So thanksgiving has come and gone in a rather inconspicuous fashion. But it was excellent. Whitney and I went to visit Tyler. He has a stove and some pans so we made thanksgiving dinner. I was rather proud of us. We had pineapple ginger chicken, sautéd green beans (both prepared by yours truly) and mashed potatoes. It was divine. There are pictures of it somewhere. One of the awesome things about Cambodia is how fresh the ingredients are. We went to the market mid-morning, and were greatly distressed to find that there is no more chicken. But that didn’t stop our Khmer friends. They took us to the house of the woman who sells chickens. After explaining our dilemma, she asked us to wait ten minutes, grabbed on of the chickens running about the yard, and went into a shed. Ten minutes later, a defeathered, gutted chicken is presented to us, still warm. He was delicious. We spent the afternoon hanging out and walking around Ty’s place. Unlike all the other volunteers, he doesn’t live at a house with a family, but with an NGO. They have programs for kids, many of whom are orphans. They teach life skills and provide a place to sleep for those who have no home or live far from school. The ride back to Pursat was pretty interesting, as we thought we were going to flag down a bus. We were mistaken in this assumption. It was a pickup. It was loaded to the brim. We rode on top. I thought it was slightly awesome, being outside and going really fast. Whitney wasn’t as thrilled. Let’s just say it was good to get back to Pursat.

When I get back to Kravanh I really must visit the people at the market and explain my absence this weekend. I missed one day last weekend and everyone thought I had went back to America. Next weekend we have to go to Battambang. While I’m excited (they have real ice cream there) we’re supposed to be having a language class. Now, there will be around 15-20 people, all at drastically different language levels, in one class. We have yet to be informed the exact location of said class, exact date, time, or lodging arrangements. Good times.

School is progressing. I have an activity list saved to the computer there, which one of my co teachers is very excited about. I have taught my students to say “Just Peachy” and “Fantastic” in response the question “how are you?” I feel this is progress. I’ve also managed to teach some of the faculty that one should not say things like “you’re fat,” “how much do you weigh?” or “how much money do you make?” as these are rude in other countries. Khmer people say these things all the time. This new knowledge blew their minds.

In other news, I face a dilemma. My school director has offered to buy me a police uniform. Like any sane human being, my first thought was “Heck yes that’s awesome!” The logic on his part was that if the president comes to visit, all the teachers should wear police uniforms(?) I think this has something to do with showing support for the ruling party. As a peace corps volunteer, I feel very uncomfortable doing this. Although what would be a better souvenir than a Cambodian police uniform? Nothing, that’s what. Anyway, theoretically Peace Corps will come visit me in December. I’ll talk to them then.

The hardest thing about the process of attempting to improve education in Cambodia is that it is just that, a process. I was totally expecting this, and things could totally be worse. I have an awesome (if not rather eccentric) school director. He picked up trash by hand with the students, something that is simply never done here. I was impressed. My primary co-teacher is a cool person, we’ve become good friends. The other teachers are starting to show interest in improving; my faculty English class is really progressing. These are small steps, but significant ones. We are still in hot, crowed rooms, crammed with uncomfortable desks, and I sometimes have to shout to be heard above the noise of the pigs squealing, small children playing outside, or the monsoon-like rainstorms. But I really love the students. The activities are awesome because you get to see them come alive and really express their personalities. I’m especially proud of some of the girls. They take charge and do their best; challenging their classmates. Alai and Muilai are two of my favorites. These kids tend to shut down if they are put in any situation that makes them uncomfortable. One of which is speaking English. It can be really hard to get them to do anything. And the teachers don’t force them to do it! I was amazed when a teacher asked a student to do something and he said “No, I can’t” and the teacher just went on to someone else. Another thing I’m working on changing. Anyway, overall life is good. I miss everyone, and demand that turkeys be fried in my honor over the holiday season.