Monday, July 28, 2008

My World Turned Around

Wus up folks, it's me. I'm amazed and a little astonished that it's been about 10 days since I've had any real access to the Internet. Whoa. That alone has turned my world around. But I think time away from the machine has been good for me. Actually, I haven't had much chance to think about it because we've been in such serious training since we arrived in Phnom Penh last Wednesday. Training has been about a slew of subjects ranging from policy and conduct (what will get you kicked out) to learning the Khmer language and elements of their culture that you would be able to understand in the classroom (the rest we'll hopefully pick up in the field).

There is so much to cover and so little time - when I arrived and walked around the city, I was frankly kind of freaked out. But my response to Cambodia is getting better, especially since we left the city last Friday for the province town Kampong Chnang, which is rural. Think rice paddies, banana patches, cattle running down the side of the road herded by kids. We're staying in a guest house a few houses down from the training hub site where I'm spending most of my days. Yesterday, though, we had off for the national election. We were just laying low since nothing (including this Internet cafe) was open, and so I ran, did yoga, took a nap, read my book - I'm reading "Blink" by Malcom Gladwell and am enjoying it immensely - watched the movie "Volunteers" on my computer; i't's so hilarious and so applicable to this whole experience (watch it, if anything for Tom Hanks and John Candy). I had three full meals of rice and vegetables and iced coffee as well. There's been a lot of good eats - no traveler's diahrrea or constipation so far!

Today it was more training, this time about the medical kits and how to prevent getting sick - and the strooong posibility that we'll get dengue fever - and we got our bikes and a maintenance course. My bike is a Merida. Her name is Charlotte because she reminds me of a spider (she's beautifully black). We got a barebones maintenance class, and I learned what a tire iron is. I wish I could upload a picture of me and my bike, but this computer at the internet cafe had viruses so I don't want to jeapordize my roommate's jumpdrive. I also went to the market - another interesting experience, especially when you see the photos - to buy some cloth to have a traditional Khmer skirt made for teaching.

Two funny anecdotes so far:

One) The first night we were in Phnom Penh, the staff took us on a sunset dinner cruise up and down the Mekong River. We had to walk the plank to get on, meaning the crossing board was very narrow and a bit rickety, but once onboard it was a fun evening of eating a Khmer-style buffet, singing and dancing to Cambodian karaoke, and just taking it all in and intermingling. Well, I had to go to the bathroom really bad (I was trying to save it) and walked to the back part of the boat to this shack. Inside, it was really wet on the floor. I tried to shut the door, and then immediately was trying to roll my pants up while taking my pants down, while holding this piece of rope to keep the door shut (there was nothing to hook it to) while trying not to get too far to the edge near the wall that was keeping me from falling in the Mekong. This was all working out (as I'm squating over the toilet) when the rope snaps and catapults me into the bowl. I didn't go completely in. But let's just say it was bad, and really, really, really funny. I couldn't help thinking about telling this story to my mom (those of you who know her will understand) and just started cracking up. I later scrubbed my ass down with Clorox.

Two) I was relaxing yesterday in the room, watching that movie I mentioned. Suddenly my computer battery started to die, so I wanted to plug it into the wall. My roommate (a really sweet girl named Leah), also watching a movie, had plugged her computer into the outlet over her bed. She was in bathroom. Not wanting to use the outlet where I would have to sit on the floor, I decided to unplug her computer and use my handy dandy powerstrip so we could both get power and be comfortable still on our beds. Well, the moment I plugged it in and turned it on, I shortcircuited half the guest house (housing at least 40 people). Um, whoooops!!! The guy at the front desk was knocking on his tv screen, wondering what had happened. We went out and just asked about the power? Then he flipped a switch and it went back on. I felt like such an idiot and promptly hid the strip deep in my bag, never to be seen again.

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