what happend from Wednesday until Friday!

I had yesterday ( Wednesday) at first 3 hours language training in the morning and then another 2 hours in the afternoon. It was very difficult to concentrate at the end. Suddenly, everything started to sound the same. And my enthusiasm from the beginning is fading as well.

Street Sothearos

I then met Laura for dinner. She picked me up from the office and we cycled to Frizz. A Khmer-Restaurant, where they also offer cooking classes.
While we were looking at the menu, I felt something on my shoulder and I jumped up, nearly screamed loud, because I thought it was a big spider! But then it was only a giant beatle. Maybe a coqurouch ( how do I spell that)? We couldn’t decide.
I then ordered fresh coconut juice and a local fish dish, and Laura took lemon juice and fish curry. The food was really nice.

Laura and me, not the beatle!

Laura is a short term volunteer, in Cambodia for the second time already. Her first project was about national Cambodian volunteers and the current one is very political.
The main party in Cambodia trys to close NGO offices because they support the poor people too much so that they get educated and maybe gain some wealth. So this party
can’t do anything against big Organisations like eg. VSO, but smaller, newer ones have a very difficult time. This party also wants to develop a new law against NGO’s in Cambodia. So Laura takes activly part in the process of stopping this.
Because it is again very corrupt and unhuman.
Laura also had experiences with Dr. Ludmilla. When she went there with some Gastritis, Ludmilla wanted her to take of her top to examine her tummy. Apperently then she went on and on how beautiful Lauras body is!
I like Laura.

Independence monument

We want to meet again tomorrow probably to go to the famous russian market.

After the dinner, I went again to Metha- House, following the invitation from Claire and Helen. Both of them are VSO volunteers and a couple, as I found out later. Also they help to organise the Gay – Pride here in PP. So I went there and a transexual surviver of Pol Pot times was just there, answering some questions from the crowd.
Then we saw the film “Fire”. An Indian movie about two lesbian women. It was quite nice.
I then went home and kept chatting to Noel (who has nearly completely recoverd from her Dengue fever) and Eric, the volunteer from Kenya. Because of their religion, Homosexuality is a big tabu in both of their countries and they can’t understand how it can work. I couldn’t believe it when they told me of how many volunteers are actual gay. (They are real gossip pockets)So many!

Noel, Eric and me at VSO office

Thursday today.
My day startet with 4 lessons of Khmei, as they say here. Afterwards I went to the market and found potatoes! So I had for lunch some fried noodles with potatoes and pies. Then I cycled up to Laura’s flat and to go together to the russian market. She lives in a very nice area. It’s also called BKK1 ( Boeung Keng Kang 1) and the city’s ‘foreigener quarter’ since the 1980s. The area is base to many NGO’s, embassies and international organisations and now also hotels, restaurants, bars, massage spas and so on. I even spotted ‘Save the children’ s office there.
The russian market was far less architectural interesting then the Central market but had a larger and more varied selection of souveniers, clothes, DVD’s and music and fruit and veg. I bought a little handfan? ( Faecher), a rain coat (v. thin layer of plastic), apples, batteries, 2 CD’s ( Mika and the new one from Manu Chau Doerti!) and something for my nieces ( you’ll see!). Laura bought bathroom hooks and DVD’s. They had the newest selection of films there.

typical streetscene

Then we had a cooling ginger-lemon juice and I went to the pharmacy and Laura back home. At pharmacy I bought more Moskito repellent. My legs are full of bites. I need to be more careful and put more stuff on.
I was in the right shopping mood then. Went to Street 240, another area that offers a unique concentration of little restaurants, bars and Euro-Asien shops and galleries. I discovered a great shop there, run by a French lady, called: Waterlily- Atelier. They were all sitting on the floor, producing beautiful juwelly.

I couldn't get enough

Of course I had to buy something, so I bought 2 pairs of earrings and a necklace.

impressive beads

Then I discovered a shop called simpley: chocolate. I hadn’t eaten any chocolate since I’m here, except some on the first night, the one I got from Pam. So I had a Brownie, 2 Trueffels and a chocolate milkshake. I felt really dekadent. But also I know that soon, once I’m in Stung Treng, I won’t have that luxary any more.

nice weather in Cambodia

So tonight, I’m sharing my room with Helen. She had a few days off and traveled around Cambodia before going back to Stung Treng tomorrow. It is good to see her again before I arrive. She went shopping here and takes with her cheese, peanut butter, porridge, brown rice, raisans. I can’t buy it there. So I went also the the supermarket to get some of those items. I probably can survive without cheese. I know you couldn’t, Carmi…

at the royal palace

I’ll stay with Helen, until my house is sorted out. Will see what happens once I’m there.
Helen is very pleasant and I’m glad that I have met her and that she offered me her hospitality.
Actually evey volunteer is really nice and helpful. It makes such a difference. Especially for me, arriving out of cycle, not knowing anybody and anything. I hope, I can be helpful one day for somebody in my situation.

Tomorrw, I’ll have again language all morning. Before that, I want to get up early and see, how the locals do exercise in the park.
Apparently they start already at 5 am, rush to the little park area in their pyjamas and do Thai Chie like exersises. I want to be tourist and picture it.

people come here v. early in the mornig to do exercises

Then I’ll meet Sohklang at 1pm to talk about my journey on Saturday. He goes with me, because he works also at the RTC ( regional training centre). Very nice guy.

I also need to take with me a first aid kit/bag and a waterfilter-system and a moskito-net. VSO provides all that.

After meeting him, I thought I go and chill out at a pool, Laura recommended to me. Then I need to pack my stuff together and get ready for the long journey to Stung Treng. Kathy thinks it’ll take up to 9 hours. Apparently the bus stops twice at a food place on the way.

Generally I’m feeling fine, apart from heavy homesickness now and then. Sometimes I could cry just out of the blue, when I think about home. And I have a few homes now. But then I think, gosh, I am here now for more then 1 week already, how did I manage that? I’m certainly still in the adaptation process. And that can take a while.

What I noticed was, that I’ve never seen people beeing angry or shouting at children. Also the fathers are so much involved with the children, it really amazed me. And that might be the reason, why Cambodians are generally very friendly, warm and patient. Of course, there are exceptions. But that was my impression.

So, more Goodnight stories from me most likely from Stung Treng next week!
Hope, it’s not too booring or to long. Please give me feedback, doing this for the first time!

Lots of Love! Thinking of you!

Chaktomuk Theatre

written by

katja-horsch on May 15, 2009 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia

from the travel blog: Wednesday until Friday (13-15.05.2009)

Send a Compliment

Hey Süße - es ist üerhaupt nicht langweilig. Ich will alles wissen.
Du schreibst echt gut - auch in Englisch.
TOLL!
ich wünsche dir eine gute Reise morgen und hoffe du kommst gut an.
Sei geküsst.
Deine Dörte

written by doerties on May 15, 2009

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