The Joys of Teaching

Laos #3: In Which I Return to Phnom Penh

Vientiane was good: it actually got cold, so I picked up a sweatshirt and a scarf, because the long sleeved things I had brought with me from Phnom Penh were not enough. We were planning on a trek of sorts through the Bolaven Plateau to see some waterfalls and such, but all of the packages ended up being too expensive for our budget, so we passed. Instead, we walked around the city a bunch, really got a feel for it, and spent a nice full afternoon in Talat Sao, the biggest market in the city. We spent an afternoon at Buddha Park as well. Buddha Park is this big field, full of statues of Buddha and related characters from the stories.

The big story of this half of the trip did not happen in Vientiane, however. From Vientiane, we moved on to Vang Vieng, the backpacker town in Laos. The main activity in Vang Vieng is tubing down the river. After a day of tubing, we went out to dinner. I took some cash with me in my camera case, which also had my passport in it (thank god, but keep reading), but left my ATM and credit card in my room. When we returned from dinner, my cards and the rest of my cash was gone, along with the little bit of cash that the other girls had left in the room. We switched guesthouses, but still I saw stuck in Laos with no money, and no way to get any money.

By our last day in Laos, I still hadn’t figured out how to get any cash to get myself out of Laos and back to Cambodia. I was rushing around, using my last few kip (and some of my friends') to make desperate phone calls and send panicky emails – to no avail whatsoever. With an hour before the bus to Cambodia was supposed to leave, I realized I had stuff: an iPod, two cameras, and two memory cards, and stuff can be sold for cash everywhere, at almost any time. So, I asked at the internet café if they knew of a place where I could sell electronics, and the guy behind the counter directed me to a place called “Essop”. I looked everywhere for “Essop”, but had no luck finding it, so I checked in a different internet café. This time, they told me the place was called “S-Hop”. Though I did not find anywhere called “S-Hop” during my second jog around Vang Vieng, I did happen upon a place called F-Shop: a dusty little shop filled with used iPods, cameras, cell phones – exactly the place I was looking for. 15 minutes and some hard bargaining later, I had sold my iPod, my small camera, and two memory cards for $100.

By the way, bargaining while panicking, with someone who doesn’t speak English is not fun. At the end of the transaction, the owner’s wife came out from behind the counter, put her hand on my shoulder, and said, “Ok?” with a really concerned expression on her face. I looked at her with a face that probably looked like I was about to burst into tears (because I was – so happy that I could go home, and still so stressed) and said, “No, I just really need to get home.” She looked so confused, but patted my shoulder and gave me a smile and a “Thank-you!” It was nice though, to finally have someone recognize that I wasn’t quite alright.

After the bus ticket from Vang Vieng to Phnom Penh, the exit fees from Laos, the entry fees and visa for Cambodia, and the tuk-tuk ride from the bus station to my apartment, I was left with one, single US dollar to my name.

And, to be honest, I have never loved a dollar, or Phnom Penh, more in my entire life.

Laos #2: In Which I Depart From Phnom Penh

When we left for Si Phan Don (4000 Islands), which is a group of islands on the Mekong River just over the boarder in Laos, we were not prepared for the length, or the heat, of the bus ride. We were literally on the bus all day, and about four hours into the journey the air conditioning broke. Instead of being relatively cool as we watched the countryside fly by, we were stuck in a crowded bus in the blazing Cambodian sun. It was insane: It was actually cooler outside when we stopped for lunch than it was in the bus. Every time we got back on the bus and sat down, I’d immediately fall asleep it was so hot.

4000 Islands was nice though: we stayed on the island of Don Det, the backpacker hangout spot. One of the days we were there we rented bikes and rode all over Don Det and Don Kohn, eventually finding a place to go swimming in the Mekong. We ate at this little restaurant right on the edge of the river, and then biked back to Don Det to see the sunset.

After we had exhausted the options of things to do on the islands, we moved on to Pakse. Pakse is the quietest town I have been in since coming to Southeast Asia. The only thing to do is go to the market whose claim to fame is that it is supposedly the biggest market in Asia (though we are 100% sure that is not true). It does have deeeeelicious food though. We had the best spring rolls ever, the most delectable rice and stir-fried vegetables, and these melt-in-your-mouth sesame pastries. The sesame pastries were ridiculously: they are a light, hollow ball of dough with sesame seeds on the outside, and inside the pastry is a smaller ball of a coconut paste of sorts. Before you eat it, you smash the ball with the heel of your hand, the paste smooshes, the dough flattens, and you have this warm, slightly sweet, nutty circle of heaven to eat. I’m still not sure as to why we only bought one each (and I’m really sad I haven’t seen them in Cambodia).

After 24 hours in Pakse, we had had enough and were ready to move on, so we booked tickets on the night bus to Vientiane, and headed out.

Laos #1: A Quick Break From Cambodia

Tomorrow I leave for Laos for ten days with three friends from Projects Abroad: Bonnie, Myah, and Amira. I’m really excited to get out of Cambodia for a bit, to get out of Phnom Penh, and experience another culture for a few days.

New Year's on the Beach? Yes, Please!

To welcome in the New Year, my friends Bonnie, Myah, Amira and I went to Sihanoukville. We spent the days (and night) on the beach sunbathing, relaxing, and generally having a blast.

It was weird, just as Christmas was, to celebrate the New Year with no snow. I am used to hot cocoa and ice skating on New Year’s Eve – not swimming and walking along the beach after an meal at a beachside restaurant.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas (or, Christmas in Cambodia)

I’m not sure I am a fan of 85°F Christmases. Actually, I am pretty much 100% sure that I prefer freezing cold, snowy Christmases. Even though my Christmas this year was of the 85 degrees and sunny variety, it was still an exciting day.

The day began with a medical scare: My friend Bonnie came downstairs and asked me for my thermometer for our other friend, because she was feeling a little warm. When Bonnie came to give back the thermometer, she said that the fever was 106 degrees, or, at least, that’s what I thought she said. At that point, you are in big trouble, so I freaked out and started rushing around to get to the clinic. We finally got to the clinic after fighting with our tuk-tuk driver about how to get there, and then were told we couldn’t stay, because our friend had to sleep. When we got back to the apartment, Bonnie and I were talking and she told me that the fever was just 101.6 degrees, so I calmed down a bit, and was able to help make food for lunch.

After picking up our friend at around noontime, most of the volunteers gathered on the rooftop for a big potluck dinner. We had spring rolls; guacamole and chips and salsa; mashed potatoes; BBQ; fried rice; salad; and (my favorite part) falafel. For dessert there was mango and chocolate mousse.

I received a pair of pants from my Secret Santa, and even though the pants are awesome, the best present was talking to my family on their Christmas morning and watching them all open presents over Skype.

Cultural Weekend 2010: The Sobering Sunday

Today, I visited the Toul Sleng S-21 Museum and the Killing Fields. S-21 was a prison in Phnom Penh where prisoners of the Khmer Rouge were kept. Some were killed in the prison, and others were transport to the Killing Fields before they died. Both sites are full of horror and memory, but both are integral in understanding the Cambodian people of today.

The fist three photos are at S-21, and the last two are at the Killing Fields.