Safety & Security

Recently I went for a walk down the dirt road I lived on for the first few months at site, it winds back through rice fields and houses. While walking I ran into my old neighbor. She asked me if I was afraid to walk alone and I naturally said no and continued on my way. I passed a few more houses with people who waved and asked where I was going. I kept walking and was invited to sit and "talk play" with a family, so I did. When I got up to go with the intention to walking farther they scolded me and told me to go home because it was 5:00p. They seemed to be looking past me so turned and saw a random guy sitting on his moto just staring at us. Or me rather. I had seen him ride his moto past me at least 4 times while I was walking. So, I turned around and walked back towards town. Then I started thinking again about the question "are you afraid?" and why I am not. It occurred to me that people like that family are why I feel safe walking alone on backroads.

Now I am sitting in a hotel room in Siem Reap and thinking about why I feel perfectly safe leaving my moneyand passport on the night stand and my laptop and ipod on the bed while in a huge tourist town on one of the bussiest weekends of the year(Water festival). I think last night is a pretty good illustration of why. My roommate and I came back late after going out dancing to find that they had pulled the gate over the doors shut. Getting locked out of your guest house could be cause for alarm, but they knew we were out and left the gate slightly open so we could get back in. The two women who run the front desk were asleep on cots in the lobby and we did not want to wake them so we hopped behind the counter to look for our key. We could not find it. Naturally I am thinking...well if we could get in and just jump behing the counter then anyone could do it...But eventually we woke one of the women and she laughed, lifted up her pillow, and handed us our room key.

When we all first got to country we were told, as were PC trainees all over the world I am sure, that the best way to ensure our personal safety was to build relationships in our communities. After a little over a year I can say I think they are right.I feel safe walking alone in my community because I cannot go 10 feet without being greeted, asked where I am going, or asked to join a family in whatever they happen to be doing at the time (usually eating rice or talk playing). Moreover they warn me when something is off (subtly, but still). I feel safe leaving my valuables in a hotel room in Siem Reap because the ladies downstairs call me sister, know where I live and who I came here to visit, and sleep with my room key under their pillow!

Creative Parenting

I’ve seen a lot of what I will term “creative parenting” during my time in Cambodia, but I saw a particularly amusing technique while at the health center this week. There was a woman waiting for a pre-natal checkup with a son who looked to be about two. He was running wild having a great time and his poor 6-months pregnant mother was chasing him all over the place. Eventually she got fed up. He was getting ready to make a run for it again so she grabbed a piece of medical tubing that was lying around and tied one end of it to his ankle and the other to her chair. Then she and the other pregnant ladies sat there and laughed at him while he tried to get away and dissolved into wailing fits of rage on the floor. Tying up your children seems to be frowned upon in America, but in Cambodia it accomplishes the desired result AND provides entertainment for your friends.

This past week has been the coldest of my Cambodian experience and I am being a complete baby about it. I have been sleeping in a sweater with 2 blankets. I am not sure if it has actually been cold or if I have just become that used to the climate. I am considering putting together a photo album of Khmer winter fashions because people wear the most hilarious get ups to keep warm. I saw a little girl in a santa suit the other day.

Among other highlights; I got to make a trip down to the beach over a long weekend to celebrate halloween with friends. The beach makes me happy. Also, I was able to attend a Hillary Clinton meet and greet at the US Embassy along with about 20 other volunteers. I was not one of the lucky few who got to shake her hand (I thought lunging over children was sort of bad form)but it was still a cool experience. Foo has started wearing a backpack and telling me he is going to school to learn English. So far he knows "1-10" (not necessarily in order) as well as "bye bye." His backpack contains a notebook, pen, waterbottle, and rubber band gun. He has taken to shooting me with the rubber band gun (doesnt actually shoot rubber bands...just makes a snapping noise) and then yelling "CHER STOP DYING!!!!!!!!!!" It is more funny in Khmer because there are two words for die. One is used for humans and the other for animals. He uses the animal death word for me. Thanks Foo.