The longest Monday of my life...
San Fran was fantastic. the journey between there and Phnom Penh, not so much. But I love this country. It is a strange mix of poverty and vibrancy. I'm still not sure what to make of it. Phnom Penh is filled with color, and also sobering reminders of the past. We hadn't left the airport ten minutes before I saw a landmine victim. Here in Kamong Chhnang, the pace is a little slower. Weare revcieving training before we meet our host families on Wednesday. I'm ready to go. I still am a bit nervous about the language, but I'm good at charades so I should do okay. Some interesting thigs about this place: People shower with their clothes on (most showers are outside). A single moped is capable of transporting five people and pig at almost 60 miles an hour. In Phhom Penh, people take their elephants for walks, and don't clean up what the elephant leaves behind. The huge nationwide elections left things relatively unchanged, Cambodia is fill with plastic chairs, and the people are some of the nicest I've ever met. So far it has been relaxing. In Phnom Penh we had a dance party. Here, I've spent many mornings reading at sunrise while being serenaded by the Cambodian People's Party, and many afternoons lazily sitting about in the rain. I'm ready to get to my host family, to have my own space. I love the other trainees, they are all fantastic people. We've been getting a lot of help from some of the current volunteers, who are helping to calm many of our fears as well as laugh at us when we try to order food in Khmer. I ordered scrambled eggs and coffee with sweetened condensed milk all by myselft. I was quite proud. Wednesday we move to training villages, from then til october we will wait and see where we are placed. Until then, I love and miss you all!