Market

Well, I just finished my first full week by myself here in Phnom Penh after the short term teams left. And it was a busy one. Most of my time was spent at the Christian school where I am doing a lot of assessment as well as figuring out how to best support teacher training. And of course, there are lots of hugs during all the breaks:)

I have also begun taking Khmer lessons. (That's the Cambodian language.) I have one-on-one tutoring 4 afternoons a week. It's important to me to be able to speak the language so that I can better communicate with the children as well as be more effective supporting the teachers at the school. It will also come in handy as I try to negotiate the city! So, in four lessons, I can say some polite introductions, count to 100, ask where the bathroom is, and find out how much something costs. All very important phrases:) Most of the time, I feel incompetent as I try to make the sounds that we don't have in the English language. I try to watch my tutor's mouth and figure out how to make mine do the same thing. We spend quite a bit of time laughing...I'm sure she is laughing with me and not at me. But I will keep practicing and working at it. It's fun to try to use even the little I do know with the kids. I can't wait until I can have conversations with them.

Unfortunately, I left my camera at home again on Friday. I wish I could have gotten shots of the kids on the way to the dentist. They were using motions to try to tell me about what it would be like...pretending to pull teeth and then crying. I am hoping that it wasn't that bad. They were just going in for a cleaning! But, most of these children did not see a dentist before coming to the orphanages. Luckily, it's not their permanent teeth that are decaying. Again, something like going to the dentist that seems so basic is a blessing to these children.

So, after spending a week by myself, I now have two roommates. One is a Cambodian gal who is now working for Asia's Hope and will be living here permanently. One is a Candadian nurse, Megan, who is volunteering here for a month. It's nice to be able to have conversation in English here again:) Megan and I spent today running errands to the market. It's fun to get more and more used to being here and knowing the different places that I need to go. I am also learning more about how to negotiate with the moto and tuk-tuk drivers. If I can't get a fair price from one, I can always flag down another. They are plentiful.

I don't think I have yet described the Russian Market here. It's a catacomb of stalls that sell anything from food to clothes to electronics. It seems like a never ending maze of vendors with wares stacked from the floor to the ceiling and narrow passageways jammed with people. There is no ventilation, and the entire place is covered with a metal roof. So, during the day, it's hotter than hot. (My advice is to stay out of the food section...the smell of bad meat hangs stagnant in the air.) It's a fun place to go to get not only souvenirs but useful items for daily life. And it's fun to try to get the best deal - which is easier when you have a Cambodian with you.

The market is in the low building.

I did end up making a couple of purchases at the market today. One was a fan - my room is a little warm at night. I wish I had a photo of me on the back of a moto carrying my fan. Of course I fit right in with all the other people carrying whatever they can. It's quite comical at times.

There are also several coffee shops around - with air conditioning - that cater to foreigners. It's nice to drop in after spending time in what feels like an oven after a while. Today, we chose the Cafe Yejj...

A quaint little restaurant with good food and cool air. They also offer free wi-fi. It continually amazes me how in the midst of this impoverished nation, I can find something like free wi-fi.

More to come on what else I have found here. Lots of little treasures...

PS...It really is strange to be here where it still seems like summer, knowing that it has turned to fall in the US. There are just two seasons here - the rainy season and the dry season...which I like to call the hot season and the hotter season. I can't quite comprehend that you are experiencing cooler weather right now. In fact, just today I referred to it being summer there. Honestly, I am glad to not have packed my winter things and will not envy you when the snow and ice hit. But, I do miss the changing of the trees. So feel free to send me shots of the fall colors so that I can enjoy this season:)