Cambodiathrujpseyes

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Jumping Over Hurdles

I have just about reached the 7 month mark of being in Cambodia; yet and still it seems surreal...surreal although with some very real hurdles. Yet my experience thus far and I am sure in the months to come wouldn't be the same without these hurdles. But since my last post there have been a few major events/situations that has canceled out all the negative ones.

First, I changed host families. I moved for a number of reasons of which I cannot specifically mention on here in light of not saying anything that might embarrass Peace Corps or my country of service. My new family is much larger (10 people including myself), and am no longer sleeping on the floor. Did I mention there is a toilet? So, as you can imagine the comfort upgrade definitely got turned up a few notches. My hopes and prayers are that my current situation remains happy, healthy, and permanent until the time I move back to the States.

Another thing that happened that made me ecstatic was when this man in the market started a conversation with me while I was eating dinner. Now, before I get to the good part let me just say that after 7 months of living here there are still people who do not in their mind believe I am American. They may be people I see and interact with on a frequent to semi-frequent basis, strangers, villagers, and even "esteemed city people". More often than not people think I am from India or England. Yes, I tell them in Khmer where I am from and my whole situation...but anyway...back to this man at the market. While some women were staring at and inquiring about my hair (another everyday occurrence, which is also accompanied with grabbing and touching) the man said in Khmer "...you are the same as Obama..." I just about screamed, started clapping, and shouted back in Khmer "Yes! Exactly! That's my uncle!" LOL I may have gotten a little carried away but that was a triumphant moment. It's hard to express my feelings of "Ah haa!", but the fact that he understood me as a human being while me not at all having to defend my skin color and hair as if I am a foreign creature, and the fact that Americans come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, follow different religions, eat all different types of food, etc. was a salient moment indeed! So, Mr. President, if by any chance in the world you happen to stumble across my blog I have a special request of you. Two, actually. First, is it okay if I call you Uncle Rack to back up the claims I made a few weeks ago? Also, I hear you will be in Southeast Asia sometime next month. If there's any time in your demanding schedule would you mind stopping by Cambodia to give your new niece a special shot out? I know both of those requests are far fetched, but hey, it doesn't hurt to ask! :)

But back to reality...to be honest there have been times when I've gotten homesick. Things that have helped me to combat the solemn feelings are looking at pictures from back home, being somewhat "in the know" of what's going on- thank God for technology!, writing, and even pondering about what's waiting for me at home- family, friends, fashion, Chipotle, etc...you know, ALL the goods :)So yet again, I thank you for all your love, prayers, and support because without it I could not do what I am doing. Until next time, go eat a bowl of rice for me as I will not see it again until after Lent is over. It will be interesting explaining this to my village. I know they will probably think I am sick with Dengue again or just plain crazy, because no one here in their right mind would never NOT eat rice :)

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Let's Bring In 2010: Suasadai Ch'nam T'mai!

Happy New Year! Which is what I said in my title for all you English speakers wondering what in the world I wrote :) I will be kicking off one of three New Year's celebrations here in Cambodia. Of course now international new years day, then Chinese New Year sometime in February, and saving the best and boldest for last, Khmer New Year in April. As we bring in this new year, I ponder on what I have done in the passed decade. As a thirteen year old eagerly awaiting the mysteries of high school, boys, and getting a driver's license in a few years to come, I also had big dreams of what my future as a young adult would hold. But if someone had told me then that I would be living and working here in Cambodia on my own I doubt I would have believed them. And as surreal as this experience has been I surprise myself sometimes still. 2009 came and went; and really so did these past ten years! But instead of me thinking about the next ten years, my energies and thoughts will be on the precious and limited time I have left here in Cambodia. But before I do that, let me share with how how my holiday season has been thus far...

My Christmas was a fairly happy one...well happy for being 10,000 miles away from family, friends, and food that I know and miss so dearly around these special times. I expected it to be bland, sad, and depressing, to say the least, but it was in fact fun. After a journey of a "taxi" ride into Phnom Penh, a few volunteer friends and I settled in and got a pretty fabulous brunch. Phnom Penh is very "Christmas friendly" with Santas, little or big decorated trees, and even music in some establishments.So, of course, I took plenty of pictures like a true foreigner in shock of Christmas decorations in Cambodia would. I was also able to skype the family, and later on we all went out for dancing and drinks. Yeah, leave it to me to be the volunteer who finds the club! LOL But we sure did enjoy ourselves. Staying the next few days, though, bought some down turns. While I ironically came to Phnom Penh to relax and get some good food, I was contaminated with food poisoning and suffered the repercussions in three days to come. And, again, I shake it off, smile to myself and say "Welcome to Cambodia!"

Spending New Years here was also more fun than I expected. There are plenty of expats and visitors in the capital who recognize New Years, but most Cambodians here only recognize it as the international new years day but don't really celebrate. The place we went was multi-faceted to say the least: guest house, pool, restaurant, bar, and last night turned into a party fully equipped with a DJ playing house music. The atmosphere was pretty Western, so I couldn't complain. While I am not homesick (ahem, MOM) and did enjoy myself somewhat during my first holiday season away from home, there is nothing that can compare with being with your loved ones. I can only continue to count my blessings daily for all my loved ones back home and abroad, as well, who give me continued support. Without it, I couldn't imagine what my experience thus far would be like. So for all of you who continue to bless me with your love, support, prayers, and packages, I hope 2010 brings you and yours peace, happiness, and strength to fulfill this year's goals and resolutions!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Another Month; Another Step

Nearly a month has passed since my last entry, and with that month has come more learning, patience, growth of cross cultural faux pas. Some notable things I have experienced and/or discovered include attending my first Khmer wedding (I presume my first of many), found and attended Catholic mass in my provincial town, and had my first major holiday away from my friends and family in the States.

Let's start with the wedding. If I could think of one word to capture the essence of what I experienced it would be production! This two day affair is full of religious (Buddhist) ceremonies, a plethora of food and drinks, about 10 costume changes from the bride and groom, picture taking, live entertainment, dancing, and camaraderie. I accompanied all the staff at my school in support of another teacher who was getting married. I never saw the wedding invite; only I was told about 20 minutes before we all left which made it impossible to decline, especially since they all decided to meet at my house. Anyway, before the wedding even began I felt like I was back in dance/theatre/pro-cheer heaven. All the women teachers transformed into these glamazons I could barely even recongize: the pompadour hair-styles, the glitterati-clad outfits, the fake eyelashes...what?! Who knew? And more importantly why in the world didn't they include me in the pregaming fun? Well, next time I know...but I was just in shock! So we arrive at the wedding fashionably late...well, considerably late, but no one seemed to mind. We got there for what my staff felt was the most important and fun part: food, drinks, and dancing! I have to admit I was apprehensive of going at first because I did have the proper and traditional Khmer wedding attire. Heck, my Khmer teaching skirts were soaking wet from just having washed my clothes before the entourage of staff bombarded my house...and moments later my room to pick out some clothes for me to wear. All in all, the end result was happiness all around. As you can imagine, I was all the rage at school the next week among the staff who was surprised to see me pick up the traditional Khmer dancing at the wedding (I am no expert, but at the same time the moves aren't too hard to pick up, either!).

I was excited to find out about the Catholic community in Cambodia, as small as it is, but even more excited to find out that there is a church in my provincial town. I have only attended mass a few times since being here, but I thoroughly enjoy it. The mass is conducted in Khmer by diverse priests who are part of a Catholic mission (one is from India; the other, France). Anyway, never did it dawn on me how much customization plays such an integral role in religions. As it would be, everyone sits on the floor (on grass mats), priests included (unless they are doing any of the readings, communion, etc.). There are even pictures all around that depict the Stations of the Cross in which Jesus seems to be a Khmer man...even the scenery is that of Cambodian farms. With that said, I am glad I found a community to be a part of that makes me feel more at home.

As we all know, Thanksgiving just passed and it was not at all sad. I indeed missed being away from family and friends in the States...just as much as I missed the food. I was very thankful, however, that PC decided to have our first IST on the holiday so that clusters of volunteers would be together, and at a place where Western food was at our disposal. I had a burger, fries, and Sprite for my Thanksgiving dinner. I also enjoyed some Halloween candy previously sent from the States. There were other volunteers who got to enjoy turkey, stuffing, and the works, but it came with a price I don't necessarily see myself delving into (unless of course next year I just get downright desperate). One volunteer was able to buy a turkey live- the only way turkey comes here in Cambodia- so I am sure you know how that went. I know, I know...yes I have eaten turkey and other animal meats, but the thought of having to buy it live, fully feathered and all would probably bring me lots of guilt and not want to eat it knowing that just some ours earlier it was running around wild and free on somebody's farm.

Work is still a work-in-progress. I have recently found out that my school received funding to help me launch an English club, and a few other clubs so updates on that shall be in the next post or so. Other than that, thanks for all the prayers, packages, and phone calls on Thanksgiving. I love hearing from everyone, and it made my night very special. Until next time, "lee sun howee".

Sunday, November 1, 2009

When Life Gets Real: Culture Shock, Revisited

Life for me has changed drastically since my time during training. Being at my permanent site for a little over a month has posed its daily hurdles, triumphs, and overall dealings of being the town resident alien. It's really quite a challenge to capture the true essence of my feelings and experiences because more times than not almost every single day I am saying to myself, "I cannot believe what I just saw/what this person just told me/ what I am eating/that this is my life..." etc. I do have to admit that while I always try to highlight only the good when sharing my experiences with family, friends, and inquiring minds all around the world, there are some things that I inevitably cannot leave out without telling accurate accounts. Without further adieu, let me share with you some things that have been going on...

Adjusting to my new environment was tough to begin with based solely on the fact that I missed my training family way more than I ever anticipated. Because I am at a site where a previous volunteer served, I thought there might be more ease to adjusting since people in the community are more aware of a foreigner/volunteer. But in my case, being the complete antithesis of the volunteer I replaced has posed more bewildered people, awkward, and intrusive encounters, and constant comparisons than I ever expected. I think my most common occurrence is when I am with one of my students or any other Cambodian person for that matter, and a stranger makes their way up to get the 411 about me. They assume that I have no knowledge of Khmer and proceed to ask the Cambodian with me all sorts of questions about me that I, in turn, respond to. Since people struggle to accept the fact that I am American because of my "s'bpai camoa" or black skin, and they think American means having white skin and blonde hair. Initially, I got a lot of "...you look Indian, Filipino, and even Khmer...." But it wasn't until I was trying to explain to the best of my Khmer language ability that I am African American that they interpreted that I am from Africa just living in America...so now I get lots of questions about Africa "So, how's the weather in Africa? Is it is hot as Kampuchea? Do your mother and father have black skin, too?"...it's quite hilarious but one of the many common conversations.

Money is also always commonly asked about. Status and "face" here are so immersed in this culture, so it's not at all considered inappropriate to inquire a complete stranger, friend, foe, or alien about their income. "How much is the school paying you? America is a rich country, so you must have lots of money...If you dont have much money, then how did you buy that cafe au lait you're drinking?..." LOL, it's okay, because I do. PC said we would have to develop a sense of humor and by how much I expanded mine by living here you would think Katt Williams was my next door neighbor.

Let me not leave out my height and hair. Here I am considered extremely tall, and one of the teachers at school last week cheerfully told me how fat I look. It was quite a compliment, since me appearing bigger means that I'm fed well (and with 3 bowls of rice a day, who wouldn't be? ha ha), in turn making my host family look like gold. People generally have no "in betweens", meaning you're either tall, short, big or fat, etc. So basically if you are not under 5 feet tall (male or female) with a small frame, you are considered a giant. When people see pictures from back in the states they say how pretty I used to be and always ask why I don't straighten my hair. A policeman, not knowing that I speak and understand the language moderately, proceeded to ask a male teacher next to me whether I was a male or female. The shock on his face that I responded was priceless. Actually many inquiring minds will come up to ask all sorts of questions about me right in front of my face assuming I have no knowledge of their language. People here also generally do not introduce themselves, yet they proceed to give you the death stare, the up and down look, and then ask you every personal question they can think of. There are several other things I perceived as highly rude and inappropriate, but I had to just accept as a cultural norm.

Teaching poses many challenges that are unfortunately associated with Cambodian dynamic that has been passed down since the reform of education after the Pol Pot regime. Fortunately, I have found issues that I can feasibly take on and tame as secondary projects. I also have a select few students who I have bonded with tremendously. Teaching at the Wat is a completely different atmosphere than at my school. I really enjoy the time I spend teaching there in my free time, and even go there to study or read on my own because it is a quiet and peaceful place (unless they are chanting or something, which is rare at the times I go daily).

As mentioned before there is too much that happens to be (bad, good, and in between) on a daily basis to capture in this note, but I will say that I have noticed some emotional growth on my own behalf. First off, there have been no tears (and by saying that I hope I won't jinx myself). Also, when things go wrong or unexpectedly or if something happens that is out of this world perplexing have learned to diffuse the situation with a calm mind instead of just getting frustrated. Constantly reminding myself "Welcome to Cambodia" usually does the trick.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Getting Ready For the Real Deal

These past 8 weeks have seemed to vanish before my eyes. Although this training is shorter than length than I expected, it has been filled with many peaks, troughs, and plateaus as a every growing and learning foreigner in a foreign land. As my days of training ends, my real life as a volunteer begins. After this Friday, I will be a sworn in PCV and move on to my permanent provincial town. And until after Christmas Day (which is not at all celebrated here) I won't be leaving the borders of my province. But speaking of holidays, today ends the last day of a much celebrated Cambodian holiday- "Pchum Ben". For a little over 2 weeks, many familes pay tribute to their ancestors by going to their respective Wats (Buddhist temple) and throwing rice at the wee wee hours of the morning. The last 3 days are the most intense. It entails a lot of food, Wat-going, praying, and more celebrating. Many people leave the big cities (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap) and flood to their native hometowns to be with their families for the holiday. Twice this week, I went to the Wat with my "cousins"family (who is my friend and fellow PCT, Kealan's host family): once in our nearby Wat and another at a Wat in the next commune over. Both times were some of the most immaculate experiences that I have had. I was on the receiving end of the cultural exchange, and it felt amazing. My mosquito bites suddenly felt numb, the sweat all over my face was cooled by a breeze, and the food we were given was quite "ch'nang"(delicious).

While I am excited to begin my job as a volunteer, there are many things that are overwhelming. For starters, re-integrating and possibly re-learning the language (depending on the accent and jargon of the locals in my environment). I will also have to deal with being the only foreigner in sight in my very, very small town. Traffic is also another thing to be careful of; just in the past week and a half 3 people have been killed in moto accidents in my training village. Although we ride our bikes, there are relatively no traffic laws here. For instance, on my way to this Internet cafe I was riding side by side on the road with motos (up to4 and 5 people riding-babies included) and cars on a paved road where "get in where you fit in" is the rule to be followed. This is where I am thankful that cars have horns, because if anything these drivers use their horns to the fullest extent. Luckily for me traffic isn't as heavy in my town due to the size and my house not being on the national road, so I can walk nearly everywhere I need to go, within reason. (I hope any of you who read this-MOM ;)- are not freaking out. This is just a minor tidbit of the harsh realities to my situation).

I appreciate all the love I have been getting from all my family and friends at home in the US as well as support from my friends abroad who can relate (especially my fellow trainees). All the phone calls, emails, FB messages, letters, packages, and prayers have helped me deal with the hardest job of my life. My Louisiana family even made me a website. Check it out: http://jpcambodia.webs.com Until then, I hope you are enjoying the fall season (as that doesn't exist here) while I bask in the Cambodian sun!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Misquitos, Monks, and Me

So by now I have been living in Cambodia for a little over a month, yet some days it feels like I have been here much longer than that. Days are long, hot, and intense, for the most part. At my village, I am in bed by 7:30 pm...no kidding. Many other trainees can agree to the same; we are simply exhausted. Although the heat doesn't bother me, it has taken some toll on my sleep cycle. About a week and a half ago I broke down and bought a fan for my room. Although I bargained it down to $9 from $10 (which was a LOT for me to break out on my budget), somewhere in my mind I knew I was getting ripped off. As I power walk home with my new fan in hand, I rush to my room dripping in sweat eager to position my new fan. As soon as I plug in this thing, it vomits one of the blades. As I sit in a pool of frustration and sweat, I am thinking all kinds of profanities. I am especially glad I don't know this in Khmer. Not only does it spit out a blade, it is bouncing up and down. I return back to the market where I got it from with my teacher whom I told I wanted a refund (this is the angry Westerner in me)...LOL but sadly this didn't come with a receipt. The man fixed my fan, and proceeded to ask for more money for fixing the knowingly broken fan he sold me. (I can now think about this situation and LOL, but at that very moment i was H O T, and I am not referring to the weather). Anyway, by the time I get home I plug in my fan to see that it works this time; well, almost. It has a rotating head that is supposed to stop if you adjust it to, but right now I am glad I can sleep a little better at night.

Speaking of sleeping at night, I will inevitably have some teeny tiny little creatures sleeping with me...yes, in my bed...and this is how I got Dengue fever. Despite the heat, I always sleep in pants, socks, and a thin long sleeved shirt. I do this to try to protect myself from bugs that my mosquito net can't, but apparently that wasn't good enough. I also load on DEET- the repellent we were given. But these bugs out here are mighty persistent...they seem to find that one little nook on my foot or finger that has little or no repellent on it. These are the most clever and determined bugs on planet earth! For some reason they target us "barangs" because I never see any bites on my family members; I have concluded that they are simply immune to everything in this environment. But I have successfully recovered from Dengue (although there are 3 other strains I could possibly get) and giardia!

For those of you who aren't aware, the majority of Cambodians are Buddhists. So naturally, we as volunteers are surrounded by monks and a frequent visitors of the local Wat. About a month ago, I met this monk who is a professor at the Buddhist University in Phnom Penh...I can't begin to speak on how worldly this monk was because I could write a book, but I will tell you this: Somewhere in our conversation he asks me where I am from in America. I tell him I am from California. He then asked specifically, and I replied "A small town called Danville outside of San Francisco." Turns out he had not only been to San Francisco, but had spent 3 months teaching and living in Modesto! (For Northern Californians reading this you can see why I was so shocked). Aside from that, he lived and studied 8 years in Sri Lanka on a scholarship, as well has visited many other cities in the US and abroad. In a nutshell, he's a very highly revered monk not only in Cambodia, but abraod as well. Last week at my permanent site visit, I met the head monk at the local Wat in my village and he, too, was very welcoming to me. He even invited me back later that day to help teach English to his class. To me, I thought one of my biggest obstacles would be the interaction and integration of me with the monks in my community. Because of my own religious beliefs as well as all the customs I am expected to abide by (ie bowing and speaking to the monks in their specific language) simply as a visitor at a Wat I was not exactly excited nor did I have a clear plan on how I would successfully reach out to them. I am glad I was proven wrong!

Sidenote: I would like to apologize if this post seems like I'm rambling. On several occasions about 2 and half weeks ago I attempted to draft posts, but each time I was successfully interrupted by one thing or another. This has been saved/retyped like 5 times :/

Anyway, it's hard to believe that I only have 2 more weeks of training left! Where did the time go? (A few weeks ago, I was not at all saying this LOL) I am actively trying to get mentally prepared for my transition in a few weeks to my permanent site. I am moving to a smaller village than the one I am currently training in, have to readjust to new people, environment, and family, as well there's no internet cafe in my village :( My new family is much different from my current one. My mother is Chinese Cambodian (there is a large base of Chinese Cambodians) and my father is a native Khmer man. I have a little sister who is 13, and a brother who is 20 (although I did not meet him) that studies at a University in Phnom Penh. They do not live on a farm, there are no coconut trees, but my room has tile floors (YEEEEEAAAAAHHH! this is the ultimate luxury for me!)

I think what is dynamic about the PC is that no two people have the same experience; no matter if they are in the same country. Some of my friends placed at different sites here have rural permament sites like mine now or even more rural than that. On the other side, some people live in larger more modern homes with Western toilet seats, shower heads, multiple bedrooms, and bathrooms in their rooms (this is only a few people, but still..) All the while, all of these amenities I am fine living without. I think I will always have a good workout in washing my clothes, though. I washed my clothes before I got here to the cafe, and I didn't even finish. I think I picked the worst day to "boa coa owe" (wash clothes). It has been raining on and off and the clothe lines are filled with ants- big and small. I still have two big bags to go...just pray it doesn't rain between now and the time I get home because I need my clothes to dry by tomorrow (I'm down to one pair of undies, a few shirts, and my sampots lol) FYI- Sampots are traditional Khmer (long) skirts that we wear as teachers and people in the community. I bought my fabric in the market, and my mom made my sampots for me; although this is something you would rarely see worn in places like Phnom Penh or Siem Reap since they are more Westernized.

I think last post I mentioned "nom" which has like 80 different food references, but mostly sweet. I find it so funny that was really is "nom" or cake to us Westerners is called "nom barang". Barang is what Khmer people refer to as foreigners. It was originally in reference to the French settlers who came here a while back but now is just for everyone who isn't Khmer. I also find hilarity in one of the young monks telling me, "I've never spoken to a real foreigner before..." Haha...anyway, for those of you with Facebook you can look at my profile to see that I have really transformed into a pcv...but remember to look at my older pics, too, to see what I look life in real life haha!

Until next time..."lee high!"

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Let me give you a taste into my new life

WOW!

I must say I had to start off my blog with a big HUGE W O W! In just these short 2 weeks I have been here, my life has been turned upside down, inside out, and filled with lots of rice. From the time I stepped foot into Staging in San Francisco to now, there has never been a dull moment. I don't want to skip out of anything, so please prepare yourself for a whirlwind before you sit down and read what's been going on with me. Trust me, my Facebook and Twitter updates don't serve any justice compared to what I am about to share with you. And unless you have spoken to my parents, you probably won't have a good idea...even if you have, you still might not :)

July 22, 2009: Since the fall of 2005 when I discovered the Peace Corps and decided it would be in my future, I thought this day would never come. Yet when it did come, it came surprisingly fast. The day prior was spent in San Francisco for my group's (K3) staging event. I was lucky enough to be local, as were a few other trainees. For the majority of the group, people flew in from all around the country to get there; a few already dealing with flight delays. After hours of pre-orientation to service, I met my parents for the "last supper". I can still smell the goodness of garlic noodles and roast crab. Alas, the morning came, and since I along with four other trainees volunteered to be group leaders to assist all our fellow trainees en route to Cambodia I was up early to round my troops and collect money for the bus driver. First stop: Japan. The flight was 10 hours long, and I didn't sleep a single minute of it. No nervous or nauseating feelings, just mere curiosity on what in the world people do on 10 hour flights. I watched a movie, ate one of the meals, listened to my ipod, and tried eagerly to break in my new (and very hard) neck/airplane pillow with no luck. The transition from the US to Japan would prove to be smooth :/ somewhat... You see, my parents were eager to get me a cell phone that would function internationally, and the one they got unfortunately didn't work. So I decided to test my luck at a payphone that said it could make international phone calls. Six dollars later (converted to yen) it worked!

Now onto Thailand. After a 6 hour flight we made it to Bangkok. Since we had a long layover before our final destination flight, we were all booked to stay at this swanky hotel, the Novatel, near the airport for about 6 hours or so. This hotel was truly amazing, but such a tease. For me, I felt like Cinderella but my shoes were already disappearing. The next morning leaving Thailand presented somewhat of a hurdle. The flight was overbooked, which caused 9 of the K3s to be "standby" passengers. They had to stay the rest of the day in Thailand, but they had a blast and didn't miss out on any important stuff. Wait! My Cinderella story gets better...after we pass through customs there is a long trek to find the security check point. The first thing I see on this long walk is a Chanel boutique. Nest to it: Gucci. Next to that: Dior...SMH I had to ask God if that was a joke. It definitely wasn't! So sad to leave family, friends, and yes, fashion behind!

Taking my first steps to Phnom Penh International Airport I received a few welcome gifts. First, I looked at my feet to see that my glass slippers were indeed traded in for blue rubber Crocs. Then, a bug so kindly graced me with 2 itchy bites on my left foot. The last gift I received was a plugged up nose from the thick, polluted air and humidity. Ironically, all I could do was smile and tell myself, "Welcome to Cambodia!" Some of the P.C. staff and K2s (pcvs 08-10) were there to greet us at the airport. Later on we checked into our guest house, and explored the city. We visited the National Museum, a few restaurants, had a boat ride, and a traditional Khmer style meal. The next day was spent entirely at the PC Headquarters with all sorts of orientations.

After a one night stay in PP, we were off to Takeo Province for yet another guest house stay and several days of seminars and preparations for life as trainees. Everywhere we went, in large groups or small, the children on the streets would shout "Hello! How are you? What is your name?" Many children and teens are very eager to speak English here (hence the reason I am here), and for the most part, the ones who do speak English speak it very well. I can remember the frightening feeling I got the first night we stayed in the guest house in Takeo because there was a lizard in my room. It was actually on my roommates pillow and had jumped on her shirt for a quick second. I certainly didn't want this creepy crawler jumping on me in my sleep, so I wrapped my scarf that was on my head around my face. Little did I know that this itty bitty lizard would be nothing compared to the wildlife that would soon become my room pets.

The days in Takeo seemed to pass by like minutes, and then next thing I know I am in my training village on Tramkak (not too far away from Takeo) at the family meeting ceremony at the local Wat. First walking in barefoot, we soon found ourselves sitting on the ground and bowing to the monks to receive blessings from them. Afterwards came the family announcements. My mom, or "maiy" was there to greet me. With a warm, infectious smile and not a word of English, she greeted me. I speak very little Khmer, but I was able to greet her with a proper "jum reap suah", ask how she was doing, and tell her how old I was. She told me she has 2 daughters my age: 22 and 24. She also kept complimenting me; telling me how cute or "saa-at" she thought I was. After the ceremony, we took a "tuk tuk" (a popular Cambodia mode of transportation which is a sort of open seated and hooded car driven moto style by a driver) home. I came home to find beautiful lotus flowers in the front of my new house, 2 dogs, several chickens and roosters, 5 cows, and most importantly, a loving family who had been actively preparing for my arrival. Having meals "family style" isn't a saying here in Cambodia; it's a way of life. I had my first authentic Cambodian dinner. My "bpoan sraiy" prepared everyone's rice and had its compliments on the table: soup, vegetables, beef, and tea. I can't quite remember the minimal conversation at dinner, but i do remember the feeling my new family gave me: comfort. Although I can't quite say the same about my 2 inch thick mattress, I at least found solace in my mosquito net. For some reason, it reminds me of the canopy bed with drapes I had as a child that I loved very much. This new canopy I also love because it protects me from most creepy crawlers, which include the beetles, lizards, and different bugs that share my room with me.

The next following 10 days or so have been filled with intense days of language lessons, seminars, and assimilating as much as possible with our families and the Khmer people in our respective villages. It didn't take me as long as I thought to get used to my new living conditions (bucket showers, no Western toilets, etc.), but when it comes to doing laundry I have 2 words for Cinderella: "Girl, bye!" Washing clothes by hand every other day is work! I hang my clothes to dry outside on the line. One time it started to rain when my clothes were out, but my sister retrieved them in time. And just a few days ago a little birdie left its mark of love droplets on one of my shirts.

These days have had its fun share of discoveries. Some of my new favorite foods are here. It includes mostly fruits, such as saumau, mien, (sorry those two are in Khmer phonetic and I don't know what they are in English), coconut (oh, did I mention we have a couple of coconut trees at my house?), mango steen, and nom. Now "nom" has several meanings, but mostly here it means a cake of some sort or anything fried. Oh, and how could I forget the best of all: TUK-A-LUKS...can we say Jamba Juice Cambodian style? Most of these include papayas, bananas, kiwi, and various other exotic Cambodian fruits mixed with sugar, milk, and ice...the only downfall about that is that in my town they are only served in the evening because they are considered a dessert. Meaning, I cant have them because I must be home by 6 at the very very latest. So, I can only enjoy these in the daytime when we are in Takeo. Another delicious "ch'ngang" treat is their iced milk coffee. This is no ordinary coffee and would indeed put Starbucks out of business. People who know me know that I don't even like coffee; been a tea and hot chocolate girl all my life. But these "cafe dtuk dta go dtuk gaw's" have converted me...at least for my time here. I also must mention the good food my sisters make on a daily basis. They really took me back home when they made mustard greens and spinach to go over the rice. Another time, and actually quite frequently now they have made french fries and makeshift chicken nuggets because they know how American those two are. They also know my favorite fruits, and are always including them in meals.

Last week in Takeo we had a special lecturer who has lived in Cambodia for the past 18 years. She is a Catholic nun who has done all sorts of missionary work the majority of her life. She was quite the spitfire and history teacher! I was glad to hear her insight, especially the historical portion because the significance of knowing the past to understand and function now and for the future is imperative. This applies to all cultures, not just Cambodians, but that's a whole other blog for another day :) I am currently reading First They Killed My Father to gain more insight on the important history of the destruction of Cambodia.

I am currently enjoying the luxury of air conditioning and a western toilet. I know, I know...you're probably wondering how in the world am I living so large, but don't get too excited. It's only for a few hours while in here in Phnom Penh. My next post will me at a blazing hot internet cafe with extra slow dial up internet and 10 year old computers. Until then, I hope you enjoy and are thankful for whatever you are doing and however you are living at this moment. Don't forget to "hoab bai" (eat rice) so you can get a real taste of my new life :)

Jum Reap Leah!

Cambodian Community Development, Inc

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead