With a week left in Cambodia I suppose it is too late to right the balance now but I'll try.
This blog which started out as a way to communicate with people about what I was doing as a volunteer in a new Country, fast became a sounding board for my observations & frustrations, a form of writing therapy. So people who haven't spoken to me for a while will be forgiven for thinking after reading my blog that I must be truly ecstatic to be finally escaping the craziness of Cambodia - nothing could be further from the truth.
It is much easier to write about the big things that confront me here or challenge my cultural norms but its the little things about Cambodia that have a vice like grip on my heart which I find a lot harder to articulate, but here goes...
One lunch time my bicycle chain fell off, luckily I was near the office so I pushed it there. My bike has a chain guard that I needed a phillips screw driver to remove so I asked one of the drivers - Mr S -who was in the office if he had one in the tool kit in the car. He did so went to get it for me but then proceeded to remove the cover himself, he flipped the chain back on, discovered there was a problem with the back wheel, went to get his wrench to adjust the back wheel, put the cover back on again, then discovered that there was a problem with the cover and finally banged out an indent which had been rubbing on the chain. By this point he was covered in oil & dirt, as he got up to wash his hands J came out of the office to tell me that Mr S was actually on an annual leave day & had only come into the office to sign his time sheet. I felt terrible, Mr S just shrugged & smiled and told me "ot ay tey" - its not a problem. I don't write about this kindness of Cambodians enough.
This week my khmer teacher & Cambodian mother - S - tried to give me her ruby ear rings, that I have always admire on her. She originally had wanted to buy me some diamond ear rings but I had managed to persuade her that she should save her money instead, so giving me the precious stones from her own ear lobes was for her next logical step. I got upset - I am very emotional at the moment - and told her I should be buying her something to thank her for everything she has done for me. She looked at me earnestly, tears welling up in her eyes, pointed to the grade 5 book we are learning from & said "Doctor you have given me this, you don't need to give me anything else because you have given me knowledge"
This blog which started out as a way to communicate with people about what I was doing as a volunteer in a new Country, fast became a sounding board for my observations & frustrations, a form of writing therapy. So people who haven't spoken to me for a while will be forgiven for thinking after reading my blog that I must be truly ecstatic to be finally escaping the craziness of Cambodia - nothing could be further from the truth.
It is much easier to write about the big things that confront me here or challenge my cultural norms but its the little things about Cambodia that have a vice like grip on my heart which I find a lot harder to articulate, but here goes...
One lunch time my bicycle chain fell off, luckily I was near the office so I pushed it there. My bike has a chain guard that I needed a phillips screw driver to remove so I asked one of the drivers - Mr S -who was in the office if he had one in the tool kit in the car. He did so went to get it for me but then proceeded to remove the cover himself, he flipped the chain back on, discovered there was a problem with the back wheel, went to get his wrench to adjust the back wheel, put the cover back on again, then discovered that there was a problem with the cover and finally banged out an indent which had been rubbing on the chain. By this point he was covered in oil & dirt, as he got up to wash his hands J came out of the office to tell me that Mr S was actually on an annual leave day & had only come into the office to sign his time sheet. I felt terrible, Mr S just shrugged & smiled and told me "ot ay tey" - its not a problem. I don't write about this kindness of Cambodians enough.
This week my khmer teacher & Cambodian mother - S - tried to give me her ruby ear rings, that I have always admire on her. She originally had wanted to buy me some diamond ear rings but I had managed to persuade her that she should save her money instead, so giving me the precious stones from her own ear lobes was for her next logical step. I got upset - I am very emotional at the moment - and told her I should be buying her something to thank her for everything she has done for me. She looked at me earnestly, tears welling up in her eyes, pointed to the grade 5 book we are learning from & said "Doctor you have given me this, you don't need to give me anything else because you have given me knowledge"
Last week whilst staying away from home I texted my friend to see how he was doing working away from home also but with food poisoning "How you doing wonder boy?"
I got a characteristically honest & frank Cambodian response "Still on the bed waiting for a shit. I have 28time. X and you?"
This really made me laugh & distracted me from the grimness of my own salubrious guest house room with a beetle infestation, blood on the towels & a glob of vomit wiped on the curtain. I replied "Sounds like you had some very bad sea food! I hope it stops soon & you get some sleep."
Then I thought some more about the way his text had been worded as if to ask about the state of my intestines & laughed some more before adding an additional text, "And to answer your question to me, I have only had one shit today so far thanks for asking but that could all change! ;-)"
Then I thought some more about the way his text had been worded as if to ask about the state of my intestines & laughed some more before adding an additional text, "And to answer your question to me, I have only had one shit today so far thanks for asking but that could all change! ;-)"
His response made me really laugh, "That's good to here that you ok. Otherwise i won't be able to sleep because I'm worried about you. It is ok for me this is my strength. Take care!"
I shot back with "You are really making me laugh. Not sure you are trying to but you are!"
Then is occurred to me that perhaps he really wasn't trying to make me laugh when I received his reply, "No that is my special feeling in my mind to you. I'm not kidding. X"
Communicating feelings through the medium of the Bristol Stool chart...only in Cambodia!
I have a very hard week ahead of me; in life generally its the little things that matter the most, which are the things I don't often blog about...
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