Today is Independence Day in Cambodia and so there is no school. This is just one of many, many holidays celebrated here in Cambodia. However, I did not mind the day off. I somehow caught a cold so definitely needed a day off to rest and do some much needed visiting of people around town (and laundry, but I always have that because I'm lazy). The wheel on my bike is also broken so I've had to do some walking to get places which has commanded many varied responses. Most people stop and insist I get on their moto- which is very nice, but I cannot ride motos, so I have to tell them I like the exercise. I also cannot get anywhere fast because everyone thinks I'm "so tired" that they make me sit down and rest for a bit. Which has been fun to sit and chat with people I usually speed by. I also have been able to walk home with some of my students which has been good because I get to know them better and they get to ask me questions or practice their English or I get to practice my Khmer.
Today while visiting the market I was at my favorite dessert stand when someone I didn't know brought over some money from Guatemala. Due to the fact that I'm the foreigner, I'm the de facto expert on all things foreign. Then I had to explain that the money is from central America. However, they then wanted to know why it wasn't a dollar. So, I had to explain America the country vs America the Continent. I thought seeing Guatemalan money in my little Cambodian market quite random...it would be interesting to know how it got there? I asked the lady but she said she found it on the ground.
Then on my way home I was chatting with some of my students when a fortune teller approached us. My students told me he was crazy. He was telling my students how old they were and some other stuff I couldn't understand. He did tell me that I should marry someone who is the year of the cow and that I will have good luck in the future. But then again, he is crazy...
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Kampot
My weekend trip to Kampot (which is in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand) was a nice mini-vacation. It was nice to get away and play tourist for a while. We ended up doing an all-day hike up Bokor Mountain which I've wanted to do since last year when I was in Kampot. It was worth the $18 -for the whole day, lunch included...and the people at the hotel apologized for it being so expensive. A van came and picked us up from our hotel at 8:00 and us and the other foreigners went to the ranger station where we were all loaded into the bed of a truck. We then were dropped off somewhere and were told by our guide that "because of corruption we could hike the mountain." Translation: we were not legally supposed to be there but because of some shady deal the guide had some type of agreement allowing us entry. He then said if something happened to us, it wasn't his fault. Also, he told us not to complain because the hike was kind of hard. It wasn't bad, in my opinion. An hour and a half up a mountain to the truck (why it couldn't take us the entire way was lost in translation). At the top of the mountain was an old, deserted former-French town. We walked around it for a bit and then ate lunch. There was an AMAZING view of the Gulf of Thailand and the forest (landmines included) leading to the beach. This was also inhibited by the Khmer Rouge during the war. Our guide told us that after seeing his parents killed in front of him, he fled to the forest where he lived for 3 years by himself, before joining a faction of the Khmer Rouge that then fled to Vietnam to join their army in overthrowing Pol Pot. He also, sadly enough, talked about building bombs and killing his own people. I was shocked by his honesty and bluntness. We were then taken to a waterfall and when we arrived back in Kampot Town we went on an hour long boat ride down the Kampot River. Definitely a full day worth the $18.
After dinner with some of the people we met on the hike I realized how I've lost many of my manners (this I've suspected for a while, but rarely am I confronted with people who make me see this). We were eating with some Canadians and Australians, when one of the Canadians was telling us about how he got really sick when he was in Indonesia. Then- not thinking- I asked if he had diarrhea and what kind (I think I actually said, "was it a rice stool?" Appalling I know). He was shocked and looked visibly embarrassed. I then, of course, had to apologize. Need to remember that next time I meet nice travelers.
We then stayed at a really nice hotel (it had a pool) that was about 2K from town and on the Kampot River with Bokor Mountain in the background. It was absolutely beautiful. The owner of the hotel invited us (we were practically the only ones staying there) to go for a boat ride to the sea where we watched his son and the owner of a bar/guesthouse kite. For those of you who don't know, I'd never seen it before either, it is a board with a huge kite strapped to their torso and they use the wind to jump and go across the water- it looked like fun and dangerous if you've never done it before. Definitely random. Later we ended up watching a ridiculously stupid Halloween movie (the only movies the English speaking channels were showing because they love ghosts here) with the owner and his son. Definitely random, again. Yet, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend.
Now I'm back at site. I did get new Internet so I now have it everyday. If something random should happen again soon, I'll post again....hope all is well there.
After dinner with some of the people we met on the hike I realized how I've lost many of my manners (this I've suspected for a while, but rarely am I confronted with people who make me see this). We were eating with some Canadians and Australians, when one of the Canadians was telling us about how he got really sick when he was in Indonesia. Then- not thinking- I asked if he had diarrhea and what kind (I think I actually said, "was it a rice stool?" Appalling I know). He was shocked and looked visibly embarrassed. I then, of course, had to apologize. Need to remember that next time I meet nice travelers.
We then stayed at a really nice hotel (it had a pool) that was about 2K from town and on the Kampot River with Bokor Mountain in the background. It was absolutely beautiful. The owner of the hotel invited us (we were practically the only ones staying there) to go for a boat ride to the sea where we watched his son and the owner of a bar/guesthouse kite. For those of you who don't know, I'd never seen it before either, it is a board with a huge kite strapped to their torso and they use the wind to jump and go across the water- it looked like fun and dangerous if you've never done it before. Definitely random. Later we ended up watching a ridiculously stupid Halloween movie (the only movies the English speaking channels were showing because they love ghosts here) with the owner and his son. Definitely random, again. Yet, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend.
Now I'm back at site. I did get new Internet so I now have it everyday. If something random should happen again soon, I'll post again....hope all is well there.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Language problems....still
So, while my language has progressed to a point where I feel comfortable using it everywhere and teaching lower-level English by myself, there have been times when I wonder if I'll ever really understand all that is said to me. Usually, I can pick out the main point of the questions or statement when people are trying to talk to me. Or, if it's something talked about a lot- farming, weather, the new road, weddings, deaths- I understand easily. However, I have two stories that might highlight my confusion here, still, despite my progress.
Last night I was watching tv with my host dad under the mosquito net- because the mosquitoes are terrible right now being that it's rainy season and I don't want dengue. So, this program comes on TV- which I'll note that TV is usually hard for me to understand. They talk really fast and if it's the news or something they use words I don't understand. So, this program comes on TV and I have no clue what's going on because they are talking about words I don't understand. They are showing these teenagers (and I hear the word teenager) and some younger men doing exercises. I understand that they are talking about their daily activities. They are all wearing the same clothes- pants and a shirt (well..usually a shirt). There is a guy with a military uniform bossing them around. Then they switch to a doctor whose talking about I have no idea what. Then they pan the camera to these boys (maybe 13, 14 years old) who are hooked-up to an IV (which I'll also point out is no big deal- probably if I complained of a stomach ache they'd hook me up to an IV)- yet these boys were really skinny and looked sick. Then after this they go back to the boys exercising and playing soccer. Then back to the sick kids. I just keep thinking "what the heck do these two things have in common? What's the link? What are they talking about?" Finally, I ask my host dad, " what are they sick with?" He tells me but I don't recognize the words he's using. Then he explains to me that they are trying to make "bad people" into "good people"...then it makes since- they are drug addicts and they are at a recovery center. This is how I learn here- and how I'm confused a lot of the time-- still.
Today, I had language lessons with my language teacher. At the end of our session I was asking about using pronouns and if it was rude to use them. In the example I used, I told him in Khmer that "I wanted to meet with my friend in Svay Rieng." He corrected me and said that instead of using "I want" I needed to use "I want give". Now, this might sound like not much of a mistake, but according to him if I leave out the "give" it means I want to meet my friend for sex. Yep. And, I'd like to point out that I say "I want" rather than "I want give" ALL THE TIME- especially, in relation to meeting up with people. I'm hoping people just know I'm speaking incorrectly, or they think were all meeting up for a lot of sex- which of course were not. It seems like I should have learned this before being here over a year....
Other than that, I'm about to head down to the beach for the holiday (it's the Kings Birthday and Independence) because we have Friday and Monday off. It's going to be amazing...I'll post pictures. Also going on here is that my sister, who is the oldest, left last week for Phnom Penh to study at university where she got a full ride because she's smart. However, she is really, really homesick (has called everyday crying my mom told me tonight) and wants to come home. I'll probably see her next week- unfortunately. In May, she went to study in the provincial town for the grade 12 exam and lasted 2 nights. I thought this would be great in that I'd have the entire upstairs to myself. No such luck. My neighbor- who is marrying my sister sometime- has moved into her room. This happens to be super annoying because there is no ceiling and I can hear everything. Privacy seems like such a luxury.
Last night I was watching tv with my host dad under the mosquito net- because the mosquitoes are terrible right now being that it's rainy season and I don't want dengue. So, this program comes on TV- which I'll note that TV is usually hard for me to understand. They talk really fast and if it's the news or something they use words I don't understand. So, this program comes on TV and I have no clue what's going on because they are talking about words I don't understand. They are showing these teenagers (and I hear the word teenager) and some younger men doing exercises. I understand that they are talking about their daily activities. They are all wearing the same clothes- pants and a shirt (well..usually a shirt). There is a guy with a military uniform bossing them around. Then they switch to a doctor whose talking about I have no idea what. Then they pan the camera to these boys (maybe 13, 14 years old) who are hooked-up to an IV (which I'll also point out is no big deal- probably if I complained of a stomach ache they'd hook me up to an IV)- yet these boys were really skinny and looked sick. Then after this they go back to the boys exercising and playing soccer. Then back to the sick kids. I just keep thinking "what the heck do these two things have in common? What's the link? What are they talking about?" Finally, I ask my host dad, " what are they sick with?" He tells me but I don't recognize the words he's using. Then he explains to me that they are trying to make "bad people" into "good people"...then it makes since- they are drug addicts and they are at a recovery center. This is how I learn here- and how I'm confused a lot of the time-- still.
Today, I had language lessons with my language teacher. At the end of our session I was asking about using pronouns and if it was rude to use them. In the example I used, I told him in Khmer that "I wanted to meet with my friend in Svay Rieng." He corrected me and said that instead of using "I want" I needed to use "I want give". Now, this might sound like not much of a mistake, but according to him if I leave out the "give" it means I want to meet my friend for sex. Yep. And, I'd like to point out that I say "I want" rather than "I want give" ALL THE TIME- especially, in relation to meeting up with people. I'm hoping people just know I'm speaking incorrectly, or they think were all meeting up for a lot of sex- which of course were not. It seems like I should have learned this before being here over a year....
Other than that, I'm about to head down to the beach for the holiday (it's the Kings Birthday and Independence) because we have Friday and Monday off. It's going to be amazing...I'll post pictures. Also going on here is that my sister, who is the oldest, left last week for Phnom Penh to study at university where she got a full ride because she's smart. However, she is really, really homesick (has called everyday crying my mom told me tonight) and wants to come home. I'll probably see her next week- unfortunately. In May, she went to study in the provincial town for the grade 12 exam and lasted 2 nights. I thought this would be great in that I'd have the entire upstairs to myself. No such luck. My neighbor- who is marrying my sister sometime- has moved into her room. This happens to be super annoying because there is no ceiling and I can hear everything. Privacy seems like such a luxury.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Bats!
Today I didn't have school so I went to the health center (my usual routine). It was a BUSY place to be- that's for sure. There was an organization there whose focus is on TB education (they are also funded by Angelina Joli interestingly enough). I asked them what they were doing there and they said "talking about TB." However, they were also generously dispensing other health information, too. Like one lady had a sick baby (diarrhea, fever- the normal). The TB lady was asking if she fed him solid food already. Of course the lady said yes- which, of course is the wrong answer because the baby was way too young to be eating solids. Then the lady shared with her about when she started to give her kids food and explained that they are fatter than normal kids their age because breast milk is enough for them to be healthy. Usually, if they are feeding them food, they are feeding them other stuff that uses unclean water or the food is not prepared in a way that is sanitary; which results in sickness. It was good to overhear this much needed advise. Anyway, I've seen the TB people there before, but have never really chatted with them. However, today the waiting area was so busy with patients I decided to kick it with them on the picnic table in the yard until things became a little more calm inside the health center. I also got to learn a lot about TB and TB in my district; which, it turns out there is a lot! I've been wanting to do some work with this organization for a while now, so it was good to make some connections with some of the people doing work in my district.
Also at the health center today, someone I know was going to have her baby. The midwife, who knows I REALLY REALLY REALLY (I tell them all the time:) want to see a birth, invited me to come back at 1:00 because that's when they thought she'd have it. So, I went home, ate, checked my email and then went back to the health center. However, when I returned she had already had her baby! This is the third birth I've missed. So disappointing. However, at least one person has a baby here a week...so me seeing a birth is bound to happen sooner or later. Despite missing it, it was a lot of fun to just chat with my midwives and the mother and her family- and of course to see the new baby boy who was so sweet! I definitely need to get more of my mornings off from school!
Finally, BATS, BATS and more BATS! When I was home I told some of you this story, so you can ignore it if I've told you already. It's just too funny not to share. So, a couple of months ago I was at the health center and when I got there the director was sitting on the bench playing with a sling shot. I thought it strange at first- a grown man fooling with a sling shot- but nothing too out of the ordinary. There was also a fishing net on the bench. This started a conversation about the net (or asking if I knew how to say it in Khmer)which led to the pharmacist acting out a turtle because I didn't know what the heck he was talking about- quite hilarious, really. The director then gets on his moto and returns 2 minutes later with a camo army hat on- so, he went home just for that hat which I thought funny in light of what he was about to do next. Then, he gets one of the other doctors who grabs the net and they leave for the other building. I didn't really think too much of it until I heard loud noises coming from the other building about 5 minutes later. So, I went over there only to see a different doctor on a plank outside the building hanging up the fishing net over a hole between the roof and the building. Now, in my mind I was thinking "what the heck is going on????" Then I hear shouting and a loud bang from the inside. Then out walks one of the doctors with a dead bat in his hand which he then places in a box. It's my guess that half the bats died due to the director's mad sling shot skills and the other half flew into the fishing net where another doctor beat it with a broom (kid you not)! As all this is going on- and more and more bats are being added to the already fallen- one of the sick ladies that lives in one of the buildings at the health center comes over and starts talking with me. She says, "Bats are so delicious." To which I respond, "No way, not delicious!" "Yes, they are so delicious." To which I explain that in my country we don't eat bats- or dogs for that matter. Now at some point during this whole ordeal my health center director is running around the health center building while smoking a cigarette and shooting at bats with his sling shot! It was the funniest thing (seriously, imagine an Asian male, with a camo hat, sling shot in hand, cigarette dangling from the lips, running around a building and stopping only to shoot at a bat with a sling shot- very funny stuff.) Then one of the midwives comes over and the doctor in the rafters tells her to go to her house and get a pan, oil, pepper, salt and MSG. That's when I knew they were going to eat those bats! Which, is also when I decided I needed to get out of there- and sooner rather than later. So, I said, "I've gotta go eat with my family." To which they told me to stay and eat at the health center. I politely refused, got on my bike and went home. The next day when I returned to the health center I asked how many bats they killed. 25-30. I then asked if they ate them. Yes. I asked, why they ate them. "Very delicious" and "important people eat bats." I then asked if they knew bats carried disease. Yes they knew and then listed some of the diseases, but didn't I know that they are delicious?!? Just when I think I've seen all the crazy stuff that is to be seen here.....
Also at the health center today, someone I know was going to have her baby. The midwife, who knows I REALLY REALLY REALLY (I tell them all the time:) want to see a birth, invited me to come back at 1:00 because that's when they thought she'd have it. So, I went home, ate, checked my email and then went back to the health center. However, when I returned she had already had her baby! This is the third birth I've missed. So disappointing. However, at least one person has a baby here a week...so me seeing a birth is bound to happen sooner or later. Despite missing it, it was a lot of fun to just chat with my midwives and the mother and her family- and of course to see the new baby boy who was so sweet! I definitely need to get more of my mornings off from school!
Finally, BATS, BATS and more BATS! When I was home I told some of you this story, so you can ignore it if I've told you already. It's just too funny not to share. So, a couple of months ago I was at the health center and when I got there the director was sitting on the bench playing with a sling shot. I thought it strange at first- a grown man fooling with a sling shot- but nothing too out of the ordinary. There was also a fishing net on the bench. This started a conversation about the net (or asking if I knew how to say it in Khmer)which led to the pharmacist acting out a turtle because I didn't know what the heck he was talking about- quite hilarious, really. The director then gets on his moto and returns 2 minutes later with a camo army hat on- so, he went home just for that hat which I thought funny in light of what he was about to do next. Then, he gets one of the other doctors who grabs the net and they leave for the other building. I didn't really think too much of it until I heard loud noises coming from the other building about 5 minutes later. So, I went over there only to see a different doctor on a plank outside the building hanging up the fishing net over a hole between the roof and the building. Now, in my mind I was thinking "what the heck is going on????" Then I hear shouting and a loud bang from the inside. Then out walks one of the doctors with a dead bat in his hand which he then places in a box. It's my guess that half the bats died due to the director's mad sling shot skills and the other half flew into the fishing net where another doctor beat it with a broom (kid you not)! As all this is going on- and more and more bats are being added to the already fallen- one of the sick ladies that lives in one of the buildings at the health center comes over and starts talking with me. She says, "Bats are so delicious." To which I respond, "No way, not delicious!" "Yes, they are so delicious." To which I explain that in my country we don't eat bats- or dogs for that matter. Now at some point during this whole ordeal my health center director is running around the health center building while smoking a cigarette and shooting at bats with his sling shot! It was the funniest thing (seriously, imagine an Asian male, with a camo hat, sling shot in hand, cigarette dangling from the lips, running around a building and stopping only to shoot at a bat with a sling shot- very funny stuff.) Then one of the midwives comes over and the doctor in the rafters tells her to go to her house and get a pan, oil, pepper, salt and MSG. That's when I knew they were going to eat those bats! Which, is also when I decided I needed to get out of there- and sooner rather than later. So, I said, "I've gotta go eat with my family." To which they told me to stay and eat at the health center. I politely refused, got on my bike and went home. The next day when I returned to the health center I asked how many bats they killed. 25-30. I then asked if they ate them. Yes. I asked, why they ate them. "Very delicious" and "important people eat bats." I then asked if they knew bats carried disease. Yes they knew and then listed some of the diseases, but didn't I know that they are delicious?!? Just when I think I've seen all the crazy stuff that is to be seen here.....
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I'm Back
I finally made it back! Sorry, I've not posted in so long. I finally just got internet back at my site. I had to make the long journey into town on my bike to download the software so that my internet phone could connect to my new computer I got in America. Thus, once again, from my small village I am connected to the world per internet. I must say, though, I did kind of enjoy those few weeks of ignorance and not feeling like I'm missing out on something back home because there was no way for me to know what I was missing!
The flight home went very smooth. However, at the Cedar Rapids airport I was not allowed to take on peanut butter (a gift for the new volunteers in my province), lotion (gift for people in my village) and toothpaste. Apparently, these are all dangerous liquids (yes, peanut butter is classified as a liquid) that should not be allowed on planes. However, I did get one tube of toothpaste through the security check, but I bet if they would have checked my bags for a third time they would have found it! At first it wasn't so great to be back, but that was when I arrived in Vietnam. However, once I crossed into Cambodia into my province it actually started to feel good to be back. I could then understand the language and the rice is so green right now making travel through my province absolutely beautiful!
Since I've been back everything has essentially fallen back into place. The comforts of home seem like a dream quickly forgot. It's amazing how easily you adapt. However, things like ants in my bed (and everywhere for that matter), constantly sweating, and doing my laundry by hand are still as annoying as ever.
School has started and I've established a routine similar to my routine last year. However, I wanted to go to the health center more this year so I asked the school director to schedule some of my classes in the afternoon. However, per usual, this didn't really work out like I had originally envisioned. I'm teaching 17 hours and my morning schedule makes it impossible for me to go the health center. So, I've decided to wait a bit and then rearrange my schedule so that it suits me better!
I've also started training for the Angkor Wat Half Marathon in December. Last time I ran a half I swore I would train for it. However, the last few weeks it has rained every day and pretty much all day leaving the roads a muddy mess and making it enough of an annoyance I haven't run. So, now I'm a couple weeks behind on my training, but I still think I'm going to try to run it. I ran this weekend and I was fine. So, I'll keep you updated about how that goes. I'm sure there will be some entertaining stories that will follow because no one runs in my village (actually, there is a teacher that I've heard runs, but I've never seen him doing it) There are 4 of us in my province running the 1/2 and some pretty funny stories have emerged. One of my friends was running- in his own little world listening to music and thinking- when a little kid with a plastic gun jumped out of no where and scared the living daylights out of him! He said everyone was laughing because he was so startled, but he was so angry that he started lecturing the kid as to why "foreigners don't like guns being pointed at them".....I thought it too funny because I could imagine how it all went down so clearly.
Well..I need to get going, but I'll post again soon. I have some really funny stories to post that I was too busy/lazy to post from before I left for America! Also, I do promise to post more per many peoples' request....new year resolution in September!
OH, I will leave you with a VERY funny Cambodia proverb I heard this weekend: "If you are shy with your teacher you will never learn anything, if you are shy with your wife you will never have any kids".....something to think about.....
The flight home went very smooth. However, at the Cedar Rapids airport I was not allowed to take on peanut butter (a gift for the new volunteers in my province), lotion (gift for people in my village) and toothpaste. Apparently, these are all dangerous liquids (yes, peanut butter is classified as a liquid) that should not be allowed on planes. However, I did get one tube of toothpaste through the security check, but I bet if they would have checked my bags for a third time they would have found it! At first it wasn't so great to be back, but that was when I arrived in Vietnam. However, once I crossed into Cambodia into my province it actually started to feel good to be back. I could then understand the language and the rice is so green right now making travel through my province absolutely beautiful!
Since I've been back everything has essentially fallen back into place. The comforts of home seem like a dream quickly forgot. It's amazing how easily you adapt. However, things like ants in my bed (and everywhere for that matter), constantly sweating, and doing my laundry by hand are still as annoying as ever.
School has started and I've established a routine similar to my routine last year. However, I wanted to go to the health center more this year so I asked the school director to schedule some of my classes in the afternoon. However, per usual, this didn't really work out like I had originally envisioned. I'm teaching 17 hours and my morning schedule makes it impossible for me to go the health center. So, I've decided to wait a bit and then rearrange my schedule so that it suits me better!
I've also started training for the Angkor Wat Half Marathon in December. Last time I ran a half I swore I would train for it. However, the last few weeks it has rained every day and pretty much all day leaving the roads a muddy mess and making it enough of an annoyance I haven't run. So, now I'm a couple weeks behind on my training, but I still think I'm going to try to run it. I ran this weekend and I was fine. So, I'll keep you updated about how that goes. I'm sure there will be some entertaining stories that will follow because no one runs in my village (actually, there is a teacher that I've heard runs, but I've never seen him doing it) There are 4 of us in my province running the 1/2 and some pretty funny stories have emerged. One of my friends was running- in his own little world listening to music and thinking- when a little kid with a plastic gun jumped out of no where and scared the living daylights out of him! He said everyone was laughing because he was so startled, but he was so angry that he started lecturing the kid as to why "foreigners don't like guns being pointed at them".....I thought it too funny because I could imagine how it all went down so clearly.
Well..I need to get going, but I'll post again soon. I have some really funny stories to post that I was too busy/lazy to post from before I left for America! Also, I do promise to post more per many peoples' request....new year resolution in September!
OH, I will leave you with a VERY funny Cambodia proverb I heard this weekend: "If you are shy with your teacher you will never learn anything, if you are shy with your wife you will never have any kids".....something to think about.....
Thursday, August 5, 2010
A few weeks ago, the new group of Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Cambodia. This is one of the main reason I've been so slow to post in a while- that and nothing is really going on here except me visiting and learning Khmer. So, after a busy two weeks in Phnom Penh and then in Kampong Cham helping the new group, I returned to site. On my way back from Phnom Penh on Monday I was talking to my taxi driver about where I've been and what I've been doing for the past few weeks. I then told him that there would be some new volunteers visiting my site and if he could bring them to my house. So, tomorrow they arrive. Everyone here is so excited. I needed to clarify travel arrangements with my driver because they changed a bit from our previous discussion so I gave him a call. Here is our conversation and I would like to point out why I'm always confused here (Oh, I'm going to literally translate..please don't think my English has digressed to such an astounding low- even though in many ways it has):
Me: "Hello, I kristin. Uncle go to Phnom Penh tomorrow, right?"
Driver: "yes, yes, go tomorrow"
Me: "New volunteers come visit me tomorrow. Can uncle get them in Phnom Penh instead of Prey Veing?"
Driver: "Go yourself (or sometimes this word is used as to mean alone, but in my mind I thought it meant are you going by yourself to PP)
(Here is where I am thinking to myself "what I go alone?" What is he talking about? Why would I go to PP? They are coming to me! So, I ignore it and push on thinking further explanation on my part would clear up what he was asking that I didn't really understand)
Me: "tomorrow volunteers come from Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh, can you meet them at Olympic market at 11?"
Driver: "meet at 5:30"
me: "Ok, good. Good -bye"
Drive: "Ok, bye bye"
(yes, I ignore the fact that he said 5:30- clearly not the time I intended or needed...I think "I'll figure it out later...maybe he forgot the say the five first (in Khmer the number 9 is 5+4)...yes, he did say five...but for some reason I was thinking 4...I really wanted it to work out..and I only had $.30 on my phone before I started talking so I was trying to be quick...I know..a lot of excuses)
Now, I hang up the phone and realize 5:30 really is 5:30. So, I go and ask my sister.
I told her, "he said 5:30, but I need him to meet them at 11:00."
She says, "did you ask him the morning or the evening,"
I reply, "I didn't ask."
My sister, " Why?" (she says this with a look that tells me she thinks I'm crazy)
Me, " I'm bad at talking on the phone in Khmer and I thought he was trying to tell me 9:30"
Sister, "But he said 5:30"
Me, "yeah, he said 5:30. That's a problem. Maybe he cannot drive the new volunteers"
After this conversation, I immediately ran to my cousin and explained to him in Khmer my problem. My host mom and dad were there, too, and we were all speculating to what the driver could have meant..yeah, they also asked if I asked in the morning or evening.
My cousin then calls the driver and turns out he thought I was riding to Phnom Penh with him in the morning (which he leaves at 5:30 am) to get the volunteers. Therefore, "go yourself" meant "are you going with me?" Yes, this is my life and why most times I'm in a constant state of confusion.
We then all had a good laugh and I now have $.05 on my phone. A lesson to be learned maybe? Ask more questions! I've gotten so much better at doing this because they shorten stuff so much here I NEVER am rarely completely confident in my understanding what they mean unless I've heard it used over and over again. Really, it is easier to just pretend that you know what they are talking about or remain silent with the forced half smile giving off the obvious response of "I don't know what the heck you're saying."
Oh, on a completely unrelated topic, I'm coming home in less than a month!
Me: "Hello, I kristin. Uncle go to Phnom Penh tomorrow, right?"
Driver: "yes, yes, go tomorrow"
Me: "New volunteers come visit me tomorrow. Can uncle get them in Phnom Penh instead of Prey Veing?"
Driver: "Go yourself (or sometimes this word is used as to mean alone, but in my mind I thought it meant are you going by yourself to PP)
(Here is where I am thinking to myself "what I go alone?" What is he talking about? Why would I go to PP? They are coming to me! So, I ignore it and push on thinking further explanation on my part would clear up what he was asking that I didn't really understand)
Me: "tomorrow volunteers come from Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh, can you meet them at Olympic market at 11?"
Driver: "meet at 5:30"
me: "Ok, good. Good -bye"
Drive: "Ok, bye bye"
(yes, I ignore the fact that he said 5:30- clearly not the time I intended or needed...I think "I'll figure it out later...maybe he forgot the say the five first (in Khmer the number 9 is 5+4)...yes, he did say five...but for some reason I was thinking 4...I really wanted it to work out..and I only had $.30 on my phone before I started talking so I was trying to be quick...I know..a lot of excuses)
Now, I hang up the phone and realize 5:30 really is 5:30. So, I go and ask my sister.
I told her, "he said 5:30, but I need him to meet them at 11:00."
She says, "did you ask him the morning or the evening,"
I reply, "I didn't ask."
My sister, " Why?" (she says this with a look that tells me she thinks I'm crazy)
Me, " I'm bad at talking on the phone in Khmer and I thought he was trying to tell me 9:30"
Sister, "But he said 5:30"
Me, "yeah, he said 5:30. That's a problem. Maybe he cannot drive the new volunteers"
After this conversation, I immediately ran to my cousin and explained to him in Khmer my problem. My host mom and dad were there, too, and we were all speculating to what the driver could have meant..yeah, they also asked if I asked in the morning or evening.
My cousin then calls the driver and turns out he thought I was riding to Phnom Penh with him in the morning (which he leaves at 5:30 am) to get the volunteers. Therefore, "go yourself" meant "are you going with me?" Yes, this is my life and why most times I'm in a constant state of confusion.
We then all had a good laugh and I now have $.05 on my phone. A lesson to be learned maybe? Ask more questions! I've gotten so much better at doing this because they shorten stuff so much here I NEVER am rarely completely confident in my understanding what they mean unless I've heard it used over and over again. Really, it is easier to just pretend that you know what they are talking about or remain silent with the forced half smile giving off the obvious response of "I don't know what the heck you're saying."
Oh, on a completely unrelated topic, I'm coming home in less than a month!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Summer
I've not been the best lately with updating my blog-sorry. My internet phone has not been working so if I want to get online I have to bike 2 hours into town or go to Phnom Pehn. Lately a lot and not much has been going on. A couple weeks ago I met up with my friend Katie in Laos; which was AMAZING! It was good to leave the country for a bit even though she made me really homesick. I took a 24 hour bus to Vientaine, Laos (which included an overnight bus through Laos). I met these cute old Khmer men who I chatted with on the way there. However, once in Laos no one spoke Khmer. It really gave me more sympathy for tourists. Not knowing the language really makes it hard to get around (and you unknowingly get ripped off a lot out of pure ignorance). I then caught an 11 hour bus up north to Luang prabang! Luang Prabang was amazing and I definitely want to visit again. On my way back Cambodia I decided to fly home from Vientaine. So, I took the overnight bus from Luang Prabang to Vientaine again. The guy sitting next to me vomited in his plastic bag all night (and hung it from the seat in front of him...so gross). Just like Cambodia. I'll try to post pictures later. It was good to come back and speak Khmer again. My family and neighbors told me over and over how much they missed me and that when i go back to America they are going to miss me so much. It made me realize how lucky I am to have such a great family and community!
School is officially over for me. We just had exams this past week. This summer I plan on spending time at the health center, studying Khmer, and socializing. I think it's going to go by fast. Everyone at the health center is excited that I'll be coming everyday. Finally, here are a couple funny stories that happened to me this week. I've decided that my community eats a lot of dog (or special food as they say)....
School party:
We had a party at the school because the grade 12 exams were finished and the guy from the ministry wanted to have a party. So, of course, I was invited to stay for lunch. My options for lunch included: fried small frogs on sticks, cow intestine and stomach, and dog meat. I ended up eating the frog (which is good!) and the cow stomach (tolerable). I still cannot bring myself to knowingly eat dog (I have eaten it before but I didn't know it was dog...and yeah, honestly, it didn't taste that bad...)
Going away party:
My friend who is Khmer/American is going back to America so they had a going away party for him. For dinner we had dog (of course), but not just any stray dog (or stolen dog)- his dog. This was a puppy he loved and fed real food (not just rice like Khmer people feed dogs). He said when they killed it he had tears in his eyes! When I arrived at the party I actually saw the dog's paw in the dish with all the other edible meat!
School is officially over for me. We just had exams this past week. This summer I plan on spending time at the health center, studying Khmer, and socializing. I think it's going to go by fast. Everyone at the health center is excited that I'll be coming everyday. Finally, here are a couple funny stories that happened to me this week. I've decided that my community eats a lot of dog (or special food as they say)....
School party:
We had a party at the school because the grade 12 exams were finished and the guy from the ministry wanted to have a party. So, of course, I was invited to stay for lunch. My options for lunch included: fried small frogs on sticks, cow intestine and stomach, and dog meat. I ended up eating the frog (which is good!) and the cow stomach (tolerable). I still cannot bring myself to knowingly eat dog (I have eaten it before but I didn't know it was dog...and yeah, honestly, it didn't taste that bad...)
Going away party:
My friend who is Khmer/American is going back to America so they had a going away party for him. For dinner we had dog (of course), but not just any stray dog (or stolen dog)- his dog. This was a puppy he loved and fed real food (not just rice like Khmer people feed dogs). He said when they killed it he had tears in his eyes! When I arrived at the party I actually saw the dog's paw in the dish with all the other edible meat!
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