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!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
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!"
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!
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