Real Life

I’ve finally settled into some kind of routine and am learning what the daily grind will look like here. This experience is unlike any other – I’m a more permanent fixture. I’m still just a passerby in the grand scheme of things, but I love that I will get to see the heart of Phnom Penh - not just landmarks and popular attractions, but the men and women who will live and die here. So real life has begun; the commute, long hours of work, working out, and establishing relationships at home, work and church.
Days are pretty long, but time moves quickly. I wake up to roosters, a cup of coffee, a shot of Pepto, and my Bible. It is the only way to maintain harmony in mind, stomach and spirit. The commute to school is pretty painless – we drive along the canal, past sidewalk noodle shops, and through the morning rush of motos. People stand in the streets between traffic lanes (which are not at all defined) selling newspapers and bread. It is the only time I am cool during the day, so I love it. The return trip takes twice as long, and I inhale five times as much exhaust. My first class starts at 7:30, and the last one ends at 5:00, but we still manage to get a good game of volleyball going on the concrete after the bell rings. I absolutely love the kids. They are very humble, pure-hearted, and eager to learn. Teaching EFL is an exercise in patience on both ends, but we definitely laugh a lot during class. I admire their ability to focus in the heat, adolescent stench, and noise that exists. Today there were some geckos racing on the walls of the classroom and I was the only one phased by it. At nights I find a way to work out. There aren’t any lights on the track, and it still gets dark pretty early , so I’ve been doing Billy’s Boot Camp and yoga dvd’s on the roof of the villa. I don’t have weights, so I use two bricks for dumbbells. Pretty funny. And do have to say, it’s a whole lot cooler doing yoga on a rooftop in Cambodia than in a living room in Sacramento. I heard that there are some open gym times at a school near our neighborhood, so I’m excited to check that out.
I’ve definitely been enjoying the time with colleagues and my new church family. Conversations can be a lot of work, but it is fun to learn how to communicate. Any attempt I make at Khmer is appreciated, even if it sounds ridiculous. I love interacting with the other teachers at school - they like to practice their English, and I just like to talk. Church services are beautiful to me, but any message, announcement or lesson requires more time for translation. I was asked to teach a lesson last weekend, and I discovered that speaking with a translator is a true talent… that I have not cultivated. It is pretty humbling – I start laughing at myself, then have to wait and see if anyone else thinks I’m funny. It seems they have a different sense of humor.  I feel very welcome, however. The second Sunday I was here, a woman invited me to her home for lunch. She prepared everything and wouldn’t let me lift a finger. A man at the school is the same way – he serves me (a lot of) lunch every day. I realized that communication has so many layers – I want to express gratitude for his heart to take care of me and appreciation for the food, but tell him that I don’t want him to work so hard on my behalf and that I’m not accustomed to eating an army’s supply of rice at one sitting. Through these interactions I’m learning different languages of love, and it’s refreshing. I’m eager to hear the stories of their lives, which I know will unfold over time.