Angkor Wat and Siem Reap

            Hello again from the land of heat and humidity!!!  Last week was my first week of teacher training, and I must say I am so incredibly glad I decided to go through this program.  Besides offering a wealth on invaluable information, we have addressed a number of issues that never would have crossed my mind.  What if a student asks about a dirty word? What if there are special needs students in the class? What if someone is injured in the class? And the list goes on… Besides scaring me nearly out of the profession, it better prepares me to be a better teacher. 

            The staff has kept us all very busy with 8 hours of class a day on top of homework, tests, and various group projects; however, I have managed a to learn a few Khmer words (Khmer is the language of Cambodia pronounced Kamai). I can now say hello, thank you, how much?, and count to 5, which is to say more or less that I can communicate effectively with a two year old…if even then. It’s a work in progress.  Besides the language I have been able to explore the city a bit mostly to find places to feed myself (of course), and have decided Cambodian food, is really not that spectacular.  It involves a lot of rice and rich baked goods, which I enjoy, but is typically very bland and low in nutrients.  But it’s only been a week, so I am still on the hunt. 

            Now, I know I keep bringing up the heat, but only because it continues to amaze me.  Walking out of an air-conditioned room is like receiving a bear hug from William Perry after the Super Bowl. It hits you hard, fast, covers you entirely, and makes you immediately wish you had worn something to absorb the sweat.  I am getting accustomed to it rather quickly and find now when I turn the AC to low I get too cold!

            Anywho, this past weekend, we all got to take a trip north to Siam Reap, where the famous Angkor Wat temples hide in the jungle.  The six-hour drive was itself quite an adventure. The general rule of the road here seems to be: If you can dream it, you can do it.  To us Westerners, it seems like chaos as horns are blaring, brakes are slamming, and tailgating is taken to a whole new level, but accidents seem to be few and far between so I suppose in a reality, it is organized chaos.  We arrived just in time to bring in the Khmer New Year and spent two days climbing around some of the oldest functioning Wat’s in the world. It was a real treat.

            It’s amazing because the vibe of the entire place is completely surreal.  Knowing that beneath your feet lies more history than you could ever possibly comprehend is quite a humbling experience. The temples themselves have been lived in by royalty, burned, robbed, raided, rebuilt, lost for 200 years, rediscovered, and are now a nation treasure once again.  We had a fabulous tour guide named Hour (OOOr) who did a great job of telling us fun facts, keeping us together, and getting us to hike the temples despite the crippling heat.  We visited about six temples in total (including the one where Angelina Jolie filmed Tomb Raider) and oogled countless scenic views.  We all received prayer bracelets at various temples and by the end of the day, we were utterly exhausted, but spiritually full to the brim. I apologize I am not the best photographer, and my pictures do not do it justice.  That is all to report for now, as I have to run back to class!! xoxo