Saturday, July 25, 2009

Day 1 in Phnom Penh (7/25/09)

I have so much to write about from my first day here to bare with me.

I was planing to meet Susan for breakfast at 9:00 am to go over the basics of the program. Not able to sleep (I must have Shane syndrome), I woke up at 6:30 in time to watch the beginning of the Yankees game on ESPN (thank god I got my baseball fix). I met Susan at a neighboring outdoor pool area/restaurant for a quick bite to eat. This place looks like it is straight out of Malibu, CA. There are lavish pools with trendy sunbathing beds along the edges...pretty crazy. I had a small salad to eat, then we decided to walk around town for a bit. It is so incredibly hot here. While temperatures range in the mid to upper 80s, the sun just beats on you. I was sweating within seconds of walking outside. Walking around town I noticed 2 things very quickly: The people here are extremely friendly, and everything here is incredibly cheap. Everyone wants to stop and share a few words with you, greeting you in traditional Cambodian fashion (hands palm to palm at your chin and a slight bow). The people here look like a mix between Mexicans and Indians. It is very easy to differentiate between Cambodians and others from Asia. Walking along the streets from shop to shop, everything is so so cheap. Conveniently, the American dollar is the most widely accepted form of currency. A typical meal is around $4.

Phnom Penh is a bustling city, with moto bikes everywhere. I don't understand how the traffic system here works because there are no traffic lights and minimal stop signs. People on the bikes roam freely, swerving as they please, sometimes in the opposite direction of traffic. The taxi cab here is called the tuk tuk, which is essentially an open air carriage pulled by a moto. A typical fare is a couple of bucks.

Cambodia has a very rich, yet disturbing history. From 1975-1979, the country was run by the Khmer Rouge, an extremist group aimed at destroying all traditions by destroying landmarks and killing any opposition (including intellectuals, doctors, lawyers, etc.). Families were torn apart during this period, but the country is slowly, but surely, recovering. There are NGOs everywhere helping to improve Cambodia. Walking down major streets, there are orpahned children begging for money or food, many of whom have lost limbs from nearby landmines (there are still thousands of them in the countryside). Many NGOs are set up to help get these kids off the streets. We ate lunch at a pace called Friends, which takes orphaned kids off the streets and gives them vocational training at the restaurant. The service was great, and we had a delicious traditional meal...chicken curry with white rice and a salad.

We spent much the of the afternoon walking around the city. We visited the King's Royal Palace which was spectacular. While waiting in line to enter, a bunch of Americans and video cameras ran through the crowd towards the palace. While everyone was baffled, I had to explain that they were filming an episode of the American tv program the Amazing Race. While Susan and I were getting tickets, one of the teams cut us to request their money back (they were apparently at the wrong place). To kill time before our 5:00 dinner, we both got traditional Khmer massages for a staggering $12. For 1 hour, this lady put me in the most ridiculous positions for massage every muscle in my body. It was like my high school wrestling days being put in body locks and full nelsons. Regardless, I feel great.

We had dinner at a traditional Cambodian place with a friend of Susan's, where were ate pork with white rice, sour beef soup, and banana salad (lunch was more appetizing...not gonna lie). To cap off the evening, we saw an Khmer dance performance at the Sovanna Phum arts center. The men wore giant masks and pretended to be both monkeys and warriors. I had no idea what was going on, but it was still entertaining. After the show is was 8:30 I was ready for bed. I crashed immediately when getting home.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I had too much to write about (plus I know Mom is thrilled to know that I am surviving).

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