Diana At the Crossroad: Catch-up!

I can’t believe it’s been two months since my last post. I’m so sorry! Now the best way I can think to catch you up is to do it list-style. Here we go.

In the last 2 months:

School finished
I met my family- parents and 2 brothers at the airport
I took my family to Takeo
We stayed with my Khmer teacher from training
I visited with all my favorite students from training, and taught a few lessons off the top of my head
We rode a boat through the canals to an ancient temple Phnom Da
I got to introduce my real family to my training host family. My host family fed us delicious food and even beer and shots of rice wine. Cheers! Bingo!
I went to Sihanoukville for the first time
We spent a lot of time at our beautiful hotel pool
We swam in the gulf of Thailand
We ate at a restaurant where there were snakes, crocodiles, fish, turtles, birds, etc all on display. There was even a living snake inside our table.
I got to show my family where I live here in Prey Veng
We hung out with the monkeys at monkey island in Prey Veng.
We taught the Cha Cha slide to my Honor Society students
We worked on my world map project all together with my students
My family watched me teach a few classes
My purse was stolen, resulting in a loss of nearly 200 dollars and 2 ATM cards and my drivers license.
I taught my family to wash clothes by hand
We spent 2 days exploring the temples of Siem Reap.
We rode on the “bamboo train” in Battambang
We missed our bus to Phnom Penh
We got another bus to Phnom Penh, one that showed the reality of transportation in Cambodia
We visited the Royal Palace
We watched the sunrise over the Mekong
We said another goodbye.
I went back to site.
A student and her mother invited me over for lunch one day
While in the students village, I learned that riding a bike with no hands means you’re a gangster, and that the entire village believed me to be a foreign gangster, as I practice riding my bike with no hands through that village almost every week.
Another student invited me to see her home. She showed me her parents, her rice fields, her cow, and her secret place where she watches the sunset almost every day. So cute!
I finally called the medical officer after over a month of diarrhea and learned that I had Giardia.
I took Giardia medicine, and then I had a reaction to the medicine which made me feel worse for about 2 weeks.
I accidentally gave giardia to my parents. Woops.
I visited my training host family in Takeo again.
I was asked to organize music for the 4th of July celebration for the embassy
I made arrangements of America (My Country Tis of Thee), America the Beautiful, and a You’re a Grand Old Flag/Yankee Doodle medly.
The ambassador cut America.
We performed both national anthems, America the Beautiful, and You’re a Grand Old Flag for all the head honchos at the embassy, and some top Cambodian politicians.
We ate American food, American desserts, and even American wine and beer!
It all went so well that people were actually asking me for my business card! (not that I have one). I was so proud of the singers.
During that time I stayed with an Embassy worker at her beautiful house. It was a real house. Like it could be in a suburb somewhere in America. It just felt like home to me. Especially having access to a real kitchen! And a washer and dryer!
I had my mid-service medical check up. Woo….
I met Brian and Sunshine, 2 friends from America in Phnom Penh!
We went to the National Museum and Wat Phnom
We saw Madagascar 3 at a movie theatre.
We went to Siem Reap.
We spent 2 days exploring the temple, real tomb-raider style. Or actually.. more Temple Run style.
We recorded videos of real Temple Running.
We rode an elephant around Bayon temple.
We hung out on Pub Street eating, drinking, dancing, and shopping.
We did not let the fish eat our feet.
We took a bus to Bankok Thailand!
I ate McDonalds about 4 times, Burger King twice, and Starbucks twice.
We checked out the Royal Palace in Bankok. So shiny!
We also saw Wat Pho, home of the giant reclining Buddha.
We took a plane to Phuket.
We watched the sun set over the ocean
We saw real, international boxing matches at the stadium
I bought a chicken Kebab. And it was so good that I went back 2 hours later and got another.
We took a boat out to Koh Phi Phi island.
We swam in the beautiful, crystal clear bay
We watched fire dancers at night putting on a show.
I jump roped with a rope on fire.
I played limbo with the pole on fire.
We hiked up a mountain/hill to see the spectacular view.
We got attacked by a monkey.
I learned a bit of Thai and was able to have short conversations
I pet a lot of cats.
I came home back to Phnom Penh by another flight
I taught my honor society a few more times.
I bought a basketball, and it has been the best decision ever. I play basketball with the local kids about every other day now.
My sister asked me to help her name the baby, due in October. She wants an American name.
I went to my students’ awareness event for human trafficking, where they did a role-play
To intrigue the crowds, my students made me do the cupid shuffle and the asereje dance in front of about 100 villagers, including the local politicians.
Then they made me sing KPOP
I passed the one year mark. I’ve been in Cambodia for over a year.
I scheduled a day for students to come take a placement exam for one of 4 of my summer classes, ranging from beginner to advanced. Over 50 students showed up to take the exam.
I built a contraption in my room that allows me to keep fresh fruit without the ants OR the rats getting into it.
While I was so worried about my fruit contraption, the ants infested my Frosted Flakes.
I ate them anyway.
I rode my bike to my friend Leah’s site, which is about a 2 hour bike ride.

And that’s where I am now! We’re finally all caught up. Here are some pictures that are completely unrelated to this blog post!

These are from way back in December, when my co-teacher had a "christmas party" at his house

I brought my little Christmas tree to make it seem a little more like a real Christmas party. It didn't work. But my students were really interested in the tree.

Cambodians love their speakers. I've mentioned before how LOUD they like to have their music. Well I could hear this music all the way at my house, and I live about a mile away.