7.25.08
Things to know:
The rainbows here are out of this world. Both times that it has rained and the clouds have cleared at sunset rainbows break out in pairs in the sky and they go all the way across. Pots of gold to be had by all (if there were any Irishmen here!)
Khmer children are the most fun I have ever had. Our first day at our training site brought a few little boys anxious to show us their bike tricks as they rode back and forth in front of the gate and waved and smiled and said “hello.” Most people say hello to us whenever we walk around – it is a pretty popular phrase, along with, “okay!” I also heard an LCF (Language and cultural facilitator) say, “Fo’ Shizzle.” Another day, during a rain, a few children were out playing and they caught me snapping their picture. They ran inside, suddenly shy, and waved and danced and stared at me, smiled all the time. The younger kids, though, the toddlers – very unhappy reactions to the barang trying to say hi to them.
Soccer on sand is immensely difficult, though the Khmer LCFs are basically pros in disguise. And Quinn should not be allowed to kick a ball at full force at a 5’0” les-than-100-pound woman.
Have I mentioned that the food here is amazing? And cheap!
Part of our XC (Cross-cultural) training today was an exploration into the world of non-indoor plumbing and running water. We observed our LCFs acting out how to wash clothing, eat (there are lots of rules about seating and the order in which food is served), sleep (with nets and bugs), bathe and …um….wash ourselves are using the toilet. One of the LCFs mocked the cry of roosters as he rose for the ‘morning.’ One LCF mimicked the act of washing himself, blushing and giggling the entire time, and we figured out how to tie our new sarongs around us.
Elections are in full force now. With three main parties and a smattering of other people running, the campaigns are intense. Today we saw a party with a parade kilometers long – full of uniformed men in trucks and loud music blaring from awful loudspeakers. It is quite the event, although there is likely to be no major upsets in the governmental seats. Training today was interrupted several times by these loud trucks and campaigns running the streets, as was the breakfast that I enjoyed bright and early this morning.
On a sadder note, I visited the market today and a very young boy was begging for money from me, silently, a site that was very sad and very surreal for me. PC has advised us not to give anything to anyone on the streets, so all we could do was look and ignore, a very uncomfortable feeling. Also, the dogs here are sadly underfed and underloved. While eating dinner, Quinn made friends with ‘Angelina Jolie’ and all the time he pet her she was wary of a kick or a slap or a stick or a rock…
I can feel that things are adjusting. The past few days remind me of freshman orientation in college, which has become a bit of a blur in my mind. Being so tired and anxious and stressed messes with your memory perhaps. But as I relax and enjoy, I feel like the adjustments are coming and adaptations are already being made. I’m not as tired today, I wasn’t as hot, the food is tasting very good, and the language is … on its way. I’m still taking the experience on a day-to-day basis, but it’s on its way to natural.
Things to know:
The rainbows here are out of this world. Both times that it has rained and the clouds have cleared at sunset rainbows break out in pairs in the sky and they go all the way across. Pots of gold to be had by all (if there were any Irishmen here!)
Khmer children are the most fun I have ever had. Our first day at our training site brought a few little boys anxious to show us their bike tricks as they rode back and forth in front of the gate and waved and smiled and said “hello.” Most people say hello to us whenever we walk around – it is a pretty popular phrase, along with, “okay!” I also heard an LCF (Language and cultural facilitator) say, “Fo’ Shizzle.” Another day, during a rain, a few children were out playing and they caught me snapping their picture. They ran inside, suddenly shy, and waved and danced and stared at me, smiled all the time. The younger kids, though, the toddlers – very unhappy reactions to the barang trying to say hi to them.
Soccer on sand is immensely difficult, though the Khmer LCFs are basically pros in disguise. And Quinn should not be allowed to kick a ball at full force at a 5’0” les-than-100-pound woman.
Have I mentioned that the food here is amazing? And cheap!
Part of our XC (Cross-cultural) training today was an exploration into the world of non-indoor plumbing and running water. We observed our LCFs acting out how to wash clothing, eat (there are lots of rules about seating and the order in which food is served), sleep (with nets and bugs), bathe and …um….wash ourselves are using the toilet. One of the LCFs mocked the cry of roosters as he rose for the ‘morning.’ One LCF mimicked the act of washing himself, blushing and giggling the entire time, and we figured out how to tie our new sarongs around us.
Elections are in full force now. With three main parties and a smattering of other people running, the campaigns are intense. Today we saw a party with a parade kilometers long – full of uniformed men in trucks and loud music blaring from awful loudspeakers. It is quite the event, although there is likely to be no major upsets in the governmental seats. Training today was interrupted several times by these loud trucks and campaigns running the streets, as was the breakfast that I enjoyed bright and early this morning.
On a sadder note, I visited the market today and a very young boy was begging for money from me, silently, a site that was very sad and very surreal for me. PC has advised us not to give anything to anyone on the streets, so all we could do was look and ignore, a very uncomfortable feeling. Also, the dogs here are sadly underfed and underloved. While eating dinner, Quinn made friends with ‘Angelina Jolie’ and all the time he pet her she was wary of a kick or a slap or a stick or a rock…
I can feel that things are adjusting. The past few days remind me of freshman orientation in college, which has become a bit of a blur in my mind. Being so tired and anxious and stressed messes with your memory perhaps. But as I relax and enjoy, I feel like the adjustments are coming and adaptations are already being made. I’m not as tired today, I wasn’t as hot, the food is tasting very good, and the language is … on its way. I’m still taking the experience on a day-to-day basis, but it’s on its way to natural.
No comments:
Post a Comment