I finally have internet access

So I finally have access to the internet after being internet free for over a week. I can't begin to explain the hassle with trying to get connected to the internet at Wat Opot. I gave up on getting connected a few days ago. After spending a about two weeks in the village, I decided to take a two day vacation back to Phnom Penh. Getting back to the city was easier than I thought. In traditional Cambodian fashion, I decided to take a fully occupied van to the hotel. While the fare was a meager 6000 riel ($1.50), there were 14 other passengers in the crowded vehicle, non of whom spoke a single word of English, and a half dozen live chickens resting in the rear. Mom and Dad don't worry, I obviously made it back in one piece. Once I got here, I did what any normal American guy would who had been living in a village for a couple of weeks...I gorged at the local fast food chain, Lucky Burger. While the food at Wat Opot is delicious, most meals lack meat, bread, cheese, and most importantly, chocolate. At the burger joint, I ordered a double Lucky Burger, large fries, large coke, large oreo ice cream cone, and then I went to the supermarket and bought a giant chocolate candy bar. I am currently drinking an iced chocolate drink as I type this blog entry (lunch was only an hour ago).

Life at Wat Opot has been unbelivable. I continue to tutor a few monks for an hour everyday (along with a couple of other local villagers). I can see improvements everyday, which is pretty cool. The temple in the town is beautiful. Every Saturday night, Wat Opot hosts a 45 minute Buddhist ceremnoy, which is one of the coolest ceremonies I have ever witnessed. All of the kids are in attendance and their chanting is amazing. It is hard to imagine 60 or so kids sitting still for over 30 minutes, but their patience is unreal. Embedded within the service is a 15 minute meditation period, and once again you don't hear a single peep from any of the kids. Meditation is a huge deal here, and Buddhists use it as a way of cleanising the mind. Srey Aun, the 25 year old volunteer I work with, told me about a 10 day meditation session she did where you don't say a single word the entire time. You honestly sit and meditate all day every day...I will not be taking part. Refardless, the Buddhist culture is so fascnating to me.

There are some really unique kids that I work with. All of the kids at Wat Opot have a story pertainting to HIV. Many kids are HIV positive themselves, while others are orphaned after their parents deceased from the virus. One of the kids here, Pesei, is now 18 years old and is a damn good artist. He grew up in a wealthy family until his father went away on business, slept with an HIV positive prostitute, and contracted it himself. He then gave the virus to his wife and passed a few months later. Unable to support her daughter and son, Pesei's mother sent him to the streets begging for money. Barely living on nothing, Pesei, his mother, and his sister, Srey Lak, moved to Wat Opot. His mother passed a couple of years ago, and Pesei's artwork reflects the relationhship he had with her. Another kid that I have been tutoring in English and computers, Chanadara, is an aspiring singer. Last week, he took me to an older woman's home so he can show me his singing skills. In her home was an old fashioned karaoke machine, microphone and all. I heard him sing about 8 songs at 200 riel a piece (a few cents). When riding him I joked that we were two celebrities, him for being a singer and me for being White. I think that I enjoy spending the most time with the little kids. There are a group of about 6 little girls who enjoy jumping all over me and have me spin them around in circles. They tire me out and are the reason why I sleep so well at night.

So for the most part, I have been teaching English and computer skills. I didn't venture out with the home care team last week. Their work has changed drastically over the last couple of years because fewer and fewer people are getting sick with the availability of ARVs. I started playing volleyball with some of the older kids, but it is just too hot outside. This past week was particularly unbearable. It was between 95-100 degrees for about 5 straight days....and no AC. It is imposisble to get anything done between the hours of 11-2 betweens it is simply too hot. I use that time to read. Miraculously, I am in the middle of reading my 7th book in two weeks. Sleeping has been pretty difficult too, but I have gotten used to it. Also, the water pump hasn't been functioning over the past few days, so I just took my first real shower in about 5 days 20 minutes ago (best shower ever).

Volunteers have come and gone since I have been here. Fiona and Merica, the two New Zealand ladies, left on Friday. It was nice having them around, and we even visited a nearby Wat on Mt. Chisor together. Every evening, we spend time at the local "coffee shop," where coffee is a quarter, and you can get a plate of fried potatoes and bananas with sugar for only 12 cents. It is a treat when some of the volunteers bring some novelty foods, such as bread or instant mocha latte. Regardless, the normal food is still delcious. I have eaten more rice the past 2 weeks than I have the previous 22 (almost 23...wink wink) years of my life.

Anyway, im going to be in the city until Wednesday, so I will try to report with anything that I forgot tomorrow. It is also interesting because I havent kept up with the news over the past two weeks. Apparently there is a huge monsoon in Taiwan, Hussein Bolt broke the 100 meter dash record, Mike Vick is on the Eagles (wow), and Tiger just lost a a major championship after leading going into the final day. Crazy. Also, I feel like a moron because I left my camera in the village so I can't post pics yet. Sorry Shane.