Boar skin, it's what's for dinner

I just got in from a long weekend at Mondulkiri Province, the largest province in Cambodia and also the least populated. Most of Cambodia celebrates International Women’s Day (March 8) by taking the day off of work, and Sovannaphumi School was no exception. For further celebration, my school took a staff retreat to get out of the city and into the mountains. I was able to bring Susan along as my guest and I was grateful to have a friend with whom I could experience some outrageous and ridiculous moments. Throughout the trip we would make faces to one another or have short conversations about what the heck was going on, which might make our blog entries pretty close so if you follow both then I apologize for the duplicity.

Before I left, I knew this information: Mondulkiri is a province, it is known for its green forests, landscapes, and tribal community. I knew there was a plan, seeing as about 200 teachers and staff were making the 7-hour drive, but I didn’t know what was happening or when. I knew it cost $25 to go. I also had a feeling that Susan and I would be two of very few Westerners along for the ride. Needless to say, I was excited.

There were so many absurd moments that I feel like a list format would be best. For the 7-8 hour bus ride, 3 hours were taken up by long rest stops that included full meals and a leisurely stroll through a market. The other 4-5 hours were spent listening to passengers on the bus singing karaoke, telling jokes, sharing funny stories, or playing games over the loudspeaker system of the bus—all in Khmer, of course. There was some respite from the joke-telling and song-singing when they played movies, TV shows, and music videos all quite loudly and all very Khmer.

The rooming situation was Susan and I with two other staff ladies who were very nice and shared some food with us. They also happened to be early risers and insisted that we wake up at 5:30am, even though we didn’t have to be ready until 7. I tried to ignore the, “Valerie…wake up now. Hurry you get ready” every five or ten minutes following 5:30 and it seemed that they too ignored my response of, “not yet, I have an alarm set..I take a short time to get ready…” So up we got.

We saw two areas with gorgeous waterfalls and drove through many mountainous (hilly) landscapes. The dust was thick through these parts, and I finally understood why people would wear a facemask. Later in the day I blew my nose and realized exactly how pervasive this reddish brown dust actually was. It was great fun to be a part of a stereotypical Asian tour bus. We really did get stop alongside many sights, file out of the bus, snap numerous and repetitive photos, and file back on the bus. Susan and I were hailed into many pictures, being a part of the sights ourselves.

Finally I’ll get to the food. Since this was a Khmer vacation that I just happened to be on, I did what the Khmers did and ate what they ate. I bought some wine that has a cobra and scorpion in it, with the scorpion’s tail nestled nicely between the cobra’s jaws. One of my co-workers, Arun, gave Susan and me some guidance as to what to buy, what we were eating and what people were talking about etc. He picked out food for the table and we shared boar-skin soup and deer meat for the table. On Saturday there was a big party that included: dancing, drinking, roasting an entire cow, and drawing a raffle. I indulged my hosts by eating some cow liver, but declined on the stomach, lung, and intestine. The actual meat of the cow was very tasty. The Khmer dancing was very similar to my experience at the wedding. The raffle had a lot of small winners and a grand prize of a big standing fan. I won a small prize: a tube of toothpaste. Having been up since 5:30 thanks to the roommates, I was pretty beat by the time the party ended at midnight.

The ride back was almost identical to the ride going, except this time on the rest stops Susan and I became more adventurous with our food choice. For lunch we had a bamboo shoot that was filled with sticky rice and beans and was really filling and tasty, followed by some mango and sugar cane, and all topped off with a tarantula and cricket! I was content just to look and take pictures of this, but a co-worker was telling me of the medicinal properties that the people in the provinces believe tarantulas to have. Apparently if you have a cough and you eat the butt, then it will make you feel better. I settled on a few legs and shoulder regions. You only live once, right?

Anyways, it’s good to be back in my apartment and it felt great to get back to my students. Plus walking around school I see more familiar faces in my fellow staff. I don’t think I’ll be having boar skin or cow innards again any time soon, though.

ADDRESS!

Hey all,

I have finally figured out my mailing address, so here it is:

#9 E, St. 174, Sangkat Phsar Thmey III, Khan Qaun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

mouthful, ain't it?

Also, just a warning: I have sent lots of postcards and letters at the beginning of my trip and they still have not found their way to the intended party-so just to let you know, not the most reliable mail system.

Payday! and some other fun tidbits

I write to you on a cool Friday morning. I’ve found my favorite times of day are before 10:30am and after 5:30pm. The sun is gentler and there is actually a breeze so I relish these moments, spending the majority of my time outside or on our balcony.

It’s payday today, which means I’ll swing by my school and receive a nice envelope filled with straight-up U.S. cash. I feel like this is how every job should pay their employee; no checks, no taxes, no paper trail...just plain bills in a plain envelope.

I have had a great week of work so far. Teaching the younger kids was a bit daunting at first, but now it’s just fun. Walking into a classroom and having kids swarm around me yelling out, “yayy teacher! Hello teacher! Teacher so beautiful!” doesn’t do much for classroom management, but it does boost the ego quite a bit. A few girls in particular have found me fascinating as they have also started up the daily mantra, “we want to kiss the teacher!” This left me super uncomfortable—being used to having strict rules about giving students or campers only side-hugs and having those lines clearly marked. I looked to the Khmer teacher in the room and she just smiled, so I let the girls give me a kiss on both cheeks and my forehead, as per their request. I think they also wanted to kiss my chin, but unsure if they meant chin or lips, I drew the line and said that it was time to start class.

Other than that, there isn’t too much to report. I’ve been filling my days with going to the pool, playing volleyball with a school outside of town, trying new places for dinner, cooking for myself, and reading. Yesterday, Susan and I decided to try a new means of travel, one very popular by Khmer young boys. She rode her bike while I sat on the back part. We’ve seen this many times, with sometimes three or four young boys piled on, so we thought, why not give it a try ourselves? Well despite getting lots and lots of stares (more than usual) it actually turned out pretty well. That is, until we came to a really busy street and we had to come to a complete stop. Well, balance is pretty difficult to achieve with me sitting sidesaddle on the back, and as we were at a standstill, we kind of started leaning to the right a bit too much. I realized we were going down, but it was one of those moments that even though you know what is about to happen, you can’t do anything to stop it. Susan was able to hop off awkwardly while I fell on my bum in slow-motion with legs high up in the air. WELL. needless to say, I think we made a lot of people smile that day. Chuckling to myself, I walked the rest of the way home and met up with Susan a few minutes behind her.

***I do have lots of fun things to look forward to in the upcoming months—my mom is visiting during the middle of April, which just happens to be Khmer New Year so I have lots of time off of school and it will be really lovely to see some new sights with her. Perhaps we will take a trip to Vietnam as well! Also, Susan and I have come up with our May travel plans that include India and Nepal. I have some friends in India and we will most likely spend our time in Mumbai and Delhi with a trip to the Taj Mahal in Agra. In Nepal, we plan to do a 16-day trek to the base-camp of Mt. Everest. After a month of travelling, I will return home to the states in early June. I’m really excited about all of these plans and experiences to be had, but I do miss everyone at home!

Happy Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day

I write to you with my first day of work under my belt.

I got a job at Sovannaphumi School teaching kindergarten and 2nd grade. My students are adorable; they all have uniforms and are really well behaved. It was kind of unbelievable to get bowed to and told "thank you, teacher" by every 5-12 year-old, several times per class. The school is about a 2 minute walk from my new apartment as well, so that works out great. MY NEW APARTMENT! which I haven't told you about yet. I now live with Susan and a great girl Shiloh in a wonderful 3-bedroom apartment with 2 stories and 3 bathrooms and in a great location! Its been really comforting to have our own place and make food for ourselves and relax. Our landlord lives underneath us and their family is really great-a grandmother and grandfather with their two daughters and their husbands and a little boy who likes to come out and play and chat when we enter and exit our flat (its a shame I can't understand him.)

I also start up an evening class today, teaching adults for an hour a day. I'm hoping this will mix up my schedule and give me a little variety.

This past weekend was Chinese New Year, which many people left Phnom Penh to celebrate, leaving the city just a bit more closed down than usual. I got a chance to spend more time with my new Khmer friends and we went out drinking and dancing a few nights to places where Shiloh and I were the only foreigners. I also got to experience karaoke: Cambodia-style. I thought this would be similar to what I've seen in pictures and movies with Japanese karaoke, but it was a bit different. While the Japanese have posh, modern, and sleek rooms with flat screen TV sets, the Khmer have tiny cement block rooms with an old tube TV and 80's style couches set up. But I had a ton of fun anyways, I imagine just as much as I would have in swanky Japan.

I am settling in quite nicely, and it feels good to be able to walk down the street and wave to a couple of locals who I can now call friends. Its also really great to have Susan back as well.

Hope you are enjoying the snow and keeping warm!

love,

Val

p.s. a Very Happy Birthday to Margot today, as well as Jason and Juliet just recently!

Adjusting and readjusting

Life is becoming normal. I am continuing with interviews, checking out new schools and looking around for apartments. I have been exploring the city a little more by foot, which is good for my mental map of Phnom Penh. I have also been spending a lot more time with my new Khmer friends, which has been excellent. Two nights ago I went out dancing with a big group and it was really fun and motivating for me to practice my Khmer. The DJ was crazy, everything had this club beat and there were lasers and strobe lights to boot.

Yesterday was a much more sobering day, as I visited the S-21 museum, which stands for Security 21. It used to be a school, but in the late 1970's the Khmer Rouge combatants took it over and used it as a place of torture and prison. They hadn't really done much to the place to change it to the museum/memorial that it is now, and there were blood stains on the floor and the buckets and containers that the prisoners used for their waste still in the cells. There were a lot of photos of the prisoners and that was really heavy for me to see their faces--some bruised and battered, some full of hatred, and some that were smiling. There were also photos of the Khmer Rouge members and this was even more heart-wrenching as some of the boys were about 12 years old. I hired a tour guide, and this woman was telling me how she lost her brother, sister, and father during Pot Pol's reign of terror, and she just managed to survive and escape to Vietnam with her mother, both of them half-starved. The city of Phnom Penh, usually bustling and full of 1million residents became a ghost town as everyone was shipped out to different prison locations. It seems that everyone has lost someone from the Khmer Rouge--and only now is just one of the leaders on trial. Apparently there are a lot of ex-Khmer Rouge that are still holding office in the government...terrifying. It is such a tragic and recent history and it was important for me to see and learn, but it was a pretty dark day.

It's a nice day for a Khmer wedding

So I am now an offical graduate of the LanguageCorps Program and I have my TESOL (teaching English to students of other languages) Certificate! This week was a bit hectic, filled with interviews, teaching, teaching observation, and paperwork. I had the opportunity to go out to school and teach elementary age students. The program is for children who live in the provinces of Cambodia and they come into Phnom Penh Monday-Friday to have schooling, and then return to their home to work the fields on the weekends. Some of the students are orphans from poorer provinces so they stay at the organization's main building. I loved the kids that I worked with--they were so self-motivated to learn. After a few more scheduled lessons we went outside to play games like follow the leader and simon says. "Teacher, teacher play game!" was a common request the next day. Whatever job I get, I hope to volunteer some time during the week or on the weekends.

Another noteworthy experience I had was attending a Khmer wedding. Dara, a guy who works for LanguageCorps (who picked me up from the airport my first day) invited a few of us to go to his sister's wedding. I'm not sure that I knew what to expect...but I don't think anything would have prepared me for the following events. Right from the street, I realized I was vastly underdressed in my brown cotton dress and braided hair. The women had a rule of thumb; the more sparkles, lace, sequins, beading, and color, the better. Some of the hairstyles might very well be a part of the reason the ozone layer is depleted...way too much hairspray! I walk in to many bows and welcoming words and find our table. I am one of two white females, and one of 6 or 7 non-Khmer people out of the whole crowd...well over 100 in total. The food was unbelievable. Course after course of delicious meats, fish, duck, prawns..it just didn't end! And the people were certainly celebrating, constantly refilling my glass with Johnnie Walker Red Label and cheersing me. As for entertainment...right after the initial singer and band, a troupe of ladyboys made their debut lip synching to electronically-remastered hits. Grandmothers and small children alike cheered and ran up to get a good spot for enjoying the show (booty shaking). I was toward the back snapping photos until a woman grabbed me by the arm and pushed our way through the crowd so I could get a premium spot. Mothers were nudging their children my direction so they could practice their English. Younger and older ladies pulled me into their photos, calling me beautiful...and I was painfully aware of my dusty moccasins next to their fancy high heels. When the dancing began I was really excited and grateful to receive help and instructions with hand motions and foot steps when the song called for it. I knew a few of the guests through LanguageCorps or tuk-tuk drivers, or just friends who hang around in those circles. I wish wish wish I could post some pictures for you, the minute I free up space on my laptop, you will be privy to these goings-on.

An apartment and job are on the horizon, bringing a more stable lifestyle than what I've been used to these past few weeks. I'm looking foward to having that sense of security. I'll let you know when I have an address, although I don't think post here is too reliable. I do have a phone that you can reach me, probably with the use of a phone card for you, and free for me. The number would be 011- 855- 077-238556 for you Americans over there. By the way, I've heard about the crazy blizzards and snowstorms on the east coast...it feels weird to sweat through layers of clothing as thats all happening for you.

Bangkok and Back again...(Cambodia for good)

Hey friends & family,

I have a few updates for you! This Friday Susan and I visited Bangkok. We met up with her friend Molly who completed the TESOL course a few months ago. Bangkok was an experience. My first impression was that it was an actual city-by my definition: real roads, highways, traffic, taxicabs, highrise buildings, skyscrapers, and people...tons and tons of people. Walking around the city, we had to walk in the streets because there were too many people to fit all on the sidewalk. They had built a sky train above the city which gave me a chance to see the city from a different perspective. We took meter taxis of all colors-mainly bright pink, green, yellow. At night the city lights up with bars, clubs, restaurants, and vendors. The food in Bangkok was infinitely better than in Cambodia, and I tried a lot more street food because I felt it was prepared in more sanitary conditions. Salted nuts, fried chicken and sticky rice, unusual fruits, breaded sausage, and my personal favorite: sweet corn on the cob. We went to the Grand Palace on Saturday and saw the Emerald Buddha (a travel guide's must see) which was smaller and a little more blue than I was expecting. The rest of the sacred buildings were very ornate with golds and colorful mosaics adorning the statues and columns.

We then visited the biggest market I have ever seen. I had to practice a lot of restraint as there were loads of clothing, shoes, linens, jewelry, hats, sunglasses, belt buckles, backpacks, wallets, incense burners, puppets...you name it, they sold it.

I returned to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sunday--where I plan on staying for the majority of my time in Southeast Asia. I fell in love with the city during my first two weeks, and there's also the most basic reason--there are jobs here. I already had an interview today and have a couple more lined up this week. Apparently, being young, white, female, and American is really working for me--they prefer these qualities in an English teacher, and they are up front with their discrimination. I interviewed with another girl from my program and a Philipino girl who studied in England and was completely fluent in English--but the other American girl and I would make $10/hour and the Philipino girl only $7/hr, based on her passport origin alone. If I were to stay in Thailand, I would probably have the best shot of getting a job in Bangkok or Pattaya and even then jobs are scarce at this time of year. Anyone interested in visiting Thailand...still consider it! I can travel to any of the nearby countries and we can have a Southeast Asian Adventure!

It feels good to be back in Cambodia. Tonight there is the party for the latest crew of LanguageCorps students at a local bar who just finished their first day today. I think it will feel odd meet the newcomers and be on the other side...I was in their position just three weeks ago! It feels much longer.

Happy February!