It is the day after the first night and I am still kicking, haha. My first experience with my host family was a lot of fun. After the half hour tuk tuk ride my host father and mother showed me to my room and let me set up. I have a pretty big room and my own bathroom which really surprised me. I had dinner with the whole family (father, mother and 2 brothers) then hung out with the neighbours for awhile before going to bed. Also our neighbours next door organize an exercise class so there was music pumping for an hour or two during supper. I might have to join in sometime!
Like I said it is quite far from the MCC offices so my commute to the MCC offices is a little long, but it is close to RUPP where I will be working. My host father, So Pan, said that I could borrow a bicycle and ride it to work if I wanted. I'm hoping to get my Cambodian license soon, so that I can start driving a motto, and not have to pay for a motto dope each way. 5000 Riel ($1.25) each doesn't seem like much, but MCC would like us to stick to a travel budget of $30 a month.
I took a motto to MCC this morning, and am hoping that I can contact the same motto driver for my ride home. It could be a little interesting because he did not speak a lot of English, so I am hoping everything goes well. Other than that we said goodbye to the YAMENer going to Laos by going out to the River Front on Monday night. We had some ice cream which is a treat anywhere you go in the world and walked along the streets for a few hours. Khmer lessons continue and I am remembering words, but it is difficult to string them into sentences or pick up meaning when Cambodians speak Khmer to me.
Tomorrow us YALTers are headed to Prey Veng for 5 days. It will be nice to get out to the country side and get some fresh air. We are going to meet Caleb's host family, meet up with some of MCC's partners, and practice driving mottos.
One other thing that I forgot to mention is that I experienced my first Cambodian delicacy last night. I had a baby duck egg. Essentially it is a partially formed duck fetus. Looks like a hard boiled egg with some extra things. Not as bad as I thought it would be. Don't know if I will be eating it a lot, but I think I will probably try it again.
Sometime
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Friday 26 August 2011
Sound Track Addition
I had meant to add this to yesterday's blog but I forgot so here it is. I couldn't think of just one song to represent the Akron orientation so there are two that I have. The first is 'I Gotta Feeling' by the Black Eyed Peas. Please don't judge me too harshly, but the song was played a number of times during the many parties we had through out the week (who would have thought a Mennonite event would have so much dancing).
The other song is 'Home' by Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros. It was at orientation that I first heard this song. After listening to it once I probably listened to it another 10 times. Everywhere I went it seemed someone was singing it or humming it. If you have not heard it I definitely recommend it!
So we are now up to 3 songs for those of you following along.
The other song is 'Home' by Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros. It was at orientation that I first heard this song. After listening to it once I probably listened to it another 10 times. Everywhere I went it seemed someone was singing it or humming it. If you have not heard it I definitely recommend it!
So we are now up to 3 songs for those of you following along.
Thursday 25 August 2011
First Impressions of Cambodia
I have now been in Cambodia for nearly a week, but it actually feels like it has been a lot longer than that. So a quick recap of what happened before Phil, Caleb and I (the SALTers) took our first step on Cambodian soil. The night before we left for Cambodia we had a talent show, and all I can say is WOW! I knew I was among an amazing group of people, but I felt a little insignificant after witnessing some of the talent that was there. A number of amazing musicians who definitely have a future in the industry if they choose. We were treated to a rendition of N'Syncs 'bye, bye, bye' which was probably the highlite of the night. The night then transformed into a dance party (the 3rd or 4th one of the week) and then a late night of Deutch Blitz as we waited for the first SALTers to take off early that morning.
The following day we said our goodbyes and then 11 of us boarded a small bus and headed to New York City. Our 3 hour trip turned into 4 hours as we had a nice tour through Brooklyn on our way to JFK. We had our last meal in America ( I think it was a chicken bacon sandwich or something) and then waited. And waited a little more. The waiting was due to lightning that lit up the sky every 30 seconds or so. After we got on the plane and readied ourselves for takeoff we waited some more. At least another hour perhaps 2 but we did finally take off and I don't remember much of the flight because I slept through most of it. We had a quick layover in Frankfurt and then we were off again to Singapore. I had heard a great deal of good things about Singapore Airlines so maybe my expectations were built up to high, but I didn't think it was heads and tails above anything else I have experienced. The food was good but we were packed in the middle of the plane so it wasn't super comfortable. Anyways we landed in Singapore quickly said our goodbyes to the other Southeast Asia SALTers and just made our connecting flight to Phnom Penh.
Coming in to Phnom Penh was quite amazing. The Mekong river, which starts in China and runs all the way through Cambodia, floods a lot of the countryside during the rainy season. From the airplane it looked like there was water everywhere. Homes built on stilts were surrounded by water in some instances. The ride from the airport to the MCC office was eye opener. This being my first time to a developing country I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The amount of rundown buildings, people walking on the roads, or people just sitting on the side of the road because they have nothing to do was well quite large. And the smell...not much fresh air here in Phnom Penh.
It has been quite a world wind since we have been here, not a lot of free time to speak of. We have language lessons that start at 8am and then we are usually going here and there until 8 or 8:30pm, so the only time we have is the couple hours in the evening. Jet lag kept me tired for the first couple days, but I think now I just get tired because of our busy schedule. It does keep us from getting bored which is good (always trying to be positive).
A quick list of what we have done so far:
- visited Wat Phnom (they give elephant rides there which was pretty cool)
- visited the National Museum (lots of Buddhist statues)
- attended Mennonite church on Sunday (all Khmer)
- went to the Olympic Stadium ( jazzercise is huge here)
- visited a number of MCC's partners
- have had pork and rice for nearly every breakfast (not bad but wouldn't mind some granola and yogurt)
- fit 7 people into a tuk, tuk
- and have ate at a number of different restaurants (our first meal in Cambodia was actually Vietnamese)
That about catches you up to my happenings over the last week or so.
Ohhh.........
I had to put in a picture of me and my Krama. It is a traditional Cambodian garment that can be used as a scarf, bandanna or as I have it. Yes it pretty much is a skirt, but it is super comfy and a great way to relax in the evening.
So put in your orders now because you will definitely have to try it out.
I will leave you with the Khmer translation of good bye
chum riep lie!
The following day we said our goodbyes and then 11 of us boarded a small bus and headed to New York City. Our 3 hour trip turned into 4 hours as we had a nice tour through Brooklyn on our way to JFK. We had our last meal in America ( I think it was a chicken bacon sandwich or something) and then waited. And waited a little more. The waiting was due to lightning that lit up the sky every 30 seconds or so. After we got on the plane and readied ourselves for takeoff we waited some more. At least another hour perhaps 2 but we did finally take off and I don't remember much of the flight because I slept through most of it. We had a quick layover in Frankfurt and then we were off again to Singapore. I had heard a great deal of good things about Singapore Airlines so maybe my expectations were built up to high, but I didn't think it was heads and tails above anything else I have experienced. The food was good but we were packed in the middle of the plane so it wasn't super comfortable. Anyways we landed in Singapore quickly said our goodbyes to the other Southeast Asia SALTers and just made our connecting flight to Phnom Penh.
Coming in to Phnom Penh was quite amazing. The Mekong river, which starts in China and runs all the way through Cambodia, floods a lot of the countryside during the rainy season. From the airplane it looked like there was water everywhere. Homes built on stilts were surrounded by water in some instances. The ride from the airport to the MCC office was eye opener. This being my first time to a developing country I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The amount of rundown buildings, people walking on the roads, or people just sitting on the side of the road because they have nothing to do was well quite large. And the smell...not much fresh air here in Phnom Penh.
It has been quite a world wind since we have been here, not a lot of free time to speak of. We have language lessons that start at 8am and then we are usually going here and there until 8 or 8:30pm, so the only time we have is the couple hours in the evening. Jet lag kept me tired for the first couple days, but I think now I just get tired because of our busy schedule. It does keep us from getting bored which is good (always trying to be positive).
A quick list of what we have done so far:
- visited Wat Phnom (they give elephant rides there which was pretty cool)
- visited the National Museum (lots of Buddhist statues)
- attended Mennonite church on Sunday (all Khmer)
- went to the Olympic Stadium ( jazzercise is huge here)
- visited a number of MCC's partners
- have had pork and rice for nearly every breakfast (not bad but wouldn't mind some granola and yogurt)
- fit 7 people into a tuk, tuk
- and have ate at a number of different restaurants (our first meal in Cambodia was actually Vietnamese)
That about catches you up to my happenings over the last week or so.
Ohhh.........
I had to put in a picture of me and my Krama. It is a traditional Cambodian garment that can be used as a scarf, bandanna or as I have it. Yes it pretty much is a skirt, but it is super comfy and a great way to relax in the evening.
So put in your orders now because you will definitely have to try it out.
I will leave you with the Khmer translation of good bye
chum riep lie!
Monday 15 August 2011
Just Another Day in the Rain
It has yet to rain today, but if the sky does decide to give us another shower it will be the third consecutive day of rain here in Akron. The rain however has not kept us from g
On Monday those of us going to Cambodia got a good chance to sit and talk with the IVEPers from Cambodia
Yesterday morning we had a great service! We were led by the Latin American IVEPers, and sung a number or songs in Portuguese and Spanish. It was an extremely energetic service and a great way to wake up in the morning that is for sure. And the energy kept on going through the night as we celebrated a birthday for one of the SALTers. We had a pinata, and there was a lot of dancing (a lot!!). We learned different dances from just about every continent. And I think I might have stumbled across the next song in the playlist, but I will inform you about that probably on my next entry.
Anyways I missed breakfast this morning because I slept in, so my stomach is telling me that it is time to get some food so I will talk to you all later.
Anyways I missed breakfast this morning because I slept in, so my stomach is telling me that it is time to get some food so I will talk to you all later.
Thursday 11 August 2011
The Excitement Grows!
It's less than 24 hours until the adventure begins. For the last 10 days I have felt nothing but excitement, but the butterflies have arrived. I knew they would come but I'll embrace them and I know God is there with me which will quell some of my fear.
I must say at first the thing that scared me the most was the language barrier. Not being able to communicate to those around me in a new setting is a terrifying thing. Without communication life becomes hard and a person can become quite lonely. I have learned some things in the past couple weeks that have lessened this fear though. My host father speaks fairly good English which will help me as I get acquainted with Khmer language. My host brother goes to the Royal University where I will be teaching. I will be able to commute with him to school, which will be nice because I hear the roads are very chaotic down there (kinda run by a set of unwritten rules). And I know that I will not be thrust right into teaching when I get there (at least I think so). There will be a month where the other SALTers and I can get acclimatized to the country and start learning the language. For those of you who do not know what SALT is here is a quick rundown.
- SALT stands for Serving and Learning Together
- It is an exchange program operated by MCC
- MCC stands for Mennonite Central Committee
- For more information about MCC you can visit http://www.mcc.org/
It might come as a shock to some of you but they asked me to come and teach English over there. I am pumped to see if this teaching thing is for me. At the same time nervous because it is new and something I really haven't done before and I am not sure if I will like it or not. Either way the experience will give me a good idea on weather or not it is something I want to pursue when I get back. If I come back...
Just kidding mom.
Oh and before I forget I need to get that playlist started, eh Allison :)!
I heard this song the other day coming from one of the many gatherings I've been at in the last week. I got to see these guys live last year in Olds and it was one of the best concerts I've been to (of the 3 or 4 that I've been to). Trooper opened the concert and closed the concert with "We're here for a good time (Not a long time)". As I spend my last evening here in Canada with family and friends I can't help but think this is a great song to listen to for the situation (Plus I'm getting goosebumps listening to it right now!)
So for just about all of you I will see you in a year or so, but I look forward to hearing from you along the journey.
I must say at first the thing that scared me the most was the language barrier. Not being able to communicate to those around me in a new setting is a terrifying thing. Without communication life becomes hard and a person can become quite lonely. I have learned some things in the past couple weeks that have lessened this fear though. My host father speaks fairly good English which will help me as I get acquainted with Khmer language. My host brother goes to the Royal University where I will be teaching. I will be able to commute with him to school, which will be nice because I hear the roads are very chaotic down there (kinda run by a set of unwritten rules). And I know that I will not be thrust right into teaching when I get there (at least I think so). There will be a month where the other SALTers and I can get acclimatized to the country and start learning the language. For those of you who do not know what SALT is here is a quick rundown.
- SALT stands for Serving and Learning Together
- It is an exchange program operated by MCC
- MCC stands for Mennonite Central Committee
- For more information about MCC you can visit http://www.mcc.org/
It might come as a shock to some of you but they asked me to come and teach English over there. I am pumped to see if this teaching thing is for me. At the same time nervous because it is new and something I really haven't done before and I am not sure if I will like it or not. Either way the experience will give me a good idea on weather or not it is something I want to pursue when I get back. If I come back...
Just kidding mom.
Oh and before I forget I need to get that playlist started, eh Allison :)!
I heard this song the other day coming from one of the many gatherings I've been at in the last week. I got to see these guys live last year in Olds and it was one of the best concerts I've been to (of the 3 or 4 that I've been to). Trooper opened the concert and closed the concert with "We're here for a good time (Not a long time)". As I spend my last evening here in Canada with family and friends I can't help but think this is a great song to listen to for the situation (Plus I'm getting goosebumps listening to it right now!)
So for just about all of you I will see you in a year or so, but I look forward to hearing from you along the journey.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)