Going Exploring

Im back in the Province Town, which is like a small city where the hotels have internet. My hotel doesn't so I had to trek to another one and I'm mooching off another PCT (Peace Corps Trainee). We're staying here for a night before we go off to visit a current volunteer for 2 days. The volunteer that I'm going to visit is in the Northwest part of Cambodia so I have to get up early tomorrow and bus it there. Bot sure how long it'll take but maybe around 5 hours. She lives in a town called Pursat, which I have never heard of, but lonelyplanet says it's a good place to rest on your grand tour of Cambodia.

These past 2 weeks have been hard. That's the phrase that I use most of the time. Think back to learning how to ride your bike, being potty trained, learning to brush your teeth, learning to shower, learning to speak, read, and write. Those things were hard when you were a kid. They're harder now. My first night in the village, my 12 year old little brother taught me how to brush my teeth again. He put toothpaste on my toothbrush and mimed the motion. Then he got water from the shower tank and I was like, what am I supposed to do with that and where do I spit? He waited for me to brush my teeth and I tried to do it as fast as possible. Then I mistakenly spit into the water scooper, that was a big NO NO. As I was relearning how to brush my teeth, my legs and feet were being repeatedly attacked by mosquitos and I was jumping around trying to not get dengue fever on my first night in the village. The entire time, my little brother is just watching me and patiently waiting for a 22 year old to relearn how to brush her teeth.

Everyday I am so thankful for my host family. I could not have wished for a better family. When they think I have a cold they give me warm shower water. When I get home from class they clean my bike and move it into the house for me. After they noticed i wear a headlamp to the bathroom and shower they installed a new light. At lunch and at night they slowly try to teach me new k'mai words. Once in a while they run around with this electric tennis racket mosquito killer because i am getting bittin up like a delicious steak dinner.

Internet is pretty nonexistent in my village so I only get it when I come into the bigger city. The easiest way to reach me is by cell phone. I have it with me 24/7 and I get up around 5am or 6am everyday. Class starts around. 8am. I'm also free all day Sunday. If you call, please leave a voicemail because my phone won't show international numbers. It costs me a fortune to call since I have a pay per minute phone, so I won't be doing that too often. Incoming texts and calls are free for me though, so go wild. Also, if you send any mail write US EMBASSY PEACE CORPS CAMBODIA in big letters so they dont look through it and tax me for it.