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!