When you casually begin your day with a (comparatively) late start, a hearty, satisfying breakfast, subsequently followed by a stunningly serene thirty minute cruise down the Mekong River and peaceful jungle hike, it’s easy to assume that the remainder of your day will be equally comfortable and undemanding. This, unsurprisingly, was the general impression most of us had prior to our arrival at the beautifully quaint Ban Houay-On village. Our assumption quickly proved to be a comical error on our part, undeniably confirming the old saying as to why one shouldn’t make assumptions in the first place.

After briefly settling in and familiarizing ourselves with the village, whereby students were introduced to their homestay families, acclimated to their residences for the next couple of days, and treated to a local lunch, we were quickly off to start work at the dormitory site. With shovels and hoes in hand, many students enthusiastically got to work digging holes and building the mud-brick preparation sites. Simultaneously, other students brazenly (though safely) used machetes to chop up dried grass, which would be used in the mud-brick mix. While we only worked for about two hours and had the wonderful assistance of the local kiddos running wheelbarrows to carry our dirt, the blistered hands and sore backs were verbally highlighted quite quickly. It truly did not take long for us to take on a very zombie-like appearance… which might not actually be saying a lot as high school students generally tend to look like zombies anyway!

Fortunately, despite the exhaustion, soreness, and outright similarities to the walking dead, the fruits of our labour left our students quite positive and pragmatic for the remainder of our trip. More importantly, the smiles and laughter of the young kids helping us, many of whom quickly took to befriending our very own students, reminded us of why we are here in the first place. Sure – we may be missing the luxuries we often take for granted at home in Macao: greasily delicious Circle K snacks, indoor plumbing that doesn’t require you to squat while doing your business, and comfy beds that don’t require the occasional arachnid check. It’s clear to see, however, that Experience Week is serving it’s purpose and providing us with lifelong memories and invaluable experiences, even if they may be pushing us out of our comfort zones. If that doesn’t ease the pain, at least we can take solace in the likelihood that we are going to return to Macao ripped, looking like body builders – largely a byproduct of extensive hole digging, grass chopping, mud churning, and most importantly, a quick mastery of the squat toilet. Turns out that leg day can be everyday!