I'm sure its gonna be loads of fun helping the kids there & constructing the fences. The weather is like Singapore; monsoon period now. I think that the living conditions in Cambodia is gonna be different from Singapore. I'm gonna end the post with a picture of Angkor Wat that I found at deviantart.

Seri

General Information on Dressing, Baggage and Safety

Dress Code

Departure (flying in and out): 'CIP Cambodia' T-shirt and jeans.

In Cambodia:

• CIP activity: 'CIP Cambodia' / School T-shirt and jeans.
• Other days: Your own personal clothing that is appropriate.

Students are expected to dress conservatively, which should reflect their awareness of local (Cambodian) sensitivity.

Student Packing List

1. Singapore International Passport
2. Spending cash in Riel - about SGD $200/-
3. Stationery (pens, notebooks, scissors, glue)
4. Writing materials - lesson plans, posters, charts, art materials etc.
5. 10 souvenir for Cambodian children and friends
6. 3-4 change of casual clothes (T-shirts, jeans, bemudas)
7. School T-shirts (2 pieces)
8. 'Cambodia CIP' T-shirt (2 pieces)
9. Windbreaker / jacket
   
10. Track pants
11. Undergarments
12. Socks
13. Face towel
14. Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, facial wash etc.)
15. Sunscreen / hat / cap
16. Umbrella / poncho
    
17. Sport shoes and sandals
18. Torchlight
19. Digital camera / video camera / camera
20. Mobile phone (auto-roam or phone card)
21. Spare batteries / charger for mobile phones / camera - bring plug adaptor for 2-pin power point (flat or parallel pins)
22. Spectacles, contact lenses; solution and casing (if required)
23. Name tag with lanyard
24. Water-bottle
25. Snacks / cup noodle
26. Tissues (dry or wet)
27. Medication (as necessary)

*Students are advised to store their traveling items in their hand-carry luggage. No sharp objects to be put in the hand-carry luggage.

Luggage
Maximum of 2 bags per passenger. (1 as checked-in luggage and 1 as hand-carry luggage). Please ensure that your packed luggage for checking-in at the airport does not exceed 20kg in total.

Hand Luggage
There are restrictions on the amount of liquids / gel type products that you can have in your hand-carry luggage as well as the size of your hand-carry luggage. For further details please refer to your Info Booklet or the 'Guidelines for Liquids, Aerosols and Gels in Hand-carry Luggage' available from the Changi Airport website.

Safety

1. Some common-sense measures must be taken by all of us for our safety and well-being in Cambodia, just like in any part of the world.
2. Always keep the teacher-in-charge or the assigned group leader informed of your whereabouts.
3. You are to move around in your assigned groups during the CIP activity and tour. Never venture out alone.
4. Especially for female students, dress and behave appropriately to avoid any unwanted attention.
5. Do not be flashy by displaying your valuables.
6. Keep your money separately. Do not keep all of it in one place to avoid a major loss in case of theft or in the case where you misplace your belongings.
7. When approached by people soliciting for money (i.e. beggars), just ignore them if you do not wish to donate. Do not be hard-pressed to donate and do not scold or insult them to avoid any unpleasant incident from happening.
8. Stay indoors (in the hotel) after nightfall. (No, you are not going to bump into Edward Cullen...)
9. Do look out for one another during the trip.

Miscellaneous

• Souvenir items: Students are to prepare 10 sets of inexpensive items reflecting Singapore as souvenirs for their student buddies or charges they will be meeting in Siem Reap. Examples of such items are keychains, 'fridge' magnets, bookmarks etc.

• Reading books: Each student to donate 5 story/reading books for the trip to be donated to the schools or Kampong Khleang children.

• Footwear: Certain places of interest, e.g. temples, do not allow footwear to be worn. You will be asked to remove and hand over your footwear to the the relevant authorities for the duration of your visit. Therefore, if you are concerned about issue of theft or loss of footwear, please refrain from wearing expensive footwear.

Training Session

Ms Lathika addressing the students.


Ms Lathika discussing with a group of students on the activities that will be conducted.

Donation Items

Ms Putthiwan and Madam Azizah with some of the donation items that we will be bringing over to Siem Reap.

Selection of Polo Shirts

Madam Azizah and Ms Putthiwan with a student going through the catalog.


Mr Ng, Ms Lathika and Ms Putthiwan making some selections.

Cambodian Language

It's just 11 days away from now!! Hope everyone is looking forward to it to explore things around there, for example: the people living over there, the difference between here and there and of course all those target we would like to achieve.

I just went to search for some languages that the Cambodians speak. Well, one interesting thing I found out about their languages is that they have a very fun way to pronounce their language. Few examples below:

Hello = Cum riep sue
How are you? = Sok sabaay cie tee san?
I am fine = Sok sabaay
Good = Iqaa
Very Good = Iqaa nah
Mr(formal) = Look
Ms(formal) = Look srey
Welcome = Soum swaakum
Thank you = Qaa kum
Good morning = Qaa run sue sdey
Good afternoon = Ti wie sue sdey
Good evening = Saay yoen sue sdey
Good night = Rie trey sue sdey

It's really very fun trying to pronounce it correctly. Have fun!! :)

Huibing

Thanks Huibing - Mr Kamal

Siem Reap

Siem Reap City is the capital of Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. It is the gateway city for nearby Angkor Wat and is today a popular tourist destination.

The name Siem Reap means the 'Defeat of Siam' - today’s Thailand - and refers to a centuries-old bloodbath, commemorated in stone in the celebrated bas relief carvings of the monuments.

In 1901 the École Française d'Extrême Orient (EFEO) began a long association with Angkor by funding an expedition to the Bayon. In 1907 Angkor, which had been under Thai control, was returned to Cambodia and the EFEO took responsibility for clearing and restoring the whole site. In the same year, the first tourists arrived in Angkor - an unprecedented 200 of them in three months. Angkor had been 'rescued' from the jungle and was assuming its place in the modern world.



Siem Reap was little more than a village when the first French explorers re-discovered Angkor in the 19th century. With the return of Angkor to Cambodian, or French, control in 1907, Siem Reap began to grow, absorbing the first wave of tourists. The Grand Hotel d'Angkor opened its doors in 1929 and the temples of Angkor remained one of Asia's leading draws until the late 1960s, luring visitors like Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Kennedy. In 1975, the population of Siem Reap, along with that of the rest of the cities and towns in Cambodia, was evacuated by the communist Khmer Rouge and driven into the countryside.

As with the rest of the country, Siem Reap's history (and the memories of its people) is coloured by spectre of the brutal Khmer Rouge Regime, though since Pol Pot's death in 1998, relative stability and a rejuvenated tourist industry have been important steps in an important, if tentative, journey forward to recovery. With the advent of war, Siem Reap entered a long slumber from which it only began to awake in the mid-1990s.

Today, Siem Reap is undoubtedly Cambodia's fastest growing city and serves as a small charming gateway town to the world famous heritage of the Angkor temples. Thanks to those attractions, Siem Reap has transformed itself into a major tourist hub. Siem Reap nowadays is a vibrant town with modern hotels and architectures. Despite international influences, Siem Reap and its people have conserved much of the town's image, culture and traditions.

Information extracted from Wikipedia

Overseas Field Trip Pointers

For Parents and Students:

Passport
Please ensure that your international passport has a minimum validity of period of at least 6 months from date of departure and your recent photograph is inserted in it.
All passports will be kept in the hotel safe for security reasons.

Innoculation and Medication
You may want to get an innoculation fro flu or H1N1 from any private general practitioner / polyclinic. This has to be done 2 weeks before your date of departure for it to be effective. You may also want to bring some diarrhea tablets, panadol, cough micture, lozenges and other medication you need for existing medical condition.

Currency
"Riel" is the currency used in Cambodia. Please get some of your money changed in Singapore. Recommended amount to change - not more than SGD $200/-. 1 SGD = 2900 Riel (depending on market rate)

Medication
For those students who are on medication, we advise you to bring along your medication and keep them intact in your pouch.carrier bags. You should also inform your accompanying teachers the type of medication you are taking as a record particularly those who have weak stomach and are prone to diarrhea.

Drinking Water
Please do not drink tap water. Boiled water is safe. Drinking water can be purchased from shops. They will also be distributed daily on the coach.

Hotel Ettiquette

• Upon checking in, please stay in your rooms. Do not open doors to strangers and view through the peeping hole to confirm visitors.
• Handle the things in your room with care.
• Do not visit your fellow mates rooms especially the boys visiting the girls rooms and vice versa.
• Do not loiter around the hotel/hotel lobby. Should security find anyone doing so, your teachers would be informed immediately.
• Should you order from room service, please settle your bills upon delivery.

Phone Calls
Phone calls made in hotel rooms are expensive. You are advised to buy phone cards from Singapore or use your auto-roam mobile phones to make calls to Singapore.

Strangers
Do not speak to any strangers and be wary of suspicious characters in the hotel and during the tour.

Cash

• Do not display your cash or money unnecessarily when making purchases.
• Keep your money properly in wallets or pouches.
• Do not place your wallets at the back pocket of your pants or trousers.
• Carry your haversack in front of your body.

Weather
The Siem Reap climate can be described as tropical with seasonal monsoons, and the weather is warm year-round. There are two distinct seasons - the rainy season and the dry season. We will be experiencing some cool weather in Siem Reap this time of year. However, do bring along your umbrella and/or a cap with you.

Brief Itinerary

7th Dec
Day 1 - Afternoon

Depart Singapore
Arrive in Siem Reap followed by city tour
Historical background of Cambodia
Check in hotel
Dinner
Preparation for Community Service Project
Facilitated debrief and reflection sessions
Learning Outcomes: Character and Citizenship Education

8th Dec
Day 2

Breakfast
OCIP: Savong Village School Project
Community Development Project – Teaching children/youth leaders soft skills
OCIP: Continuation of project
Dinner
Facilitated debrief and reflection sessions
Learning Outcomes: Social Emotional Learining and Leadership Training

9th Dec
Day 3

Breakfast
OCIP: Continuation of project
Lunch
OCIP: Completion of project
Dinner
Free and easy at Russian Market
Facilitated debrief and reflection sessions
Learning Outcomes: Social Emotional Learining and Leadership Training

10th Dec
Day 4

Breakfast
Historical and Educational Visit: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon and Ta Phrom archelogical temples
Lunch
Hitorical and Educational Visit: Continuation of Angkor Wat
Dinner
Facilitated debrief and reflection sessions
Learning Outcomes: Cultural Immersion and Environmental Education

11th Dec
Day 5

Breakfast at hotel and check out
Handicap International
Lunch
Transfer to airport
Depart for Singapore
Arrive in Singapore
Learning Outcomes: Character and Citizenship Education

Programme Details

Main Theme: Service Learning & Cultural Intelligence
Learning Outcome: Character &Servant Leadership Development

Objectives:

1) To engage students in the following ways:

• Head - to engage students cognitively, allowing them to apply hard and soft skills

• Heart - to nurture students' sense of empathy and compassion, emphasizing the importance and joy of serving others with humility and respect

• Hands - to engage every students actively in implementing their planned project
  

2) To gain social emotional competencies such as Self Awareness, Social Awareness and Relationship Management so as to be effective leaders

3) To learn about the culture and lifestyles of the locals and contribute to their community

Flight Information - Silk Air

Destination To : Siem Reap, Cambodia
Flight Number : MI 633
Terminal : 2
Date : Monday, 7th December 2009
ETD : 1435hrs
ETA : 1545hrs

*Transport from school to Changi Airport will be provided. Students are to report to school at 9.30am.

Returning From : Siem Reap, Cambodia
Flight Number : MI 630
Terminal : 2
Date : Friday, 11th December 2009
ETD : 1225hrs
ETA : 1540hrs

Flight schedule for the day is subjected to changes by airline

*Transport from Changi Airport to school will be provided. Parents/Guardians who wish to pick up their child/ward are to report to Yishun Secondasy School at 4.40pm on Friday, 11th December 2009.

Contact Information

If you wish to contact your child/ward, we suggest that you call him/her on their mobile phones.

Please note that Siem Reap is one hour behind Singapore time (e.g. 9pm in Singapore is 8pm in Siem Reap)

In case of any EMERGENCY or for URGENT matters, please call or SMS any of the organizing committee teacher:

• Ms Lathika
• Mdm Azizah
• Mr Jeremy Ng
• Mr Tamil Selvam
  

or you may also contact 'High Achievers' tour vendor.
(Contacts will be provided to parents/guardians.)

The school's representative in Singapore will be Mr Siva Kumar.

Accomodation In Siem Reap

Angkor Parklane Hotel
Address: Street, Taphul, Tapoul Village, Svay Dangkum Commune
Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia
Telephone Number: (855) 63 967676
Website: www.angkorparklanehotel.com

School Visit

Savong Svay / Svong's School Orphanage
Thnol Trong Village, Bakong Commune, Brasat Bakong District
Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia

Welcome To Yishun Secondary School Overseas CIP in Cambodia Blog.

Welcome to Yishun Secondary School Overseas CIP in Cambodia Official Blog.

This is where we will be recording our journey in its entirety. From the planning stages to the actual trip to the post activities that will be conducted. So do check back frequently as we detail events that will unfold as we get on and about our expedition to Cambodia.


Cheers!