The Years End

Well, this year has suddenly come to its last day. For me, it's been one of the biggest and most eventful years of my life. With college graduation and moving to Cambodia I'd probably guess it's the most eventful and impactful to date. It seems almost impossible to think that a year ago, I was preparing to move back to Ithaca for the last time. Never mind preparing for the last semester of college but only seven months ago I was standing near the 40 yard line at Butterfield Stadium. Then there was a quick couple of months at home to work for the summer, a random decision, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of a class of Cambodians who can speak some English and I had become the authority figure of the room. Ahead of me lies many big and very important decisions. When I get home I have to ultimately make the decision of what I want to start as a job/career, or if I even want to. And the most important, which will have the biggest impact on my immediate life is where to move. But that decision lies off in the horizon, although I should learn that decision time will come faster than I can imagine, judging how quickly I found myself in Cambodia...

Anyway, Christmas was quite the adventure. We got up for our bus and were out the door by 7 am. Sihanoukville was only 4 hours away, and we were all more than willing to pay the extra two dollars per person to not have to put up with karaoke on the bus. We arrived around noon and we decided to change and head down to the beach right away. After a tuk tuk driver (who turned out to be our personal driver/stalker for the trip) got us down to the beach, the party began... for most people. We sat down for some lunch on one of the dozens of beachside huts, where some ate Khmer food while others indulged in western foods. The whole time we were eating we were being heckled to no end by kids who trolled the beach for people who would buy their junk, or get so annoyed with their unrelenting sales pitch they would throw their money at them just so they would leave. Some of the group bought bracelets, while others got pampered at the table with manicures and pedicures for a whopping three or four dollars. After we finished eating and had a couple of beers, we migrated out from under the hut to the beach and into the chairs laid out on the beach. Me being me, I immediately went swimming. The water was shockingly warm, and I was most surprised at how salty the water was. Other places in the world I've noticed the water was a bit saltier than home, but this was almost overwhelming. I've read about the Dead Sea and how you can float so easily because of the amount of salt in the water. This was similar, I was able to stay afloat without any effort. At home you may bob up and down depending on the amount of air in your body, but here you could take the biggest breath possible and not move an inch. After a good amount of time in the water I went back up to the beach and again, me being me, fell asleep on my towel while everyone else sat in the sun and kept the party going. Although I think one of my major reasons for falling asleep with my t-shirt over my face was so children (especially Pin with his ironic hipster glasses without lenses) would stop yelling in my face and calling me "bad man" for not buying their bracelets.

As the sun started to set, we all decided to head back to the Kangaroo Kitchen to change and get ready to go out for the night. After showers and dinner at the restaurant downstairs (our saving grace all weekend) we headed back down to the beach where all the bars were competing of your business and we found the one with a beirut table (aka "beer pong" to the commoners) and beers that cost us a mere 25 cents. The subsequent four to six hours is a blend of dubstep, more drinks, sweat, foreigners, more drinks, and of course some night swimming. Where one person had the ingenious idea to swim out to a boat and jump on... definitely NOT me... Anyway we all made it back to the hostel at a "reasonable" hour and safely got to bed.

The next day was basically more of the same. Some went to the beach to get some sun and drinks while  Rich, Liza and I had more of a quiet day and headed to the central market. It was pretty similar to the Russian market but much less crowded and spread over a larger space. After some time walking around we headed back to the hostel, which to our surprise had changed names to the Wolf's Den bar and guesthouse.... We slowly came to learn that our guesthouse had changed owners only four days before our arrival and that the current owner had moved to Sihanoukville from Thailand because Cambodia has no extradition laws. So we had been told by him that "we didn't see him there." So for the rest of the trip we tread lightly around him. The rest of the day was filled with a nap and hanging out until the rest of the group got home. As the night began we decided that the next morning we would take a boat trip around to some islands that left at 8am, so we had to watch ourselves. The previous night we were told about a party on a private beach that is owned by the prime minister (which I still doubt) that a bar had rented out and they were having a huge Christmas party. You just had to pay 10 dollars for the boat ride and you'd get drinks for the same price. At first we all planned on going but as the time got closer to get to the boat, only three people ended up going to the beach. The rest of us went back to the bar from the previous night and much to our surprise, we had quarter beers and then from 11pm to 2am was free drinks to show their appreciation for our patronage. Again the night was filled with the same: dubstep, drinks, sweat and foreigners. Somewhere squashed in the middle of the night was a phone call to my brother that lasted only a few minutes, the contents of which I could not be asked to recall. But, before I knew it, I was waking up to an alarm at 7:15am for our boat trip. We came to realize that at least three people had eating a salad with raw crab the night before and had been up all night paying the price. And in a very comedic moment, I walked out of my room and saw one of our members walking up the stairs who had just left the private beach party in order to make it back for the boat trip... And to my surprise after looking in the mirror I noticed that I had a cut on my nose and on my forehead, which appeared without my knowledge. Needless to say, we all went back to bed with some people staying in bed for the rest of the day in the fetal position.

The rest of the trip was more or less the same. Some people went out the last night, while some stayed in to give their livers a bit of a rest. The next day I decided to wake up and take one final swim since it will be my last for quite sometime. Luckily I made a last minute decision to go to a different beach, where there were very few tourists and no huts or hecklers on the beach. Then it was back to the hotel to shower and get back on the bus. By noon we were back on the road, and we eventually got home by 4. Everyone looked and felt like zombies and no one did much of anything, except dread the next day when we would return to class. The rest of the week has been filled with sickness passing from person to person, most likely due to shattered immune systems.

This whole part of the story that makes up life in Cambodia is the most bizarre to me. In class our students see us as these upstanding people who are spending our time volunteering in a country that most could not find on a map. Then on the weekends we devolve into gluttons of liver punishment. The students however have no idea. I almost feel like I'm living a double life at times. And the whole time I think about this, I can't help but think of teachers in middle and high school who must have had the same existence?

Well that basically sums up the Sihanoukville experience: alcohol, loud music, foreigners, and even more alcohol.

Now I need to write a quick note about my last few weeks in Cambodia that I've made my decision on. The semester end on February 19th, and I dont' fly home until April 3rd. As of a week or so ago, I've heard about people buying a moto and riding around Southeast Asia. Thus I have found my totally irrational and exciting six weeks after semester ends. Right now I'm either going to buy a Honda Win in Saigon, or a previous volunteer from CWF might sell me her moto, so that remains to be seen. But the strangest part of this... I've never driven a moto. But I figure I've got a few months to work it out, and I've been riding a bike around here so I am a little used to the rules of the road, it's just that a moto is faster paced. It's all going to be an adjustment. What I found most surprising is how my mom reacted. Not a single word of objection, well not spoken at least. It's going to be a process to get everything sorted out, but I've already started the process. As of yesterday I got my temporary Cambodian drivers license, which is all in Khmer and the only thing that is in English on it is my name. In a months time, I'll have my real Cambodian license, which is more of a precaution if I get pulled over in another country instead of just having my Massachusetts state license. The process to get it was beyond easy, I went to a place that sold motos and gave them a copy of my passport and visa, three passport sized photos, my license, and 32 dollars.

Well it appears that 2012 is creeping up on us with only a few hours to go before 2011 is in the past. Like 2011, the new year seems to bring some life changing events upon my return home, but at the same time looking forward to tonight seems to be the same gluttonous punishment done to my liver as in the past, so who knows how much things really change in a year.




Anyway, Happy New Year!

Christmas in Cambodia!

It's that time of year, and it snuck up on all of us, mainly because we're teaching just three days before Christmas. And anther main reason... there is not a bit of bad weather in sight. For the last 23 years I've either been covered in rain or snow for the months surrounding Christmas. This time around, there is nothing but sunshine in our future, and beach. I'm not complaining, but it is quite strange being in the sun for Christmas. Vilde and I have been longing to see snow, so we bought a jigsaw puzzle that has a cabin in about six feet of snow. And after seeing friends post pictures of snow where they are, it's making me more confused.

Today is our last day of classes before the vacation and four days in Sihanoukville, down on the coast. We just had a Christmas party with the whole CWF staff and all the volunteers. We all decided to try out a form of Secret Santa, but we came to the conclusion to do a Yankee swap (white elephant). It could not have gone better. I've done them in the past with family with up to 20 people, but this time we had 38 or 39 people, and just about half of those where Khmer. For those who don't know the process of the game, you start with every person bringing one wrapped present, and everyone draws a number. So for us there were 39 people and 39 presents with everyone having one number. The person with number one chooses one gift and opens it, and shows it to the group. Then number two picks their present and opens it and shows the group. If number two decides they do not like their present they can steal the first one. Then number three goes and they have the option to keep theirs or steal, and so on and so forth. Then you go through all the numbers and then it goes back to number one. Since they did not have the option to steal a present, they can take a pick from every opened gift. It's a lot of fun with only 20 people, so having that many people was absolutely hilarious. Everyone in the group was hollering with laughter the whole time. There were every kind of gift you could imagine, trinkets, a single beer, stuffed animals, candy, and of course, the one bottle of whiskey that everyone wanted. It wouldn't be a proper yankee swap without the alcohol that everyone wants. And of course our receptionist Lakhina had number one and ended up with the whiskey.

Any sort of notion or fleeting idea that I missed being home for Christmas floated away this afternoon. Everyone here acts as if you are a part of their family. I know it sounds corny as hell, but you could not tell that we only met the staff of CWF only four weeks ago. The day we leave will truly suck. But for right now, it couldn't be better.

As for Christmas day, I'll be on the beach. And yes, I know I'll catch some ill words from those in the snow, but I wouldn't totally mind being in the snow. Come Sunday, I probably won't care so much about snow. Well that's enough rambling about not being home for Christmas time. For now I have to finish up two more lessons, then I'll be on my vacation. But the main part of this post was about being part of this group. That's what is most enjoyable and surprising right now. Cheesy I know, but very true.

Side Notes

I never thought that at age 23 I would feel dated. Today in my level 7 class we were talking about utilities in houses and the word dial tone was one they were expected to learn, and because of that I added land line. I started talking about a dial tone and said that they only exist on a land line, and not a single person had a clue what I was talking about. I asked if they had ever used a land line or heard a dial tone, and not a single one had. They weren't all kids either, my oldest student in that class is around 40 years old, and even he had not used one. I was shocked. I had no idea how to respond to them. I decided that I would give them the definitions, but they would not need to know them. I was just so amazed that my students had no idea what either was.

As bizarre as it is, it's somewhat indicative of Cambodian development. They did not have the development stage of telephone land lines because of a century filled with war, as well as a country based on agriculture. Now that they are in the process of developing and becoming a more industrialized country, they are all getting cellphones instead of land lines because it is cheaper, faster and they are simple.

Well, I just had to write that down because I was at a loss for words while in class. And I spoke of the Russian market earlier, and I really cannot do it justice by writing about it, so I'll attempt some photos later this week and post them so you can truly see how cramped and chaotic it is.

Life In Phnom Penh

Organized chaos. That's all we are surrounded by in this city. The last few days have been dictated by tuk tuk rides, or walking around the city and seeing numerous occasions where accidents could have been disastrous or even worse. For those who don't know what a tuk tuk is, it is basically a motorcycle or a scooter with a cart attached to it that fits up to 5 or 6 people. Just yesterday I saw a family on a moto get hit and almost go flying off, but a quick natural reflex by the father driving saved them. Then last night as we were going out to celebrate Abbie's birthday a moto hit another that was only a few feet form us, and again the quick reflex saved all involved (even potentially our tuk tuk). The more I ride around on bikes and observe the city however, the more comfortable I am. Even though you ride around, and there are no obvious lanes for traffic, and bikes motos, tuk tuks and cars are careening at you, there is always the knowledge that they know what they are doing and they'll find a way to narrowly miss you. I'm not the only one who thinks this too. Most everyone in the volunteer house I talk to is more comfortable biking around here than their homes because cars are more likely to feel they take priority at home. Here, everyone is very aware of every movement on the road, and even the ones that can come up suddenly from side streets. It's still quite baffling but riding on the road is simpler than I ever thought it would be.

For me, and seemingly everyone else, the week started off pretty rough. Students were scared of participating in class, even if you asked blatantly, and you could never tell if they were enjoying themselves or not. One of the things that gets on my nerves pretty quickly is that Cambodians do not make decisions. If you give them an option between two activities for practicing vocabulary, they will not choose and tell you to do it... They are also incredibly diplomatic and fair. I was playing a game where one group did not answer perfectly correct so I asked the other two teams if I should give them the points. Both groups looked a little confused, and then they said to let them have another question. In the States, if you asked students questions like that, in that scenario they would be cut throat and never allow the group to have the points. Its a minor thing, but it's still amazing to see.

As for the rest of the weeks classes, they seemed to smooth out as more time went by. The shyness went away, and students started to get the idea behind a general lesson plan. I discovered that setting up a role play is much more difficult than I thought, and my two lower levels did not understand the concept so I won't be trying those anymore. As the last day of the week came, most everyone had a game day to review the weeks vocab, which seemed to go pretty well for everyone. It was a good way to review the weeks learning as well as get the class to go by quicker.

One thing I have to mention quickly is that my level 7 class was having trouble with the concept of the word occupy/occupant. I gave the example of occupying the chairs we sit in, occupying a house you live in, and I even left the class and yelled in that I no longer occupy the classroom. One student was still having trouble with it, and after class he came up to me and asked me about it again. Then he came up with "what about America in Iraq?" And then I answered that Yes, America occupies Iraq. After all my examples, it's an occupation of war that gets the point across.

Anyway, Friday concluded our first week of teaching and for all of us it couldn't have come quick enough. By the end of the week, everyone was exhausted and needed a break from the chaos of planning lessons at the last minute and the stress of teaching students that oftentimes can barely understand you. We essentially spent the weekend either doing nothing, or going out to have drinks. One strange thing that a small group of us did on Sunday night (we had Monday off for International Human Rights Day), was going to a gas station for some beers. We ordered our own personal 3.5 litre tower of beer. Essentially it was a large pitcher with our own spout to pour from. And since we ordered one of those, we got a plate of spicy mango slices and an extra half litre of beer in a pitcher for free. All of that for 24,000 riel (pronounced real), which equals about six dollars. And it's literally around the corner from our house. The rest of the weekend was spent doing a small amount of lesson planning, and more sitting around finding any possible way to avoid lesson plans.

Yesterday I went to the Russian Market, yet again a perfect example of the organized chaos of Cambodia, and Phnom Penh. It's an enclosed area with shops that sell literally everything. Clothing, car an moto parts, food, toiletries, shoes, pirated DVDs, CDs and computer programs, trinkets, accessories for any occasion, and the list goes on. But we were looking for some presents for Abbie's birthday and we decided to get some toiletries because no one likes buying them. So we entered at the clothing section and we thought we knew where we were going. We went straight for a few "blocks" of stores, down the narrow lanes that can fit about one and a half people. The lanes are also usually filled with people in chairs that are asleep and people going in the opposite direction. I can't help but feel bad for salmon that swim upstream. Then we turned left thinking that would take us directly to our destination of the beauty product type section. No. We started to recognize the all too memorable smell of the food in the market, that is mostly meats, vegetables and fruits that are sitting in the heat with flies buzzing all over the place. After quickly turning around, we made our way through the winding maze of shops, being heckled every step of the way and we finally came across the section we wanted. We couldn't see exactly what we were looking for so we decided to go to a shop outside of the market. On the way out, I decided to pick up a scarf (my standard gift to bring home). The main goal of shopping in the market is to bring the price down. She wanted four dollars, so I thought two would be good. She said three, I said only two and started to walk away. After quickly conversing with someone in Khmer she yelled back to me that two was good. Success.

All of us have adjusted to the weather now. For the past few days, I've had trouble getting out of bed because I've been so cold. I'm not the only one who has felt cold either, it's most everyone. I know I'll get no sympathy for this since the temperature hasn't dipped below 80 F (26 C). Regardless, it's been cold. We also experienced our first real rain in Cambodia. It came out of no where, and I've never seen such a heavy rain in my life. Some of us couldn't help but just stand on the balcony in the rain. After the heat of last week and the constant layer of sweat (from biking and the stress of being at the front of a class) we just couldn't help ourselves. Vicky even decided that she might get swept away by the sudden rain and found a life jacket and wore it for a while.

Just a few more strange side notes that I have to mention about life in Phnom Penh. One is that people love to wear matching fleece pajamas, at all hours of the day. No one understands it, but they're everywhere. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but karaoke is also everywhere. There is a bar down the street from us that plays karaoke every night and there are always terrible singers along with the music. No matter where you go, the twangs and screeches of karaoke seems to permeate your brain no matter how much you try to ignore it. I had more than that to write, but I've forgotten them for now so I'll just add them as I remember them.

On the bright side of things, Christmas is approaching fast and we can't be more excited. A group of 11 of us have booked a trip down to the southern city of Sihanoukville on the coast. So we'll be spending our short vacation of the beach swimming and visiting some nearby islands, and we couldn't be happier. The only thing I hope for is that the weather warms up, I don't know if I'll like the beach that cold.

First Day of Class

Well, today was the first official day of our semester. I started out with level 7 which is out of 8 levels plus two higher sections of debating and questions. Overall the class went well. Pretty much everyone understood me so they caught on pretty quick, and it was only introductions and ice breakers all day anyway. We played games like "toss the ball" to ask questions about each other and learn names and such, nothing else was really that out of the ordinary in terms of ice breakers.

Then I had three hours before my next lesson, which was level four. After seeing that my level sevens were doing so well, I planned more because I thought we would get through more... that was not the case. Everyone's level was way below what I was expecting, so we only got through two games, after aborting one because it was too complicated. We played one game where you get a clue and run up to the board and circle the correct answer. One older man got into the game and tried to rip the cap off the marker and he ended up taking out the ink cartridge and spilling the entire marker on his shirt, the floor, and the wall. After that, no one could really understand what I was saying. Then there was the group of chatty teenage girls that would giggle and mumble under their breath in Khmer no matter how much I told them not to. So overall my morale started to plummet, but since everything was taking so long to explain the class was over before I knew it.

Then came level five, only five minutes after my level four ended. After such a difficult class to teach, I was expecting a more difficult lesson for my level fives, show should only have been a bit better at English. I prepared for the worst. Once we got into the swing of things, everyone knew almost exactly what I was saying, and we got through all my games, and back up games for the whole lesson with about 7 minutes to spare. I admitted that I was getting hungry (since it was now past 8 pm) and everyone else agreed so I ended class. At least it was on a higher note than the end of my level fours.

One thing that happened in every class, and apparently happened to almost everyone, was during one of the get to know you games a student would, without fail, ask "are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?" And when you answered, the entire class would burst out laughing. They also thought it was hysterical that I showed a picture of my pets. They also had some trouble understanding what snow was, although they did understand that I thought it was very hot in Phnom Penh.

Every expectation I had for the day was flipped on its head, and the surprises kept hitting me square in the face. Luckily I don't have any blind people or any monks in my class. Having someone blind in class is difficult for obvious reasons. Having a monk is also difficult because you can't touch a monk, making most of the games nearly impossible.

Since today was much more free-form than normal, it was kind of stressful, but since tomorrow starts the real curriculum it should go a bit more smoothly... hopefully that is. And on a final note, I suddenly realize the connection between teachers and the need for a beer after work...

Kratie Province and Koh Pdao

Last night we got back from the Kratie (pronounced Krachie) province and the island of Koh Pdao. The trip started off with waking up and catching our bus at 7 am. All went well until we got about 15k outside of Kratie town. We must have hit a bump in the road too fast and a spring came loose and we pulled over to see what was wrong. We got out of the bus for the 20 or so minutes it took to work on the bus, and all around us was fields of rice in different stages of growth. Everything from a sopping wet rice paddy to full green stalks, dried rice plants that looked more like wheat, and finally rows of rice that had already been harvested for the season. After standing in the baking sun, we were told to get back on the bus and we were back on the road. Another hundred meters or so down the road we stopped and pulled over again to see what was wrong. After Erin (our volunteer coordinator) was talking with the bus driver up front, he came back and asked all the girls for any hair ties they had on them. He got four or five and went outside, the bus mechanic used them for our makeshift spring and we were on our way to the final destination of a guest house right at the foot of the Mekong River in Kratie town.

Our first day and night in Kratie was pretty mellow. We explored the town a little bit and saw where the market burnt down last year, and the new building that is going up in its place. After a rest in the guest house we went to dinner where we had the option of ordering western food. The temptation was too strong. I ended up eating pasta carbonara, and everyone else had a combination of Khmer and western food. By the standards of home it was pretty standard, but by the standards of Khmer produced food, it was incredible and exactly what I was looking for at the time. After a few drinks we called it a night because we had to get up relatively early for our boat ride to the island of Koh Pdao.

It wasn't as simple as getting up and going to riverside and catching our boat to the island. We got in the minivan that took us on the hour and a half bus ride to a small town where we would catch our bus. Before getting on the boat though, we stopped at a pagoda to look around. The pagodas are everywhere but they are just as spectacular as the one before. This one we went to is called the 100 pillar pagoda. The designs in the cement are so intricate and complex, it seems impossible that they are all identical. Then there are the paintings inside the actual temples that are all pictures depicting Buddha in different stories. They are filled with every color you could imagine, and completely undamaged by age or exposure to the elements. They somehow become perfectly preserved and unchanged in time.

After walking around the pagoda for a half an hour or so it was time to board our boat and take the hour long ride up to Koh Pdao. The 18 of us were divided among the two boats that were barely wide enough to stretch your legs out. And if you moved too suddenly you would rock the whole boat and startle everyone including the captain. The boat ride was going against the roaring current so it was a little discouraging moving so slow. One thing I couldn't stop laughing at was that it was hot enough where you would see oxen standing in the water like hippos. They would stare at us as we went by but they were too concerned with how hot they were to care how close we were to them.

We got to the river bank where we were got off and climbed up a massive staircase to a community building area. After eating lunch, we set up our home stays. Rich and I were in a house with a family who didn't speak any English. The house was very incredible. It was on stilts that were about 15 feet above ground to accommodate for the floods during the rainy season. When you got into the house, it was just a big open room with one wall that sectioned off the back left corner of the room, which I think was the parents room. Then there were walls dividing the right side of the room into three sections with curtains in front of each, which contained our beds. The beds were mattresses on the floor with mosquito nets hanging over them. And the most amazing part of the house was the floor. It was all made of bamboo, but it was spaced about a half inch apart from the piece next to it so there was airflow through the house. I actually broke two sections of the floor, but I'm not sure that anyone else noticed.

During the afternoon and into the sunset, we went for a boat cruise to watch the sunset over the Mekong. We were gone for about and hour and a half, and we stopped on tons of different river banks, as well as a small sandbar to get some pictures and watch the sunset. I really wanted to go swimming but I didn't have the right clothes with me, and the current was moving way to fast even for my comfort level. As the sun was going down we made our way back to Koh Pdao to have dinner.

That night we went back to the community center where we were given a traditional Khmer performance by some of the kids on the island. While they were doing a costume change we were asked to give a performance for them as well. The only thing that we could come up with that we all knew was the YMCA... Somehow we managed to get everyone up there and we bumbled through the whole song. After we were done, about three people clapped and everyone else stared at us in awe. The kids continued to perform, in total they did four songs and they were all great.

The next morning we got up and did a short tour of the island and we got to see all the work that we were helping contribute to. On a quick side note, the reason that we are teaching has a double effect. We teach students English at CWF (Conversations with Foreigners), which gives them a chance to enter a larger work force and a chance at better jobs. And since we volunteer and don't get paid, that cuts the operation costs of CWF and they pass on the extra money they make to CRDT (Cambodian Rural Development Team). CRDTs goal is to help rural Cambodians live sustainably and helps give them clean drinking water. On the tour of the island we first stopped at a house that uses a biodigestion system to capture methane and use it for gas to cook as well as energy for a single lamp in the house. It is essentially a septic tank underground with an open well to the tank. The owners put their "cow doo doo" in the tank and after 21 days it breaks down and releases enough methane to cook their meals for the day, and if they miss a day of filling the tank, they end up missing a day of cooking, so it is imperative to fill it every day. Another thing we saw was an above ground cistern that catches rain water for drinking, and others that were used to gather river water for cleaning and things like that. The final two ways that CRDT helps Cambodians is that they provide information on sustainable vegetable gardens and sustainable raising of farm animals. All in all, they are an incredible organization that I am very happy to support, if you want more info here is their website http://www.crdt.org.kh/

The final thing that we did on the island before heading back was working in a rice field. We helped in the harvesting stage, and our goal was to cut down the rice stalks in rows, and tying up bundles of the grass. It would later be brought to another area of the land to be separated by hand or by machine to get the rice off the plant. Then it would be dried and sent finally ready to eat. We only helped clear a very small section, but it was very difficult work. It was about 90 degrees out and there was no shade cover, we had to wear long pants and sleeves so we wouldn't get skin irritation from the tall grass. By the end, my shirt was a darker color and heavier because it was covered in sweat. The whole time I was working next to the kid that lived there (who was 22, so not really a kid) and every time I would tie a bundle of rice, he would just laugh at me and try to show me the correct way to tie it.

After biking back to the community center we waited for an hour or so to catch our boat back to Kratie. On the way back it was much faster since we were going with the current. Once we got back to the town we pretty much had another mellow night. Some of us stayed out until 10 or so to have some drinks by the river, but we eventually got kicked out because the workers wanted to go home, and we probably needed to go to bed anyway.

Our final day was very long and drawn out. The bus ride took about seven hours instead of the four it took on the way up. The bus was very hot, even with the air conditioner. And one thing about buses in Cambodia, they love to have karaoke playing on the bus (in Khmer, not English) for the WHOLE ride, and after hour five it gets to be pretty awful. After getting in a tuk tuk and heading home, our trip to Kratie ended. Now we have to sit around and do some work and make lesson plans. I'll probably find more ways to procrastinate from doing that as well.

Vacation or Work?

Well, I've been in Phnom Penh for two days now and everything has been going perfectly. Where to start describing what is going on is difficult, so for the sake of my parents, I'll begin with the food.

We have been fed some very delicious food, pretty much what I had expected before I got here, lots of white rice with plenty of vegetables and a protein. So far I haven't had a need to really go out on my own to buy special foods, but there will most likely come a time when I need some cheese to eat, but until that day comes I'll be eating the food they prepare for us. For breakfast this morning we had some bread, fruit, danishes, and doughnuts. There was also some type of dumpling that was filled with pork and a fried egg, although I didn't get to eat it because I was already full. The fruit is exactly what I was hoping for, tropical fruit that would never be found in the States, it's incredibly fresh and packed with flavor. This coming weekend we will be taking a trip to the countryside where I'm told there are fried tarantulas. If I don't throw up at the sight of a cooked spider, I may consider eating it... although it's very doubtful.

The house that we're staying in is way bigger than I expected. We have a small kitchen (that I probably won't use much), a TV room with movies and cable, a larger living room (with spare lesson plans, and a computer and such), a big dining room that has a table with about 15 places to sit, a huge balcony on the second floor, and another rooftop terrace on the third floor, but it's a bit sketchy and dirty, although it's a decent view of the rooftops around us. All of the rooms are spread out around two floors. They're pretty standard, with two of us to a room. I live with a kid from Yorkshire who is around my age, but I'm not quite sure. We each have our own bed with mosquito net, a piece of metal to hang clothes on, a bedside shelf thing, and we have an en suite bathroom that is small, but it serves the purpose. The bathroom is one that has enough room for a sink, a toilet and a place to stand, and the shower drain on the floor of that small standing space. All in all, I'm pleasantly surprised with the rooms, the house overall, and the massive balcony where I'll probably spend a lot of time (and where I am right now in the afternoon 88 degree heat).

In terms of all the people that are in the program, it's quite diverse. There are only four Americans, the other three all from the Midwest. At least ten people from the UK, a Dutch, and two or three from Australia. There are some people who are returning for another semester to teach, and some other people who are living on their own, so not all the volunteers are in the house.

The school is actually pretty impressive, they just put in A/C units, which is pretty amazing considering the price of electricity is much higher than home. There are quite a few classrooms that all have white boards, and that's about it. We don't start teaching until next Monday (the 5th?), and even after that, we have a lot of long weekends because of holidays during the semester. And on top of that time off, we will be teaching for only three of four hours a day. As it looks now we have a pretty laid back semester.

And as for living in Phnom Penh, it's a strange blend of run down third world city and partially developed Asian city. There are wooden stilts holding up a house being built across the street, while there is a skyscraper being built in town with cement. We're living in the south of the city where there is little to see for tourists except the Russian Market (an overcrowded street block of small shops that sell anything you could ever way). I have a feeling that navigating this area is also going to be quite troublesome. The roads are numbered, but in no specific order. Our house is on street 147, then you turn right onto 155, and the next parallel block is 136. With no rhyme or reason to the streets, it will take awhile to learn streets by sight, since there are no markings of street numbers and everything is in Khmer, so I can't read it anyway.

Next week we head to Kratie province in the North, but I'll write more on that after it happens instead of what I speculate it will be and this has been a lengthy post anyway. Now I have about an hour before I head to my first Khmer lesson, should be quite the challenge but I think I'm prepared.

And also, Happy Thanksgiving!

Day One

Well, I'm still being showered with kisses from my insisting mother, but needless to say I'm just about ready to go. I finally decided to start a blog, and I'll probably be horrible at keeping it up to date but I'm going to try my best. And after creating a pretty lame name for the blog and a cheesy (yet fitting) background for all to enjoy... here it is.

I'll be getting on the boat in a few hours and then my journey will have officially begun. After what seems will be a rough boat ride I have a two hour bus ride up to Boston, where I'll spend the night in an overpriced hotel, although the convenience will be worth it in the morning when I'm getting the shuttle to the airport at 5:30 am. When I get to Boston I'll be seeing some old friends, and the last familiar faces for a very long time.

Everyone keeps asking if I'm nervous, but I can't really say that I am. What is there to be scared about really? I get on some planes, and when I get off there is someone with my name on a card at the airport, and they take me to a guesthouse (with A/C, hot water, and cable - fit for a king) where I stay for one night. The next day, someone comes to my door, and I get in their tuk tuk and they take me to the apartment that I'll be living in for the next three months, seems pretty simple, although I'm sure there will be plenty of bumps along the way.

And for anyone reading who doesn't know why the hell I'm going to this strange place on my own, here it is. I'm going to be living in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh for thirteen weeks where I'm going to teach English. I'll be teaching students that are paying for these classes as supplements to their regular schooling, so they'll be university age and older. I can't really tell you why I decided to go to Cambodia, but it just seemed to stick out in my mind as the thing to do, and teaching was a means to and end, so to speak. And after a friend of mine made it to and from Vietnam successfully through this same program (www.globalvolunteernetwork.org), I found my way to go. And now, after a few months of planning, I'm on my way to Cambodia, the daunting part? It is now Sunday morning and I won't arrive to my final destination of the apartment until Wednesday...

Until then