Busy week of teaching

I feel like so much has happened since I've last posted! Last week I went to visit a volunteer about 2 hours north of Phenom Penh. It was good to see the life of a volunteer in a small, remote village (and that I don't want anything quite that remote, hopefully). It was also quite an adventure. We actually arranged our travel from our training village all the way to Phnom Penh then to her village. Phnom Penh is CRAZY- especially, without a map. However, our functional Khmer and lots of walking, got us to the right market with the right taxis and we made it safely. On both trips there and home we drove about 75-80 mph, had people puking in the seat in front of us, and filled the van beyond its capacity. This I'm finding out is normal here. Oh, I saw an elephant in Phenom Penh..it was awesome!
Last week we had our teaching practicum. We taught Monday- Sat. for one hour. We also practiced co-teaching with a Khmer teacher.My teaching partner and I got really lucky because our co-teacher had taught with a peace corps volunteer previously. Also, we had really smart students...so, we both felt like it was an easy week. Two other volunteers had co-teachers who said to their face that they were bad teachers. Ryan and I felt very fortunate after hearing that. I also recieved gifts from my students!!! I got some beautiful cards of Cambodia with thank-you notes, 2 hair clips and a bag of amazing fruit we don't have in the states. It's called um kum. It's sweet and sour. Literally, it tastes like cinnamon apple in a way. I love it. Also, this week we had site placement interviews which definitely compounded the level of stress. We find out on Tuesday this week where we will be living the next two years. Since I'm a health volunteer I will be placed relatively close to another volunteer. I'm really happy about that. Also this week we are going to Phenom Penh to meet with who we will be co-teaching with at our site. I'm really excited to go and stay all night in Phenom Penh. Apparently, our hotel has air conditioning, western toilets and running water (rumor has it that its warm water, too!)- the little things that make me happy these days! After our conference we are visiting our site and the family we will live with. It's going to be a crazy week. I'm looking forward to going to the western grocery market in phenom Penh to buy milk and cheese and peanut butter, oh, and chocolate! I'm also going to get an hour massage for $10!!!! We also get to eat western food, like last week when I was in Phenom Penh I ate Mexican..it was so good..and no rice!
Now...crazy/funny stories:
1. Mom told me to post this one because it's pretty funny. I was at my sisters parents house and there was this drunk guy that kept bothering me. Since he was in the military, they could not do anything about it because they would "loose face'". So, grandma, took me to her house so I could rest. We got upstairs and she pulled out a mat and some blankets from a grain bag. So, I lay down to see ants crawling all over the pillow, blanket and now me! In my mind I was like, don't freak out...kill as many as possible. Then I noticed grandma was nearing me...on the verge of spooning me (if you don't know the word spoon ask someone young...). I could feel her breathing no me and getting closer by the second. Luckily, my phone rang and she rolled over! Personal space is not a universal concept, I'm learning!
2. My friend Philip just came back to Cambodia because about 4 days in he learned that his dad died. Now, he is back and lives with my sister's sister- so we're cousins. On Sundays I usually go to their house and eat coconut and stare blankly as the women in the family speak Khmer to me. Anyway, his family kept saying "wisten" which he assumed to mean "question". So, he had a Khmer staff come and find out what questions they had. The Khmer staff was confused because they didn't have any questions, rather found out that they were referring to me! They just cannot say Kristin. It was all pretty funny!
3. The other night I had to pee so bad I went in my pot I use for boiling water!!!!!!!! It happened last night, too!

Well...I think that's it for now! I'll write later this week to tell all where I'll be living for the next few years! Also, if anyone is bored, you can feel free to send me snail mail! I received a letter from my grandma and Linda who I worked with at KSB. I'm only letting myself open one a day..but it totally makes my day!