S'waa

There are lots of monkeys in the Angkor Wat area, and they are used to people.  I was able to get close to this set of parents and their nursing infant. 

They are generally not aggressive, but are known to steal food, cameras, etc.

 

Angkor Wat

 

Angkor Wat was built in the mid 12^th century by King Suryavarman II.  At the time, the majority of Cambodians were Hindu, so many of the symbols feature Hindu gods, goddesses, and events from Hindu scripture.  Angkor Wat is believed to be the largest religious site in the world.  It is massive!  The view from the front is breathtaking.  Three towers, 65 meters tall, emerge from the temple like lotus flowers growing in the sun.  After entering the enormous front gate, visitors walk along a long stone path, crossing the moat to reach the entrance to the building.  This image is emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and is a major source of national pride.  The King dedicated it to Vishnu, and there is a beautiful sculpture of the Hindu god in the front entryway. 

This site rivals Macchu Pichu in terms of beauty, size, and architectural ingenuity.  Like Macchu Pichu, it was built without the aid bulldozers, bobcats, and cranes.  Records show that the construction included 300,000 workers and 6,000 elephants. 

My favorite part, besides the iconic front view, is the exterior walls where thousands of scenes are engraved into the sandstone wall.  They depict stories from Hindu mythology as well as events during King Suryavarman’s reign. 

 

The Angkor area used to be the capitol of Cambodia, and millions of people lived here.  Each King erected a building, more impressive than the last.  It was a typical case of, “Mine is bigger than yours.”  I thought I might get bored, visiting old piles of rocks all day, but that wasn’t the case.  Each building was different and so interesting.  I hired a tuk tuk to take me on the short tour which stops at all the most popular sites.  I spent a lot of time walking around each site, trying to imagine what it was like hundreds of years ago.   

Phare

Phare Ponleu Seplak is a visual and performing arts public school run by a non-profit organization.  They teach at-risk children basic reading and writing along with skills like art, music, acting, and acrobatics at no cost.  Many of the children suffer from, not only lack of education, but also difficult home lives.  The school uses art and culture as tools to help the children's psychological needs.

The show was held under a big top tent with circular seating, just like a real circus.  Each performance tells a story.  The one I saw was called "Chills" which explored the common belief among Cambodians that ghosts are all around us. 

Wanted

One of the Cambodian English teachers is leaving, so we've been holding interviews with candidates over the last couple weeks.  Laum asked me to help.  When the first three applicants arrived last week, Laum dozed in a hammock while Bop and I conducted the interviews.  Somehow, I became the leader of this process and ended up asking all the questions.  Bop helped clarify a few things that I didn't know.  The first girl was o.k. but her English was weak.  I really liked the second girl because her English was good, and she showed confidence and poised.  She also seemed to really like children.  The third girl was extremely nervous, didn't understand my questions, and lacked any teacher training.  I asked her why she wanted the job, and she said, "I want the experience."

They were all supposed to come the following day to teach one lesson.  Only the third girl made it, and it was a complete disaster.  The lesson was confusing and boring.  The students didn't know what she wanted them to do.

Another applicant showed up today.  I don't know where Laum finds these girls, but he should probably try speaking to them in English on the phone first to weed out the ones who can't speak English at all.  I asked her, "Where did you go to school?"  She looked helplessly at Bop.  I repeated the question again very slowly.  No answer.  In fact, she was unable to answer a single question.  After a few unsuccessful attempts at trying to get any information from her, I turned to Bop and asked if she had anything to add.  Bop said, "She don't understand, so no, I don't have question."  Well, that about summed it up.

Siem Reap

 With mild temperatures and less rain, it's the busy season in Cambodia, particularly in Siem Reap.  At dusk, an army of tourists descend upon the city center to sample the restaurants and night life.  Westerners of all ages crowd the streets.  There are young backpackers wearing fisherman pants and retired couples wearing sensible shoes.  And I joined the crowd.  It is my duty as a tourist.  I browsed the stalls selling pirated DVD's, opium pipes, and bottles of oil containing scorpions.                                      

 

The people-watching is great.  One night it rained, and the hanging umbrellas filled up with water.  I sat at a table and watched with amusement as they randomly tipped over, dumping water on unsuspecting pedestrians.  There were "fish massages" where people sat on the edge of a large tank and let the fish nibble their dead skin.  Clever signs advertise with: "Please feed our hungry fish."  "$1 for 15 minutes."  "No piranha."                                                                                                                     

Cambodians drop word endings.  For example, they say 'pri' for price and 'lun' for lunch.  As I passed the spas, the girls would say, "Massa lady?"  This girl gave me a massage for $3.  It was brutal.  I'm still sore from the beating she gave me.  And I'm not exaggerating here; she literally hit me, punched me, and walked on top of me. 

In any Asian country, the female experience is very different than the male one.  I was talking to another tourist, and he told me that he was constantly harassed by women saying, "You want boom boom?"  "Come.  I show you pretty girl."  He said there's a place where a girl shoots out ping pong balls (without using her hands).

I was terribly offended.  No one asked me if I wanted boom boom.  And hey, I like live shows. 

It is not uncommon, however, to see a pretty, young Cambodian girl having dinner with a disgusting, fat, old man whose tongue is practically hanging out.  Usually, she looks bored and is texting on her phone while her "friend" is busy showing her off to his buddies.   

Psar Chaa

Psar means market, and Psar Chaa is the biggest, oldest market in town.  You know you're getting close when the air is thick with the odor of fish guts.  In the middle of the market is a wide open space where women sell fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, and a variety of cooking items such as oil and herbs.  Encircling the food tables are hundreds of tiny stalls with clothes, purses, shoes, toiletries, jewelry, arts and crafts, souvenirs, and plastic household items.  One side offers services like haircuts, pedicures, and tailoring. 

Brightly colored spices are sold in packets.  I stocked up on salt, pepper, chili flakes.    

It's easiest to slice meat while wearing sitting cross-legged on the table.  That doesn't seem so bad when you consider that the meat has been sitting out in the heat all day with flies swirling about.  Women often wear matching pajama sets for daily activities. 

The shopkeepers are happy to help you part with your money and try aggressive tactics which sometimes involve grabbing peoples' arms and thrusting items in their face.  "You want scarf?  You want sarong?  Come.  It free to take a look."  Bargaining is required.  When you ask the price of an item, the seller will name an outrageously high price.  The buyer must name an extremely low price.  Both buyer and seller will act shocked by each other.  The seller will lower the price by a few dollars.  The buyer raises the price a couple dollars.  It's all part of an elaborate dance.  Sellers have developed certain lines that work well for them.  "You buy two, and I give you special bargain."  "How much you pay?"  "One more dollar, please.  So I make profit." 

Bargaining can be fun if you know what to do and have the right attitude.  I have a few lines myself that work well in getting a good deal.  "That's my best price.  It's a good price for you."  "There's another lady who will sell me the same thing for cheaper."  If those don't work, then I walk away.  95% of the time, the seller will relent and offer the price you want. 

Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom (Great City) was built in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII.  Many buildings make-up this ancient city, and it is surrounded by a wall and mat.  The gates were built high enough so an elephant with seat and umbrella could pass beneath them.  This is the last site built in the Angkor area before the capital was moved.  Along with the historical significance, tour guides like to point out that this is the location of the movie, Tombraider, with Anjelina Jolie.  

                               

Since this was shortly after Buddhism took over as the dominant religion, there are many symbols including many enormous Buddha faces.  Each face is made of many large stones, then carefully carved into serene faces which are meant to look down compassionately at the people.

The bas reliefs feature intricately carved elephant hunting scenes and dancing apsaras (goddesses from Hindu mythology).  The apsara is a popular and traditional dance style now.  Both men and women perform this pretty dance with graceful twisting hand movements.    

Hospital Update

 

Cynthia stayed in the Royal Angkor International Hospital in Siem Reap for a week.  It's a much nicer hospital than the one in Mongkil Borei, by like a million times.  first of all, it was clean.  She had her own very spacious room with modern bathroom and a mini fridge.  The nurses were so sweet and polite always purring, "Scuse me.  Sorry."  They wear these sexy little white skirts and tops with panty hose and small heels.  An old fashioned nurse cap is pinned to their hair which is pulled back in a bun and covered with a small hairnet and brown bow. 

When I came to visit, her condition had gotten worse.  I spoke to her doctor, a very nice Thai man, and he said he wasn't able to diagnose it yet.  He suggested more tests and to "wait and see."  I asked for a better option.  20 minutes later, he advised she be sent to a hospital in Thailand where they are better equipped to deal with complicated cases.  We arranged for her to be flown to Bangkok with a nurse who would escort her to Samitivej Hospital. 

Wat Preah Prom Rath

This 500 year old wat still looks great today.  It's decorated with colorful statues, shrines, and paintings.  Topiaries were trimmed in the shape of elephants and other animals.  It's a peaceful refuge near the town center.  Below is a statue of a monk holding out his offering bowl.  In the morning, they walk the streets, often barefoot, collecting food and money from shopkeepers and residents.  This wat is also a monastery, and several monks were sitting around, pondering the universe or whatever it is they do all day. 

People build stupas to house their ashes after they die.  The more money the person has, the grander the stupa.  My stupa is going to be about three inches tall.

Classroom Pics.

One of my 2nd grade classes.

This little girl is extremely shy and speaks only in a whisper.  

The students were practicing vowels that day by writing the missing vowel in words like h_nd and st_p. 

These are my hams that sit in the back of class, making jokes.  They are very bright and enjoy drawing pictures to go along with their new vocabulary words.  They're also a couple of suck-ups.  One day, they wrote, "I love Kerri," on their notebooks and showed it to me. 

Wild Kingdom

I found this frog in my front room and tried to nudge him to the door.  He wouldn't budge and stayed there for a couple hours before heading out. 

A large praying mantis hung out on my door one day.  Every time I opened it, he would turn his head and look at me strangely, like I was interrupting him. 

One night, Frederico and Paco, my geckos, were hunting on the wall.  Normally, they stay out of each other's space, but that night, Frederico stalked Paco, raised his body and tail in the air to make himself look bigger, and crept up in a clearly menacing way.  Paco just stared at him nonchalantly.  When he got close enough, Paco bit his neck and latched on, and Frederico ended up hanging by his neck.  I hit the wall with the broom.  Paco let go, and Frederico fell on the AC unit.  That was the end of that fight.

Village Pictures

The equivalent of a wagon ride.

Chan-Long and Srey-Ing at our picnic by the pond.

Farmers pulling rice with their son following behind using his homemade floaties made of empty plastic bottles and string. 

My favorite place is sitting in my backyard at dusk, watching the white birds swoop through the air. 

American Idol

While I was lying on my bed reading, I heard a voice saying, "Ch'ree-ung!"  I looked up to find three little faces pressed against my window, one of whom I recognized. They wanted to sing with me.  I beckoned them in, and we sang If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands, the class favorite, along with BINGO and 10 Little Children (my adaptation of 10 little Indians). 

I gave them some grapes.  It was like watching a pack of wild hyenas tear apart a wildebeest.  I guess they like them. 

Then, the girls scoped out my apartment.  They adored the pictures on my wall of Tahoe, Chris, Brandy and the boys, and Tempe.  One girl pointed to my toilet and said, "Do you sit?"  (Most Cambodians are used to squatting.) 

The girl from my class started reciting all the English words I taught her like: pen, desk, chair, paper, book...  I pulled out my pack of flashcards, and they pointed to the pictures and said the words they knew.  When I flipped to the teddy bear picture, they hugged and kissed it. 

Moto

I got a motorbike!  Laum took me to a dealership today, and we looked at various models.  The motorbikes are designed for males or females.  The difference?  Speed.  The salesman showed us the newest, most expensive model first before we moved on to the second-hand bikes.  After looking at a few, I selected the Honda Wave.  It's 100 cc's.  (I don't know what that means.)  Laum kept going back to the first motorbike and drooling over it.  With big, glassy eyes, he said, "I like it a lot.  I save money to buy it." 

After a quick stop to get a helmet, we drove us back to the village where Laum gave me a driving lesson.  He sat behind me, gave instructions, and held the handles with me.  Soon, he pulled his hands away, and I was driving.  It was like learning to ride a bicycle.  Laum said, "Ah, you learn fast.  Faster than Cambodian."

It's really fun to drive.  I took it for a spin around the village a couple times, and the villagers all smiled (or laughed) at me.  I can just hear the dinner conversation tonight.  "Oh my Buddha!  The barang got a motorbike."  To get used to being around traffic, I skirted along the main road for a little ways.  Some guy took a picture of me on his phone. 

I took this picture in Battambang.  It's not uncommon to see a family of four riding along like this. 
                                   

This is what my motorbike looks like.  Laum told me to lock it in the front patio room at night.  I tried to push it up the steps, but it was heavy, so I hid it on the side of the building.  I just went out now to check on it and discovered it was moved up on the sidewalk, right in front of my patio.  I laughed when I saw Jon-Rob, the bus driver, sitting there (apparently waiting for me), and he helped me move it the rest of the way inside.  He also gave me a big bunch of bananas.  How sweet!  I bet his mom told him to do that.  His family lives nearby, and he goes over there to eat. 

Independence Day

Yesterday, Cambodia celebrated their National Independence Day.  The main festivities were held at Independence Monument in Phnom Penh.  The days commemorates the country's independence from France on November 9th.  They raised flags with honor, had a parade, and lit up the Royal Palace at night.

France ruled Cambodia from 1863 to 1953.  King Norodom I was forced to sign a treaty with France in order to keep Thailand or Vietnam from absorbing the country.   Cambodia became a colony of France and lost much of its own governmental power.  Eventually, King Sihanouk's campaign for independence succeeded, and they regained control. 

A Walk to Remember

Several times a week, I walk around the village to enjoy the natural beauty of the surroundings and get some exercise.  Today, I made my usual loop that starts at school, goes out to the main road, and curves back around through the village.  A husband and wife were walking through the waist high water behind the school, pulling bunches of rice along the water behind them.  Their son was dog-paddling along behind them.  He had five empty water jogs strung around his waist as a flotation device. 

The sound of monks chanting at the nearby temple reverberated through this air.  Naked toddlers splashed in water puddles on the path, and some of my students were playing games.  One of my first graders ran over and hugged me.  An older boy was giving six children a ride on a wagon by pulling it down the path while they squealed with delight.  By now, I am familiar with the families, their dogs, cows, cats, and ducks.  We wave and say hello as I pass.  The elderly women point to me and say, "barang," with broad smiles.  This term means white person.  It's not offensive.  There just aren't that many white people around, so we stick out. 

So-chee-et's wife saw me walking and she must have told him because he rode up and asked me, "Where you go?"  I explained I was just walking for fun.  Then, he turned around and went back the way he came.  He's so sweet. 

I bought a couple packets of homemade kettle corn from a woman with a small candy stall.  The total came to 25 cents.  A couple girls were sitting on the side of the path, and they said, "Hello Kerri!"  They were sitting on a mat by a pond, eating, and I asked if they were having a picnic.  They said, "Yes, would you like to join us?"  I accepted and sat down, adding a package of popcorn to the meal.  One girl gave me her spoon, laughed, and said, "I eat with my hands."  The other girl said to me, "You don't eat meat.  This is vegetables."  There was a big fish, rice, and green vegetables in plastic bags.  I dug in, and it was delicious. 

I assumed Jan-Rong and Srey-Ing attended my school since they knew my name and eating habits, but they said they were high school students at the state school nearby.  How on earth did they know I was a vegetarian?  I suppose word travels fast around a small village like this, especially when a barang is involved. 

We had a nice meal and joked around.  Srey-Ing made fun of Jan-Rong and said, "She eat a lot."  If one of them took too much food in a bite, they said, "One at a time!" and giggled.  Srey-Ing said she wanted to learn how to make spaghetti, so I invited them over next weekend to teach them how. 

She's Back!

Cynthia is back at school after two nights in the hospital.  When I left her, she was still in incredible pain because the doctors would only give her one shot in the butt every thirty minutes.  She said it took hours for the pain to be dulled enough, so it was bearable.  Bop stayed with her most of the time, sleeping on a mat on the floor.  There aren't any nurse aides, so Bop fanned her, emptied her puke bucket, and took her to the toilet.  The bathrooms didn't have toilet paper or soap.  Worse yet, since she had taken off her shoes at the front door like everybody else, she was walking through puddles of urine on the floor. 

She had many stories to tell about life in her room.  It sounded more like a loony bin than a hospital.  At one point, the nurses wheeled in a man who was just out of surgery and left him there.  He immediately began thrashing around and pulling out his tubes.  His monitor went wild and flat-lined for a brief time.  Bop and several other patients' family members sat on top of him and held him down for a couple hours until he was finally calm.  Meanwhile, he crapped all over the krama (typical Cambodian checkered scarf) that was wrapped around his waist. 

A young French couple was brought in after being involved in a bus accident.  It was really windy that day, and their bus flipped into a stream.  The man was fine, but his girlfriend had a couple broken bones in her back.  That didn't stop them from repeatedly lifting her up and down with their hands.  She was in a lot of pain, and eventually, they took her to the hospital in Siem Reap which is better equipped.  (By the way, if for some reason I require surgery, I'm getting my butt airlifted to Bangkok.)

Many teachers and Laum visited Cynthia during her stay and brought her food, water, and napkins.  On her third day, she convinced the doctor that she was feeling "just fine."  Really, she wanted to get the heck out of there before she contracted some disease.  Her hospital bill was less than $40.00. 

Burn, Baby Burn

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report stating that in Southeast Asia “extreme precipitation events will very likely be more intense and more frequent.”  A report from the World Bank similarly warned that “the wet season is expected to become wetter, and the dry season drier,” and “the largest increase in extreme precipitation” would occur over Cambodia.

Prime Minister Hun Sen gave a speech urging people to "come up with realistic recommendations" to help Cambodia fight climate change. 

I have an idea.  How about creating garbage dumps and building recycling centers? 

You know what happens to our trash?  All the plastic, Styrofoam, paper, rubber, food, leaves, everything is dumped into a pit next to the school.  When they pile gets high, they burn it.  You don't want to be anywhere near that thing when it's smoldering.  Trust me.  Melting plastic is a recipe for a migraine.  The worst part is the school provides my water, but they buy it in 8 ounce plastic bottles, so I one of the biggest contributors of plastic waste.

It's not just us.  Everybody does the same thing.  There are no garbage men coming to take away the trash, and people have to get rid of it somehow.  Most are uneducated about the toxins and pollutants it emits and just view it as a part of life.  Each night, when I scan the horizon, I see several small plumes of smoke from nearby houses. 

Health Care Cambodian Style

I heard banging on my door at 11 pm Wednesday night, and found Cynthia bent over in pain.  I called Laum and he arranged for Jon-Rob, the bus driver, to take us to town.  We went to a private clinic where Bop and So-poo-et met us and acted as translators.  While I watched a caterpillar inch its way across the floor and tried not to look at the dead roach, Cynthia explained her stomach pains, and they took her blood pressure.  After about ten minutes, the nurses announced that there were no doctors there. 

We headed to the Japanese Friendship Hospital in Mongkol Borei.  This five building structure was a gift to Cambodia in 2007.  When the dedication was held, Prime Minister Hun Sen declared that the hospital was very important, but reminded the people to take care of their health and do not rely on the hospital, doctors, or modern equipment. 

That shouldn't be hard, considering I only saw three doctors in the entire place, and all the equipment was circa 1940.  Cynthia was escorted to the "X-ray Room."  The.  As in the only one.  I know because the door was labeled.  It was right next to the "Ultra-Sound Room."  After the doctor propped her up against this x-ray machine and left the room, I suggested that she remove the key hanging around her neck.  The doctor took the x-ray while the three of us girls stood five feet away.  He returned and removed a large sheet from the machine and held it in the air, so we could all see the varying shades of gray that were Cynthia's guts.  I have only witnessed this sort of thing in old t.v. shows.  The doctor determined she had an ulcer.

We all trotted into the "O.R." where the nurse gave her two shots in her butt.  Meanwhile, random people wandered in and out to observe the show.  The doctor didn't speak much English, but he reassured me that she would be fine because he had treated another white person earlier that day.  There was no need to convince me of their expertise.  I could see the poster on the O.R. wall demonstrating how doctors should properly wash their hands.

They loaded Cynthia on a creaky metal gurney (think M.A.S.H.), and we went into a large room in an adjoining building.  An odor hit me as we entered.  It was the smell of sickness.  The room contained least 18 beds, all filled with sick or injured people.  Their relatives slept on the floor beside them on mats.  That is until we woke up the whole building. With the fluorescent lights ablaze and poor Cynthia moaning, nobody was sleeping anymore.  Now, they were all staring at the white woman. 

We stood around for a half hour for an unexplained reason.  The patients' relatives began to mill about and tend to chores like emptying bed pans and fanning loved ones.  Although it was a pleasant night out, the room was hot, and the ceiling fans just swirled around the fetid air.  The beds didn't have sheets; instead, the patients slept on woven mats.  Bags surrounded the beds with personal items like clothing, water, and shampoo.  I alternated my time between staring at the piles of dirty food bowls in the hallway, and trying to locate soap next to any of the sinks. 

An interesting game of musical beds began when the doctor told a male patient to get off his bed.  He moved his stuff to another area and slept on a mat on the floor.  Then, he wanted to switch the bed with an elderly man on the end.  Everybody pitched in to help because clearly the one nurse couldn't handle it all.  Finally, there was a free bed on the end - for the white woman, of course.  Bop and So-poo-et left to get a mat and pillow for Cynthia while I stayed behind.  The nurse brought me a plastic toddler's chair to sit on, and some man offered us his puke bucket (or at least that's what I think it was.) 

I left shortly after that.  Several teachers visited Cynthia today, and report that she's feeling better.  She is expected to return tomorrow. 

String Theory

White or red strings are worn around the wrists of many people, young and old.  I asked Soviet, a fellow teacher, about the significance.  He smiled and said, "Ah, it's superstitious.  They mean good luck."  I asked if there was a difference between white and red.  He said no and thinks white is traditional Cambodian, and red is possibly a Chinese influence.  When couples get married, their parents wrap very thick bands around their wrists for good luck.  The white strings from the temples are considered to be the most effective.  I told Soviet that I needed a whole bunch of them.

A Peek into the Classroom

My first graders love to say the word, paper.  They randomly yell it out throughout the period.  I guess it is pretty fun to say. 

I asked a 7th grader if it was summer or winter in Cambodia now.  He said, "In the morning, it's winter.  In the afternoon, it's summer because it's hot."  I had to laugh.  The mornings are nice, not chilly or even cool.  However, the children show up to school with sweaters.  The female teachers wear socks with their flip-flops.  It's funny.  It reminds me of seeing snowbirds wearing shorts in Arizona when it's 60 degrees. 

The students don't want their accomplishments to go unnoticed, and seek my approval when they complete a task.  They shout out, "Cha!  Cha!"  I refuse to look at their classwork until they say, "Teacher," correctly. 

I was teaching my 3rd graders how to get in a line and a circle.  When we were done, I said, "You may sit now."  They all plopped on the floor.  Oh..."I mean sit in your chairs."

The first graders worship me.  They offer me presents like candy and plastic rings.  One boy made a bunny out of clay, but I couldn't bring myself to touch the thing after his filthy hands modeled it on the wooden desk.  After class, I am surrounded by children wanting to fist bump, get a hug, or tell me something in Khmer to which I always respond in English. 

During class, one of my first grade girls burst out crying.  I asked her what was wrong, but she just bawled.  I realized there was liquid all over the back of her skirt, the bench, and the floor.  Great...  My Master's Degree did not cover this subject.  Luckily, another teacher walked by, and I shoved the situation on him. 

Srey Phen and the Magic Sprout

The Phnom Penh Post featured an article about a tamarind tree sprout.  This is no ordinary sprout.  It has a face.  Srey Phen, the owner of the tree, said, “When I saw it, I felt it smile and dance at me, waving from side to side, so I called my neighbor to come see it.”  Naturally, Srey Phen consulted a fortune teller who told her the sprout is good luck and directed her to buy candies as an offering to the sprout.  She declared her that after praying to the sprout, her sick son suddenly recovered. 

People from all around come to see the sprout and pray for their sick relatives.  Srey Phen charges them for it.  She made $30 on her first day

I think the moral of the story is that I need to go look for some leaf, frog, stone, anything that slightly resembles a face.