SUPPORT

I have been thinking a lot recently about what support is and what the word has meant to me this past year. Dictionary definitions include such things as “to endure bravely or quietly;” “to promote interests or causes of - to advocate;” “to assist or help;” “to hold up or prop up;” “to comfort;” and “to keep something going.” In so many ways every one of these definitions sum up my PC service thus far. (Financial support and the idea of incentives and development work will be left for a later post as that is a whole nother can of worms. Physical support was covered a bit in my discussion of the medical service PC provided for me when I had dengue. Here let me instead focus on emotional support for which this post will only scratch the surface.)

To endure bravely or quietly - definitely how I started out last September at site. 

I was shy, unsure, reserved, and hyper-aware of how I might be perceived by everyone in my community by my smallest of actions. I endured the constant yells of “hello!” (often from kids way off in the distance) with gritted teeth. I was THE barang (literally French because of the strong past French influence, but which now has become the term for any foreigner who does not seem to pass for Khmer or Asian). Often THE crazy running barang who knew a little Khmer. A year later I have settled in and feel as though I can express more of my personality within the bounds of my limited language ability. I know that as much as I try to fit in I will always stick out, but I no longer endure, I embrace it.

The crazy barang jumping rope and exercising.

The crazy barang riding a water buffalo.

To promote interests or causes of - to advocate - this is my job. 

As a Community Health Educator (CHE), on the daily I advocate for better health practices and behaviors. I encourage people to go to the health center; I feel like a broken record with the hand-washing reminders for the kiddies and explaining the benefits of exercise as I run by the gaping mouths at the road side stalls; I help translate medicine instructions and explain the whys of healthy nutrition because I believe in informing and advocating for patients.

Working alongside the pharmacist at the HC.

Teaching about the female body.

Teaching about nutrition at my friend Sokphea's house.

To assist or help - I would like to think that I have been doing this all along...

but I think more likely that there are so many more people who have continuously reached out a hand to help me out. These people range from the VHVs who help step up education sessions in the village, my neighbor Phoumy (17 year old girl) who patiently explains concepts and answers all and any questions I may have, the PC Program Staff who respond to my numerous emails, my host cousins Srey Ny (11 year old girl) and Nam Hong (9 year old boy) who are eager to cook tacos and pasta with me, my tutor Bunsean who laughs at my jokes since he is one of the only fluent English speakers around, the list goes on.

My friend and neighbor, Phmouy, helping prepare food for a party.

(L to R) Nam Hong, Ahouy, Srey Ny, and Nooan enjoying some pasta. 

An Thy - my CHE program manager at swear-in.

To hold up or prop up - this applies to my friends and family back home...

who email, video chat, and send snail mail. They are the people who reach out just because. The ones that offer an encourage word and say they are proud of me. They know who they are. They are the ones who I think about as I am falling asleep, whose smiles and laughter and energy I channel when I hear that I am big/fat for the umpteenth time.

Some fans back home :)

To comfort - I feel lucky to count myself among the likes of other PCVs. 

These are individuals who left behind home to set down roots in another country for 2 years with the sole expectation of making a difference. These idealistic types are who I have leaned on and friends who have been eager to comfort for they are well aware that for any low that I may have that they can help me through I will be there in the future to offer the same right back. It is reciprocal and it is ongoing.

The K6 group upon arrival

To keep something going - the sun that rises everyday, a new set of challenges unseen,

and the knowledge that there is always more to be done. You can’t do everything, but you must do something…So as I look ahead to this next year - a year, which the fortune teller (nek merl gkruu) whom I saw with my friend Danet yesterday for 75 cents, said in essence would be my best yet… - I am thankful for all the support that I have had. Support which has thus enabled me to offer support to others in my community and beyond. A wonderful, beautiful gaa jom newee cycle. 

EXAMS & ELECTION RESULTS (again?)

Test Time

Since the end of elections and the school year I have become acutely aware of how quiet it is around my community. The rain and the demands of rice transplanting have translated to fewer patients in the health center and limited the times (if at all) people can meet with me when out in the villages. But the first full week of August was Capital Q “Quiet.” Too quiet. Why? Because of the 12^th grade exams. Across the country 107,835 students were eligible to sit for the exams. Testing centers are typically in district and provincial towns so the 100 or so seniors from my community headed to nearby Pouk High School often accompanied by parents or relatives, the majority of whom waited outside of the school compound for encouragement. My host mom and sister did this for my younger brother, and this is a common practice across the country. My host brother and his classmates will get their results at the end of the month. Fingers crossed!

The 12^th grade exams or bralong bactdop are a two day intensive exam sequence with a reading day squeezed in, that in essence determines EVERYTHING. It is the SAT or ACT if that was the absolute ONLY criteria for admission to college and university and scholarships so that these seniors can actually attend. Because of this pressure to do well, cheating is a common practice. Some examples of cheating include sending photos of answer sheets that are bribed from school officials and teachers via smartphones, bribing proctors to allow copying, etc. The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport has acknowledged cheating as an issue, but as of now has done little if anything to curb it. PCVs in the English Teacher and Teacher Trainer (ETTT) program often are discouraged by the rampant cheating and many are exasperated knowing that if they crack down on cheating at their school they will be putting their students at a great disadvantage because the practices will continue elsewhere. Many chose to wish their students luck on the exams and get as far away from the testing centers as possible.

Elusive Election Results

In other news, debate over the national election results continue to rage! Internationally, Khmer people have been protesting the government and urging the UN to get involved. Most notably, last week there was a protest of over 1,000 people outside of the UN headquarters in NYC. The UN has released a statement saying that they will get involved only if invited by the Cambodian government - very unlikely seeing as the result put the CPP in power (again) for another five years. Since the preliminary results were released after the July 28^th election (68-55 CPP win), the National Election Committee (NEC) did a quick “recount” and said that it was actually only 67-56 in CPP’s favor. The CRNP (opposition) party and popular figure head, Sam Rainsey, claim to have actually won and who knows what will happen when the “official results” are announced on September 8^th with the new government supposed to be formed by the end of September.

Monsoon Moments

While we wait (don’t hold your breath…), the rains continue to fall. The beginning of the monsoon season in Cambodia also marks "Choal Vassa," known as Buddhist Lent or the Buddhist Rains Retreat.  During this three-month period starting on the first waning of the eighth moon, which fell on July 23 this year, monks no longer make their early-morning rounds seeking alms and rice. Instead they are required to stay inside the temples, where they concentrate on studying the Dhamma, or Buddhist precepts. Choal Vassa, practiced throughout Buddhist Southeast Asia, originated from the need of wandering monks to seek shelter indoors during the rainy season. In addition, villagers don't want monks tromping through the fields during the planting season, ruining the seedlings. Coinciding with school vacation, Choal Vassa is also a period for boys and young men to temporarily enter the monkhood, studying the Dhamma and earning merit for their parents.

However, in Cambodia, it has changed a little bit now. Even though monks are no longer allowed to go from house to house to beg for food during this period, we observe that some still do this as there are not many Buddhist people taking food to the pagodas to offer to them there because most of them are busy on their farms. 

transplanting rice

Stay tuned for my adventures doing quintessential Cambodian things, like riding water buffaloes and transplanting rice... 

Election Results?

The 5th ever national elections took place last Sunday July 28th. Registered voters, numbering over 9.7 million people, returned to their home towns to vote from 7am to 3pm and the unofficial results were announced on the news around 8:30pm. The month leading up to the vote was full of rallies and the week before was marked by a uptick in the campaigning including the return of the opposition figure-head (the CNRP president) Sam Rainsy, who had been in self-imposed exile in France, after gaining a royal pardon, although he was not allowed to be in the running. This 11th hour return seemed to kick things up a notch. But 24 hours before the vote, the campaigning stopped and there was a weird quiet that swept the nation. Some PCVs commented that it felt like the calm before the storm. The news leading up to the election was full of speculation about how the parties and people would respond to different results. Despite claims from the ruling party (CPP) and the major opposition party (CNRP) that the results could lead to war or violence, the country has seen limited violent episodes. On election day some violence broke out at a polling station (a wat) in an area of Phnom Penh when names were found missing from the voter list. Photos on the Cambodia Daily (English newspaper) website showed military vehicles overturned and in flame, and monks kicking and hitting people. 

Conversation about the election continues days after the vote. The unofficial results had the CPP winning by a relatively narrow margin: 68 to 55 seats in the National Assembly, and keeping the CPP in power for another 5 years. The international community which had noted that if the elections were not deemed free and fair aid to Cambodia would be cut significantly (http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/congressional-hearing-in-us-pushes-cut-to-cambodian-aid-34389/), seemed content with this result. However, the CNRP has called for a recount and on Tuesday issued their own results which had the opposition winning 63 to 60. Hun Sen has said that he is open to an investigation of the election results. So when will the country have the official results? Maybe mid-August. Seems like a long time to wait and that more speculation will follow for the next few weeks as the political situation of Cambodia remains up in the air, while people continue to go about their everyday lives.

I was in Phnom Penh during election weekend. Why? Well despite Peace Corps' travel ban and call for PCVs to remain vigilant at site, mosquitoes at my site had a different agenda. The weekend before the election I came down with a nasty fever and was told by the medical officer to come to Phnom Penh because I had the symptoms of Dengue. And what is Dengue you ask? A mosquito-born tropical disease like malaria except that there is no medication or cure. Cambodian adults rarely contract Dengue. It is commonly believed that only children get it, so my host family was confused as to how I got malaria although I am taking malaria medication. Trying to explain that I had Dengue not malaria was a bit tricky, especially when 2 weeks before my 11 year old host cousin explained that you can get Dengue from eating too many longan (a fruit in the same family as lychee). When I asked who told her that, she said she heard if from our host grandma (yeay). An example of medical misinformation that I encounter in my work as a community health educator. 

So I was holed up in a guest house room with Dengue during the election. While I seemed to miss the excitement of the election, the conversation has continued via the news as Cambodia awaits the official results. Although people seem to have gone back to their everyday lives, every index finger stained black with ink is an indication of Cambodians' participation in the shaping of their country's future. 

Movement

Yes it has been a year, to the day, since I stepped off the plane in Phnom Penh and touch Cambodian soil for the first time. Yet this is not one of those “Where has time gone?!” one-year-out posts. Sure I think about the passage of time a lot. I go back and re-read journal entries and postcards. But my move from the States to Cambodia pales in comparison to the movement that I have come to recognize in my community. It is this movement, migration or ebb and flow that marks the passage of time as significant.

School is Out! (Sort of…)

During Pre-Service Training (PST) we were introduced to the “informal school calendar.” On paper public schools begin and end on certain dates and have specific holidays. In reality, it is way more confusing and not that straight forward. At least I can’t seem to figure it out. Over the past year, between private (extra) classes and actually school I struggled to nail down my host siblings and host cousins schedules. An example of a common exchange - Me: “Good morning! No school today?” 13-year-old sister Nooan: “Only in the afternoon today. That is if the teacher shows up.” In my community I have it from several sources that school will end on July 30^th and begin again later September/early October.  And yet 8^th grade exams have ended so those kids have for the most part stopped going to school unless they pay for private classes. 12^th grade classes have stopped as well (if you make it to 12^th grade, it usually means that your family has the resources for you to do so and often continue onward - drop out happens much earlier than 12^th) and the majority of those students have gone to the district town (Pouk) or the provincial town (Siem Reap) to prep for the national exam on August 5^th. The results of that exam determine their futures - think if the SAT was the only determinant for college.

Summer break does not change my schedule much. I still spend the mornings in the health center weighing babies and talking with mothers and am out and about in the afternoons. But it has been tricky to figure out times for activities and club meetings. It isn’t that the students are all that busy and they aren’t heading off to camp or on vacation travel. I am confident that soon I will figure out this “informal school calendar.”  

Things have gotten quiet around my house as a result of school coming to a close. Nooan (13) and Parey (18), the two girls who have lived with my host family for the past 7 years or so, whom I call my host sisters though there are not blood related to my host parents, left last Saturday for good. They packed up all their stuff, got in a tuk-tuk, and off they went. Parey stopped in Pouk where she is living for a month in preparation for her exam, while Nooan continued on home to a floating village on the Tonle Sap. Depending on how Parey does on the exams and the schools she gets into, she and Nooan may be in Siem Reap town in the fall; their future is up in the air, but they will not be back to live with my host family. I had been told that this would come to pass, but it seemed to creep up on me and I miss them already. My host brother, Leak (18), is also staying in Pouk for the exams, but I am sure that he will be back and forth.

Leaving School

Kids grow up, graduate from high school, and go to college/university. A trend with which I am sure most who are reading this blog are familiar. My community is pretty well off and thus if a kid makes it to 12^th grade they seem to be going places (as mentioned above). Most of the 12^th graders I know, like Parey and Leak, have left the community to prep for the national exam.  And yet school dropout is common in Cambodia and my community is also not an exception. There are sellers in the market (all but one or two are female) who are younger than me. I have friends and acquaintances who work at their family’s café and who left school 8 years prior and they are not yet voting age (18).

Yesterday, I was talking with my neighbor who lives across the street and owns a storefront café that connects to her bedroom/living room. She is a mother of 3 - boy, girl, boy (the same combination as my own birth order). She is in her late 40s and her husband is a taxi driver and I have seen him around only a handful of times. The woman informed me that her daughter, Kit, was leaving that day to start work. Kit is one of those few people who I have met who has relentless patience and smiles. She is curious and takes the time to explain situations, ask questions that get at complicated issues, and is one of handful of people to whom I feel a true friendship with here. When I asked Kit about her new job, she expressed excitement, nervousness, and pride. A well-paying ($160/month) job in Poipet - the Cambodian-Thai border town about 60Km west - working in a casino with her older cousin. All I could say was to be careful, stay safe, come back to visit, call to update, and that I would miss her. She just finished 9^th grade.

On the way out I asked the mother after her two sons. She said the eldest was working at the local rice mill since finishing 10^th grade and that the youngest would be becoming a monk and living at a wat and studying there for at least the next 2 years (some 15Km away). He just finished 7^th grade. When I asked the mother what grade she had finished, she responded, “I never went to school, because that was during Pol Pot time [the Khmer Rouge].” She added that she was proud of her children. I am too.

Migration

Migration for work - especially in Thailand - is common. The pay is often better, but what is the cost to the community? To the family? Some of the surrounding villages experience a 60-70% population drop at certain times of the year for seasonal work migration. The majority are poor and crossing the border without a passport or work visa - illegally. Some parents go, leaving behind elders to take care of newborns, infants, or young kids. (I cannot tell you how many undernourished kids I have seen because the care taker can’t breastfeed and can’t afford formula…) While others uproot the whole family. From all accounts and from observations, this population returns for important holidays - Pchum Ben in October and Khmer New Year in April. Additionally with the elections less than 2 weeks away, I am told that these migrants will be back to cast their vote. Maybe they are hoping for a future where they won’t have to leave Cambodia for work - whether that is something that can be accomplished by a ballot or not, I am not sure.

My One-Year

And with all this talk of schooling, migration, and sacrifice, my one-year anniversary of being in a country doing volunteer work seems pretty insignificant. That being said, thanks for keeping in touch and supporting me this past year. I look forward to another year of learning from mistakes, making a fool out of myself, innumerable humbling experiences, and reminders that I am one person just trying to make a little bit of a difference.

Happy 4th of July! (belated that is...)

On Thursday I headed to Phnom Penh to celebrate America's 237th birthday, armed with tinsel, glow sticks, and a light up red-white-blue star necklace courtesy of care package from the lovely Cori. For two days I met up and rehearsed with the "Peace Chorus" - a group of 8 other PCVs and 2 RPCVs who were invited to sing an a capella 6-song set at the U.S. Embassy's 4th of July party. The event was held all-day Saturday. It began with an official ceremony which we kicked off with the Khmer and American national anthems (cued by the entrance of 4 Marines). The U.S. Ambassador, William E. Todd, followed with a speech about America's long history of democracy and freedom and his hope that the ties with Cambodia will remain strong. After a toast, the Guest of Honor, Deputy Minister of the Interior His Excellency Mr. Sarkay also gave a speech which mirrored Ambassador Todd's remarks. Another toast followed and then one of the Embassy staff member's (in both Khmer and English) said "Let the festivities begin!" The party was then opened to the public ($5 for Americans, $1 for Khmer) and included face painting, a circus troop, a dunk tank, American flag cupcakes that dyed your mouth, photo ops with the Marines, a Harley Davidson motorcycle and the Ambassador's car, and of course an extensive food selection including typical 4th of July barbecue food. The Peace Chorus sang twice more; the American National Anthem after the Ambassador's 2nd speech to the some 1600 people gathered, and "America the Beautiful" "You're a Grand Old Flag," Bill Wither's "Lean On Me," and Katy Perry's "Firework" later in the day. All songs were arranged by recently dubbed RPCV, Diana. The party ended with a short parade which reminded me of a small town celebration like the 2011 Gambier 4th of July parade. For more on the celebration see the Ambassador's blog: http://blogs.usembassy.gov/.

Some of the Peace Chorus at down time

This 4th of July was unlike any other that I have experienced. It was not that I was away from family - I have spent ten July 4th's at Camp Wawenock watching fireworks across Lake Sebago with my cabin-mates. Last year was the first time that I had been home for July 4th since I was 9 years old. I was able to visit with my cousins (shout-out to Kate, Nick, and Kyle!) and relatives and see a parade and fireworks. And although this year, I saw no fireworks and wasn't around family, that wasn't what was different. It was because I am in a country that gained independence from the French in 1953 -  177 years after U.S. Independence. In a country that will attempt to have a free and fair democratic election for the 5th time ever and whose people have a very different definition of democracy and freedom than I have grown to know and appreciate for myself. As the election quickly approaches the U.S. is putting pressure on the Cambodian government to ensure human rights are upheld and that the elections are free and fair. Here is one of many recent articles: http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/39260.

World Wise Correspondence Program (http://wws.peacecorps.gov/wws/about/)

In other news, Peace Corps has a program called Coverdell World Wise Schools that connects PCVs and RPCVs with classes in the America to share their experiences and host country's with more people back home. I have been so lucky to have spent the last few months corresponding with the wonderful 4R class at Far Hills Country Day School. They have asked great questions about Cambodian culture and traditions, the weather, my work environment, the food, among other things. The hope is that this program opens up young people to the world and other people, but it is mutually beneficial. I have benefited greatly from answering the 4th graders' questions - they have given me another opportunity to process my experience further. Before FHCDS went on summer break, the 4R class sent me a package filled with arts supplies, goodies, games and other assorted things. Thank you so much 4R!! 

"Hello From New Jersey"

More photos and maybe videos later...

Let the Games Begin!

Campaigning for Cambodia’s 5^th “democratic” elections has begun (officially from June 27^th to July 26^th)! A little background: After the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979) and the Vietnamese intervention/invasion that put Hun Sen (the 61 year old leader still in power today), the United Nations and other donors started pumping money and resources into Cambodia (billions of dollars). One of the, if not THE, most involved restructuring project that the UN has ever been involved in, known as the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia or UNTAC. The mission was to set Cambodia on the straight and narrow, on the good ole course to democracy. And with 90% of the population coming out to vote in the first ever democratic elections in 1993, the mission looked like a great success and was touted as such. However, the UNTAC seemed to leave it at that and when the elections proved to have narrow margins and no one coming up really ahead, a long power struggle followed. A power struggle that many have said was (read: is) saturated with corruption, intimidation, coercion, manipulation, etc. (For a great, heart-wrenching, powerful, well-documented, extensive history, I recommend reading Joel Brinkley’s Cambodia’s Curse.)

Fast-forward to today. I biked out to a Village Health Volunteer’s (VHV) home to conduct a community education session about breastfeeding and nutrition (a lesson that I had done successfully earlier in the week in a different village). After having confirmed the meeting the day before, I biked into the front yard and found the VHV watching some Thai soap opera (dubbed in Khmer) with her mother and two children. No pregnant, breast-feeding women in sight, because as the VHV informed me there was a big campaign rally/parade going on and the village was all turning out for it. So after getting a tour of the house and the rice wine production (I will post on this later…) I rescheduled the session and biked back home for lunch of fish soup and fried rice. On the way I passed a large gathering of people decked out in the Cambodian Peoples Party’s (CPP - the current ruling party, headed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, President of the Senate Chea Sim, and Chairman of the National Assembly Heng Samrin) signature white polo shirt and white baseball caps with the CPP logo on each. Twenty minutes later I walked out of my house after hearing cheers and honking, to see a line of people (dressed as mentioned above) as far as I could see on the right-hand side of the road cheering and waving to a parade of cars and trucks with CPP stickers and with people (mostly students) riding in the truck beds. It was a full on parade/rally CPP style originating in Siem Reap 30Km east and ending on the provincial border another 30Km from my town. (I later saw a smaller version for one of the 7 opposition parties.) It lasted 30 minutes or so and I lost track of the number of vehicles and people involved.

gotta get 'em early - a youngster sporting a CPP hat

CPP supporters cheering and waving for the parade - as far as the eye can see

In addition to this display, there are billboards devoted to party members and different political parties and as of 2 days ago the trees on the side of the road (plentiful in some places) have been plastered with information. While a good percentage of the rural population cannot read and/or write, to me this is not the most effective strategy, but I like it better than the blaring loudspeakers attached to the tops of cars and motos that scream as I ride by on my bike.

It will be an interesting month for sure. Security at different political offices and government buildings have been tightened. Road blocks and added traffic are assumed. The General Commissariat of National Police has announced that nearly 20,000 security forces will be deployed during the one-month election campaign and up to 70,000 forces during the Election Day (July 28^th) to ensure security for all political parties and voters. Eight political parties will be on the ballot, competing for 123 spots in the Parliament and the chance to run Cambodia for the next 5 years. The three major parties include the ruling Cambodian People's Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen, the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party led by self-exiled leader Sam Rainsy and the royalist Funcinpec Party headed by Princess Norodom Arun Rasmey, the youngest daughter of late King Father Norodom Sihanouk. 

the 3 major parties represented opposite my house

The National Election Committee has estimated that some 9.67 million Cambodians are eligible to cast their votes at 19,009 polling stations nationwide under the eyes of more than 7,700 domestic and international observers. In the last election (2008), Prime Minister Hun Sen's party won up to 90 seats, while the opposition totally won 29 seats and the royalist group won 4 seats. Most believe that the CPP will win handedly and Hun Sen has vowed to stay in the position of Prime Minister for another 14 years, at least.

We shall see. Will there be more of the status quo or is Cambodia ready for change? 

"soksabai dtaam plow" (happy journeys, safe travels)

The winds of change are blowing. And not just blowing in the angry black clouds and drenching afternoon showers. I am really talking about how I am coming up on the one-year mark (I will write an extensive blog post about that when it actually rolls around don’t worry) and friends around me are ending their commitments and heading home, while I am just really getting started - so much still to learn, so much still to do.

The string of “I’ll see you laters” began with my good friend from middle and high school, Jen, who ended her commitment working at KHANA in PP last Friday. She was on a one-year Luce Fellowship and after a little travel, a closing conference, and a long trip back home, Jen will arrive in NJ in mid to late July and promptly prepare to start her one-year Master’s program at the University of Chicago. Jen, a medical anthropologist (I will give you that title, you deserve it!), has been an incredible person with whom I have had the pleasure of sharing the past year. Not only is she a person outside of PC (and those relatively objective) with whom to talk and vent, but she is a near and dear long-time friend who knows me like many others do not. Throughout the year she was always just a phone call/text or 6 hour bus ride away and I was comforted knowing I always had an even-keeled, highly intelligent, highly perceptive friend with whom I could swap stories, share experiences, and get advice. Jen generously introduced me to PP (a city that I find big and intimidating), her neighborhood, neighbors, apartment and so much more.

Not all friendships last. Those that do are special. Those that move beyond the stereotypes and inside jokes of middle and high school and evolve are truly incredible. This year with Jen, together in a once foreign pace on the other side of the globe, proved the power of our friendship. I am excited for her as she takes her next step although it will be a giant step away from me, but I know that the physical space means very little after such an experience like we have had. I will miss her and expect that the times when I am in PP will lack a flair and excitement that Jen brings everywhere she goes. I know that I will try to call/text her when I think of something funny, confusing or upsetting or when I get off the bus in PP and realize the number doesn’t work anymore or chase someone down the street in PP yelling “JEN!” only to have the person turn and be just another foreigner. (Is this starting to sound like an episode of “How I Met Your Mother” or some rom-com? Maybe I should stop…) Anyway, Jen - thanks for a truly memorable year. Cheers! Joel kyo nung samnang la-ah!

Jen making a wish during her sendoff/farewell weekend in PP.