Myat Myat Soe is a girl I have been sharing my hotel room with for about three weeks. She is 31 and from Burma (now called Myanmar). She is the sweetest, kindest thing, but is she ever naive. I think that is the way that Burma wants it to be. She got married three months before she came here to study with Language Corps. She has never lived with her husband. She lives with her mother and he lives with his parents. Her mother does not want to live alone, so Myat stays with her. Get this - Myat's husband pays her mother's rent and gives her money for food and clothes and the mother will not let him live with her and Myat. I told her that would NEVER happen in the U.S.; that the husband would tell his wife to take a flying leap (not in those words, of course). The woman is not disabled and she is 52 years old and widowed.
She asked me what I did when I decided not to have any more than three children. I had to explain what a tubal ligation was. Then I told her it was easier for a man to have a vasectomy because it costs less and is less painful than a woman having her tubes tied. She asked me if it was 100% foolproof. I told her that a couple is advised to use protection for a couple of months to make sure he is shooting blanks (also not in those words). So she says - then they can never have children? So I explain to her that there is this thing called in vitro fertilization and how it works. She asked me - how does it (the embryo) get in there. Her eyes were wider than saucers.
Then she asked me when I got married to my husband did I really love him or was I forced to marry him. Can you believe that? I told her that no one in the U.S. is forced to marry anyone except for a few small groups of people who believe the president of their church speaks for God and tells these 14 - 15 year old girls to marry these old men and they do it because they truly believe it is the word of God.
She did not know what the halocaust was or the Khmer Rouge; what was a Nazi or anything about the concentration camps. She never heard of Saddam Hussein, Stalin - or many other wicked men who wanted to control the world. We have had hours and hours of conversations; then, she tells me she wants to grow to be just like I am. (Don't die laughing over that.) I think that since she knows so little about the outside world, she thinks I know everything. But I constantly tell her that I really know nothing compared to what there is to know.
But we spend a lot of time talking about the power we have inside ourselves to be the person we want to be. She told me the most important thing I taught her was not to let anyone ever treat her as if she were "less than" they are. I told her they could be richer, thinner, prettier, smarter, yada. yada, yada - but that no one is "better than."
So the day she moves out, she makes me sit on the bed and kneels before me, puts her palms together under her chin and bows three times, as if she is praying to Buddha (yes, she is Buddhist). She tells me she is sorry if she ever said or did anything bad to me. I told her she didn't know how to do or say anything bad. She is without a doubt one of the finest persons I have ever known. She calls me "Auntie" (well, it is better than grandma.)
Talk about getting an education.
I doubt I will go to Nepal or Tibet at the end of my contract. After being here for nine months, I don't think I can go to another third world country for awhile. Like I said, I am planning to go to Viet Nam in December and Burma between Christmas and New Year's (if I can find someone to go with me, the girl from the U.K. I was going with can't go with me).
More than enough of this for now.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I Swear This is a True Story
I got into a tuk-tuk with this Cambodian gal who works at Language Corps. (where I went to school), and she is eating something out of this bag. I sat down beside her, and - you are not going to believe this - she was eating a cricket. It had to be well over an inch long and evidently was dipped in some batter and deep fried. I wanted to throw up.
Whose idea was this for me to come to a third-world country? At least she didn't ask me if I wanted one.
Whose idea was this for me to come to a third-world country? At least she didn't ask me if I wanted one.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Things are looking up!
As hard as this has been for me, I am amazed at my good fortune. I have no doubt that I was blessed to be working at the best school (at least for me) in all of Cambodia. I was the first one in our whole class of 27 to get a job. The other classmates fell off their chairs in shock (well, that is what they get for thinking they are so smart, ha ha). Okay, so American Pacific University was desperate. My contract is up the last week in June. I told Hayley and she asked me - are you coming home to stay? Who knows? I am pretty sure that being in a third-world country for nine months may have cured me, but . . . . one never knows. I am hoping to go to Nepal and Tibet before coming home. Going to Viet Nam for Christmas.
I have about 10 students in the morning and about 8 in the afternoon and a full-time teacher's assistant. They seem to follow the same plan every single day, so I am slowly trying to change things because I can't see that they are learning much. I went out and finally found some crayons (at about the fifth store I went to). She had them coloring with colored pencils, which meant that it took them twice as long to get the page colored. She had been teaching them the alphabet - but in capital letters - so I told the her that I wanted to start over and start with the lower case. I hope I didn't offend her, so to make sure, I asked another teacher who blatantly told me, "Cheryl, you are the teacher. She is the assistant. You make the decisions, not her." She is very good at what she does, and she has control over the students that I am still learning, so I am very grateful to have her. I am always praising her, so I hope she will be okay with the changes. I mean - how many times can a person be forced to sing: "There Was a Farmer Who Had a Dog and Bingo was his Name-o? They sing it in assembly and then after taking attendance and then after recess and then we go through the same thing again in the afternoon. So, I taught them, "I am a Little Teapot." Each week we will work on a new one. And they sing that blankety-blank ABC song more than that.
I move into my new apartment sometime between Nov.22 and December 1st. The guy who lives there now moves out the 21st, but she said she wanted to clean it. She doesn't speak English, so I told the realtor that if she let me move in the 22nd that I would clean it. I haven't heard the verdict yet. Hotel living gets old after awhile. But get this, it has two beds in it and I am paying $10 a night. It is just as nice as the one I stayed in in Ontario, Oregon when I was there in September for $69 a night.
The apartment was a little higher than I wanted to pay. Most everyone here pays $200 to $250 a month for a one-bedroom place, and she wanted $300, so the realtor got her to consent to $280 - but she told me I couldn't use her washing machine (she would have to pay the water). I can have this laundry place do my laundry for that amount and it comes back dry and folded. It was the nicest apartment I saw and it takes about one minute and 30 seconds to walk to work; that alone will save me $2/day on a moto - and with two artificial hips, those things are hard to get on and off of. I could almost walk it, but there is this four lane highway I cannot cross by myself. It is not the distance so much but the heat and humidity would kill me.
And the kitchen is so small - you have to go outside to change your mind - but the only reason I have a kitchen anyway is because it came with the apartment. I mean - who cooks?. Not only that - there is a KFC right around the corner. The best thing is that it has a veranda to die for and you walk through a garden to get to the apartment - most everyone else walks through a cement hallway or two of three flights of stairs that look like the way to a dungeon.
More later - the heat has taken it's toll on me for now.
I have about 10 students in the morning and about 8 in the afternoon and a full-time teacher's assistant. They seem to follow the same plan every single day, so I am slowly trying to change things because I can't see that they are learning much. I went out and finally found some crayons (at about the fifth store I went to). She had them coloring with colored pencils, which meant that it took them twice as long to get the page colored. She had been teaching them the alphabet - but in capital letters - so I told the her that I wanted to start over and start with the lower case. I hope I didn't offend her, so to make sure, I asked another teacher who blatantly told me, "Cheryl, you are the teacher. She is the assistant. You make the decisions, not her." She is very good at what she does, and she has control over the students that I am still learning, so I am very grateful to have her. I am always praising her, so I hope she will be okay with the changes. I mean - how many times can a person be forced to sing: "There Was a Farmer Who Had a Dog and Bingo was his Name-o? They sing it in assembly and then after taking attendance and then after recess and then we go through the same thing again in the afternoon. So, I taught them, "I am a Little Teapot." Each week we will work on a new one. And they sing that blankety-blank ABC song more than that.
I move into my new apartment sometime between Nov.22 and December 1st. The guy who lives there now moves out the 21st, but she said she wanted to clean it. She doesn't speak English, so I told the realtor that if she let me move in the 22nd that I would clean it. I haven't heard the verdict yet. Hotel living gets old after awhile. But get this, it has two beds in it and I am paying $10 a night. It is just as nice as the one I stayed in in Ontario, Oregon when I was there in September for $69 a night.
The apartment was a little higher than I wanted to pay. Most everyone here pays $200 to $250 a month for a one-bedroom place, and she wanted $300, so the realtor got her to consent to $280 - but she told me I couldn't use her washing machine (she would have to pay the water). I can have this laundry place do my laundry for that amount and it comes back dry and folded. It was the nicest apartment I saw and it takes about one minute and 30 seconds to walk to work; that alone will save me $2/day on a moto - and with two artificial hips, those things are hard to get on and off of. I could almost walk it, but there is this four lane highway I cannot cross by myself. It is not the distance so much but the heat and humidity would kill me.
And the kitchen is so small - you have to go outside to change your mind - but the only reason I have a kitchen anyway is because it came with the apartment. I mean - who cooks?. Not only that - there is a KFC right around the corner. The best thing is that it has a veranda to die for and you walk through a garden to get to the apartment - most everyone else walks through a cement hallway or two of three flights of stairs that look like the way to a dungeon.
More later - the heat has taken it's toll on me for now.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
It's My Birthday!!
Well, it is my birthday today. Wonder what kind of trouble I can get myself into. Fat chance at my age!
I spent two days "observing" at my new school. He only told me I had to be there one day, but talk about "throwing me in the deep end of the pool." I honestly thought that I would only be teaching only English classes - but I am their full-time kindergarten teacher. Now, what in the heck do I know about that?? So, I went back another day to observe again. I would keep going back until I actually start on November 4th but the school is on holiday for their annual water festival (whatever that is), but it is a big deal here. So I will be doing a lot of studying an praying between now and then.
I cannot believe my good fortune to have been hired at American Pacific University. All of the teachers have to be native English speakers to even be interviewed. For some reason the principal hired me right away. I think it had to do with the fact that I have small grandchildren, so he knew I knew something about children,
I think he was also impressed that I raised a handicapped child as long as I did. He told me his brother also had a handicapped child and the brother told his wife that "It must be something on HER side of the family, because there is nothing like this on HIS side." I nearly threw up. Then he tells me the brother held that child once in 13 years before she died. I wanted to cry. So many times I just want to get down on my knees and thank God that I have been so blessed in so many ways.
I am still looking for an apartment and it is quite discouraging, Found one that could have worked, but by the time I made up my mind, they rented it to someone else and it really was too expensive for as small as it was. Looked at another this morning. Would be perfect if I had a roommate, but hate to spend that much money on rent by myself. I can live in the hotel for about the same money, but no kitchen and have to spend at least $2 a day getting to and from work everyday and the moto drivers never know where they are going even though they say they do.
I spent two days "observing" at my new school. He only told me I had to be there one day, but talk about "throwing me in the deep end of the pool." I honestly thought that I would only be teaching only English classes - but I am their full-time kindergarten teacher. Now, what in the heck do I know about that?? So, I went back another day to observe again. I would keep going back until I actually start on November 4th but the school is on holiday for their annual water festival (whatever that is), but it is a big deal here. So I will be doing a lot of studying an praying between now and then.
I cannot believe my good fortune to have been hired at American Pacific University. All of the teachers have to be native English speakers to even be interviewed. For some reason the principal hired me right away. I think it had to do with the fact that I have small grandchildren, so he knew I knew something about children,
I think he was also impressed that I raised a handicapped child as long as I did. He told me his brother also had a handicapped child and the brother told his wife that "It must be something on HER side of the family, because there is nothing like this on HIS side." I nearly threw up. Then he tells me the brother held that child once in 13 years before she died. I wanted to cry. So many times I just want to get down on my knees and thank God that I have been so blessed in so many ways.
I am still looking for an apartment and it is quite discouraging, Found one that could have worked, but by the time I made up my mind, they rented it to someone else and it really was too expensive for as small as it was. Looked at another this morning. Would be perfect if I had a roommate, but hate to spend that much money on rent by myself. I can live in the hotel for about the same money, but no kitchen and have to spend at least $2 a day getting to and from work everyday and the moto drivers never know where they are going even though they say they do.
Friday, October 23, 2009
You are not going to believe this!
So there I was the other day feeling sorry for myself and crying in my root beer (okay,my Pepsi) and wishing I could go back to my comfort zone. I am on my way to my interview and I didn't even want to go, and (I think) even hoping that I would not get the job so it would be my "lightening strike" to tell me to go home. I meet the principal. He is probably a few years younger than I am. He is Canadian and he is single. He takes Lorna and me around the school. It is brand new private facility that will only hire women who are native English speakers. (Lorna is from the UK).
I leave the interview and have the tuk-tuk driver let me off at the Russian market so I can walk the rest of the way home (about six blocks) and I cried all the way. By the time I got home, I was over the emotionality of it all. I fell asleep and when I wake up and check my e-mail - I was offered the job. I mean - who'd a thunk? The oldest in the class and the first to get a job. The school is called American Pacific University and I will be a kindergarten teacher.
Cheryl
I leave the interview and have the tuk-tuk driver let me off at the Russian market so I can walk the rest of the way home (about six blocks) and I cried all the way. By the time I got home, I was over the emotionality of it all. I fell asleep and when I wake up and check my e-mail - I was offered the job. I mean - who'd a thunk? The oldest in the class and the first to get a job. The school is called American Pacific University and I will be a kindergarten teacher.
Cheryl
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Tougher Than I Thought
It has really been hard for me. Cambodia was what I expected, and the school was pretty much what I expected and even the food was what I expected. I just didn't expect to feel this way. I feel so inadequate and stupid and insecure, which is not like me; so, maybe I needed this experience to knock me down a few pegs and show me I am not as brave as I thought I was.
I just did my last job student teaching today. I would like to stay here in Cambodia and work for awhile, I am just not sure about this teaching thing. But I asked for K-5 aged kids, so I should be okay. Those are the ages I have been teaching the last two weeks.
I have changed my mind 100 times whether to stay here or go home. I really would rather go home, but I hate to be a quitter and everyone keeps telling me that I need to give it a chance. So, okay, I will see how the next couple of weeks go. I actually have an interview tomorrow, but I am not the only one interviewing for it either.
The reason my stomach has been in knots since I got here is because I feel so alienated.. . . like I want to live in a third world country by myself not knowing the language ? At my age, it is a whole different story than the smart-ass 20-year-old somethings I went to school with. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Cambodia only gives you a month visa for tourists - so I had to go down to get it renewed. Had to go through three security screenings. Then they kept my passport and I have to go pick it up at the American Embassy tomorrow. Then when I get a job you have to get a business visa which means you have to leave the country and re-enter. Is that stupid or what? I will have to take a bus to Thailand and then re-enter Cambodia.
I tried to send my son-in-law some pictures to put on the blog, but I gave up after a couple of hours. I have been frustrated 85% of the time since I have been here.
More later, Love, Cheryl
I just did my last job student teaching today. I would like to stay here in Cambodia and work for awhile, I am just not sure about this teaching thing. But I asked for K-5 aged kids, so I should be okay. Those are the ages I have been teaching the last two weeks.
I have changed my mind 100 times whether to stay here or go home. I really would rather go home, but I hate to be a quitter and everyone keeps telling me that I need to give it a chance. So, okay, I will see how the next couple of weeks go. I actually have an interview tomorrow, but I am not the only one interviewing for it either.
The reason my stomach has been in knots since I got here is because I feel so alienated.. . . like I want to live in a third world country by myself not knowing the language ? At my age, it is a whole different story than the smart-ass 20-year-old somethings I went to school with. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Cambodia only gives you a month visa for tourists - so I had to go down to get it renewed. Had to go through three security screenings. Then they kept my passport and I have to go pick it up at the American Embassy tomorrow. Then when I get a job you have to get a business visa which means you have to leave the country and re-enter. Is that stupid or what? I will have to take a bus to Thailand and then re-enter Cambodia.
I tried to send my son-in-law some pictures to put on the blog, but I gave up after a couple of hours. I have been frustrated 85% of the time since I have been here.
More later, Love, Cheryl
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Finally Student Teaching
I finished my first week of student teaching. It was only for an hour a day for five days. I loved the kids and they were bright ESL students. It was an orphanage school. When I left I gave them each a stick of gum. Get this - they didn't know what it was. The teacher had to explain to them that you are not to swallow it but chew it until the flavor is gone and throw it away. (I can't help but wonder just how many of them swallowed it anyway.) It never crossed my mind they would not know what chewing gum is.
This week I am student teaching at another orphanage. It is a lot poorer and the kids are not as nearly advanced. It's down by the Mekong River and you wouldn't believe the poverty. Families living on small boats. It never ceases to amaze me the things I see.
Cheryl
This week I am student teaching at another orphanage. It is a lot poorer and the kids are not as nearly advanced. It's down by the Mekong River and you wouldn't believe the poverty. Families living on small boats. It never ceases to amaze me the things I see.
Cheryl
Friday, October 16, 2009
Transportation in Cambodia
I was riding in a tuk tuk (a motorized rickshaw) yesterday with other student teachers from my class. It is interesting to note that I was the only one from America. One was from England, one from France, one from Ireland, one from Burma, and our driver was Cambodian. One of our instructors (who is from Canada) insists on referring to this country as Kampuchea; which I guess was the name of it before they changed it to Cambodia.
There are not a lot of cars or trucks on the streets. Everyone rides a motorcycle which they call a "moto." It is not unusual to see three or four people on one motorcycle. Of course you can ride one the year around here. If you are walking alone, you are constantly being asked, "Ma-damn, you want moto?" Then you haggle over the price and if you agree on one, you hop on the back and off you go. I have to close my eyes sometimes because I KNOW we are going to get hit or someone is going to hit us; of course that rarely happens. I was told they REALLY do not want to hit a foreigner because then they have to deal with all kinds of legal issues, red tape, and the American Embassy. I hear tell that if there is a minor accident, the one at fault just pays off the other right then and there and that is the end of it.
There is no end to the differences between America and a third world country, and of course that is why I am here - because I am sure not having (yet) what one could call "fun." I miss the little conveniences like crushed ice, garbage disposal. I don't even have hot water in my bathroom - so I use someone else's to take a shower.
And while I really do not want to miss these experiences, I want to go home to America when the time comes for me to go. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
There are not a lot of cars or trucks on the streets. Everyone rides a motorcycle which they call a "moto." It is not unusual to see three or four people on one motorcycle. Of course you can ride one the year around here. If you are walking alone, you are constantly being asked, "Ma-damn, you want moto?" Then you haggle over the price and if you agree on one, you hop on the back and off you go. I have to close my eyes sometimes because I KNOW we are going to get hit or someone is going to hit us; of course that rarely happens. I was told they REALLY do not want to hit a foreigner because then they have to deal with all kinds of legal issues, red tape, and the American Embassy. I hear tell that if there is a minor accident, the one at fault just pays off the other right then and there and that is the end of it.
There is no end to the differences between America and a third world country, and of course that is why I am here - because I am sure not having (yet) what one could call "fun." I miss the little conveniences like crushed ice, garbage disposal. I don't even have hot water in my bathroom - so I use someone else's to take a shower.
And while I really do not want to miss these experiences, I want to go home to America when the time comes for me to go. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
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