Showing posts with label WINTER. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WINTER. Show all posts
January 8, 2014
DA FUNK.
Something's missing.
I don't know if it's the post-vacation-blues, that time of the month, the change in weather (Cambodia's winter is over already? What about this polar vortex everyone is talking about on the internets???), the reality of a PCVs life and being away from home for so long (or all of the above) but I've been in a funk. And it's funky but not in the groovy kind of way.
Selfie on the island?
And let's be totally honest here, the funk began before my exotic vacation to an island and the Cancun-Style-Spring-Break-New Year's Eve celebration that followed. But a strange and mysterious back injury which occurred possibly during an impromptu acrobatic act during said vacation has only aggravated my funk and led me to vices that are both delicious and shameful. I was in grand shape before Christmas but (I'm sure many volunteers can attest to this) being away from home during the holidays makes me feel inadequate and when I feel inadequate, all I want to do is stuff my face. And drink beer. (And hermit myself, but we'll get to that later.) Bad/good? news: when certain people in your village know that you can drink an occasional beer, they will make you drink many occasional beers at one time and then stuff you full of duck meat (AND DON'T FORGET THE RICE!!!!)
After vacations or any trips away from my village, whether short or long, I allot myself one (or two...) days of sleeping all day or watching movies all day or interneting all day, just to reenergize and get back into the zone. The super-awesome-ambitious-volunteer-zone which I still haven't quite yet fully harnessed or mastered. This I did and following my recuperation day I felt jovial and happy to be back in the village. But the next day that feeling disappeared and was replaced with an increased pain in my back and intense desire to not leave my room. (Which reminds me of a shirt I saw a girl at the market wearing “I have the strong desire to crawl back into the womb” WHO IS MAKING THESE SHIRTS!?!? I must know!)
AND WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET INTO THE SUPER-AWESOME-AMBITIONS-VOLUNTEER-ZONE?
A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
AND I'M IN THE ZONE.
This back pain was only provoked more by my Jillian Michaels 6-week six-pack Abs Workout and hurts all the time now. It hurts to lay down, it hurts when I run, it even hurts when I clear my throat (what? But why?!) So I've had to lay off on my workout routine which is a really big bummer considering how awesome I was doing just a month ago. I've replaced my previous workout routine with watching episodes of Modern Family (I have to admit, I kinda like it. Can I marry Phil please?) and eating Peanut M&Ms in bed. And as much as I appreciate the kindness of my veteran RPCV friends sending M&Ms in packages (Thank you Stewart, Bret, & Ashley! Me heart you), I must say it's really taking a toll on my hot bod. And there's really no way to stop eating M&Ms. You know you're a goner when you open that giant bag. You know you shouldn't do it. You know there's no way in hell you're just eating one handful and then leaving the bag alone until tomorrow. You're going to keep returning to that giant bag a couple times within one 20 minute episode where Gloria and her big boobs and perfect smile are doing something really sweet and surprisingly perceptive.
(Note to friends and family: When I die, bury me in a bed of M&Ms.)
M&M CRISIS.
M&M MELTDOWN.
I watched several episodes of Modern Family at 6AM (when I normally do Jillian), went to the health center as usual, and then went back home as soon as possible to watch more Modern Family and play on the internet before lunch. An email from a friend made me all weepy and for no explicable reason! So to make myself feel better, I tried to make myself look super busy to other people around me. And that meant washing my clothes. (Some people in my village think that I only run and that's my job. Which I'd like to think it is...)
*CONFESSION: I am a spoiled-jerk-volunteer. My host family, they “nek mien” which means “they have” or they rich. In turn, that means they own luxury items such as two Toyota Camrys, a refrigerator, and a washing machine. I'd bargain to say that many volunteers that know this fact about me, loath me just a little bit because I do not have to wash my clothes by hand. Ever. BUT IT'S NOT MY FAULT! BLAME PEACE CORPS! I did not choose to live in this Cambodian mansion. I am not the enemy!
[Insert photo of washing machine here] CAN'T FIND.
(**Americans: next time you look at your pile of dirty laundry and get annoyed because you have to dump it in a washer, shut the little door, push a button, and forget about them for an hour, think, just for a moment, of all the poor Peace Corps Volunteers all around the world that are getting blisters on their hands from hand washing their red-dirt stained clothes once a week. Appreciate, no, WORSHIP this magical machine because it is probably the most magnificent appliance you will ever own.**)
I quietly weeped behind my Tom & Jerry bed sheets because...I don't know why, I felt sorry for myself? Why so weepy? Oh yeah, was it the post-vacation-blues? No, I think I'm over that. That time of the month? Well, yes but whatever, I can cry when I want damnit! Leave me alone!!! The change in the weather? Nah, but as far as I'm concerned, it's perpetually summer here and that can make anyone go a little nutzo. Legit seasons give you something to look forward to or dread, whatevs. So what is it, Laura? Why do you feel this way? Why the funk?
I can't give you a straight answer because I do believe it was F. All of the above. A composition of too many things, making it difficult to really discern why the funk exists.
But let me tell you about this weird natural occurrence that I believe happens to many volunteers. You can wake up in whatever mood – Happy, sappy, annoyed, whatever – and then have one single encounter that can throw you way off of your center. Today I was thrown into the pool where it was between 5ft and 6ft deep which is a little too deep for comfort for a 5'2” person. But I was able to doggie paddle for a while and finally find a place to step flat-footed. (note: figurative pool)
In a normal world, emotions generally stay fairly steady within one given day. But in the day in the life of a PCV, your emotions are a cascading roller-coaster that is falling apart while still moving forward and upside-down at 60mph. You can be laughing one second and then crying the next minute because your favorite breakfast lady wasn't at the market and your flip-flop fell off when you were trying to get moving on your bike. It doesn't take a lot. But even if you did cry an hour ago, another encounter might flip you right back on track on that rickety old roller-coaster.
For me, it took a moment of cross-cultural sharing with my neighbors. They're daughter is getting married on Saturday which I am both looking forward to but also not looking forward to at all because a wedding next door means no silence for approximately 3 days. They asked me if weddings were the same in America and I did not have the words or the energy to explain in Khmer how they are very different so I grabbed my computer instead. I showed them pictures of my friend Caitlin's wedding because her wedding was classic but also very indicative of America's uniqueness. Many Khmer people have their assumptions of America and I wanted to show them how diverse it is. Sharing the wedding photos turned into an hour long slide show which I really enjoyed. I think my neighbors did too but it's sometimes hard to tell these things.
Caitlin & Hubby Sugi Dancing like champions.
And then I rewarded myself with more episodes of Modern Family and later, a run through the village. Fortunately, my back pain is lessening and during my run positive thoughts flowed through my brain. I was reminded that it doesn't take a lot to connect with people in my village and I have to stop being so afraid to do it. I have to stop watching so much TV (after I finish this last disc) and stop eating so many M&Ms (once I'm done with that last bag...) and go outside and just hang out with people. Don't be such a dope, Laura!
Now get the FUNK outta here! I love you.
December 20, 2013
WE ARE INFINITE.
It was an unusual weekend for me in the village. Two volunteers visited me and spent the night; it was a good ol' fashioned sleepover. We stayed up late (extremely late for PCVs – 11PM) and talked about boys, spouted profound affirmations, and giggled with exhaustion. It's incredible how much more enjoyable the village can be with friends.
The next morning we roused early, ate a delicious noodle breakfast and biked to another volunteer's village – the village I hit up quite often to hang out with PCV and my friend Stacy and take advantage of “free” wifi. We spent many hours internetting, finally moving from our uncomfortable seats in order to feed our perpetually hungry bellies. We wandered the market to find an appetizing meal and all agreed that we wanted to eat something and somewhere that would possibly minimize or at least not increase our sweating. It was unseasonably hot this day – “it's supposed to be WINTER in Cambodia, why is it hot as balls?” we cried out. Winter is all relative. After being in Cambodia for this long, I can honestly say that I get legitimately cold in weather below 75ยบ now. This is an embarrassing fact considering my extremely deep Minnesotan roots and high tolerance for cold temperatures. That's besides the point though – we were hot and whiney.
This is what "winter" in Cambodia looks like
We ate more delicious noodles along with unidentifiable dumpling-type-things (I call them this because I always forget what they are called) that were not cooked all the way through. We ate 'em anyway.
We met up with more volunteers from around the area and found more things to eat but specifically REAL CHOCOLATE. And regardless of our fullness, we ate entire bars of chocolate (with almonds!) because we are predisposed to chocolate deficiencies here. It's much safer to induce pain in our fragile bodies by overeating than it is to risk not eating chocolate. The availability of chocolate is just too uncertain in these dark times.
This is what PCVs look like when they find delicious food.
And the day went on a lot like this, traveling from one spot to the next finding more food throughout the journey. I grew weary and felt the comfort of my own bedroom beckoning me. It's strange to me how I can spend so much of my time alone and yearning for the company of a friend, especially a friend that speaks clear English, and once I have said company, I still eventually get tired and need to retreat back to my restorative niche. And so I bicycled my way back home, cursing my bike the whole way because it is in serious need of a tune-up and not my half-assed version of a tune-up that entails spraying excessive amounts of lube on the chain...I may enjoy biking but I have never claimed to have any knowledge in the realm of bicycle maintenance. So sue me!
Once I made it home, I sprawled out like a starfish (technically they are now called sea-stars because they are not really fish) on my bedroom floor and let my fan hail down on me at level 3. After about an hour of this, I finally mustered up the motivation to take a shower. Due to excessive sweating and other contributing factors (i.e. stress, hygienic habits, etc) PCVs often acquire a propensity to smell of a rather potent fragrance. Unfortunately, some PCVs resolve to abstain from showering, especially in the “WINTERTIME” due to lack of hot water. I may or may not be one of those volunteers.
Mid-shower, my host brother Theva calls for me. He says we are going to Chhuk, AI-LO-NEE (NOW.) Chhuk is a larger town about 18k from my house and “we” have never gone there before (“we” as in the family.) And of course we are going AI-LO-NEE, it wouldn't be Cambodia if they gave me 30 minutes to dry off, put clothes on, and get somewhat decent before going out in public. Luckily I don't need 30 minutes (but it would be nice to get a little more warning...) I threw on some clothes and awkwardly wandered around the house until my host mom affirmed that we were indeed going AI-LO-NEE. NOW. NOW!
This is how my hair looks EVERYDAY! Without showering!
We all walk across the street together, pile into the back of my host uncle's truck (all 12 of us) and fly off to Chhuk to treat ourselves. This is the third time I have gone to a restaurant with my host family in the 15+ months I have lived with them. This is pretty special. At this point, there are now approximately 20 of us, with 5 tables pushed together to accommodate our rowdy group. They put in 5 orders of “Cow Climbs the Mountain”, which I'd never eaten before. Five individual burners were brought out, then 5 plates of raw beef, then plates of veggies. I tried not to think too much about the plates of raw beef (how long have these plates of raw beef been sitting out? Where was the beef before it was on the plate? Is there a fridge back there? Etc, etc.) I have never been terribly picky about food and I figure most things won't kill me so I just go with the flow. The burners are lit and we start laying down the “cow” on the “mountain.” This is fun! You get to cook your own meat! And they used BUTTER! In America, I avoided butter most of the time but butter is hard to come by in these parts so I was a little excited. My first taste of an adequately cooked piece of beef was incredible. Thanks to the butter it tasted like American. It was a glorious moment for my tongue and brain.
More plates of raw beef were hauled out, more beef was cooked to perfection, or overcooked – whatever! Then plates of cow stomach were brought out. Not for cooking purposes, just to eat as is. (I'm guessing the cow stomach was boiled? I'm still alive so whatever.) Cow stomach is not my thing. The texture of cow stomach is like something you'd pull out of the coral reef. Looks like a flesh colored sea anemone. It's chewy, too chewy. I couldn't NOT think about cow stomach when I was eating it no matter how much sauce I slathered it in. So I ended that adventure promptly.
Oh, did I mention there was beer drinking? Yes, more Angkor beer but this time it was in real BOTTLES. This was truly a novel experience for me. My host mom was endearingly drunk after one glass, as per usual, and did silly things. She started pouring ice water into one of the burners, regardless of her sister-in-law telling her she shouldn't and the burner started smoking. My host mom laughed and said “Oh, khnom pleuch” (I forgot.)
Cambodia when it starts to get quiet....maybe...sometimes.
Bottles and bottles of Angkor beer were consumed, glasses were clinked numerous times, and the food kept coming. Luckily I was on the end of the table, the perfect place for people watching. I quietly observed everyone's interactions with each other, they laughed at each other, made fun of each other, and were all in all happy together. The more “srah-veung” (drunk) I got the more I just wanted to hug everyone. However, hugging isn't really customary here and it would be especially weird for me to do it in these circumstances. I am a hugger and even more deficient in hugging and affection than I am with chocolate.
And then I hit a point where I became sad and envious of all these people that have their family so close at hand. I'm not sure if they can completely understand what it's like for me to be so far away from all my friends and family. I tried to just be happy for them but I felt very alone even while surrounded by 20 fairly gregarious and smiley people. I let myself sink into thought too much and tears snuck out of my eyes. And the world kind of swirled around me.
Luckily it was time to hit the road again and I was knocked out of my spell.
This time on the way back home, my friend Saa and I got to stand up in the back of the truck with our hands resting on the cab, looking straight out at the road ahead of us. The wind whipped my hair all around me and dried my eyes. I stopped thinking too much and just let myself enjoy the quiet beauty of night in Cambodia. And to think I was ready to hide out in my room all alone just hours before that moment.
This is exactly what I looked like!
The next morning we roused early, ate a delicious noodle breakfast and biked to another volunteer's village – the village I hit up quite often to hang out with PCV and my friend Stacy and take advantage of “free” wifi. We spent many hours internetting, finally moving from our uncomfortable seats in order to feed our perpetually hungry bellies. We wandered the market to find an appetizing meal and all agreed that we wanted to eat something and somewhere that would possibly minimize or at least not increase our sweating. It was unseasonably hot this day – “it's supposed to be WINTER in Cambodia, why is it hot as balls?” we cried out. Winter is all relative. After being in Cambodia for this long, I can honestly say that I get legitimately cold in weather below 75ยบ now. This is an embarrassing fact considering my extremely deep Minnesotan roots and high tolerance for cold temperatures. That's besides the point though – we were hot and whiney.
This is what "winter" in Cambodia looks like
We ate more delicious noodles along with unidentifiable dumpling-type-things (I call them this because I always forget what they are called) that were not cooked all the way through. We ate 'em anyway.
We met up with more volunteers from around the area and found more things to eat but specifically REAL CHOCOLATE. And regardless of our fullness, we ate entire bars of chocolate (with almonds!) because we are predisposed to chocolate deficiencies here. It's much safer to induce pain in our fragile bodies by overeating than it is to risk not eating chocolate. The availability of chocolate is just too uncertain in these dark times.
This is what PCVs look like when they find delicious food.
And the day went on a lot like this, traveling from one spot to the next finding more food throughout the journey. I grew weary and felt the comfort of my own bedroom beckoning me. It's strange to me how I can spend so much of my time alone and yearning for the company of a friend, especially a friend that speaks clear English, and once I have said company, I still eventually get tired and need to retreat back to my restorative niche. And so I bicycled my way back home, cursing my bike the whole way because it is in serious need of a tune-up and not my half-assed version of a tune-up that entails spraying excessive amounts of lube on the chain...I may enjoy biking but I have never claimed to have any knowledge in the realm of bicycle maintenance. So sue me!
Once I made it home, I sprawled out like a starfish (technically they are now called sea-stars because they are not really fish) on my bedroom floor and let my fan hail down on me at level 3. After about an hour of this, I finally mustered up the motivation to take a shower. Due to excessive sweating and other contributing factors (i.e. stress, hygienic habits, etc) PCVs often acquire a propensity to smell of a rather potent fragrance. Unfortunately, some PCVs resolve to abstain from showering, especially in the “WINTERTIME” due to lack of hot water. I may or may not be one of those volunteers.
Mid-shower, my host brother Theva calls for me. He says we are going to Chhuk, AI-LO-NEE (NOW.) Chhuk is a larger town about 18k from my house and “we” have never gone there before (“we” as in the family.) And of course we are going AI-LO-NEE, it wouldn't be Cambodia if they gave me 30 minutes to dry off, put clothes on, and get somewhat decent before going out in public. Luckily I don't need 30 minutes (but it would be nice to get a little more warning...) I threw on some clothes and awkwardly wandered around the house until my host mom affirmed that we were indeed going AI-LO-NEE. NOW. NOW!
This is how my hair looks EVERYDAY! Without showering!
We all walk across the street together, pile into the back of my host uncle's truck (all 12 of us) and fly off to Chhuk to treat ourselves. This is the third time I have gone to a restaurant with my host family in the 15+ months I have lived with them. This is pretty special. At this point, there are now approximately 20 of us, with 5 tables pushed together to accommodate our rowdy group. They put in 5 orders of “Cow Climbs the Mountain”, which I'd never eaten before. Five individual burners were brought out, then 5 plates of raw beef, then plates of veggies. I tried not to think too much about the plates of raw beef (how long have these plates of raw beef been sitting out? Where was the beef before it was on the plate? Is there a fridge back there? Etc, etc.) I have never been terribly picky about food and I figure most things won't kill me so I just go with the flow. The burners are lit and we start laying down the “cow” on the “mountain.” This is fun! You get to cook your own meat! And they used BUTTER! In America, I avoided butter most of the time but butter is hard to come by in these parts so I was a little excited. My first taste of an adequately cooked piece of beef was incredible. Thanks to the butter it tasted like American. It was a glorious moment for my tongue and brain.
More plates of raw beef were hauled out, more beef was cooked to perfection, or overcooked – whatever! Then plates of cow stomach were brought out. Not for cooking purposes, just to eat as is. (I'm guessing the cow stomach was boiled? I'm still alive so whatever.) Cow stomach is not my thing. The texture of cow stomach is like something you'd pull out of the coral reef. Looks like a flesh colored sea anemone. It's chewy, too chewy. I couldn't NOT think about cow stomach when I was eating it no matter how much sauce I slathered it in. So I ended that adventure promptly.
Oh, did I mention there was beer drinking? Yes, more Angkor beer but this time it was in real BOTTLES. This was truly a novel experience for me. My host mom was endearingly drunk after one glass, as per usual, and did silly things. She started pouring ice water into one of the burners, regardless of her sister-in-law telling her she shouldn't and the burner started smoking. My host mom laughed and said “Oh, khnom pleuch” (I forgot.)
Cambodia when it starts to get quiet....maybe...sometimes.
Bottles and bottles of Angkor beer were consumed, glasses were clinked numerous times, and the food kept coming. Luckily I was on the end of the table, the perfect place for people watching. I quietly observed everyone's interactions with each other, they laughed at each other, made fun of each other, and were all in all happy together. The more “srah-veung” (drunk) I got the more I just wanted to hug everyone. However, hugging isn't really customary here and it would be especially weird for me to do it in these circumstances. I am a hugger and even more deficient in hugging and affection than I am with chocolate.
And then I hit a point where I became sad and envious of all these people that have their family so close at hand. I'm not sure if they can completely understand what it's like for me to be so far away from all my friends and family. I tried to just be happy for them but I felt very alone even while surrounded by 20 fairly gregarious and smiley people. I let myself sink into thought too much and tears snuck out of my eyes. And the world kind of swirled around me.
Luckily it was time to hit the road again and I was knocked out of my spell.
This time on the way back home, my friend Saa and I got to stand up in the back of the truck with our hands resting on the cab, looking straight out at the road ahead of us. The wind whipped my hair all around me and dried my eyes. I stopped thinking too much and just let myself enjoy the quiet beauty of night in Cambodia. And to think I was ready to hide out in my room all alone just hours before that moment.
This is exactly what I looked like!
December 14, 2012
Cold in Cambodia
Tis the season everybody!
I can feel it in the air! Kids are making snowmen, people are caroling in the streets, Santas are roaming our shopping malls, gift-buying-deal-snagging is upon us. It's the Holidays. And we couldn't be happier!
NOPE. NO WAY! THAT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE! THERE IS NO WAY! IT'S 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE!
Sorry for the outburst. But I'm serious. There are supposed, so-called "SEASONS" in Cambodia but I have yet to be convinced that they really exist. Rainy Season, if that really is it's name, was a straight up joke. Before I left the USofA I was nearly terrified of the "Monsoon" season. I imagined myself biking miles and miles through torrential downpours for hours on end. I imagined all of my belongings being sopping wet upon my arrival to Cambodia. This did not sound appealing to me.
And after living through one Rainy Season in Cambodia, I must say, I am extremely disappointed.
It is so hot here that the rain that comes, when it does come, is like...I don't know...maybe sort of like eating chocolate after giving it up for lent. I don't know if that's exactly what it's like because I've never given up anything for lent (but I did go about a month without eating chocolate last year and it was a waste of my time.) I'm not Catholic (or whatever denomination it is that gives things up for lent) so I don't know if it's at all like this but let's just pretend. Okay?
Other than my disappointing Rainy Season, the weather here in Cambodia has remained fairly consistent. Therefore, myself and many other (sort of winter-loving) volunteers are convinced that it is still the middle of July. Time sort of stopped when we entered the Kingdom of Wonder. And this sensation of time standing still is becoming more apparent and disheartening as we approach the Holidays.
For Example: I had mixed emotions when I heard and saw photos of the big snowfall in Minneapolis last weekend. However, it was really enjoyable for me to see from the outside looking in, how ridiculous Minnesotans' relationship with snow truly is. It began with "Hooray for snow!" Let's take pretty pictures of all the snow and post them on Instagram! And only one day later: "This stop and go traffic is for the birds!!! SO OVER WINTER!!" (This was a direct quote from a friend on FB.)
I definitely get it. I've been there. I've probably said similar things except never had to worry about the stop and go traffic because I ran to work. Yeah, I know. I'm a badass. BUT now, in my situation, I so badly want to stick my face in a big snow mound. I want to lay down in the snow until all the snow is melted beneath me. I want to throw snowballs at the cars passing by. My Cambodia house would be perfect for that! I would just sit on the balcony and throw snowballs at the speeding cars all day long.
Beyond the "Lack of Seasons Affective Disorder" or "LOSAD", I'm also missing my friends and family more than ever. This is pretty normal for PCVs during the holidays but now that I'm actually experiencing it, it's really crummy. Thanksgiving was strange strange strange. First of all, Peace Corps happened to schedule our Counterpart conference for Thanksgiving day...HA. HA. HA. There's nothing I'd rather be doing on my favorite holiday of the year than having awkward conversations with my Health Center Director and counterpart. Peace Corps did make up for this huge blunder by serving all of the K6 volunteers an incredibly delicious Thanksgiving dinner two days later. We ate with chopsticks. It was what we like to call "A Shit Show."
This photo pretty much sums up our PC Thanksgiving
Luckily, I was able to Skype with my lovely Olson family during their Thanksgiving festivities even though it was 5AM for me. And as expected, they rubbed it in that they were eating my mom's pie. Thanks guys. Thanks for your support....
Following the craze of Thanksgiving was my Birthday! It was, again, odd not being with my family but it was spent in Kampot town which is a great place to be for one's birthday. And my host family is so wonderful. They gave me Khmer cake from Phnom Penh that said my name and 26-12-2012 on it when I returned. They were, not surprisingly, confused about how old I was turning and put a 26 candle on top. Khmer people never seem to know how old anyone really is. Just a month before, my host brother celebrated his 21st birthday but said that he was actually 23 years old. Huh? What? I'm confused. As always. Regardless, the fact that my Khmer family gave me a cake kind of made it feel more legit for me.
Host brother Vanna & Host sister Srey Neang. They're so sweet.
And now it's December and my mind is blown. The end of the world is next week! I haven't even figured out what to wear for the Apocalypse.
In conclusion, I'd appreciate it if you all think of me at least once while you're shoveling your sidewalk and cursing the Snow Gods. I freaking love shoveling snow! Perhaps fall into the snow while you're waiting for the bus and make a snow angel. Throw a snowball at an unexpecting car stuck in traffic on Hennepin Ave. And then run away really fast!
I've never even been downhill skiing. Whatevs. I'd totally do it with these cool cats.
And most important, Happy Holidays!
Love,
Laurax
I can feel it in the air! Kids are making snowmen, people are caroling in the streets, Santas are roaming our shopping malls, gift-buying-deal-snagging is upon us. It's the Holidays. And we couldn't be happier!
NOPE. NO WAY! THAT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE! THERE IS NO WAY! IT'S 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE!
Sorry for the outburst. But I'm serious. There are supposed, so-called "SEASONS" in Cambodia but I have yet to be convinced that they really exist. Rainy Season, if that really is it's name, was a straight up joke. Before I left the USofA I was nearly terrified of the "Monsoon" season. I imagined myself biking miles and miles through torrential downpours for hours on end. I imagined all of my belongings being sopping wet upon my arrival to Cambodia. This did not sound appealing to me.
And after living through one Rainy Season in Cambodia, I must say, I am extremely disappointed.
It is so hot here that the rain that comes, when it does come, is like...I don't know...maybe sort of like eating chocolate after giving it up for lent. I don't know if that's exactly what it's like because I've never given up anything for lent (but I did go about a month without eating chocolate last year and it was a waste of my time.) I'm not Catholic (or whatever denomination it is that gives things up for lent) so I don't know if it's at all like this but let's just pretend. Okay?
Other than my disappointing Rainy Season, the weather here in Cambodia has remained fairly consistent. Therefore, myself and many other (sort of winter-loving) volunteers are convinced that it is still the middle of July. Time sort of stopped when we entered the Kingdom of Wonder. And this sensation of time standing still is becoming more apparent and disheartening as we approach the Holidays.
For Example: I had mixed emotions when I heard and saw photos of the big snowfall in Minneapolis last weekend. However, it was really enjoyable for me to see from the outside looking in, how ridiculous Minnesotans' relationship with snow truly is. It began with "Hooray for snow!" Let's take pretty pictures of all the snow and post them on Instagram! And only one day later: "This stop and go traffic is for the birds!!! SO OVER WINTER!!" (This was a direct quote from a friend on FB.)
I definitely get it. I've been there. I've probably said similar things except never had to worry about the stop and go traffic because I ran to work. Yeah, I know. I'm a badass. BUT now, in my situation, I so badly want to stick my face in a big snow mound. I want to lay down in the snow until all the snow is melted beneath me. I want to throw snowballs at the cars passing by. My Cambodia house would be perfect for that! I would just sit on the balcony and throw snowballs at the speeding cars all day long.
Beyond the "Lack of Seasons Affective Disorder" or "LOSAD", I'm also missing my friends and family more than ever. This is pretty normal for PCVs during the holidays but now that I'm actually experiencing it, it's really crummy. Thanksgiving was strange strange strange. First of all, Peace Corps happened to schedule our Counterpart conference for Thanksgiving day...HA. HA. HA. There's nothing I'd rather be doing on my favorite holiday of the year than having awkward conversations with my Health Center Director and counterpart. Peace Corps did make up for this huge blunder by serving all of the K6 volunteers an incredibly delicious Thanksgiving dinner two days later. We ate with chopsticks. It was what we like to call "A Shit Show."
This photo pretty much sums up our PC Thanksgiving
Luckily, I was able to Skype with my lovely Olson family during their Thanksgiving festivities even though it was 5AM for me. And as expected, they rubbed it in that they were eating my mom's pie. Thanks guys. Thanks for your support....
Following the craze of Thanksgiving was my Birthday! It was, again, odd not being with my family but it was spent in Kampot town which is a great place to be for one's birthday. And my host family is so wonderful. They gave me Khmer cake from Phnom Penh that said my name and 26-12-2012 on it when I returned. They were, not surprisingly, confused about how old I was turning and put a 26 candle on top. Khmer people never seem to know how old anyone really is. Just a month before, my host brother celebrated his 21st birthday but said that he was actually 23 years old. Huh? What? I'm confused. As always. Regardless, the fact that my Khmer family gave me a cake kind of made it feel more legit for me.
Host brother Vanna & Host sister Srey Neang. They're so sweet.
And now it's December and my mind is blown. The end of the world is next week! I haven't even figured out what to wear for the Apocalypse.
In conclusion, I'd appreciate it if you all think of me at least once while you're shoveling your sidewalk and cursing the Snow Gods. I freaking love shoveling snow! Perhaps fall into the snow while you're waiting for the bus and make a snow angel. Throw a snowball at an unexpecting car stuck in traffic on Hennepin Ave. And then run away really fast!
I've never even been downhill skiing. Whatevs. I'd totally do it with these cool cats.
And most important, Happy Holidays!
Love,
Laurax
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