joining hands in cambodia to shine forth Jesus' Love and Justice.
Happy Independence Day Cambodia!
Yesterday was yet another holiday here in Cambodia. But this was a pretty one, with lights and flags and fireworks (and traffic!). On my way to meet up with friends from the States (Tania, Genilson, Perry, Levi, & Jeremy), I stopped by the roadside to take a few pictures and relish in the fact that I live in Cambodia. : )
Here is a picture of Perry and I in a Tuk Tuk. Yesterday we toured Phnom Penh a bit, which was fun!
My holiday in Ratnikiri, in North East Cambodia, was gorgeous. After an obnoxiously long drive (12 hours) on both paved & dirt roads, we reached what another friend had told us looked liked “England”. We were both skeptical that Cambodia could in any way resemble the topography of England, BUT were very pleasantly surprised! The sight of rolling hills and lush green trees (not pines, of course, but I can’t ask for THAT much!) somewhat calmed my antsy- squished legs. We rode up in a shared taxi van, and although we were grateful to have small people in our shared bench seat, after realizing that our 693km trip would have only taken 7 hours (going 65mph) in the States, and it took us nearly 12, I was ready to be OUT!
“Us or We” for the most part includes myself and my friend Hadley, who is working here short-term from the USA. We shared a cute-rustic-quiet cabin at this lodge in the woods! We spent time hiking to the lake, biking to the town and lake, swimming in the fresh water lake, taking a moto adventure (with other friends we met there) to three waterfalls, riding an elephant, and even making s’mores.
A highlight for me was waking up in the morning and hearing birds chirping, and NO clicking sticks, horns honking, or dogs barking! It was also amazing to wear jeans and hoodies in the evening and waking up from under our heavy blankets and feeling can-I say:: CHILLY!
The s’mores story is worth exapnding a bit, so I will describe both the vision and the reality to you. Hadley and I were hoping to make a campfire and have s’mores in the woods one night. The reality ended up being pink and white marshmallows, with coconut butter biscuits with sesame seeds, and chocolate (that was not good). At our guesthouse we asked if they could make us a fire… they did NOT get the vision (and I am sure thought we were absolutely absured). They kindly offered us a gas stove to use in the restaurant. SO, although we were surrounded by trees and being eaten by bugs, it was not exactly like camping. But the s;mores did taste wonderful. Another event that night was the ants-in-the-pants experience that I had. May I add that these were not just small annoying ants (that would not be a worthwhile story), but were HUGE BLACK BITING ANTS. And they were in my pants, so what else would I do but drop my pants… yes in the restaurant (thankfully just my friend was there- I think)… OOWWW!!!
yum
very cheesy... and not so much a campfire...
On the way home I was worried about not being able to get in the city (I even left a day early because of the horror stories I heard because of Water Festival) and when we got to the police stop point, I smiled : ) and they said “barang” (foreigner) and let the whole van enter the city. Thank you God!! I got back in record time and did not have any additional stress!
Here are some photos from Ratnikri:
yakom lake
riding an elephant
hadley and me.
i can breathe again!
eating at latex center restaurant... after passing a heap of rubber trees
The Honda Super Cub 50, my new ride around Phnom Penh, has quite a history. And I mean that in two ways. One, the Registration Card I have is of a quite large Khmer man who bought the car maybe in 2000… but who knows where it came from before then OR how it came to be sold in Phnom Penh to me.
Second, the Cub 50 is what apparently made Mr. Honda rich. Since they started being made over 50 years ago (in 1958), more than 60 million have been sold worldwide!! AND it is still the best selling powered vehicle of all time (so quotes Wikipedia). Apparently the Beach Boys even recorded a song about it “Little Honda”
A little about the Cub itself. Mine, a Cub 50 (versus the newer Cub 70 or 90 versions) is a “49cc, 4 stroke, underbone bike” – whatever all that means. All I can say for sure is that it has 4 gears (or 3) and the engine revs loud at about 30 kph (less than 20mph, about 19). Sometimes the electric starter works, and other times I find it easier to kick start it. It is also excellent on gas mileage, and I can pay just less than $3 to fill up, and that lasts me about a week!
I love my new moto because I can go faster than on a bike, and am less sweaty & exhausted when I reach my destination. My mood has also increased with my purchase and I am again in an upswing for enjoying my time here, my additional job roles, and even am remembering more Khmer now!
Thanks for your prayers and hopes for safety… I wear a helmet!
In Cambodia it is very easy to make a tailored shirt. You can design one or bring one you already have to copy or show them a picture. They are SO talented and there is a pretty good range of fabrics in the markets.
I am fortunate to have a wonderful neighbor who is a tailor and my friend. She is such a good seamstress, and I want to brag about her fine work…
So here is the picture I showed her to make:
And here is a picture of me and her (me wearing the shirt):
cambodia is the country for holidays. i heard that the number of public holidays in cambodia is FORTY FOUR!! i checked how many the USA has, and it is only ELEVEN. 
chab dai picked 21 of the 44 to celebrate.
a big holiday coming up is the Water Festival, where apparently millions of people from all the provinces and tourists flood into phnom penh to watch boat racing (+300 boats) and listen to concerts. it marks the reversal of the current in the Tonle Sap river.
although i am keen to see this carnival-like holiday, i am going to escape the traffic and crowded city and head to ratnikiri. it is a long journey (10-12 hours) in the northeast of cambodia. the pictures are absolutely gorgeous and it is GREEN, with lakes and hiking and trekking, and i hope to sleep one night in the jungle too. yay for a small piece of home that i miss being here too! i just made definitive plans with my friend, hadley, today. for a sneak peek, check out this site: www.yaklom.com.
more pictures to come… of course!
This weekend I played ultimate frisbee again. We played at a place similar to what I have been missing: a park! It was actually a school (a very nice one!) and I didn’t think there was anywhere in Cambodia to fill my heart’s hopes for a park. : ) But there was and I was happily surprised to be there!! It was so green and the trees were big and offered shade. And we played in the rain too, it was wonderful. : )
I signed up for Sojourners daily verse and prayer. Today I felt encouraged, especially by the prayer. Please pray for personal strength and encouragement!
All one’s ways may be pure in
one’s own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.
Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be
established.
- Proverbs 16:2-3
You are near to the brokenhearted, and you save the crushed in spirit. May we dwell in that truth, remembering that for ourselves as well as for those around us.
Today I visited the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. AMAZING!! Okay, so I walk in and am asked to put on these Croc-like shoes. Then I check in and immediately they say let’s take your picture, and hold up a small webcam… cheese! Wow not expecting that at all. And then I proceed to fill out the paperwork like all normal dentists have. But after I gave it to the receptionist, I stopped at the “drink bar” – they had a counter for help-yourself-drinks while waiting. Teabags, orange powder, coffee packets, water, sugar CUBES (I remember eating those as a kid), AND get this, a full espresso maker!! I was totally impressed.
Then I was escorted in to the room. It was fairly big, with white walls and a baby blue chair. First there was a dental assistant, then the Dentist himself came in, and then another dentist assistant. So the whole time I had 3 people assisting me: holding that instrument that drys your mouth and adjusting the lights. We small chat for a second, they put the bib on me (same metal clips as always!), and then they give me SUNGLASSES. And the light above me had a mirror too, so I could watch everything they were doing in my mouth.
The dentist proceeded to use this electric instrument of sorts to clean the plaque off my teeth. Then shined them with pink paste, and cleaned a bit more. And was done! Built-in to my chair was a water dispenser that was motion-sensored to fill up any cup placed there. And there was a little spit-basin right next to it. Wow high-tech!! I was maybe maybe in there like 20 minutes and it was all done.
I was a bit skeptical because it was different and way faster then at home, but they are clean so nevermind. AND the best part, it only cost me 15 BUCKS… that’s not a co-payment, that’s the whole price before insurance (which I obviously am not filing!). Yay for Cambodia!
1 weekend getaway.
2 guesthouses.
2.5 stars spotted in the sky!
4 pots of lipton tea with limes.
6 hot showers.
Quiet nights and light enough to think.
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By Friday afternoon I was searching for a place to escape to. After much looking and nothing worth finding, I checked into a cute guesthouse by work. I felt somewhat like a refugee coming into the guesthouse a bit frazzled, tired, with no reservations, and with bags just packed in hurry and fury.
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I am not sure I even realized the build-up of small stressors that add up to overtake my thoughts. OR how much I miss the everyday escapes I could make to pretty, green places at home. OR my walks in the park. OR how much I took for granted being “invisible” at home.
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So I tried to hide and find fresh air to breathe and to think clearer!
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It was a great weekend of solitude, reading, drinking pots of tea, swimming, lots of tunes, even some painting, journaling, and praying. I took time to reflect back and look forward to my time in Cambodia. And remind myself of what I love about here, places I like to spend time, what my strengths are and what I am not so great at, times that God provided, and even difficult things I have experienced. And pondered the next few months here…
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I have also been thinking a lot about the “Good News” and the “Gospel”. What is the message of hope that I am living by and do I want to share with others?? What good news can I share with children collecting rubbish on the street? Not a small question, nor answered in a witty one-liner I am learning. But I was reminded about the RELATIONSHIP that God, my Creator and Father, wants with me. One verse that really spoke to me and which was the inspiration to pull out some watercolors was:
“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, & my Father will love him, and WE will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23)
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And that it is a JOURNEY of faith. In house group tonight we talked about what the Good News is and the means by which to share it with others. I walked away thinking about what one person noted: Jesus’ disciples were first intrigued with Him and did not fully understand who He was or His good news until after the resurrection…
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Prayer Points:
- I am in the market for a moto, which I think will decrease some stress/ exhaustion.
- To believe truths about myself and my role here… and confidence in my strengths.
- Language (always!)
- I will be taking on more job responsibilities as my coworker leaves at the end of this month.
- Wisdom about moving and/ or new roommates (mine leaves in 6 weeks)
