This quote was some of the witty banter being tossed around on the Cambodia facebook page before our group of K5s arrived in country. what’s best about this little bit of wit now is how often I find myself saying, in subconscious attempts to acculturate in a foreign land, “wow, that is something I could have seen in America.”
Often this little moment is a simply act of humanity (or depravity, but we won’t dwell on dogs having sex constantly on the side of the road, or people kicking dogs or the like.) Small little moments that I most often catch as I ride my bike on one of our various trips into or out of town, from language class or technical training.
It caused me to smile when I saw a father teaching his daughter how to ride a bike in their “driveway” yesterday. A few weeks ago, I saw a little boy helping his mother hang the laundry in the midday sun. I’ve seen more instances of sibling love here than I ever imagined- so many older brothers caring for their younger sisters, whether it be helping them open a piece of fruit or pushing the hammock, emitting a giggle.
Those moments have me instantly feeling twangs of sadness, as I think about Colin (my brother) and remember how he was the one that taught me how to ride a bike. Both my mother and father had given up hope- even at five, my stubborn ways were preventing us from communicating effectively sans-training wheels. It was Colin that had the patience- and maybe guile- to push me and let go so that I could ride on my own.
Life here, in case you were worried, is pretty awesome. We’ve both had our terrible moments- read Chris’ favorite worst story so far here (for the record, I was simply trying to help Chris conquer his lasting fear of rats)- and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that about once every 72 hours I have five minutes of pure frustration either due to sweat pouring from every crevice (did you know that your calves sweat? They do- in southeast asia) or MOSQUITOS. I f-ing hate mosquitos.
We switched language groups recently, and learning to speak Khmer is still my favorite part of the day. It’s amazing to feel like I am slowly moving from 1 year old level to 2 year old, and practice with street vendors, women in the market, and even the employees at our Tela gas station (complete with air conditioning and cold water!)
Monday we begin our Practicum week, when we’ll actually be team teaching small groups of Khmer students. I am so excited to be a teacher again- though I am constantly saying to myself “in Baltimore, the CMs just came back from Institute. Today, they’re getting sessions on setting goals and writing assessments! I wish I was there to guide the awesome 2010s and 2011s to prepare for the year!” So to all my TFA loves reading this- you’re going to have an AMAZING start to the school year! Smile, be firm, and rock it.
I am going to try to upload some pictures for later this week, so be on the lookout!
Much love from the Kingdom of Wonder.
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