Background Information: After an extended bout of soul searching, I determined that my calling in life was to be a teacher. I decided I would go to grad school, get my masters in teaching, and become a high school Art and Cultural Studies teacher. Only problem was, I had zero experience with both teaching and with kids. Solution: teach abroad for a year in a location where the culture is vastly different from that of the U.S. And thus, I wound up in China.
After making a spreadsheet of possible programs, and opted to go with LanguageCorps because they offered a one month TESOL certification program in Cambodia. More cultural experience and I would get to see ancient ruins and tropical beaches; yes please! I graduated and got my TESOL certificate, and am now living in Hefei and teaching English at Aston English School. The following posts will be of the lessons I have learned along the way and would like to pass on to you.
Unit 1: Cambodia (AKA: The Twilight Zone)
Cambodia really should be a class of its own, but seeing as the bulk of my experience will take place in China, a brief summary of the lessons from Phnom Penh will have to suffice. It is a land that is best described as an assault on the senses, specifically:
Feel: Hot, wet and muggy.
Taste: Surprising. You can pay $50 and have a forgettable Italian meal, or you can spend less than $4 and have what you would swear was the best fried catfish or barbequed barracuda on the face of the planet. The surprise is in that you never really know whether it will be bland and boring, or spicy and spectacular. They also regularly eat dog, fried grasshoppers and tarantulas, which isn’t exactly surprising; but seriously, WTF?!
Sight: Colors are not muted in Cambodia. From the tropical hues that dapple the markets, to the bright tiled and gilded rooftops, the color that best epitomizes this land is the vibrant orange of the monks’ cloaks and umbrellas that shield their bald heads from both rain and the blaring sun. The colors are in constant motion; rolling along the brown waves of the rivers, passing from one hand to the next, or blaring and darting by you via a moto, tuk-tuk or a Lexus SUV.
Sound: If Cambodia were a symphony the tempo would be kept by the throngs of vehicles with motors sputtering, clanging or growling out the time. The melody would be the voices of the people singing in broken English of what you should buy, and accompanied by a steady chorus of eager voices chiming “Tuk-tuk laydee? Tuk-tuk laydee?” There are no rests in this piece, but the adagio is considerably slower and is notable for the soft, rhythmic chanting of the monks, and the occasional mournful high chorus of the howling neighborhood dogs.
Smell: If you’ve ever been to a dump, then you have an idea of what Cambodia smells like. Their garbage can is the sidewalk, and that happens to also be the bathroom for a number of people. We drove over Shit Creek every day to get to classes (literally, it’s just an open sewer.) On our way to teaching at the orphanage, my friends and I laughed about the fact that you can judge where you are and give directions based on the smells. You need to get to the orphanage? Once you get to the dirt road take a right, when you get to the smell of urine and feces, go straight and you’ll come to a strong stench of rotting fish; keep going until you reach the smell of vomit and it will be about two shacks down on your right.
Summary: The lady Cambodia is beautiful and beguiling, has a voice of chili pepper flavored honey, and though she is lacking in personal hygiene and can be uncomfortable to be around, she is always smiling and has a heart of gold.
Hey Val! I was just recently reminded of you when Rachel Donnel's little sister asked me why I asked Rachel to prom. So I then had to recount my bumbled attempt at asking you to prom. She said thank you and by the way, 'ps. Val is single.' Haha. Anyway, this lead me to check on what you've been up to. And wow! I am so proud of you! I'm glad that you've thrown yourself into an awesome life. I'm just beginning my own epic journey. I'm on my way to becoming a sailor, earning money, and traveling. (Plus someone else is going to have to foot the bill to feed me.)
ReplyDeleteSo anyway, I just wanted to drop a line. Your writing style is awesome as well. I will be checking back often to see where your adventures lead! Hopefully wherever you are is a gorgeous sunny day.