Its funny how easily the pace of the Western world can sweep us away from something as simple as sharing stories. In the hustle and bustle of the end of service, I didn’t even have time to write a closing reflection surmising those last few months. How strange. Although, I think it would be unfair to say I haven’t shared my story this past year. It has just been in a different medium than the
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The Khmer word for "different" is "p'sain-p'sain," which sounds an awful lot like "same same" when you're speaking quickly. Hence the fabulously ANNOYING, yet often overused, joke: "same same, but different." You see it on t-shirts and stickers, tourists love it, and expats think they're clever for getting it. ...But as much as it drives me nuts, it perfectly describes how I can totally relate to
Photos from the end of '09 and beginning of OH'10 already up under new album "The Beginning of the End" at right and a few samples of my students' New Year's Resolutions!:- "Change Idea; Change Life"- "I decided that I don't go to school late."- "This year I want to change my life to be more happy.- "In New Year 2010 I want to change my character and my habit that very lazy to try to study and
It may not have been a white Christmas…but it sure was memorable. After my parents’ visit in November, I put myself on self-imposed lockdown until the end of December. In case you’re wondering, that meant 6 weeks at site (my longest run to date), and a small eternity when the only evidence that Christmas exists out in the village was the Christmas music I was blasting in my room 24/7. Last year,
Almost every meal, my host mother asks me, “Do you have this dish in America?” Not could you make this in America? But more specifically, do you eat this in your everyday life? Sometimes the answer is yes. Yes, we eat beef and broccoli stir-fry. Yes, we eat yellow curry sauce. More often than not though, the answer is no. We do not eat fermented fish paste, no boiled fish soup, no bland rice
I had heard rumors that Korea was donating electric pianos to every province in Cambodia, but I never believed it would actually happen. Or, on the off chance that it did, the piano would be a junky keyboard, quickly absconded by some Khmai staff for a small bribe, or shoved in a closet because it used too much electricity. Either way, I wasn’t getting my hopes up. Then, last Friday afternoon,
In any given Cambodian village you would NOT find turkey, cranberry sauce, butter, milk, an oven, pie crust, wheat flour, cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, casserole dishes, canned corn, rosemary, or an electric mixer. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Thanksgiving is doomed. But this year, I was determined not to let the holiday pass with a stir-fried substitute. The whole idea presented a
New photos from mom and dad's vacation in SE Asia under the summer photos!*** NeW PHONE NUMBER: +855978772952 ***
True to Kimmel traveling tradition, mom and dad’s trip to South-East Asia started out on the rocks. And I don’t mean with a twist. Their hotel reservation the night of their departure got bungled, I almost missed my flight because my credit card wouldn’t accept the airport departure tax, and the preceding week had been the usual mess of reservation confirmation, double checking of flights, and
Peace Corps is one of those things you really need to commit to before you commit to it, so to speak. Two years can seem like a long time, and when you’re sitting in an overstuffed lounge chair in the States, it’s hard to imagine how long 730 days really is (give or take). Or maybe what I should say is; all you can really conceive of is what you might miss. Friends’ weddings and graduations,
To all those wondering ... Typhoon Ketsana has hit Cambodia. There's an article about it here with more information. Not to worry - my province has been safe aside from heavy rains and minor flooding and I am fine, but 9 people have died in my friend Rebecca's province and many families have been displaced. We send out our prayers for those who have passed and those who have lost their homes and
Before I left Cambodia to attend the Hari Raya festival celebrating the end of Ramadan in Singapore, my Country Director told me some of his fondest memories from his own Peace Corps service in Malaysia were of the same festival … and the food that goes with it! After this past week, they are certainly some of my own as well. After five months in-country, stepping off that plane in Singapore
It’s hard to decide where this story starts, but I suppose the root lies here: truth be told, we’re all a little sick of Phnom Penh. Sure, it’s a great place to take a break, but there’s really only so much you can do there without getting a little jaded about life in the Bode. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t see that stopping me from bouncing in whenever I need a fix of Western food and friends …
Yes, I've been terrible ... a summer of training new volunteers, a week in Takeo for a TEFL Conference, Camp GLOW, the City Beautification Project ..... and no photos. Here they are and a few extras to prove that even though I'm working hard, I'm still playing hard too! Highlights to look for: photos from my summer projects (GLOW in particular was a HUGE suggess), some beautiful ruins and a silk
One of the first things I noticed about Cambodia almost a year ago to date was the color of budding rice. The pale, bright green is startling and disarming. It’s one of those vivid hues that can only be found in nature and impossible to replicate with synthetic colors. As I rode the bus back to Pursat today, I stared out the window at that green. It feels like it was forever ago when I first saw
Mike the Mechanic I’m not, and this afternoon’s – scenario – may have been my fault (read: haven’t put air in my tires/oiled my chain/any other form of bike maintenance since Christmas when I connived Dan into doing it for me…), but seriously people: how many barangs does it take to change a bike tire? Right. So, this morning I woke up and hauled myself into the “office,” a.k.a. my
My biggest fear for the summer was that I wouldn’t be busy enough. In case you’ve known me less than 10 minutes, let me just say: I love being busy. Actually, I need to be busy. In college, I could never have too much work + cheer practice + editors meetings + sorority functions + group projects … etc., etc., etc. I’ve always found I do my best work when I have just a second too little to finish
We have a new director of the Peace Corps organization! Check out the White House press release here.
As part of international Environmental Awareness Week I asked the students in my private class to work in pairs and come up with a project to help solve an environmental issue in Pursat. Each team presented their plan to the group and then we voted on the best one. Prizes were involved, of course! After a full week of project planning and much agonizing deliberation about which team’s idea was
After nine months, I finally had my first visitor from the States! My brother and I had been planning this trip since I found out I was coming to Cambodia, so you can imagine how excited I was to finally put it into action. Steve (and one of his fratty friends who served about 6 years ago) was a big part of the reason I decided to apply for the Peace Corps in the first place, so it’s fitting that
Check out this article on the Habitat for Humanity website for more info about our build. You can also read about the Jimmy Carter blitz build taking place in November that I hope to be a part of. Keep your fingers crossed that Water Festival falls on those dates!p.s. pics from Malaysia and Habitat are up on facebook and under my "Six Months Plus" photos. Enjoy!
As promised - the photos from Malaysia and Habitat for Humanity are up (under Six Months Plus)! Enjoy.
Picture me in a hard hat. Ok – good. Now picture me laying bricks. Still with me? How about me climbing on scaffolding? Yeah, I know – I probably lost you all the way back at the hard hat. But I swear it’s all true! Fifteen volunteers and I joined up with Habitat for Humanity for a week to build a community center for homeless Cambodians in Oudong province. This project was actually a test run to
After literally counting down the days until April 10th for more than a month, Dan, Deidre, Tara and I finally boarded our plane for Malaysia. This was, of course, after my traditional stop at the DQ inside the terminal. Before going, I didn’t know much about Malaysia other than the fact that it wasn’t Cambodia. And that was enough for me. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur late that evening; leaving us
For the most part, I think I’ve dealt with differences between Cambodian and American culture pretty well. You know what they say though, “it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks,” and I often need to remind myself of the maxim I give Cambodians when they find my own behavior confusing: it’s not wrong, just different. I’d like to say I’m a big enough person to look beyond all those differences,
This past week I hosted an HIV/AIDS Awareness Week at my school. It didn’t turn out the way I expected, but it was a huge success all in all. It was especially meaningful for me because it’s the first major project I pulled off without any Peace Corps support. Originally, I planned to show the BBC mini-drama “Palace of Dreams” (a Cambodian film about a love-triangle and their experiences with
A funny aspect about Khmai culture is that almost no one uses their names. Instead of calling people by their first name, they call each other by their title. There are no “Hey Paul’s” or “Hey Sue’s!” Its all “bong-sery” (big sister), and “loak-crew” (teacher - male). Usually I get “neak-crew” (teacher - female), “bong-Whitney” (Whitney-who-is-older-than-me), gohne-oi (child), or plain old “
This past weekend reminded me why I traded in my Prada bags for a backpack. After IST, Deidre and I hightailed it down to Kep beach where we would be meeting Dan and his friend Nina for a few days of beach bumming. Think fresh seafood, empty beaches, straw bungalows, and miles and miles of clear blue water. Now that’s what I had in mind when I joined Peace Corps. Kep is off the beaten path of the
Picture this. Tiffany, Tara, Deidre, Kelsey and I are sitting at the United States Embassy eating lunch in the atrium. If there’s one place to be on your best behavior, the United States Embassy is probably it. Spending an afternoon on “American soil” proved to us all just how native we’ve gone … and how badly we’re in denial about it.Our Program Training Officer, Cheryl, organized a lunch at the
The scene is pretty typical. I’m riding my bike somewhere and I see a crowd of people. True of any event where mob mentality is involved, there’s pandemonium everywhere. All the motos are stopped, kids are gawking around in the street, and everyone else is huddled around some unfortunate (and usually gruesome) traffic accident. At that point, I pretty much give up on getting to my destination in
In-Service Training (IST) is just two weeks away and that means I have to start thinking about what I’m going to say in my quarterly progress report. As you know, some weeks I feel like I literally accomplish nothing … but when I sat down and started to list the projects I’ve worked on over the last six months, I realized I was underestimating my own achievements! The simple act of breaking down
When I think of Siem Reap, the words “tourist trap” come to mind. What you don’t know, is how absolutely thrilling those two words are after 6 months in-country as a “native.” I know it seems like every other weekend I’m running off to Battambang or Phnom Penh … but Siem Reap puts them both to shame. Phnom Penh caters to the ex-pat crowd. Sure, there are tons of Westerners, but most of them live
Top 10Things about the Bode
1. Looking up at the stars as I ride my bike back after my evening classes, while listening to Il Divo’s rendition of the Unchained Melody
2. Ice cold Ovaltine with sweetened, condensed milk and made-to-order fruit smoothies from street vendors
3. Being able to take an hour-long nap after lunch … and not feeling guilty at all
4. Teaching myself to play guitar
New photos from my trip to Phnom Penh, Preh Net Preah and Battambang. Happy stalking!
With most of my settling in allowance still in the bank, and a green light to travel, what makes you think I wasted last weekend in Pursat? We weren’t having school on Friday anyway, so it seemed like another perfect opportunity to see some of the country. That, and Deidre has the new Bond movie. Friday morning, I hitched a taxi to Battambang, caught a second to Svay, and a third to Preh Net
You know, I honestly believe every relationship (even the best ones) hit that point where you think to yourself, “Now or never -- it’s time to bail!” I call it The Six Month Slump. As my friends will tell you, it’s my excuse for nearly all relationship malfunctions between the six and nine month mark. At six months, it isn’t a novelty anymore and you need to decide if you can continue playing the
90 days. Just 90 days. We weren’t supposed to leave our provinces for the first three months of service to give ourselves time to fully “integrate“ at site. Now, some of us -may or may not have taken this mandate more seriously than others, but the fact of the matter is: our travel was limited no matter what. Even with seeing everyone over Christmas, we were still feeling a little antsy to get
Dear All,
For the past few weeks, I have been working with an NGO in my town called Sustainable Cambodia. I work there four nights a week, teaching students from very very poor backgrounds. The NGO provides full funding for their education and for many students' needs at home. Its an incredible organization with even more incredible students. They are easily the highlight of my day ... every
When Thanksgiving rolled around, I was determined not to let the holiday turn into just another day in the ’Bode. Bri and I planned to visit Tyler’s site and cook dinner, complete with “Thanksgiving chicken,” green beans and mashed - actually more like mushed up - potatoes. Okay, so there was no pumpkin pie, or outrageous family drama, but it definitely gave me those warm fuzzy feelings. Now, I
It’s official! I know my home for the next two years!!!! I’ll be at the Hub until Sunday and then heading to my site for three days to look around and meet my permanent host family. After that, I’m off to Phnom Penh for a dinner at the Ambassador’s house (correction: pool party and bar-b-q) and a weekend of celebration with the rest of the PCTs.
I will be living in the provincial town called
Returning to Tuk Phos from my mini-vacation in Battambang was very bittersweet. The trip itself was exactly what I needed. Deidra, Katie, Tiffany, Tara and I put on our best tourist clothes and hit the town. Battambang (or at least Hotel Banan) will never be the same … but I’m getting ahead of myself. Friday morning, I woke up early to pack and prepare for our trip. Everyone was excited to get
It’s hard to believe roughly a month has passed by already. The days are so busy they literally melt into each other, but sometimes time seems to move so slowly that I give up all sense of temporality aside from the passing interest in when my next language class will be over. It’s strange to think about time moving along at a normal pace in the “real world.” Every time I look at my calendar, I
That means hello in Cambodian – or I should say Khmai. Here are a few highlights in my life since the last time I was at the hub site:
Monday-Friday we worked in groups of three to practice teaching a 10th grade Cambodian class. We split the lesson into three 45 minute sections (vocab, grammar, and conversation) and rotated our topics each day so we would all have a chance to teach each
One of the most frequent questions I have received is how this experience compares to studying in France. If I were in Paris right now, I would be sitting in my jungle-themed room instead of in the jungle. I can remember how that roomed smelled so well, and the red velvet curtains by my front door. Sneaking in late at night with Meg and Kathy long after the metros had closed or re-opened.
I haven’t logged onto the internet in years. Okay, it’s actually only been about 15 days, but I decided to enjoy my first few weeks in Cambodia without trying to squeeze in a few slow minutes on the web while fighting with a decaying PC as other volunteers waited to do the same. My brilliant – or maybe not so brilliant – plan was to wait until we moved to our training sites, where I would only be
The 36 of us were first thrown together in the chic Kabuki hotel in San Francisco for a day of paperwork, overwhelming amounts of information and a few uncomfortable ice breakers. After a whirlwind orientation to the Peace Corps, I spent my last night eating hot dogs with sauerkraut and a chocolate malt before waiting an hour and a half in line to sit front-and-center at the 9:45 showing of The
My staging information arrived this past Friday -- that's pre-training training by the way. My flights are booked. I'm actually going to Cambodia. I leave July 17th to round off my summer of road trips in LA with Lindsey before arriving in San Francisco on the 19th. A few days in a sweeeet hotel - Last Supper style - before heading out on the 21st. San Fran to Tokyo, Tokyo to Bangkok (with a 7
When I found out I would be serving in Cambodia I was working at the Writing Center. The Peace Corps sent an email notifying me that an invitation had been sent in the mail, but I still didn't know what country I was assigned to. I wasn't tutoring anyone that afternoon, so I was mindlessly surfing my application website looking for any clues as to where I might be going. Then I saw it. In a
The hardest part of my application was, by far, the essay portion. I've posted my two essays and the prompts that went with them to give you an idea of my interest in the Peace Corps. I must have edited them a least 100 times, and still feel like they do not capture my desire to think, feel and live beyond my own personal borders.
Cross-cultural Experience
Peace Corps Volunteers must be open to
I was sitting with my brother at lunch this winter talking about my job search. Crisis, of course. I wanted to do something meaningful and exciting, but all I could come up with was the prospect of a future in corporate America. As the older, wiser sibling, he suggested I look into the Peace Corps because his friend Mark served a few years ago and loved the experience. I was a little apprehensive
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