As I mentioned before, I am staying with a fellow Calvin grad named Karen. I go to bed around 10pm and wake at 5:30 or 6am Cambodian time, which is eleven hours ahead of EST. I have a leisurely breakfast and quiet time, then Boral, one of GCT's employees, comes to pick me up on his moto.
Everyone here loves to try teaching me Khmer, from coworkers at GCT to Karen to Karen's landlord's 10-year-old daughter (below)! I always carry around a notebook to write down new words. I really need to spend some time studying them, though! I do know the 33 Khmer consonants fairly well now. (but I still have 33 vowels to learn!) As I'm riding down the road, I try to recognize them on the signs. That's harder than it sounds, because there are so many styles for writing them!
I love Khmer food. In Khmer, the way that you ask someone to sit down to a meal is, "Eat rice?" At Navy's house, everyone starts with a bowl of rice in front of them, plus a spoon and, often, a fork. In the middle of the table are several bowls with meat and/or vegetables, all sitting in sauce or broth. There might also be a plate with fried chicken or more likely, grilled or fried fish. There is also a fresh vegetable dish, nearly always including cucumbers. Sometimes there are also mint leaves, and other times, there is a mixture of thinly sliced carrots and some white vegetable in a garlicy dressing. The fresh vegetables are so refreshing in the heat!
One thing for Americans to prepare themselves for before eating traditional Khmer food is that the skin, bones, and chicken feet are seldom removed before serving, even when the meat is chopped up. (Khmer are very good at separating meat from fish bones using only a spoon!) If you can get over that, the food is so good, in many ways very similar to the sort of food that I make myself. Not any hotter than I like, and none of the silliness of adding excessive sugar like the American versions of Asian food. I will really have to learn to cook it!
The thing about Khmer food that is most fun for me is the sheer variety of fruits and vegetables I’ve never seen before. I went to the Russian market today and bought some fruit: “hairy cherries,” (left) mangostiens, dragon fruit, and a mini watermelon (below) (only mini to us – I’m pretty sure this is the normal size here). I’ll have to take my camera with me to the market next time and capture all the interesting food – from termites to banana flowers.
The buildings all touch each other here, and many buildings are split into halves or thirds, the long way, so that apartments – even ones with multiple stories – are long and thin. The floors are generally tile – easier to keep clean from dust, and not a problem if they get wet. A woman’s husband generally moves in with her family, so there are lots of people in each house. When I showed a Khmer friend a picture of my suburban house, and he found out that only four people at most live there, his first question was, “Aren’t you lonely?”
The people I’ve met here are quick to smile, quick to invite you into their homes, and quick to offer you food. It’s considered rude here not to offer to share the food you are eating with everyone in the vicinity - even if all you have is a few grains of rice. A common morning greeting is, “Have you eaten breakfast yet?”
Khmer driving involves lots of weaving, and everyone is always prepared to stop. When you cross the street, you have to look left and right before you start, because motos that have just made a left-hand turn are usually still on the far left-hand side of the road, going the opposite direction you might expect. (below) Motos are used for all sorts of things here. I’ve seen loads that seemed the size of a small house being pulled by a moto, and “trucks” that had a motorcycle
instead of a truck cab in the front. My favorite so far was an ice-cream moto, blaring music from Pocahontas.
Showers here are not usually in a separate stall; instead, the entire bathroom has tile flooring and with a drain, and the doorway to the bathroom has a high lip. It is a bit odd at first to get used to the bathroom floor nearly always being wet.Cambodian people are extremely respectful. They use the title “bong” for anyone somewhat older, or of similar age, which means “older sibling.” There are all sorts of more specific terms, too. “Poo” is for your parent’s older sibling, and there’s another term for your parent’s younger sibling! Thankfully, people here are also very understanding and don’t get upset when I forget to “bong” them.
Overall, after having been here for a week (and after having visited for a month with a large group), I must say that it feels really different and really normal here, at the same time. I am greatly enjoying working with GCT, exploring Phnom Penh, and living with Karen, and I feel so thankful and blessed to be here. I thank God for His plan, and for your prayers and support.
