Back in the Saddle… Or on the Tuk Tuk Anyway

I’m back in Cambodia after a beautiful month and a half at home… breathing fresh, COOL mountain air, eating dinner with my parents, dancing with the most handsome guy I know, and pretending I was part of the Eastern coaching staff. Now back to sweating by sunrise, navigating busy streets and eating the tropical fruit in season (cannot pronounce it, nor can I spell). I was greeted at the airport by my good friend and three teachers from Goldstone – all smiling and waving. There were lots of hugs when I arrived at the school, a quick glimpse at pictures and new books, then back to the routine. A weird transition – very familiar and still very foreign. I wasn’t worried at all this time – just sad to leave home. It has been easy to get back into the swing of things – I know where to go, I know how to give the same poor directions in poorly spoken Khmer, and I know which foods to avoid (not many, of course) - but it’s kind of wild to hop across cultures so quickly. Saturday I was in an air-conditioned car and Monday afternoon I was swerving around cabbage trucks on the back of a motorcycle.
I have a new home for this stint – I loaded my bags and bike (which hasn’t been stolen yet) onto the tuk and moved in one trip. It’s a simple life here. I’m now only five minutes from the school by bicycle and next to a small market where they sell seatbelts, baguettes and bananas. The house is linked to four others behind a big red gate on the edge of a quaint little pond. The water looks nice in the morning - the reflection of the sun glows while water lilies (and Styrofoam) float by. The pond is better observed from the window, however, because it is really the dumpsite for the waste in our area. I don’t know who thought building on the sewage system was a good idea, but here sits our cozy home. And it is cozy – my roommate is one of the warmest individuals I have met. She loves the Lord, loves ice cream, and loves me enough to welcome this wanderer with outstretched arms. I feel very much at home already. She is a teacher at a nearby international school, so we immediately began late night collaboration sessions. Her heart is huge, and I think she will teach me a lot in a short time. Our first challenge is to rid the kitchen of rats – a unifying task. A two-inch gap under the door to the back of the house and droppings in the bread basket indicated that we were sharing our space with dirty friends… but when I saw a little bugger scampering behind the fridge this morning, our efforts to exterminate increased. Asking for a rat trap in charades is one of the more amusing experiences I’ve had at a grocery store, but I was able to walk away with “rat glue,” which looks a lot like burnt taffy and has already proven effective. Gross. Pretending I don’t hear the squeaks right now so I don’t have to pull clean-up duty. Our other housemate is a very mature sophomore whose parents are missionaries on the outskirts of Cambodia. She is staying in the city to attend high school - she has already lived in Cambodia nine years, so she knows the ropes. The three of us make up an odd little family, but I think we will all benefit in some way. I have gained a mentor, and I can possibly impart some wisdom on my new little sister, though she seems more sophisticated than me in many ways.
It’s important to mention that this leg of my journey will be shortened a little, and that I’ll be heading home no later than December. I’ve learned so much about my personal priorities by being away from the people who are most important to me… then being with them again. Things have become pretty simple: I need to be home. I need those relationships. And, well, I need to see if I can have one more dance. So I will be here to start the year with the students and staff, train the person who will take over my position, then return to Washington. I have shared plans and tears with the teachers here, and though it is difficult to think of goodbye, they understand how much I cherish relationships and are supportive. They were the ones who taught me more about the importance of family and community, after all. I will treasure the time I have here in this season and hopefully offer something of value before I leave. So here we go again!!