Lessons Learned... So Far

Here we are at the end of the third week of PST! As I reflected on my time in Cambodia so far, I couldn’t help but think about all the things I have learned… things that once felt impossible, weird, annoying, things that are now far easier. They told us at staging to think of ourselves as babies again; we would need to re-learn to do the most basic things. They were right. So, I decided to dedicate this post to those new skills and some of the lessons I have learned in the process. 

1) Eating Food

 

The first meal we had in Cambodia!

Eating… a basic human need. It is something that should be relatively easy, but adjusting to a new way of doing things has not always been easy. Almost everything has been different from utensils to types of food for each meal. Most Cambodians eat with a spoon, fork, and a bowl of rice; chopsticks are only used when you eat noodles, which is normally a breakfast food. For lunch and dinner, my family normally makes two or three main dishes (soup, stir fried vegetables and meat) that each person takes a bit of to eat with rice. 

On my first morning, my host dad bought bread from the market for me, which was delicious! He has continued to make me coffee every morning, something I really appreciate. While food and food culture can be very different in each country, the desire to offer comfort through food is pretty universal. My host mom always asks if I like what she makes or if there is something else I would like to eat. 

 2) Everything Bathroom-related

   
Showering, going to the restroom, all of that is significantly different now. Most of the homes volunteers are staying in do not have running water, Western toliets, or shower heads. So, everything is done using a cistern and a little bucket. In the beginning, the cold water felt nice after a hot day, but it is a little colder at night now which makes showering a bit less pleasant. However, it is honestly not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I was a bit worried the first night that I would not be able to get used to the bathroom-related changes, but now it doesn’t feel weird!

   

3) Laundry by Hand

   

One of the toughest new items on my weekly chore list is doing laundry by hand. I will never take a washing machine for granted again! To wash clothes, I need two large bowels filled with water, a board to scrub on, a stiff brush, soap, and fabric softener. I scrub each piece individually, wring it out, and then transfer it to fresh water. After that, I wring it out again and put it in a bowel with fabric softener and water. Finally, I wring it out again and hang it up on the lines next to my house. It is quite a process! Some Cambodians pay to have their laundry washed (either by hand or with a washing machine), but since my host family washes by hand, I decided to stick with it. While I don’t always look forward to getting up early on my day off to wash clothes, it has given me the opportunity for reflection each week. I can listen to some music, think about my week, and get lost in the repetitive motion. 

     

 4) Speaking Khmer 

   
The most important skill I have gained in the past three weeks is speaking Khmer. Peace Corps has an great language learning program, and the LCFs (Language and Culture Facilitators) here in Cambodia are AMAZING. They have been extremely patient and motivating, which makes 4-6 hours a day of language bearable. If you would have told me three weeks ago that I would know as much Khmer as I know now, I would not have believed you. I don’t know a lot, but I can understand my host family when they need to tell me something, which is a big milestone. I also successfully found and bought a few items I needed at the market this week!! I have found that putting yourself out there and having a sense of humor when you mess up are key to the learning language process, especially when you are immersed in the language all the time like we are. 

My first language group and some of the kids that help us practice

 

Pictures of the primary school where we have language lessons!

A view of the school yard

5) … Eating a Banana

My host mom was very confused by how I peeled my bananas. I learned you do not peel from the stem, because you can hold on to the stem when you eat it.