The Calm Before the Storm

Well, it is officially November, and while friends and family in the US are enjoying the chilly weather and changing leaves of Fall, it has actually gotten a bit chilly here in Cambodia. By chilly, I mean 70 degrees, but after months of sunny, hot 90 degree weather I am almost tempted to put on a jacket. 

A view of the lake during Water Festival

Along with this time of year comes the beginning of the school year, and I am excited for it to get started with my primary assignment: teaching at the Provincial Teacher Training College in my town. Over the past few weeks, I have had the chance to get to know some of my students and a few teachers and staff. On the 1st, we had a welcome back ceremony, full of speeches and wishes for a good year. As part of that ceremony, I, along with the other new teachers, had to introduce myself, to the 200+ students gathered for the ceremony. While my students have already graduated from high school, they still wear the typical uniform of white collard shirts and black or dark blue pants and skirts and act like the younger students I have interacted with: standing and often bowing when speaking to me (a teacher) and cautiously trying out the standard Khmer questions in English. Normally, it is "what is your name?", "where are you from?", "how old are you?", and "are you married?” in that order.

Freshly squeezed sugar cane juice

Following closer after, I am usually asked if I have eaten rice already, which is to ask if I have already had whatever meal is temporally closest. “Nyam bye” (eat rice) is the standard way to talk about food in general, whether you are actually eating rice or not. Walk into any Khmer home and the first thing you will hear after hello is the question about if you have eaten already “Nyam bye haej?” (eat rice already?) which is often followed by an insistence to eat something with the residents of the home. It’s little wonder rice is such a big part of Khmer culture and daily life; it’s usually eaten three times a day, and many PCVs often joke that if there isn’t rice at a meal, you have not really eaten in the eyes of Khmer culture. When I describe the food in America and my daily eating habits there, Khmer people are shocked by my answer that I only ate rice a couple times a month, usually opting for potatoes or bread instead. When I told my host sister this, her eyes got really wide and she shook her head in amazement, declaring she didn’t think she could live in America because she wouldn’t be able to eat without rice.

First festival "parade" I've seen going down our street

I am not sure how I got on a rice and culture tangent, but there it is. It turns out that my actual classes won’t start until Monday, so the past few days have been an unexpected respite from the craziness I am sure will come. I am often struck by the juxtaposition of the importance education has in Khmer culture and how many holidays and cancelled classes interrupt the school year; many students take extra lessons during the lunch hour or before and after school in order to get a better education, spending precious time and money. I am sure it is something I will continue to think about over the next two years. 

 

 

Next weekend, I am also headed to Phnom Penh with a fellow PCV for Bon Om Tuk (Water Festival), the first time I will have left the province in two months. I will definitely be stocking up on peanut butter, new books, and other exciting things while in the capitol! 

Until next time, 

Carissa 

A lovely wat (pagoda) in town