Family

The school is starting to feel like home now. I don’t know when things started to seem so comfortable, but today I just stopped and smiled, realizing that I was part of an extended family. Of course, I’m the oddball adopted cousin - the black sheep in the sitcom who offers a little comic relief just by being different. A few events really helped me feel more connected to the other teachers, and time, as usual, has changed the dynamic of relationships. A few weeks ago, Cambodia celebrated International Women’s Day, and most of the staff came to the school on our day off and feasted. I showed up early to help prepare the food (I was more like a little kid who wants to help bake cookies... they appreciated my desire to help, but I was really in the way). I tried to mash garlic with an ancient stone bowl and pounder (don’t know the names of tools – sorry Julia Childs), but I was demoted fairly quickly and ended up with a job more suitable for my skill set and experience: slicing watermelon and waving off flies. About twenty teachers were there, and we sat together at a long picnic table, cooking meat and vegetables in the hot pot and lifting our glasses every couple minutes. It was so much fun – we laughed a lot, and as much as I love the students, it was nice to have some time with the teachers.
Another great thing has been the addition of another class. I figured that if the school was really going to grow in overall English proficiency, the teachers needed some time to develop the language as well. They were excited about the opportunity to have English lessons, so I made fourteen copies of a book (no copyright laws) and we got started. It’s really a win-win situation: they practice English, and I make them hang out with me for four extra hours every week. I don’t think I’m technically bribing them to be my friends, but it’s definitely strengthening relationships. They feel safer asking me questions during the day, and they aren’t afraid to make mistakes when they speak. I’m trying to learn as many Khmer words as I can in an attempt to meet them halfway, but they will definitely win the language race.
I've been invited by one of the teachers to attend her sister's wedding in the province, and I'm looking forward to building more memories with the other teachers who go. It may seem silly, but I was really excited to get that pink envelope. It’s fun to observe the change. As we become more comfortable with each other, there are more jokes, there is more laughter, and there are more attempts to converse. They aren’t afraid to make fun of me when I choke on coagulated pig blood in the soup or start sweating profusely at 7:30 AM, and I like that. And we continue to eat together all the time, which bonds us. Just yesterday there was a call for mango in the yard – all of the trees were dropping fruit like crazy, so we ran outside, gathered around a table, and gorged ourselves. It was like Thanksgiving with a tropical flavor. It’s nice to feel like I’m part of something - a little family away from family.