I've almost been here two weeks and am feeling quite settled. I've found a place to live and am extremely excited about my job. At first, Phnom Penh was a bit overwhelming. But, I've settled in now and today rented a motorbike and rode the streets that less than two weeks ago were a chaotic mysterious jumble to me. I have loved my guesthouse (BoddhiTree Aram)- the staff have been so incredibly kind and helpful. It was a good decision to book here for two weeks and give myself the time to get adjusted. I will be living with an American woman named Cris who is here for 2 years to train village health workers. (All the photos about this story are going to be at the end because I can't figure out how to insert them in the text- sorry about that will keep trying).
Phnom Penh is a real mixture of a developing country and western amenities (restaurants, cafes, a pseudo movie theatre, and at least one book store that I've found - small used book store). It's actually quite liveable despite my initial impression that I would never find my way around. Up until today I have been hiring a tuk tuk driver (he first told me his name was "Tom" but I later learned his Khmer name is Virak). He has been my guide around the city - taking me to and from work everyday. Some days I would come home completely exhausted (and hot - did I mention its very hot here!)- so grateful for the guesthouse staff who would welcome me with a cold glass of soda water with lime. After I took the 2nd of my three showers a day I settled in to have dinner, skype, and attempt to watch baseball on my MLB.tv subscription (slow bandwidth making that a challenge). At first, I didn't venture out in the evenings beyond the guesthouse but lately I've been going down the road to a Cambodian restaurant named Frizz and having the best chicken, noodle, and vegetable dish with coconut milk sauce (for $3.50). There is a photo at the end of a 10 year old boy who came up to my table to sell me books (photocopies of English books). I was soft-hearted and paid way too much for the sequel to "First They Killed My Father" (a memoir written by a woman who was a child during the Khmer Rouges). Part of the price for my book was getting the young man a coke. I call him a young man because he was one of the best negotiators (of course I am one of the worst!).
Work is great. There is a great deal to do and great people to work with. The staff at AFESIP have been extremely welcoming and I have just hit the ground running. I've been out to see two of our three centers (photos of one below) and met some of the staff and residents there. Services are very simple by US standards but there is a great deal of love and caring obviously present. The organization is doing its best to provide education and training to the girls and young women - including English language education. Most training is in sewing, weaving, or agriculture as most girls/women will return home to rural provinces when they leave AFESIP.
So far there are psychologists (Bachelor's level) at two of the three centers and we interviewed last week for the 3rd. Salaries are very low by our standards and the work is demanding - as is living in the rural area - so applicants are not plentiful. The art therapy organization we are partnering with (Ragamuffin) are fantastic and have already finished assessments of the girls at the center they are doing the pilot project in. There are inevitable resource and communication issues as two organizations try to work together in challenging circumstances, but everyone is working hard to get these new services to the girls as soon as possible.
What else can I say. I found a gym nearby my office which has a great open air pool and I went swimming for the first time today. That is going to be a great stress reliever. We work 7:30am to 12pm - break for lunch 12-2pm and then work 2-5pm. My plan is to go swimming at lunch time. I live near work and we have a Khmer woman who is housekeeping for us including cooking lunch and dinner. So, I will also be able to go home for a home-cooked Khmer meal everyday at lunch (and dinner!).
I had a blast riding around Phnom Penh on my moto today and felt like I got the hang of it. Of course, that wasn't in rush hour which really is very hectic. However, the area I live and work in is much quieter and so I think I will have a relatively serene commute to work.
Had an ear infection and easily found a good clinic - SOS International. My doctor was Hopkins trained - an army doctor who lives/works in Korea and was moonlighting here for 2 weeks. Got my antibiotic and ear is improving.
Well, I'm going to try to add in some photos. I really wanted to put them in the text but couldn't figure that out. Hopefully, I can label the photos as well - otherwise how will you know what they are!! It can be a quiz - try to match the photo with the appropriate section of the story.
Oh - I didn't mention that Cambodians are quiet agitated and concerned about the current border conflict with Thailand. I rode out to one of the centers on Thurs with 3 co-workers who were checking the news on their phones the whole time and talking furiously (in Khmer) about the situation. Speaking of Khmer I have learned two words (don't know how to spell them so will just say in English) - thank you, hello how are you - and how to count to ten. I hope to start lessons with a Khmer tutor next week after I get settled into my new home.
Hello to everyone and hoping everyone is well and happy.
Thanks for reading. I am sorry I can't figure out how to include the photos. Have sent them separately but they aren't organized in order. Can't figure out how to do that either yet. So much to learn. Hoping for improvements in the next installment.
Candace
