survived the first 2 weeks!

So its been almost 2 and a half weeks away from the states, 2 weeks in Cambodia, and 1 1/2 weeks in my village and its been a roller coaster of emotions and physical tests. Moving to my training village was something I will never forget... for many reasons. The day of move in we all gather in one room and are given our assignments of where we will be training for the next 2 months. The anticipation was unbearable at the starting of this big adventure.. most of which was unknown and mysterious. The trainees gather on 3 buses that depart to 3 seperate villages and we travel far and wide in different directions. The bus ride was awesome as we were traveling through the rural Cambodian villages we were all anticipating to work in. Once we arrived, I could barely catch my breath I was so nervous. The Cambodian people were all there staring at us as we departed our van and walked into the main Watt (buddist temple) for our arrival ceremony. Once inside we had to pay our respects to the buddah and sit in amazement and anticipation as monks bless us with chants while throwing flowers and water at us. After the chanting we meet our families one by one in the front of the watt.. which can only be described as awkward. After a quick pic with my host dad we sit around and eat fruit.. while laughing awkwardly at the huge language barrier in front of us. I had no idea how to speak Khmer and my dad surely had no idea how to speak English... so remember this as I describe the rest of the day.

After that awesome meeting we gather back up in the vans and get dropped off one by one as the rest of us watch in humor. While traveling through the town I could definitely sense that these people have never seen a foreigner and later I found we are the first foreigners to actually come to the quaint village of Chamkar Leu. My house is the farthest from the one main road so I was second to last to being dropped off. The van simply dropped me and my bags off at my gate and departed to drop off the next trainee. Once at my house I greeted my mom, little brother, and two little sisters... none of which knew a lick of English. After setting up my huge misquito net and moving my bags into my room.. they showed me the rest of my house and the squat toilet. I was in a state of shock and disbelief in the fact I was going to be living like this for 2 years, but I had no time to take in the moment as my family somehow told me to go out and meet the neighbors. That consisted of being led around by the arm to this shack next door, sat down on a chair while around 40 rural Cambodian locals gathered around and stared at me, laughed alot, and critiqued every aspect of my foreign complexion. It was a moment unlike any other and I was in a state of complete culture shock. Afterwards we went back to my house and ate dinner ON a table.. not in the chairs surrounding the table. The dad and I sit in indian style while the others sit with their legs to the side as a symbol of respect. Each person gets a huge bowl of rice and in the center sits 3 - 4 bowls of soups, beef stir fry, fish past, pickles, and other edible things. We eat with a spoon and use a fork to shove food the spoon; that same spoon is used repeatedly to dip into the bowls so their is alot of bodily fluid sharing. Your only allowed to scoop one spoonful of food your rice at a time so meals get dragged on forever. The conversation consisted of being looked at and smiled at... my family was very warm and welcoming, which I desperatly needed at that time. Afterwards we sat around the small tv in the one roomed house and they showed my a WWE cd which I thought was hilarious. We just sat around for a while because of the huge gap in language communication and they tried to make "the guest of honor" feel welcomed.. which I was... but the experience was so unreal I was just zoning off into space.. thinking about the next 2 years.

Finally I went to my room, sat in my bed and thought I was never going to be able to do this for 2 years. If I had doubts... it was then. I seriously thought about throwing in the towel because I was so physically exhasted from the heat, emotionally drained from the previous days of prepareation for this, and scared. Nights are filled with roosters waking my up at all hours of the night, dogs fighting tirelesly, and sweat dripping all over my sheets and pillow. After waking up the next morning I was still in shock and disbelief at how this was going to work for the next 2 years. Training started that day so I just got on my bike and rode off to training.

Training consists of language class and technical training. Ive visited health centers, their versions of hospitals, and seen how desperate the health care situation is. They are dirty and highly understaffed. Nothing is as it should be in the year 2010 and if I was going to be anywhere in the world.. this is it. Every day I learn the language and im starting to be able to converse with my family. Day by day it gets a whole lot better and im starting to really like my family and the village im in. To be able to converse with the people you live with makes a world of difference in my emotional and physical well being. Im loving life at the moment and any doubts that I had are completely gone. Im starting really good friendships with the other trainees and many of them are awesome people that are exactly like me in my wanting to make a difference in the world. We study in language groups of 4 and those are the poeple Im really starting to bond with.

The fruits and foods are awesome and unlike anything in America. Fruits like mangos and pineapples are plentiful among the makoots, soi mows, mians, pneuws and other fruits.. many of which are in my back yard. Coconut trees are everywhere and there is nothing like the smell of rain durring monsoon season. When it rains is pours and dirt streets turn into rivers. I was suprised at how people here know absolutely nothing about lightening... seeing as it kills more people here a year than some horrible diseases. I love life at the moment and the homesickness is starting to fade away. I miss people back home terribly, but my days are so busy I barely have time to think about it. The beauty of htis country is amazing and I cant wait to make it that much better with the work I will be doing.

On a final note... picture this. A long road surrounded by rice patty fields and pinnaple farms. At the end of this road is a huge watt orantely decorated with snakes and buddah statues. Coconut trees dot the landscape and shrines for hte dead rest silently amongst the buddahg shrines. Behind lies a mountain that is led up to the top with a railing made in the shape of a snakes body. Think Ace Ventura when Nature Calls... all i wanted was a slinky. At the top sits an old buddhist temple with nuns and old monks praying to shrines. This is Chamkar Leu.... my home for the next 2 months. Im alive and living life day by day. For now im getting ready to travel into the countryside and visit a current peace corps volunteer... wish me luck! sorry for the typos... tried to get this done before bed. PEACE!

First Impression

So after our 13 hour flight we arrived in Hong Kong and me + a few cool cats walked around down town Hong Kong. The buildings were amazing.... the tops were covered in clouds and the lights were unlike anything ive seen. We ate at this noodle shop and I had this nasty shrimp wan-tan soup... never again. The streets of that city are gated off so its very difficult to walk around and get where you want. A tropical storm was hitting the city at the time... so yea... it was pretty awesome!

The next morning we woke up early and flew to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. From the step off the flight I started sweating, but I was loving every minute of it cause I WAS IN CAMBODIA! After a bus trip through the crazy streets of Phnom Penh we arrived at the Peace Corps head quarters and had introductions to the people that were going to be helping us survive for the next two years. Amazingness ensued because we then broke up into groups and traveled around the city. The streets were jam packed with mopeds and cars, going every direction and not obeying a single law. People turn when they want and the direction of traffic is simply a suggestion of which way you should go. We toured a market where i saw / ate dragon fruit, maku, and duri fruit. The smell was horrible, but the freshness and lack of preservatives and chemicals was a sight to behold and unlike anything one can find in the U.S.

After that we traveled to a Wat (temple) and gazed at the buddah statues sitting in the front of this empty yet ornate room. From there we traveled to the royal palace and happened to see indian elephants roaming the street in front of it. Apparently elephants are the way to roll. While talking to current peace corps volunteers I found out toilet paper is not normally used and I will most likely be using my hand. Also, I found out huge spiders the size of your face are a normal site and I should probably get used to it... not gunna happen.

After only a day I can see how amazing this country is and how in need it is for help. The people have gone through a horrible past and most are still recovering from the murder of 1/3 of its population (3 million people) during the Kmer Rouge. Poverty is everywhere yet I see nothing but smiles from passing locals. This is going to be unlike anything Ive ever experienced and there will be alot to adjust to. I cant wait to share what lies ahead... so look out for more!

Saying Goodbye... for now

So I leave for the adventure of a lifetime in 4 days and I can't even begin to describe the emotions and feelings running through my head.

Excitement: I cannot believe this is about to happen! Soon I will be living with a Cambodian family learning a completely new culture and helping many people. This opportunity is a gift few have the ability to experience and I can't wait to start living the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer for the next 27 months.

Sadness: There's no way to get around it, I am saying goodbye to many amazing people for the next 27 months and it is something I am finding very hard to cope with. My friends and family are awesome individuals I am extremely fortunate to have in my life and leaving them behind for such a long time brings me to tears. But these situations have come and gone before... the sadness WILL pass... and it will be replaced by the memories of this upcoming adventure.

Determination: My time in Cambodia is going to be both rewarding and trying. Times may get rough but i'm more determined than ever to use my mind for good and come up with creative and useful ways to accomplish any goal I set for myself. There is so much I will be able to do and it is up to me to take advantage of my time there to improve life of the Cambodian people.

Questions?: Will I have a toilet seat to sit on / will there be toilet paper? Are there really tarantulas the size of my face? How hot is hot in Cambodia? Will I be living with 5 or 15 family member? How am I going to communicate with friends and family back home? What is monsoon season really like? and the list goes on...

These being the most prominent feelings, many more are swirling throughout my head. For now, I'm focusing on chilling with the people important to me, saying "see ya later", trying to get my America on and absorb everything that is most likely not going to be available in the coming months. For my friends and family just remember, this is not a goodbye forever. Its simply a see ya in a year or two and keep in touch during this "long adventure".