Meeting with Students

We awake early after a pretty good night's sleep.  The sky is blessedly cloudy as we walk to the Blue Pumpkin breakfast.  Hopefully the clouds will stay all day and give us a break from the heat.

Sao meets us at the Blue Pumpkin and tells us that he has set it up for us to meet with our scholarship students at Bill's and Jill's house at 1100.  As we eat our Western breakfast Sao takes off and promises to pick us up in front at 1030.  We have some time so we walk through the old market.  The smells are sharp and strong as we walk through the food area.  Fruit, meat, and fish are available.  Open bags of rice line the aisles. This is where most of the Khmer people buy their food. It is crowded yet no one seems to mind the flash from my camera.  The other sections are full of "tourist" ware.  There are t-shirts, skirts, silk scarves, jewelry, carved Buddhas.   The vendors half-heartedly ask us if we want to buy.  The last time we were here they seemed more aggressive.  The poor world economy reaches everyone.  The final section is household goods for Khmer; diapers, cleaning products, brooms, medicine.

We leave the market and just walk around old town.  We walk by the guesthouse where we stayed in 2008.  It has completely changed.  It has a different name and looks newer.  Signs promise WiFi and showers.  We only paid $12/night back in 2008, we wonder how much it costs now.

We circle back to the Blue Pumpkin to wait for Sao and soon realize that standing stationary courts beggars and street vendors.  Many of them are missing limbs from the land mines.  I want to help all of them but realize I can't.  We buy a book from one man who is missing a leg and an arm.  We in our good clothes and with full bellies are relieved when Sao pulls up in the tuk tuk.

We head to Bill's and Jill's house through an area we've never been.  Fewer tourists yet many vendors catering to the Khmer.  Naked toddlers and dogs line the street among the food carts and gasoline sellers.

We arrive at their beautiful rental house where Channy is already waiting.  We have not met her as she is in the second group of students who were selected in 2009.  She is quick to smile and we greet her with the traditional som pas -- hands together as if in prayer and a slight bow.  She is studying accounting.  Soon the others arrive -- Sok Kheng is a gentle young man studying information technology.  He has an exam tonight so has brought his book to study.  His English is very good.  Chantrea is next.  She has just finished her exams and will graduate if she passed.  She studied accounting and currently works at the Khmer Kitchen where we ate the other night.  She is working on improving her English.  She and Channy are very close and are constantly holding hands and sitting close together.  Khemra is a strong young woman who is studying civil engineering.  Her speech is very quiet at first, and we have to lean forward to hear her.  Her English is good and she asks a lot of questions.  As she gets more comfortable with us she speaks more loudly.  Chantrea tells us that Sina is working untill 1200 but will join us when she gets off work.  Sina wants to be a lawyer.

It is good having Sao there with us.  He knows them all and can translate when necessary.  Yet he encourages them to speak to us in English, telling them that is the only way they will get better at it.  We ask how their jobs are going; they all work long hours, nearly full time.  And, as a requirement of our scholarship, they must volunteer at the place of their choice at least 5 hours per week.  We tell them how happy we are and how proud of them we are.  I make sure Sao translates this into Khmer as I want to make sure they know this.

The highlight of the meeting is when we get on Skype with Asad and Olivia back in Flagstaff, AZ.  Bill and Jill just arrived with Naret, one of our students, and Sophary, who works at the Land Mine Museum with Bill.  Video skype is a big hit with all as we laugh and wave, continuously moving the laptop around so everyone can be seen.  The temperature is only in the 50s (11 C) back in Flagstaff and Sophary is in a chair with blankets upon her.  The kids back here can't believe how cold it is and laugh at Sophary.  Sina shows up while we are on Skype and gets to say hi to everyone in Flagstaff.  It is a fun time and a good way to end the meeting.   It was good for Matt and me as well, as we miss not having Asad and Olivia here in Siem Reap.
Peace,
Riva & Matt

Back to Cambodia

As we fly over Siem Reap the country side looks much differently than the last time we were here.  In January of 2008 it was the dry season.  The rice fields and pastures were brown and dry.  The air was filled with smoke, acrid and sharp, from burning fields and burning rubbish.  The sky was hazy with a layer of pollution.  Now, as we fly over, the fields are lush and green.  The rice paddies are full of brown water.  The air is clean and the sky full of clouds.  As we get off the plane the air is clean, but the heat hits us like a  baseball bat.

After clearing customs we walk outside and there is our good friend Sao waiting for us.  He waves his arms, his smile wide and easy.  We wave back and walk towards him.  I always have to resist the urge to pull him into a giant hug.  But that is inappropriate in the Khmer culture.  Instead I grab his hand in both of mine and bend from the waist in a show of respect.  He and Matt shake hands, too.  We are so happy to be here!

"Home or lunch?" Sao asks.  "Green House!" I say.  It was our favorite restaurant the last time we came.  We load up Sao's tuk tuk with our bags and climb in.  Soon we are heading towards the city.

We are struck by the number of new hotels that have been built since our last trip.  Many line the road; most look quite empty.  Bad timing with the economy.

Soon Sao pulls into the Green House.  The host probably does not remember us, but we remember his beautiful smile and impeccable manners.  We order a couple of Angkor beers first thing.  Matt and I are so travel weary that first I knock over glass of beer, and then Matt knocks both his fork and knife off the table.  But the food is delicious, just as we remember.  I eat a banana leaf salad with chicken and fresh lime.  it is perfect for the warm weather.  Matt eats fresh spring rolls.  We are happy.

After lunch Sao takes us to the market to buy fruit for our hosts.  This is a traditional Khmer gift when visiting or staying with a family.  We also buy bottled water and an internet card.  The water is unsafe to even brush our teeth in, so bottled water is a necessity.

Finally we make our way to the Yimsut house.  Our friend and advisor, Ronnie Yimsut, works for the US Forest Service in Milwaukee.  He owns a home with his cousin Yarran and Yarran's wife, Sa Eng here in Siem Reap.  Ronnie has two suites on the third floor, and he lets all PE volunteers stay there if they are available.  We are humbled by his generosity.  We pull up to the house and get out Sa Eng greets us warmly and calls to Yarran.  Soon their daughter, Thavy, comes out and they grab all our bags and start carrying them up the stairs to the third floor.

The room is wonderfully cool after the oppressive heat.  Everyone tells us it's not usually this hot.  Dark clouds to the east tease us with the chance of cooling rain.  Sao translates for us as we talk with our hosts.  The language barrier is difficult at times, we are glad Sao is there to help.  His English continues to improve as we notice it is much better than the last time we were here.  Sa Eng tells us that Arun, a young woman who lives with them, wants to meet us and will come up to our suite when she gets home from work at the Children's Hospital at 5:00.  That give us two hours to rest and unpack.

We hear thunder rumbling and go out onto the large balcony.  The air has cooled, and dark clouds race across the sky.  Lightning flashes.  The wind picks up and the trees sway.  We notice the soccer (football) practice in the field near the school continues despite the lightning.  Workers building a second story onto a house nearby also keep working.  Finally, the cool rain begins to fall, the sound on the metal roofs like someone dropping dried beans.  Matt and I sit and watch the storm, enjoying the fresh, cool air.

We go back inside and try to NOT fall asleep.  It is 4:00 pm in Siem Reap but our bodies are still on US Eastern time where it is 5:00 am.  Our goal is to make it to 9:00 pm before sleeping.  It will be tough.  We decide to go back outside and sit at the table on the balcony.

At about 5:30 we hear footsteps coming up the stairs.  It is Sa Eng and Arun.  They sit with us at the table and we get to know Arun.  Her English is excellent and we are soon impressed by this young woman.  She loves working at the Children's Hospital and wants to someday manage this or another hospital.  She is bright, funny, and we enjoy talking to her.  She wants to go with us to visit the BTC site on Sunday, her day off.  She and Sa Eng discuss the logistics and soon have the day planned.  The she tells us that Sa Eng and Yarran want to take us to dinner tonight.  They ask us what kind of food we like, and we tell them we like Khmer food, any kind.  We plan to meet downstairs at 7 to go to Khmer Kitchen for dinner.

At 7 we go downstairs.  Arun is there with a friend of hers.  He works for immigration, and I swear he stamped my passport at the airport!  We get into their car and drive to the restaurant.  It is packed with both Khmer and foreigners.  Arun recommends fried morning glory and long bean salad.  We order those, and her friend orders big bottles of Angkor beer.  He pours beer for us all and we toast.  "Cheers!" they all say which surprises me.  There are also fish cakes with a spicy sauce, fresh spring roles, sweet and sour chicken, minced pork, and BBQ ribs.  And of course perfectly cooked rice.  So much food!  It is so good.  It is a great evening and we enjoy ourselves immensely.

When we get back to the Yimsut suites it is about 8:30.  We thank our generous hosts and walk up to the suite.  It is 9:00 by the time we crawl into bed -- we have hit our goal.  I post a couple photos on facebook turn out the light.  Good first day in Siem Reap.