8.22.2008
Much like the baby ducks that are growing into their ugly adolescence, I too am beginning to grow into my environment and the challenges that surround it. Of course, not everything is perfect, but I don’t think that there would be anything fun about that (nor would there be anything for me to write about, depriving the many readers from across the country the joy of my simple blog ).
I must say that last Tuesday, the 19th, was probably the best and worst day of service so far. Before I go into that, though, even the worst was not even close to what could have been – so saying ‘worst’ is basically a misnomer. Either way, Monday saw us at our
hub site, for another pair of seminar days where all three of the villages get together and talk about safety or teaching, or in this case, Cambodian mines. Monday also saw us in the capable arms of the PCMO, our nurse for whom it is quite an insult to be called ‘just a nurse.’ She is our mother in this country, the keeper of the huge medical files that I’m sure anyone semi-related to a PCV knows about, the holder of what I would say is the majority of PC Cambodia’s purse, and generally, everything we could ever hope to have in terms of support. She is also, by default, the giver of those wonderful things known as i-m-m-u-n-i-z-a-t-i-o-n-s…(it’s best to whisper this away from the ears of children and PCTs…). As it had been a considerable 2 weeks since our last shots, we got two this time, and if I could remember what they were called, I would mention it, but the medical terms have become a jumble in my head.
Later, after our (shh…) shots, I played soccer, had a little dinner, and felt iffy at best. The next day, I was fine, but after we got home I fell into bed with a fever of over 102. One of my fellow trainees had a similar experience, and after double checking with the regular thermometer and the tempa-dot thermometer that made me think of good ole Mikey at home, as well as a little exp
letive, I gave in and called our PCMO. We were worried (this is where the not-so-worst part comes in) that I might have had dengue fever, considering there has been a supposed case in our village, but as my fever cooled and I had a bite of some Khmer food that tasted like Christmas chowder, I felt better. I did (and still do) have a very red heat rash that my family called the measles, but fear not…because….on that very same Tuesday, I indulged with a) peanut butter, b) pizza flavored Pringles – real ones, straight from the states! And c) a delicious cookies and cream ice cream cone. Real ice cream. It was indescribable.
But back to that awkward adolescence metaphor…
I’m beginning to do things wrong. This is not a bad thing, though. In fact, it is very good, because it means that my family is beginning to be honest with me, which I both appreciate and fear. It is very good, though, and almost entirely always very strange. Here’s why: I don’t know enough Khmer vocabulary, despite school every day and lots of practice, to fully communicate the things that pop into my head in response to the things that they are saying. These things are usually about me, which I notice because they call me by name or mention me or laugh while they look at me. I know enough Khmer to get the jist of what they are sayin
g but not exactly, which makes things super odd. Plus, because I have so many siblings and because they are so close, they are laughing at me all the time. It is a fact that I am still coming to terms with, but one that I appreciate, because I hear that teasing the ones you love the most is as popular here as in the states. Even my mom mentioned in our recent tea chat that one of her favorite ways to enjoy my presence is to make me think I am not good when in reality, I’m not so bad. Hopefully…
Other than that….important updates:
In a need to feel somewhat pretty after the rash that has travelled from my left arm to my right foot, I shaved my le
gs and plan on painting my toes (obviously for my fictitious Khmer boyfriend that I found in less than 4 weeks….).
I can now easily shower without warm water and crave cool drinking water more than you can imagine.
You have more important updates than I do because all of my news is in Khmer with very un-suggestive filmography that gives me few to none useful context clues. The sports that were shown from the Olympics are Brasil v. Argentina futbol, some running, diving and something where a guy in long white pants was jumping on a giant trampoline. Trainees and I are craving some news.
Happy Birthday Mom …I remembered!
Much like the baby ducks that are growing into their ugly adolescence, I too am beginning to grow into my environment and the challenges that surround it. Of course, not everything is perfect, but I don’t think that there would be anything fun about that (nor would there be anything for me to write about, depriving the many readers from across the country the joy of my simple blog ).
I must say that last Tuesday, the 19th, was probably the best and worst day of service so far. Before I go into that, though, even the worst was not even close to what could have been – so saying ‘worst’ is basically a misnomer. Either way, Monday saw us at our
hub site, for another pair of seminar days where all three of the villages get together and talk about safety or teaching, or in this case, Cambodian mines. Monday also saw us in the capable arms of the PCMO, our nurse for whom it is quite an insult to be called ‘just a nurse.’ She is our mother in this country, the keeper of the huge medical files that I’m sure anyone semi-related to a PCV knows about, the holder of what I would say is the majority of PC Cambodia’s purse, and generally, everything we could ever hope to have in terms of support. She is also, by default, the giver of those wonderful things known as i-m-m-u-n-i-z-a-t-i-o-n-s…(it’s best to whisper this away from the ears of children and PCTs…). As it had been a considerable 2 weeks since our last shots, we got two this time, and if I could remember what they were called, I would mention it, but the medical terms have become a jumble in my head.Later, after our (shh…) shots, I played soccer, had a little dinner, and felt iffy at best. The next day, I was fine, but after we got home I fell into bed with a fever of over 102. One of my fellow trainees had a similar experience, and after double checking with the regular thermometer and the tempa-dot thermometer that made me think of good ole Mikey at home, as well as a little exp
letive, I gave in and called our PCMO. We were worried (this is where the not-so-worst part comes in) that I might have had dengue fever, considering there has been a supposed case in our village, but as my fever cooled and I had a bite of some Khmer food that tasted like Christmas chowder, I felt better. I did (and still do) have a very red heat rash that my family called the measles, but fear not…because….on that very same Tuesday, I indulged with a) peanut butter, b) pizza flavored Pringles – real ones, straight from the states! And c) a delicious cookies and cream ice cream cone. Real ice cream. It was indescribable.But back to that awkward adolescence metaphor…
I’m beginning to do things wrong. This is not a bad thing, though. In fact, it is very good, because it means that my family is beginning to be honest with me, which I both appreciate and fear. It is very good, though, and almost entirely always very strange. Here’s why: I don’t know enough Khmer vocabulary, despite school every day and lots of practice, to fully communicate the things that pop into my head in response to the things that they are saying. These things are usually about me, which I notice because they call me by name or mention me or laugh while they look at me. I know enough Khmer to get the jist of what they are sayin
g but not exactly, which makes things super odd. Plus, because I have so many siblings and because they are so close, they are laughing at me all the time. It is a fact that I am still coming to terms with, but one that I appreciate, because I hear that teasing the ones you love the most is as popular here as in the states. Even my mom mentioned in our recent tea chat that one of her favorite ways to enjoy my presence is to make me think I am not good when in reality, I’m not so bad. Hopefully…Other than that….important updates:
In a need to feel somewhat pretty after the rash that has travelled from my left arm to my right foot, I shaved my le
gs and plan on painting my toes (obviously for my fictitious Khmer boyfriend that I found in less than 4 weeks….).I can now easily shower without warm water and crave cool drinking water more than you can imagine.
You have more important updates than I do because all of my news is in Khmer with very un-suggestive filmography that gives me few to none useful context clues. The sports that were shown from the Olympics are Brasil v. Argentina futbol, some running, diving and something where a guy in long white pants was jumping on a giant trampoline. Trainees and I are craving some news.
Happy Birthday Mom …I remembered!
No comments:
Post a Comment