Today we took flute lessons and went to the Russian Market. As a musician, I was very excited to take the music class. I’ve had no experience playing woodwind instruments, and had no idea what to expect out of the lesson, especially it being a foreign instrument with an instructor who didn’t speak much English. We took off fairly early in the morning and headed for master flute player Yim Chanthy’s house. We started off by playing through the scale for several minutes. Initially, it seemed easy, but then we realized that the flute changes tones depending on how hard you blow air through it, which made it more difficult than I had anticipated. Once Yim Chanthy thought we were ready to start learning, she quickly took off into the lesson. It was a fascinating experience trying to learn a song through watching her play it, using little to no language to help guide me.
Overall it was a worthwhile experience, however, I can't say any of us will become master flute players anytime soon. Being able to play some of the music we’ve been learning about has helped us wrap our minds around just how much of an art these musicians have mastered, and how imperative it is that the classical Cambodian music stays alive.
After the flute lesson, we took a short tuk-tuk ride to the Russian Market, and I can confidently say it was like no “market” I had experienced before. Between the hot, thick air and the market vendors swarming you with cheap goods to buy, it was impossible to have a relaxing day of shopping. It was however a wonderful experience. We all had a blast bargaining down gifts for our families back home and wandering through aisles upon aisles of booths selling things like cloth, films, fish, and even car parts! It was a day full of new experiences for all of us, but it’s these experiences that are making this trip such a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience.
~Maddie
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