I figured I should write something because I haven’t written the past week. It’s been pretty busy, Jon was over this past weekend and that was great. It was nice to walk around aimlessly doing nothing, eating good food and enjoying the company. I really enjoyed showing him around and for him to be at the places I usually hang out at. Oh, and I was able to stay out not having to worry opening locks at my home gate or making sure my house mates don’t lock the door. Though I have to admit, it was quite strange sending him off at the airport. The weekend seemed to have flew by and we were both thankful we got to hang out. It was real. 

The night before my birthday, we ate a nice lebanese restaurant and spend 3 hours there, it was incredible. Funny how fast time flies, then we headed to a sports bar where we played pool and watched football for almost two hours.. until 1230am hit and the waitresses gave us the bill. The lights came on and it was time for us to go. They were closing the bar. Talk about lack of night life eh? Eitherway, it was a good night. Followed by the intercontinental hotel buffet breakfast the next morning. Ooooooh snap, that was a good breakfast. We stuffed ourselves and could barely walk afterwards. 

Sunday night, my housemates organized a surprise dinner for me. We had planned to have dinner as a house to celebrate but what I didn’t know was that they had invited all my other colleagues as well. We went to a nice Japanese restaurant- the first time I went for Japanese here. It wasn’t too bad! In fact, it was very tasty and I enjoyed my meal. 

And the celebration continues… Monday night, my khmer friends brought me out to a restaurant in a lake. It was a very local Khmer place on this lake Phnom Penh is planning to fill and build high rise buildings. Reminds me of the HK harbor, how unfortunate but in the end, that’s how cities develop.

Other than my colleagues and Khmer friends, my six year old first grade kids also drew me pictures and wished me happy birthday. They are very adorable and smart…. some way too smart for their sake. 

 

Ah and how can I forget, receiving two packages. One of them was a surprise, I had no idea it was coming and was very confused when I got this big letter bag. Thanks to everyone who wished me happy birthday. 

Either way, it’s been good and I’m looking forward to going to the beach this weekend with some of my colleagues for four days! I know you’re jealous.

Everyone needs a simple encouragement every day, whether it’s something you say or do. The little conversations you might have with someone could make someone’s day and refresh them as they go through their week. 

There were a sequence of events today that made me quite cheerful by the end of the day. Firstly, I had the chance to have a short conversation with an 8th grader today. She is one of the girls on the Middle School basketball team that I assist on coaching. Because of my strange rash last week, I wasn’t able to be at the girls game as well as the practice on Friday and therefore, I asked how she was doing and such. 

She replied with words that really encouraged me and reinforced the reason I want to coach these girls and my relationship with them. “The team felt really empty last week, we all wondered who was missing.. you were the only one missing but it felt like the whole team was missing…. You are able to point out our mistakes and teach us individually” She said. It wasn’t one of those things that she said to make me feel good, I could tell she meant it and that really means a lot to me. 

Secondly, after school I had a meeting with the two teachers I work for as well as the principal. The meeting went well despite some glitches that might not have been talked about. Leslie, one of the teachers I work with has three daughters and they were all in the room. So after the meeting, I went and played with the youngest daughter, Mya, who is 4 years old I believe. 

I played puzzles with her and read to her on my lap. I was exhausted from the day but really treasured that time with her. At first, she was sitting next to me, but after the first book, she wanted to sit on my lap and she would hug me, kiss me and says “I like you” which is adorable! I am so excited to spend next weekend with her by the beach! 

After Mya left with one of her sisters and her father, Stephanie… the oldest daughter who is in 9th grade was still there working on her Chemistry homework. I was getting ready to leave but decided I will ask whether she needed help,  and she did. I sat down next to her and helped her figure her homework for the next 15 minutes, though it was a short time… I am glad I was able to help her. It made me smile to be able to help someone accomplish little things like homework. 

Finally, thankfully… I was able to have dinner with Florence one last time before she leaves tomorrow. It continues to amaze me the reason why personally, God brought Florence and Praise here to Cambodia, my first visitors. 

With that thought in mind, I have an incredible schedule these next four weeks with four friends from HK coming to visit, as well as a trip to the beach with my colleagues. Oh, how grateful I am to be only 2 and a half hours away from home, as well as to have friends who are able to visit. I am also stoked for the beach, spend some some quality time with my colleagues outside of school environment. 

God is amazing, almighty and indescribable. I pray that I can continue to be a witness to all those that I encounter during my time here, whether it be students, colleagues, friends or others I might not know. 

Humble yourself to the Lord and He will guide you in ways unimaginable.

Praise and Florence are here for the weekend, my first visitors from HK. I started out the day, before going to the airport to pick them up, at a dim sum restaurant which was quite tasty. I walked in and everyone spoke Cantonese, it was like I forgot I was in Cambodia for a little while in the morning. 

In the afternoon, I was able to tag along with a friend I met here, and we brought Praise and Florence to Steung meanchey. It was very heart breaking going there again, my friend told me approximately 4000 families live on or around the dump. It was very good to go back, to remind myself what I first loved about Cambodia, what my heart was set on first. 

As Praise and I talked during dinner, we got onto the topic of being a missionary and what it’s like, as well as being in the education work world. I was reminded this evening that, no matter how busy I might be at school, I cannot be sucked into the small school bubble and only hang out with those people. I have to remind myself what first caught my heart and work with that. 

God is really trying to show me his burden for my heart this year. I believe He wants me to minister or encourage the local friends I already know and also to do service work outside of school. 

We sometimes tend to forget why we are doing what we are doing when we are having lots of fun or don’t feel like trying out the culture. It’s important to have that one thing your heart feels a burden for, and be that for your motivation in whatever you do. 

Time to discover yours!

Because I have had this weird skin viral infection thing, I haven’t been able to go to work cause I couldn’t be with kids. So I have had the last two days off and it is nice. Sorry, don’t want to rub it on anyone who works here at Logos, but I pretty much have had a long weekend. This morning, I sat and watched TV for two hours and decided I could not sit at home watching TV all day… that would drive me crazy. 

So I thought about running around the block and doing some exercise, but I didn’t really feel like running around and having people stare at me while I run. So I was like, might as well pay a little, go to a real gym and jump in the pool as well! I had all afternoon and no time limit. 

I got everything and started to head down to Himawari, a hotel/service apartment. It was $10 US to use the gym and the pool, with unlimited time. I was so excited, you have no idea. I haven’t been to a real gym in what feels like a long time, that I was absolutely stoked to work out in a gym with treadmills, rowing machines, weights, etc. I listened to my ipod, worked out, and really enjoyed myself in the gym. 

Just before heading to the pool, I bumped into Mette in the changing room, what a coincidence. So we ended up sitting down and having a drink for quite a while. After she went back to work, I finally changed to my swim suit and jumped right into the pool! Swam a few laps, went into the Jacuzzi. And by the time I knew it, it was 5 hours later… soon to get dark. 

and now i am getting myself ready for Praise’s arrival tomorrow!! I am going to have an exciting weekend, lots of activities and catching up with her. Next weekend is Jon. And the following is THE BEACH!!

 

Oh, and by the way, I just wrote my first newsletter. So let me know if you would like to be on the mailing list, let me know and i will add you!

Ahh. What an experience. I wish I had bought my camera along this afternoon when I went to the Cambodian clinic, first because the clinic was way sketchy and did not look convincing to me at all. And second because Phnom Penh was flooded pretty badly today. It rained all day and the water was up to shin high on some streets. 

I was sitting at devotions this morning and suddenly noticed red spots on my arms. I looked at my stomach and it was there too. I was very confused and did not know what was happening. I talked to a few colleagues afterwards and decided I will wait a few hours, if it’s still there or getting worse, I will go to a doctor. 

So a few hours later, just after lunch, I decided to go to the clinic. A colleague suggested this Khmer inexpensive clinic which was relatively closer than the others. By this time, it was pouring already. A friend from work came with me and we headed to this place in the school van. We got there, got out of the van, and walked in. It was dark, no one was there and there were a few Cambodians standing outside. They were staring at us the whole time and said something to us in Khmer but of course, we didn’t understand. Finally, the driver helped us out and told us that they don’t open up until 2, which was in an hour. 

I didn’t want to sit there at this sketchy place for an hour so I decided to go to SOS, one of the most reliable and best clinics in town with foreign doctors. We got there, the skin doctor only worked in the morning so he wasn’t there, and the general doc wasn’t available until 3, and it was quite pricey. So we got back in the van and went to the first clinic again.

Waited a little bit in the van once we got there, but finally it was 2 and we went in. We stood there looking like idiots not knowing what to do, esp when they didn’t speak English. We saw people lining up at the cashier, but we had no idea what they were paying for. We lined up anyways. It got to my turn and the guy spoke a little bit of english, enough to write my name down (though he wrote Joanne Lanm) and enough to tell me which room to go. 

A minute later, I went into the room and showed the doctor my spots. Asked me a few questions with his lack of English, walked out the door, 30 seconds later, came back in with another lady. They both looked at me, spoke Khmer to each other, then he started writing something down. Meanwhile, Megan and I are looking at each other thinking “uhhh…” So I asked, “what exactly is this? What do I have?”

Unconvincingly, he gave me two diagnosis. He wrote these two french words down and told me He’d prescribe 10 tablets of Cetrine and I have to take one a day for ten days. I still had no idea what was wrong with me, but he didn’t seem like he could explain it. So I walked out of that clinic unconvinced and sketched out. 

At this point, I assume it’s allergy and will go away eventually. It doesn’t affect anything, except I look like a alien. Even my kids don’t want to touch me! 

Oh did I forget to mention that I had to pay $3.50 US for everything, compared to the $80 US at the other clinic just to see the doctor? BUT, it’s times like these I think… that $80 dollars will be worth it just because I would be able to understand him, ask questions, annd perhaps find out what’s wrong with me!

This month has started off very eventful.