Vietnam

In April, Cambodians have a one week holiday called Khmer New Year. It's not as exciting as you might think... there are no parties in the streets, fireworks, or water fights like in Thailand. Most Khmers head home to their provinces and the city pretty much shuts down. We took the opportunity to travel to Vietnam for a week.

Val's mom was visiting (HOORAH!), so we had a girls trip consisting of Val, her mom, our roommate Shiloh, and our friend Christine. The five of us took a boat down the Mekong River on a three day cruise into Vietnam. I have a new ranking of preferable travel methods:
#1 - Boat. How amazing!! Freedom to walk around, fresh air, an unspoilt look at fields and houses along the river. It was so incredibly relaxing, and everything seemed effortless.

Our boat took us to a couple of River towns -- Chau Doc and Can Tho. We were on a tour and it was laughably touristy, but we got to see interesting things like fish farms, weavers, a floating market, rice factories, and the inside of a REAL VIETNAMESE HOUSE (just kidding... kinda strange they took us there). I didn't mind the tour so much because I got to see a lot of the culture and didn't have to think for an entire three days about transportation, housing, or activities. Priceless, really.

We finally arrived in Saigon, where we spent a whirlwind 24 hours. My favorite experience was a visit to a water puppet show, which is a typical vietnamese experience and very entertaining. Shiloh and I spent our day touring around the city with our friend Eileen, who also did the languagecorps program. We saw her apartment, and she showed us a little of her life there -- what she eats at the market, where she finds good homemade beer, and she even took us for a spin on her moto. We spent the afternoon visiting the Vietnam War Museum (the Vietnamese call it "The American War"), which was mostly depressing. They really held nothing back, and I was pretty revolted at the pictures of napalm bombings, decapitated bodies, and dead babies. I guess they got their point across. It was also propaganda at it's best... which I expected from Communist Vietnam, but the anti-American sentiment was overwhelming. It was odd because aside from the war museum, barely anyone mentions the war and there is absolutely no hard feelings towards Americans. Pretty strange that 25 years later, your children can be tourists in a country that was your enemy. Can you imagine if in 25 years my children go as a tourist to Iraq?? I hope they do.

We escaped the heat of Saigon to the beautiful mountains of Dalat. This was a major French outpost during Vietnam's colonial period, and most of the architecture and lifestyle still represents that time. There's even a miniature Eiffel tower. The best thing about this city, however, was the WEATHER! Beautiful, marvelous, cold weather, where I actually had to buy a sweater. Dalat is also surrounded by mountains, so the first day we took a short trip to a nearby "mountain," known to anyone in Colorado as a hill. It took us about 4 hours to scramble to the steep summit, and was about 8 miles total. The view was beautiful and my favorite part was the smell of the pine trees that covered the hillside. I was in heaven--cold weather, mountains, and pine trees. To top it off, Dalat is known for it's wine. It was no French wine, but definitely the best I've had in South East Asia.

On our second day in Dalat we rented motorbikes with an American tourist who was motorbiking through the country. He served as our guide as we whizzed around the mountains on rented motobikes.
My 2nd favorite form of transportation --- MOTORBIKES! They are so fun, especially on the winding roads of a mountainside. The views were incredible, and the motorbikes gave us the freedom to explore a lake we spotted, and a beautiful temple set into the hillside. We went as far as a viewpoint that stretched to the Pacific Ocean. Great day, although Shiloh and I got rather nasty and unattractive looking sunburns on our thighs and hands.

I was reluctant to leave the amazing Dalat weather, but we took a bus down to Moi Ne, a coastal vacation town in southern Vietnam. Untouched beaches, cheap resort pool, and good company made it an easy day of relaxing on the beach, writing post cards, and reading. Finally it was time to head back to Phnom Penh, and Christine and I jumped on a bus early Saturday morning, expecting to reach our homes that night. When we arrived in Saigon to catch a connecting bus, we discovered every bus was sold out for the rest of the day, and we had to wait until tomorrow where we scored the last two seats on a bus leaving for Phnom Penh. We were surprised because every moment of our trip in Vietnam had been so effortless thus far-- we had found the exact transportation with the perfect schedule, we found cheap places to stay with no trouble... everything had been ideal. Christine and I bunkered down for the night in a hotel room and made the best of our extra night in Saigon.

This brings me to by #3 and all time least favorite EVER form of transportation.... bus rides. The bus ride began OK... we crossed the border with no problems, and we even had good air conditioning and a bathroom on board. We thought we were lucky. Our problems arose when we came to the ferry that crosses the Mekong to reach the city of Phnom Penh. Because it was the end of the biggest Cambodian holiday, everyone was coming back to the city and there was a line of cars waiting to board the ferry that was SEVERAL kilometers long. We didn't think it was that big of a deal, until we noticed that in the first 2 hours, we barely moved 100 feet. SEVEN HOURS LATER.... we finally made it onto the ferry. Seven hours, in busy traffic, a now-smelly bathroom, in the heat of the hottest month in Cambodia... torturous.

In the end, it was a wonderful trip and I would recommend a vacation in Vietnam for anyone. It's a beautiful country, and perhaps my favorite in South East Asia so far.

We're on the last week of our time in Cambodia now, with only 6 days left before we begin our 5 week long journey back to America.
My itinerary: Phnom Penh--Kuala Lampur--Mumbai--Delhi--Kathmandu--Mt. Everest--Delhi--London--Washington DC/Lancaster--ESTES PARK!

We're excited for our adventures to come and also excited to see everyone at home seemingly soon. I'm craving mountains, and am looking forward to that most of all. Miss you all!!!

dtuc chran (THE FLOOD)

"Dtuc Chran" literally translates to English as "Water A lot". In Khmer, there aren't as many vocabulary words to describe things. For example ice is "Dtuc Kohr" or "water hard". Dtuc Chran was the latest phrase we learned in Khmer, when we got stuck in the most hilarious, intense, world-ending rainstorm of my life.

The rain started after an incredibly muggy morning in Phnom Penh, and came constant and heavy. Val was cursing it as she bundled up in her hiking boots and rain jacket to trudge to work. I laughed a lot at the ridiculousness of her appearance, and watched as she walked down the road, holding her head down against the pounding rain. She returned less than a minute later completely drenched. She didn't make it 100 feet before a car drove by and completely soaked her from head to foot.

I was loving the rain, and so I convinced Val to play hookie, and go for a walk in the rain. It wasn't just a spring rainfall, but a powerful thunderstorm. Lightning struck nearby and made us jump. Once lightning struck so close and the thunder was so loud, that I actually screamed. The rain was coming so fast, and the streets of Phnom Penh are not very well equiped to handle it. Within minutes, the street was completely flooded. As we walked around the block, we watched the water rise steadily, overflowing over the sidewalks an into people's houses. It only rained for an hour and it was absolute mayhem. I can only imagine what it is like when it rains for 10 hours during the rainy season.

The best part was seeing how rain brings everything to a stop in Phnom Penh. Everyone was staring out from their balconies and doorways watching it, but there was no one in the streets. As Val and I tramped around in our rain jackets and hiking boots, everyone shouted to us. They all thought we were insane, and cheered loudly or laughed to see us walking along.

Very few motos, tuktuks, or cars braved the streets, but those that did had a lot of trouble. At one intersection, the water was up to our knees, and we watched as multiple motos got stuck in it. Some boys who were riding three-deep on a moto had to jump off and push themselves out of the flowing river that was once a street. I laughed with two ladies who were trying to bike through the river, and of course they failed miserably, but it was all so ridiculous and hilarious that everyone kept laughing.

The rain wasn't letting up any time soon, so Val and I sat on the corner restaurant and ordered a delicious Ice coffee (Instant coffee mixed with Ice and condensed milk... tastes more like melted coffee ice cream). We watched as kids played soccer, Business men held their breifcases above their heads, tuktuks stalled in the rain, and a woman pulled an entire umbrella out of a sewer where the water was so deep you couldn't even see the umbrella in the first place. The country is certainly not equipped with proper draining facilities, and we were even more dismayed as we saw that all the trash that people throw on the ground or put outside their house gets swept up in the flood as well. We also witnessed a man peeing in the streets, which is not a new sight for me, but made all the more worse when we know it is added to that dirty, polluted water that everyone has to walk through when it rains. After discussing this, Val and I went home to shower.

It was a fun time to watch everything halt in Phnom Penh, and also enjoy the slightly cooler weather brought by the rainstorm.

Happy Easter

Val, Shiloh and I decided that we had to celebrate Easter in some way... so we packed a picnic and headed to Mekong Island, which is a popular beach destination a little north of Phnom Penh on the Mekong River.

Val walking out on the boardwalk towards the edge of the Mekong River, which you can see in the distance.

Since we were all a little low on funds, our Easter picnic was quite basic. We had 3 hard boiled eggs, a loaf of bread, 3 bananas, and some Cambodian wine coolers. We found a tuktuk driver, who we knew fairly well, to drive us the 45 minutes on Cambodian dirt roads. We had to take a ferry across the river to get to the island. Everyone else was Khmer, and we were immediately bombarded by people trying to sell us silks, mangos, and everything else. They lingered next ot us the entire day, and it was slightly unnerving.

A man we met at a roadside stop on the tuktuk drive to the island.

Val has a stare down with one of the many children that lingered next to our bungalow for the entire day.

Mr. Lee, our tuktuk driver, buys some easter eggs. At least we liked to pretend the easter bunny brought them. In reality they are filled with baby chicken fetuses.

The beach was rustic, to say the least, but was still comfortable. We sat under bamboo huts and ate our picnic. The water was pleasantly warm, and we found seashells from the Mekong River to bring home with us. Val and I made friends with a few boys and played some volleyball for a while... although it was comically bad and the ball was so deflated it was like playing with a lump of rubber.

Shiloh and I, underneath the bamboo bungalow.

It was an interesting way to spend our Easter, but definitely the right way to celebrate it in Cambodia!

The day to day

I wanted to share with you all some of the things I do here on a day to day basis... including some of my friends, my job, and our latest Phnom Penh activities.

As I write this, I'm sitting at our usual swimming pool hangout, but I've actually been diving full force into the Khmer traditions, and learning a lot more about what it means to live in Phnom Penh. One of my favorite new activities are my Saturdays that I spend out at the Harpswell Foundation. This is an organization that supports the brightest women from the provinces who want to get an education, but cannot afford to live in the city. The foundation gives them housing, motobikes, and scholarships to study everything from accounting and business, to medicine and law. The girls are shy, but extremely nice. They serve us lunch and we have a chance to talk to them about their goals, the role of women in Cambodia, and what they do for fun (which is have dance parties... all the time).

Here is the front porch of the Harpswell Dormitory. Val is continuing the education outside the classroom, so it seems.

Lunch with the girls. They eat all of their meals on the floor, and usually consist of rice, with a vegetable soup of some kind. Also on the menu was fried fish. The girls take turns cooking, cleaning, going to the market, and other chores. It seems well-run and organized, and the girls support eachother in this community that they will live in for the 4 years they have at their universities.

Here is the classroom we teach in at Harpswell. With only 2 lessons so far, we're just now getting an understanding for their english level, and what is the most beneficial type of lesson. Last week I taught a class on health care. We read a few paragraphs about sickness and health, and learned some new vocabulary like contagious, epidemic, disease... and sayings like "It will be worth it" and "meanwhile". For homework, i assigned Barack Obama's speech on health care, and told them to come up with their own opinion about the role of government in health care. It was fun to develop the lesson plan, and use current events to teach english.

Even though it feel like my job at Pannasastra University just started, we have a 3 week break for the Khmer New Year. I'm happy to have more free time, but I already miss my students. It was wonderful getting to know them. Most of them were about 20 years old, and were very smart. There were doctors, dentist assistance, NGO workers, and more... Some needed english to continue their studies in other universities, and others needed better english for the jobs they already have. It was wonderful to see them every day, get to know them, and help them improve. They took their final exams on Tuesday, and I'm now in the process of grading 90 exams. On wednesday, one of my classes took me out to dinner to celebrate. We went out to a traditional Khmer restaurant called "BBQ Party." We cooked our food on the table in front of us. They showed me how to use my chopsticks, and we cooked shrimp, beef, and vegetables in pig fat over a grill. For dessert, we had this weird slimey jello thing that wasn't very sweet. My students were wonderful. They couldn't stop taking pictures with me, giving eachother cheers, and talking and laughing. For them, it has been 2 years together in english class, and they are now receiving their diplomas. I was really honored to be a part of their celebration, and even more touched when they gave me a few presents of a scarf and a beautiful wooden carving of an Apsara dancer.

One of my favorite students, Ti.

My morning level 3 class, who is learning writing. They are really fun and actually better english speakers than my level 4 class. Peace signs all around!

We had a party on one of our last days.... Sithika brought a guitar, and they sang some songs in English. We ate PB&J crackers, and crackers with cheese. I found most of the cheese crackers in the trash can on my way out.... Cambodians apparently aren't huge fans.

Dinner with my level 4 class for our ending party. Chan, the girl on my left, is adorable and told me a lot about the role of women in society.

Dika and Mony, showing me what's for dinner and how to manouver with the chopsticks.

Fresh shrimp, vegetable patties, and veggies. Typical.

Gift giving. Complete with a card where they all professed their love for me.

Two of my favorite students, Dika and Chan.

Pre-party photos in front of our University. Lucy is their other teacher who teaches them writing. I felt a little underdressed next to her. Also, notice the hand signals in these pictures. If you're traveling to Asia soon, you better learn some of them.

Pannasastra University of Cambodia... Chatanimuk Campus. There are 4 campuses around Phnom Penh. Luckily I taught at the one that is right around the corner from my house. I could easily walk in 5 minutes, but often my students often to take me on their moto.

Two of my students brought Val and I to Psar Toul Tom Poung market in Phnom Penh, where they could help us navigate. They bargained for us, because as a westerner it's hard to get a fair price in the market. They also told us about the traditional use for things, their history, and their culture. They are both 19 years old, and are incredibly sweet. As a thank you, Val and I took them out to lunch for some western food, and it was fun showing them about cheese. They also seemed surprised that we ate different food for breakfast. In Cambodia, Breakfast lunch and dinner is the same... Rice with meat and vegetables or Noodles with meat and vegetables.

Lida and Ti, trying out western food.

Val's mom comes next wednesday, and then a week from Saturday we will be heading to Vietnam. I'm excited to do some more traveling. I hope to have some good stories for you when we get back!

I have some more pictures that I will be uploading to facebook, once I get things more organized. It's really nice to share these with all of you, and thanks for reading!