On reading Khmer, making friends, and the road to Mesang

Dear friends and family,

 

After 5 long but wonderful weeks, it is finally time for me to go to Mesang and start working with ODOV (the organization to develop our villages). My Khmer lessons are officially over, and I am amazed at how much more I can communicate with my host family now compared to when I arrived a few weeks ago! One of my host sisters in particular has made an effort to try to communicate with me. She speaks very slowly, is not too shy to use gestures, and is familiar with the extent of my vocabulary, so now when anyone in the family has a question they get her to ask me. But our communication is not limited to "what time are you going to the office?" She has been teaching me to learn to read and write, and I have taught her some words in English, and I brought out my store of colourful floss and we've made bracelets together. It's been so much fun! I am especially grateful for the help learning to read and write. In Khmer, the grammar and pronunciation is not so difficult, but reading is so complex that most foreigners that are here for a short time don't bother learning. Does it surprise you that I took that as a challenge? I have to admit that it is very difficult- there are so many letters, the vowels sound different after different consonants, and there are no breaks between words in a sentence. But it has been great having something to do in my spare time, and I'm sure most of you know that there is nothing I love better than learning and a good challenge!

 

In other news, I have made two new friends this week. The first was in Prey Veng. His name is Laza. He is a cat. I wasn't sure at first if cats were just rat-evicting devices, or if they were pets. I'm still not sure if "pet" is the right word, but the cats are the only animals allowed in the house, and they are mostly friendly. They even get first dibs at the leftover fish bones. Did you know that all of the animals (cats and dogs included), are fed rice? It seemed strange the first time I saw my host mom scooping out left-over rice indo a dish for the dog, but why not? They eat what we eat I guess. The second new friend is the ODOV office kitten. Well, I suppose she is technically a farm cat, but she wandered inside, I picked her up, and she started purring like crazy! But enough cats.

 

I started writing this blog a week ago, but things got crazy busy when I moved to Mesang this past Monday, and when I did have time alone, I was so exhausted that I just wanted to sleep. I finally have time to write and surprized to realize I have already been here for 3 days! I’ll save more of the details about Mesang for my next post so this one doesn’t get much longer than it already is. I drove my motorcycle out to Mesang on Monday, Kirsten and Mok followed me in the truck with all of my stuff and to make sure I didn’t get lost on the way. Even though they had air conditioning in the truck, I wasn’t a bit jealous. The roads were treacherous for large vehicles! I started work at ODOV that afternoon. I have been learning more about the organization, what they do, and what areas I can help with. My new host family is great. There are 2 daughters- one in high school and away studying a lot. The other is younger, old enough to understand that I don’t understand what she says in Khmer, but not really old enough to understand WHY I don’t understand. When she has to repeat herself to me (and I STILL don’t get it), she gives me this great look with her big brown eyes, like I am the dumbest person in the world. But I suppose, when you consider her world, it might not be that far wrong. It is really exciting to be here, and I can’t wait to tell you more about the village and my host family next time.

 

I want to finish this message with a follow up from my previous post. At the end of my last post, I asked that God would show me his faithfulness in leading me here, gifts he has given me to use, and ways that he is teaching me and I am growing. God showed me all three of these things in one verse last week. I was flipping through my bible before church and came across 2 Timothy. “I know that you sincerely trust the Lord…[and] have faith… This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” This verse stood out to me in several ways. First of all, it was a verse shared with me by Jeremy Simpkins at the Meeting Place Church a year and a half ago. It spoke a lot to me then, and has stuck with me ever since. I can have confidence in doing the work God has prepared for me to do, even if it is outside of my comfort zone, knowing that I am empowered by the Holy Spirit. Secondly, it talks about fanning into flames the spiritual gifts God has given us. I am here in Cambodia to learn, but also to serve. I think that my joy, eagerness to serve, and my passion for the work to be done in Cambodia are all a part of that. But I look forward to God continuing to teach me about the spiritual gifts he has for me to use here. Thirdly, it reminded me how much I have grown since Jeremy first shared that verse with me. At that time, I never dreamed that I would actually be going to another country to serve and help people! I think at the time it was a secret hope of mine, but I never thought I’d ever have the guts to do it. But it was by reflecting on verses such as this that I really felt that if God wanted me to come to Cambodia, he would give me the courage and strength I need. And as ever, God has proven faithful.

 

Much Love,

Rebecca



Me with my host sister in Prey Veng

Visit to village model farm in Mesang with ODOV



On leaving Phnom Penh, and that awkward moment when...

Four weeks have gone by since I set food on Cambodian soil. I am leaving in just a couple hours to head back to Prey Veng for one final week of language before I start my work in Mesang. Things were so busy at first, so much information, and so much unfamiliar that I feel like the first few weeks sort of happened to me, and I was just along for the ride. But now I am starting to get a little bit of a grasp on things. I don’t feel quite so lost at the market or making my way around town. I actually found someone who knows less Khmer than I do (to be fair, she only arrive 4 days ago).

However, being new to the whole ‘living in Cambodia’ thing has not been without its challenges, some of which are due to the fact that I am a foreigner, and others… well let’s face it, they are mostly because I am not from here.

You know that awkward moment when…

                You get lost on the first day to language lessons and the moto-taxi driver wanders around the neighbourhood while you call for directions. (note of explanation: addresses aren’t really used here- you give a well-known landmark that is close to your destination, and give directions from there).

You are sitting in Khmer class and your teacher is translating a sentence into English, and asks you, the “expert”, if it is grammatically correct to use “what” or “which”, and you haven’t got a sweet clue. What is a relative pronoun anyway, and who cares? Prepositions of place, superlatives, adverbs… I think some Cambodians know more English grammar than I do!

                You are sitting around the dinner table eating with a bunch of students, oblivious to the conversation going on in Khmer, and suddenly they turn to you and say “we are all talking about how much we love the colour of your hair.”

                You ask multiple times for a “cell card” (this being the term used by everyone) to top up your cell phone, and finally have to show them an old one, and then they say “ahhh, cell card! (in Khmer accent)” and gives you one.

                 You reply that the food is NOT delicious when you mean quite the opposite.

                You nearly knock someone over at the market… several times. I tagged along with some students who were going clothes shopping at the market and was overwhelmed by the number of young women there; the number of shops; and the never ending maze of shoes, jeans, shirts, skirts, and PEOPLE. Those of you who know me may be surprized to know that I felt a whole lot clumsy and even a little bit tall.

                But jokes aside, I have had a lot of time to think this week and let it finally sink in that I am actually here for an entire year. And I don’t know how to explain it, but being here feels right. I know that God lead me here this year. I was thinking back to where I was a year ago- of all the thing I could have imagined doing after graduation, never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be going to Cambodia. Yet here I am. And who knows where this will lead me to in the future. As I prepare to settle in to a more “normal” life living with a host family and starting work, I hope to have more time to reflect on all that God has done to bring me here, the gifts he has given me to share, the promises he has for me, and pray that he would open my eyes to the ways he is growing in me.  

Yours,

Rebecca

Flowers at the Royal Palace

Dyke roads such as this are scattered everywhere.
This one currently under repair surrounds the museum grounds.

 

















Memorial momument at "killing fields" museum we visited
 this week just outside of Phnom Penh.

On living in Phnom Penh, the true meaning of "tennis and dancing", and longing for a place to call home

Well, it has been just over a week since we arrived in Phnom Penh. It was difficult at first to adjust to a new language teacher, but we are getting used to it and making progress. What we have learned has been put to good use in the city giving directions to moto drivers (taxis, but on a motorcycle) and buying things at the market. However, I must say that after a week of living in the city, I really miss the country.

That being said, we have done some interesting stuff this week. We visited the Royal Palace, Tuol Slang museum, national museum, and a couple of different markets so far. Have I mentioned that Cambodians uses two currencies interchangeably? The US dollar and the Riel. It is confusing to keep track of spending when you give money and get change back in both currencies! Not to mention that the exchange rate is not always consistent. We've also visited another one of MCC's partners called Building Community Voices. They give communities tools to be able to connect with other communities, receive and share information, and give voice to their concerns about land rights issues. Warren, one of the other SALT'ers, will be working this passionate group of people in Phnom Penh this year.

Coronation hall

At the Royal Palace

During our stay in Phnom Penh, Galuh and I are living at the dorm for female students that is connected with the Mennonite Church in Phnom Penh. The girls living there are great- they help us learn Khmer (and we are helping them to learn english), we joined them in Bible study, and they teach us how to cook Khmer food. Yesterday evening, we went with some of the girls down to the riverside. They said we were going to play tennis and then dance. Though I thought that was a strange combination, and wasn't really sure I was confident in doing either, I was game to come along. It turns out we played badminton in the park for a while, and then joined an "aerobics" dance class in the park after the sunset. We then went to a diner and had burgers and smoothies (at least, the Cambodian version of burgers and smoothies). I had a fantastic evening!!

Though some aspects of Phnom Penh aren't so bad, I am really looking forward to going back to Prey Veng province, getting out of the traffic, and staying in one place for more than 2 weeks at a time. It has really been exhausting moving around so much... one night here, two weeks there, two nights somewhere else... Though I appreciate greatly the chance to see so many things and learn about the history, culture, language, and work of MCC and partners, I will be glad to settle in MeSang in 2 weeks time.

Yours,
Rebecca

 

Left to right: Humberto, Me, Galuh, and Warren- the SALT and YAMEN participants in Cambodia this year, in front of the Silver Pagoda. Photo credit: Humberto.

On lessons from history, navigating the road, and food Cambodia style.

Our second week in Prey Veng vanished just like that! We have been busy learning the language, visiting some MCC’s partner organizations in the area, and learning more about history and culture.

One of MCC's partners that helps set up water use committees and build canals.

I am really fascinated by the history in Cambodia. Last saturday our Khmer teacher Sam Ang took us on a tour of a nearby village called Ba Phnom. He talked about how Buddhism and folk traditions are mixed in Cambodia. The folk tales he told about heroes of old were fascinating! He also talked about his life growing up during the Khmer Rouge. He was in his 20s at the time and nearly died many times. He constantly had to work hard and show his support, though he never felt it in his heart. He showed us a secluded location where 1000 of people were killed; there is now a monument in that place, but no one takes care of it anymore. People want to forget the past and leave it behind. Sam Ang also took us to a small but very old Hindu (turned Buddhist) temple built in the 5^th century, but it was torn down by Khmer Rouge because of mispronunciation of the name- they thought it was muslim. He is one of the few people that know what the place looked like before the Khmer Rouge era, and is sad to see how people have moved pieces incorrectly when trying to reconstruct the site. His wife was chosen for him by the Khmer Rouge, and they are still married with 5 children. He also showed us ruins from the french colonial times that are being torn down and built over- another part of the history that most Cambodians don't want to put effort into preserving. He is truly a wealth of knowledge, and his passion for the history and culture of the area is catching. I have posted pictures of this excursion on Facebook, with more explanations of what we saw.

Centuries old temple, partially restored

Local heroes from an old legend

 

The thing that really made me interested to learn is how recent this history is; many of those that survived are still living here, all around me. And they have amazing stories to tell. The leaders of the Khmer Rouge are only now on trial for their war crimes. I am not sure how you can pick up and move on after such pain and suffering. In the grand scheme of world history, it is such a small piece- never makes it into history class in Canada now, but it has shaped these people so much, and affected their society and culture and government so much. It is good to understand, at least in part, the history of this area, and why things are the way they are.

Bones of Cambodians who died in a "killing field" in Ba Phnom

 
In other news: people of Prey veng beware! This week I take to the streets on my moto! We have actually been so busy this week that I have only had 1 day practice driving a motorcycle so far. Most SALTers won’t have access to their own, but since I will be living out in a more rural area, it will be easiest to have my own transport. A word about the roads here in Prey Veng: the roads are shared by cars, pedestrians, bicycles and motos, in order of increasing frequency. As far as I can tell, there aren’t any “rules” as such. You pass whoever, whenever. The horn is used liberally, but more as a warning: “watch-out, I’m beside you” or “watch out- I’m going through the intersection and I’m not slowing down”. There aren’t any traffic lights here, though the town is a decent size, but things seem to run smoothly. 

I also want to say a word about the food in Cambodia, before it becomes so commonplace to me that I forget to write it down. I have really been enjoying the food here so far. Thankfully my host family hasn’t tried to feed me anything more foreign than pig intestines. Normally for meals, there is a soup and a dish of meat fried with veggies or fish. These sit in the middle of the table. Everyone has their own bowl of rice, and you take small portions from the common dishes many times throughout the meal and put them on your rice. You eat with a spoon in the right hand, and a fork in the left to push food onto the spoon. The only thing really eaten with chopsticks is noodles.

As I finish writing this post a few days after starting it, we have just arrived in Phnom Penh for the second half of our orientation. I am not too optimistic about enjoying the city, but I am sure that it does have a lot to offer, and even though it doesn’t feel like it, it IS still the same country. There was not rooster to wake me up, I’ve eaten three meals in a row without rice, and the toilet can flush- already this seems strange to me! I even got to play lego starwars on the wii with Chase, one of the boys in the family we are living with this weekend. It reminded me of all of the fun times I spent with my own brother Trevor at home this summer playing wii. We got to go to the only Mennonite church here in Phnom Penh today. The service was in Khmer, but a young man translated for us- we is a previous MCC IVEP student who went from Cambodia to work in the USA for a year. It was really nice to get to talk to some of the people from the church.

I hope you all gather from the tone of my message that I am really happy so far, and am enjoying my time in Cambodia immensely. Of course there are challenges, and some things are easier to get used to than others, but we are well supported and looked after by MCC. Well, I should probably get back to studying Khmer and review all that we have learned. I feel like we’ve learned more these past two weeks than in an entire semester of Spanish class at university! Now that we are in Phnom Penh, we begin language lessons with a new instructor on Monday, so we’ll see how that goes.  

Me on our climb up the "mountain" to see the buildings, spirit houses and temples at the top

 Please pray for the country of Cambodia as they are experiencing drought here in what is supposed to be the rainy season. Crops are at risk, and some farmers are turning to pumping groundwater for irrigation, but this has become very expensive as the water table is dropping. Additionally, there is fear of damaging floods later in the season due to excessive rains in countries up river.

 

Sincerely yours,

Rebecca

 

On living with a host family, visiting ODOV, chickens and lizzards (my first impressions), and the "honeymoon phase"

Dear friends and family,

 I am sure you have all been anxiously awaiting my first post from Cambodia. Sorry it is so long in coming. I suppose I have only been here for a week days, but it feels like so much longer already.

Warren and I arrived in Cambodia safe and sound Sunday around noon. We had lunch with the MCC Cambodia program supervisors, and then jumped in a car and headed to Prey Veng city. MCC has another office here, and this is where we will spend 2 weeks learning the language, visiting some of MCC’s partner organizations, and learning about the history and culture of Cambodia. We started language lessons after being in the country for less than 24 hours, but despite the jet lag, I have been able to absorb most of what we learn in class. I have a host family here in Prey Veng for 2 weeks; they do not have much English, so the little Khmer I have picked up is useful! They are very good at helping me practice, and teaching me the names of objects, plants, and animals around the house. The house is raised up, and underneath is where people spend most of their time cooking, eating, and talking. It is also where the chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs hang out. I eat supper with my host family every night, but I go out for breakfast and lunch with the other MCC’ers. It is quick and inexpensive to stop at a little restaurant or in the market for meals. So far, I love what I have tried of Khmer food. It seems like I try a new fruit every day!

Earlier this week, we drove out to visit one of MCC’s partners, the Organization to Develop Our Villages (ODOV), where I will begin working next month. They have so many awesome programs there, including a Village bank that provides micro-financing, vocational training in high schools, support and capacity building for local grassroots organizations; research on climate change; education about food and nutrition, collaboration with a research group from UBC on integrated farming, and a demonstration farm to teach about sustainable agriculture. I am super pumped to start working there and get involved in all of the great work they do! I also had a chance to meet my future host family. They live in a lovely house close to ODOV, so I will be able to bike to work every morning. The only negative side of our trip was the road there… the dirt road was fine for motos and bikes, but not so fine for our 10 passenger van! We could scarcely go 2m without hitting a pothole.

Me at the ODOV!!

 

And for those of you wondering… YES, it is very hot here. It is a big adjustment for sure, but there are many ways to cope: tea on ice with every meal, houses open to the outside, lots of fans, and multiple cold water showers a day!  Today we were sent to the market to buy snacks for the afternoon, on our own. I got some dragonfruit- it is my new favourite. My host family laughs every time I tell them “I don’t have this in Canada!”

For your interest, I compiled a list earlier in the week of new experiences for me since coming to Cambodia:

-ate Khmer BBQ (cook meat and veggies on a grate over coals, or in hot oil)

-rode a bike while wearing a skirt… in 30+ degrees all afternoon

-rode on the back of a moto

-ate rice with breakfast… in fact, I eat rice with every meal

-slept under a mosquito net… on a wood bed covered with a reed mat

-took a bucket bath and used a squat toilet

-had a chicken jump at me while eating dinner outside

-turn the lights off around 9 at night, and rise before 6.

-tried a new fruit almost every day

-drank coconut milk from a coconut with a straw

-visited a wat while learning about Buddhism

-went to the Prey Veng Christian Centre (church) today and worshiped the Lord with Cambodians… I had to make up my own words for the songs in Khmer, but it was a great experience!

-and the list goes on!

Typical outdoor Khmer restaurant near the market

 

During orientation before coming to Cambodia, we discussed the stages of cultural adjustment. I know I am now in the “honeymoon” phase, but I can’t help it. Everything IS so new and exciting. I am absolutely loving my time here. Even getting caught in the rain, or having lizards as company while I took my first bucket bath, or having little kids laugh when I try to say hello… these are all still fun and exciting. It is not that I think everything is perfect here; I know there is still healing from the past that is ongoing, and corruption and poverty. But my first impression is of a welcoming and friendly people, rebuilding and moving forward to a more hopeful future.

Please pray for the other students and I that we will absorb the language quickly, taking full advantage of our host families; and that during this time of excitement and newness, our focus is on God and we draw our strength from him.

Yours,

Rebecca

On the importance of many stories, dutch blitz, and the dangers of playing soccer with bare feet

As a follow up to my previous post, I am pleased to report that I can now say many other useful things in Khmer, such as:

Are you hungry?
I want to eat Khmer noodles.
I have a nose.
I like bananas.

 If most of the new phrases I learn seem food oriented, it is not because I am obsessed with food or anything. It is just that we need something to make conversation at breakfast and dinner, and it is a great time to learn and practice new things.

                                
               Me in front of Asia house at the MCC welcome centre Akron PA during orientation.

 On another note, I am happy to say that Dutch Blitz has become overwhelmingly popular here over the past week. It started with us all playing a giant game of Dutch Blitz on the first day. And when I say giant, I mean that the cards were half a bristol board each, and the "table" was the lawn. Those more experienced (such as myself) have instructed and mentored others in the art of competing and winning. For those of you still wondering "What is Dutch Blitz?", it is a very highly competitive card game commonly played in Mennonite circles.


With respect to playing soccer with bare feet: I received my first injury of the year yesterday, albeit a minor one. The Cambodians and those of us going to Cambodia were having an intense three-on--three match after supper on the lawn. But in the midst of the excitement, I managed to bend back part of my big toenail L As they could find no one to take my place, we had to abandon the match. Instead, we picked up a couple of decks of dutch blitz and invited others to join in what evolved into the largest game I have ever played: 7 teams of 2 people playing at once! It was crazy and loads of fun :)

 On a more serious note, we had a great discussion today after watching a TED Talk together called "The danger of a single story", in which a Nigerian woman Chimamanda Adichie talks about how if we just see one side of the story, we are unable to understand the full depth and beauty of another culture. We discussed how it is important to listen, learn, and experience different stories from other countries and cultures in order to dispel prejudices and stereotypes. All the students going to other countries, and those that have come to stay in North America for a year, will encounter people with a single perspective. But through our time abroad, we can hopefully continue the process of breaking down stereotypes, connecting people, and sharing with our friends and family when we get home. And maybe we will help make the global community just a bit stronger. The first reaction many people had when I told them I was going to Cambodia was "Is it safe?" This is the only view of Cambodia that many people, including me, know at first. Join me on this adventure as I discover in greater depth the beauty, hope, and the works of God that are present in Cambodia's story. Pray that God will open my eyes and my heart and watch over me as I leave my home to make God’s work in Cambodia a part of my own story.

 Sincerely yours,

 Rebecca

PS. Dad, you will be happy to note that I found the game Pass the Pigs in the cupboard here and immediately taught it to my friends. But unfortunately it has not gained the same popularity with the students at large as has dutch blitz.

On counting to 10; why I am in Akron; and the tragic side of recycling.

Hello from Akron Pennsylvania!

I am here for one week with 50 SALTers for orientation, and we are joined by almost 30 students in the IVEP program who are coming from around the world to spend a year in Canada or the US. The buildings are lovely, and all of the students are grouped into houses with other people coming from/going to the same part of the world. My only complaint is the heat and humidity- but I guess I might as well get used to it! It has been a great time of learning, preparing for our placements here and overseas, and getting to know one another. My roommate is Cambodian; it has been great to have a chance to ask her about her country. It was an unexpected surprise for which I am very thankful! She is also an excellent and patient teacher- I can now greet people, say "I want to go to the market," and count to 10 in Khmer!

We have learned many things this week as part of our orientation. Practical things such as the program objectives, challenges associated with living with host families, and what to do if you break a tooth overseas. We have also had more interesting conversations, such as why the MCC main office and meeting place is in Akron PA of all the places on earth (who knew it was a story of death, romance, faith, and hope?).

We also had a chance to visit the MCC materials resource centre. It is a large warehouse where they do everything from school kits, to meat canning, quilting, to recycling. We all split up to help with some of these projects one evening. I decided to do the environmental thing and recycle. It turns out this involves cutting the bindings off of old textbooks and paperbacks, ripping the covers off, and collecting the paper to be sold for recycling. It was painful, even heartwrenching at times to chop up biology textbooks and old unloved novels- I wanted to give them all a new home. But then came the algebra and government policy textbooks and suddenly I didn't feel quite so bad.

More to come later (including pictures) of my orientation week in Akron. Until then!

Rebecca