Quirky Cambodia

Sometimes it feels we're living not only in a different country, but a different era. Everything feels like its 30 years behind the times, which can be quite frustrating. For example, the internet? sucks. If you've noticed, I havent uploaded many pictures. It takes FOREVER. And surfing the web? painfully slow. It's quite frustrating, but I have to remind myself that I'm in a third world country and I can't expect the comforts of home.

Some other Cambodian Odities:
- They have their own monetary system here, which is called Riels. It's about 4000 Riels to 1 dollar. HOWEVER, every person and store in Pnom Penh not only takes dollars, but has change for dollars. When I go to an ATM, i pull out dollars. I tell my tuktuk driver I will pay him 3$ (Not 12000 reil, but 3$)
- The city (like many SE Asian cities) is swarming with dogs. I used to be a dog lover, but now I can hear dogs barking at 6 am, and see mangy dogs digging through trash in the street. They seem to belong to no one, and I definitely have no urge whatsoever to pet them.
- I can't get over how friendly people are. Even if theyre begging you for money, and you say no, they still smile at you. Or if they ask you if you want a tuktuk ride and you say no, they'll still give you directions to where you're going. People are so overwhelmingly friendly, its made me more friendly. I love exchanging smiles with Cambodians. (It's pretty easy to do too, because as a white person it feels like you are ALWAYS being stared at.)
- I've seen more naked kids than I've ever thought was possible. I'd say I see on average 7 naked children every day. On top of that, at least 2 or 3 times a day, I see men peeing in the street.
- Maybe they pee in the streets, because even if youre using a public bathroom, theres no toilet paper anyway. There are hoses to rinse off with (which is weird) but never toilet paper.
- Locally grown fruits and vegetables are cheap cheap cheap (we're talking 50 cents...), whereas processed, mainstream food we typically eat at home is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. M&Ms = 5.00. Pringles = 4.50, etc etc. At least we're eating well.
- Also, there seems to be no such thing as credit cards. There are a few ATMs scattered randomly throughout, but if you don't have cash on you... you're screwed.
- I feel like every day I'm doing a double take... an old lady carrying a basket of fruit on her head. An old man pushing a cart full of loaves of bread. Kids walking naked in the streets by themselves (WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS!??!).

Life is strange here but its never boring!!

Ancient Ruins.

We spent the last 3 days in Siem Reap, in the north of Cambodia. Although its largely consumed by tourism and feels a little bit like an amusement park at times, theres not denying the history and grandeur of the 1,000 year old temples. Cambodia has fluctuated between buddhism and hinduism for the last millenium, so some temples were built for one religion, and then finished in the style of another. The most interesting thing, to me, was that these temples were deserted in the 14 or 1500s when Cambodia was at war with Vietnam. Khmers knew of the existence of these temples, but they didnt gain atetntion until the late 1800s. Because they were neglected for a few centuries, they fell apart and are slowly being retaken over by nature. One of the temples was where Angelina Jolie filmed tomb raider, and it has an eerie feel to it. There are ruins everywhere and trees growing amongst all of the ruins.

Angkor wat is so overrun by tourists, and while it takes away a bit of the charm, it is amazing how unregulated the tourism seems. They make sure that you pay for your admission, but then its a free for all within the temple--you can climb all over the ancient ruins, up sketchy and decomposing stairways, etc etc. It was fun to be able to experience it unregulated, even if you felt like every other tourist there.

The touristy feel of Siem Reap isn't my favorite experience about Cambodia, but it was nice having some modern comforts. We stayed in a nice hotel (with a pool!) for only 7 bucks a person, free breakfast and everything. There was TV with HBO (!) and hot showers. We ate mexican food for dinner one night (at least a mexican food attempt), and went to a bar overflowing with english speaking tourists. It definitely didn't have an authentic feel, but it was nice to feel at home for a weekend.

We're back in Phnom Penh for the 2nd week of training. Tomorrow I will go to the Thai Embassy to get my visa. We leave for Thailand on friday, which I'm looking forward to. That's all for now, enjoy the pictures!! (both from Phnom Penh. The monks in the truck are in front of the school where we go to school. I don't think i'll ever get sick of seeing them around.)

week 1 in cambodia

It's thursday night here in Phnom Penh (thursday morning in America), and the first week of classes is winding down. Routine is setting in, but I'll start you off with a few more of the interesting and exciting things that have happened this week.
First, and most importantly, today we saw the king! Apparently thats a rare occurence, and it was quite special for us to see him. We were sitting enjoying a beer after class, and suddenly the roads got eerily quiet (which in phnom penh is odd because every street is always swarming with activity). Suddenly a motorcade comes through, with the king in a black SUV, sticking his head out the window, waving and smiling. I think we made eye contact. (he's about 30 years old and single... maybe I could be the next queen of cambodia?)

Today we also got a massage for 6$. An hour long massage... six dollars. It was wonderful, and if we can find cheap ones in Thailand for this price, I will make it a weekly occurence. SIX DOLLARS!

Yesterday we walked all around Phnom Penh. Pretty much the entire length. The city is always bustling and I feel like there are always a million things to look at. We walked for about 4 hours, stopping along the way for beer or dinner. At a park in the heart of downtown, there are often many young people about, playing soccer or badmington, or just hanging out. Typically there is music playing and aerobics happening. We happened to see this yesterday, with a big dance sequence. It was so fun to watch, and I'm working up the nerve to join next time.

Every day I'm here I love this country more and more. I love how friendly people are, how relatively untouched it is from tourism, and its history. This is where the ancient khmer empire started, where the roots of Buddhism began, and where the deadly khmer rouge happened. The country has been in such turmoil for the last 30 years, and is just now beginning to gain its feet again. They are desperate for english teachers here, and there are multiple volunteer opportunities for everything else. Its a beautiful story, in my opinion, and it's really neat to witness it and even be a part of it, if only briefly.

It feels like long days in class, but after class it's been all fun. It is nice to be in the schedule and routine of classes every day. The school we take it at is a major language school right in the downtown of the city, with many khmer's (the word for cambodian natives) taking classes in rooms right next to us. I especially love it when I see monks walking around in classes all around me.

Tomorrow we leave for Ankor Wat and Siem Reap. I'm anxious to see the country side. Don't worry, I'll be posting pictures soon.

Phnom Penh

It's monday here in Cambodia, and that means our first day of TESOL classes. Yesterday was a tour of Phnom Penh, the capital city. 1.5 million people live here and they live very close together. Everytime we venture out to find breakfast, or take a tuk tuk ride through the city, I am astounded just watching the people. Old ladies pulling huge carts full of food. Giant pigs roasting on the side of the road to be purchased fresh and eaten on the street. Whole streets where all they sell is tires. Huge mansions right next to abandoned lots. But the most overwhelming thing here is the traffic. Mostly everyone drives motos (small motorcyles or scooters), either alone or pulling a tuktuk. There are a few cars scattered throughout, mostly Lexus and Landrovers (which seemed odd to me until someone pointed out that they were owned by NGO workers who live in Cambodia). What's important, though, is there are absolutely no traffic laws. None. At all. Even when we see a traffic light (which is rare), people just run right through it. If theres traffic, motos drive on the sidewalk or the other side of the road. Most of the time there arent even lines and its a free for all where youre not sure whether youre on the left or the right side. It's absolute chaos, and both a thrill and extremely scary.

We visited a few ancient temples, and important parts of Cambodian history yesterday. I learned a bit about Buddhism, and even had the chance to talk a Buddhist monk. We were wandering the Royal Palace, when he came up to me and asked me where I was from. We small talked about the USA, and then Cambodia. He was probably in his 30s, and spoke very eloquently. You can feel the kindness from the monks. If ever you make eye contact with them, they instantly smile at you. I like them very much. Also at the Royal Palace, I wandered up a porch where there were a few men playing instruments, like a xylophone (more rustic and made from wood) and some drums. They asked me if I wanted to play with them, so I sat down, he showed me a few notes to play, and I played music with them! It was a lot of fun, and Val has a video so I'll post it when I can.

We're leaving for school in 30 minutes, and I'm sure that will be a task in itself, so I will let you know how it turns out!

arrived

So, I finally made it to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It's 7:30 in the morning, I've been here for 10 hours, and this is what I've learned so far from my midnight tuk tuk ride, and peering out the windows of the villa I'm staying in.
First, there are no windows, just screens to keep the air flowing. And the heat is heavy. It's not overwhelming, but the air is thick. Very very thick. I have moist skin again and it feels good wearing shorts and a tank top. Everyone leaves their shoes outside. The city itself is interesting... its a strange mix between rural and big city, with small rundown buildings built next to more modern looking ones. I think I'll better be able to describe it once I see it in the daylight.
Val should be here in 4 hours or so. Maybe when we see eachother, music will play and the camera will spin circles around us. hmm. Anyways, I'm just excited to see her.
just wanted to let you know i'm here!

on the way

I'm finally on the way there, after preparing and preparing and packing and repacking. Although the flight is delayed 20 minutes... I can't really prepare for that. I'm flying out of seattle, after spending 5 days here lounging around, sleeping, eating good food, seeing movies. Basically, getting my America fill. I hope it hasnt made me soft. I have a connecting flight in South Korea, but the layover is only an hour, so I hope this delay doesn't affect it too much. No matter what, I have a 17 hour flight ahead of me.
Already I'm in the international world. Everything is being said in 2 languages, and the people sitting around me are speaking something I don't understand. I'm more and more excited the closer I get. I have no idea what to expect.
Things are starting to move.... see you in Cambodia.