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!