Wanderings & Wonderings

WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS MEGHAN BEEN DOING???! I know that is exactly what you all are thinking. Never fear, updates on my life are here!! Just as it has been super sgnat (quiet) on this blog it has been similarly ghost-town-like around my community as school petered out as Khmer New Year vacation approached, more people migrated for work in Thailand, the imposing heat rolled in hot and heavy, and traffic to the health center slowed. That being said here is what has been up in the world of Meghan...

PEOPLE LOVE VISITING ME.

• My assistant program manager, Saeed (a K4 who has stuck around with PC Cambodia extending 2 years now), stopped by for coffee on his travels up north determining and developing new sites. Unfortunately my site will most likely not be receiving another CHE volunteer so I am the end of the line. The program is looking to go more rural, to get volunteers off the main roads and in areas will little to no NGO presence - areas of higher need and less access. A decision I agree with although it is too bad that my health center will not have another volunteer since this is a great staff with whom to work, especially our newly promoted director, Ee! 

Boo Phally, Om Phanna, Ee Chhat, Chea, Chantee

• Our country director, Penny kicked off town hall meetings (now an annual occurrence) to get news and updates straight from the horse's mouth (so to speak) in Siem Reap town mid-March, which is just a short bike ride away - so basically visiting me... 
• A few RPCVs (not from Cambodia) have made the trip out for lunch of rice and pork at Bong Keya's and to see a site here and exchange stories... it is an exclusive club/family for sure. 

Riding the bamboo train in Battambang (Ellen, Me, Maggie)

• Maggie and Ellen (if you don't know them, you should! #KenyonCollegeClassof2012) made the mind-numbingly-exhausting 50+ hour total travel time one-way trip to see me mid-April. They feel into my arms at the border at Poipet and we proceeded to Battambang, my site, and ended in Siem Reap. They were with me for a short whirlwind of an adventure (about 139 hours!). They have said that they will write about the trip, so here is just a teaser... or two... 

As Ellen said, "Casual laughter in front of Angkor Wat."

PROJECTS ARE HAPPENING. 

• THE WORLD MAP IS DONE! Labeling and everything. All we need now is to have a little party for the kick-butt students who did all the work. 

Labeling (in Khmer), flags, compass rose, and scale HOWIE HOWIE!

• ENRICHED BOBOR is being sold for the first time in my communities history! After finally getting the funding and a bit of a struggle scheduling, Ee and I held the workshop with the vendors early April and then 6 days later the first stall started selling the enriched rice porridge along side the regular. Bong Samy has been selling out consistently. It is our hope that the other two women will begin soon as they were too busy to commit to it only after the Khmer New Year (April 14-16). 

Workshop! (Ee Chhat, Bong Samy, Om Ruin, Ming Dowun)

Promoting the enriched bobor stalls.

Bong Samy with the sign across from her stall in the market.

• HEALTH & GENDER EQUALITY LESSONS. I have been working with Emily to teach little mini health lessons in conjunction with the terrible English book which she has to use when co-teaching. One such recent lesson was about smoking. On another occasion I discussed gender roles and expectations with 7th grade students. 

IN OTHER ADVENTURES...

• ULTIMATE FRISBEE. At the beginning of March, I made the trek down to the capital for the Olympics themed 5th Annual Phnom Penh Hat Tourney. As a member of Team Cyprus we came in 9th after two full days of lay-outs, winning all of our ladies points (in honor of International Women's Day), and plenty of good times. We did make it up on the metals podium for wins in Chicken Wing Throwing, Huck Competition, Boat Racing, and other such ridiculous events. Met and played with Ultimate enthusiasts from all over the globe and from new-comers across Cambodia. So great to spread the Ultimate love!

Team Cyrus United.

• PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. The first public bus system started with funding help from JOICA (a Peace Corps esque volunteer program of the Japanese government) on a trial basis in February. The pilot was so successful (after initially flopping 10 years prior) that it is going to be rolled out on 5 different routes later this year. Currently there are a bunch of these buses going up and down a central, main artery of the city. For about $0.37 you can get on and off anywhere along this street. I rode it for the first time this past weekend, smiling the whole time like an idiot. Functional public transportation is a beautiful thing. 
• MOVIES. I hit the big city as a devoted Veronica Mars and Divergent fan. Enough said. 

On our way to see Divergent. Riding an escalator. So Dauntless.

• SANS SASSY SITE-MATE. This month I was without my site-mate, but I got a chance to send her off and pick her up. Being without Em, made me realize how much I enjoy working with her and how much I miss having her around. She is the best of the government-issued friends I could have asked for. 

At the airport with Em.

THE FUTURE. 

• Just kidding. No updates for you on that just yet. Except... in a week and a half the remaining 42 K6s will have our close of service (COS) conference and I have picked my COS date... August 7th. The time will just be flying now...