Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Days 8 and 9: Wat Phnom, US Embassy, Royal Palace and Tutti Frutti!

Day 8: Today was very packed full with cultural learning! The day started off as normal with a Khmer language lesson. After, Srey Aun and I headed to the Royal Palace. It was my second attempt at visiting the palace as the first time it was closed to visitors because the Ambassador of India was visiting. Wells turns out it was closed again, but would re-open in the afternoon. So Srey Aun and I took a walk along the Riverside and made our way to the post office so I could mail some postcards and letters. Then we headed to Wat Phnom- the legendary only "hill" in Phnom Penh. This is place where people come to pray for good luck at the pagoda (temple) and make offerings to Buddha in the form of money, gifts, candles, or food. Once people have received their wish they return to make an offering of thanks. It is also a place to pray for loved ones who have died. Wat Phnom is a very busy place! Lots of tourists, beggars, vendors, sex workers, and one poor elephant you can pay $1 to feed bananas. And of course as an American tourist I totally bought into it and paid the dollar and got some pics with the elephant. At the pagoda I learned some more about Buddhism and it's basic teachings. Meditation is a big part of Buddhism and is about calming your mind, which then will calm your body.

After touring Wat Phnom, we headed to the US Embassy which was right across the street. I needed to update my address here. It took a while to get in, but once I was in it didn't take more than 15 minutes which was awesome. I met some fellow Americans as I waited outside. They were living in Siem Reap which is about 6 hours from Phnom Penh. They were in Cambodia teaching English. However, they came here with the impression that they would be assisting an English teacher. Turns out they are the English teachers and no one in their village speaks English! Made me appreciate my translator and where I live even more!

With my address changed, we headed back to Wat Phnom so tour the museum on site. Most of the displays were in Khmer so I couldn't understand what they said. I tried to get the jist of it from the photos. Then we headed to get some lunch. It was my first real meal in about 4 days since my stomach issues started. We went to FCC- an American style restaurant on the waterfront that caters to journalists. It was more expensive than regular Khmer food. I had fried rice, being careful not to eat too much on my delicate stomach.

After lunch we attempted the Royal Palace one more time and achieved success! It was open to visitors. The king was not home unfortunately. Inside the gates holds beautiful lush gardens and the infamous Silver Pagoda. The floor is covered with more than 5,000 silver tiles which are covered by rugs to preserve them. There are several Buddhas here along with jewels and several items of Khmer craftsmanship, including artwork and intricate masks used during traditional Khmer performances. Very interesting!

With the Royal Palace under our belt we headed back to the apartment. My roommates and I headed out to dinner at the VIP Mini Mart just down the block. We had some Fa (a Vietnamese soup with broth, vegetables, and noodles). It was really good and the portion was huge for the price- only $2.50! The teens who work there are funny. They constantly have Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber music videos playing! And they sing along which is the best part! Very entertaining dinner!

The night concluded with a trip in a tuk tuk to the Riverside to have some Frozen Yogurt at Tutti Frutti- a new frozen yogurt self serve place along the riverside. As we were riding there, I saw all these people in the plazas line dancing! My roommates said one night we would have to go and participate. I am totally game for that!

Tutti Frutti was delicious! It felt so good to have something cold to eat! Average temps here range from high 80s to high 90s with what feels like 100% humidity!

My first night in the city was a blast! And I am thankful that I can eat real food again!

Day 9: Today was spent working on the HIV teaching manual. I added some sections on how to use a condom properly, Healthy Relationships and Emotional Vulnerability. Hopefully they translate well to Khmer language and culture. We got wi-fi in the apartment today which is awesome! There are 4 of us who need internet access at any given point so this will make it so much easier! Usually we go to a local coffee shop to work on the manual because they have wi-fi and it is so much quieter. Construction is going on right across the street from us. It is really loud and makes it impossible to concentrate and work. They start at 7am and end around 6pm- seven days a week! Kate (one of my roommates and the assistant coordinator) is working really hard on getting our work placements for next week. Sounds like we might start teaching an HIV class in a university come next week.

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