Amanda Arand: Woman of Letters

  It's my last week in Tramkak and I am sad to say I have grown accustomed to my little village these past few weeks and will miss it when I am gone. Early next week my group moves back to Takeo Town, and participates in Swear-In - as Peace Corps Volunteers. Then we move to our permanent sites to start making a difference!
  We have been making the most of our time together as Trainees and also in southern Cambodia. Last Sunday, K6 traveled down to Kep to swim a little on the beach and we stopped at a resort to eat American food. Crepes and cereal and bacon, o my! I have never been so happy, and my body has never been so mad at me as after that breakfast...but it was so worth it.
  Lena has had her baby as well! About two weeks ago (sorry for the delay in updates) I woke up to go running, and found the entire household awake and distracted. "What's going on?" I asked Dany, and she told me that Lena was going to have her baby! She was not acting like I would expect a pregnant woman about to give birth to act-there was no shouting and mostly she just looked tired. However, I have never been about to give birth, or around any women about to give birth and only have Hollywood as a reference so I probably shouldn't make any assumptions. The family drove to Takeo Town to the hospital there and stayed for about 3 days during which Lena had a beautiful baby girl, Malia! She and Lena haven't left the house since they came back, but she is growing and does not cry very much. Khmer and American practices and traditions regarding babies differ greatly and the biggest thing that I have noticed is that Lena is always completely covered with clothing. She wears long sleeve shirts, usually sarongs (Khmer version of a bathrobe...that can be worn outdoors and in public as a skirt), always a hat - like a winter hat that I would wear in the snow - and in the first week, gloves. The reason for this is that the Khmer believe that mothers who give birth lose a lot of heat in the days following childbirth and so should always be kept hot. In the generations before, "roasting" was a common practice in which the mother was kept over an open fire for at least a week. An open fire! Like, charcoals and wood and fire under a bed! Imagine my facial expression!
  Lena was not roasted, but she is awfully covered up and in this heat I do not know how she does it. I will post a photo of Malia when I am able. She is absolutely adorable and I kept telling the family this. After about 10 days, Mao, the father, was telling me that in Khmer culture, they never say that a baby is beautiful - they say she is ugly no matter what. This is because they believe that the spirits will get jealous if you think a baby is beautiful and then the baby will get sick and die. Thanks Mao! After almost two weeks of that being the only thing I would say to the baby or about her, he decides to inform me that it is wrong. But no problem, he told me, since I am a foreigner it's ok. Good thing Khmer spirits don't understand bad Khmer with atrocious English accents or my whole village might need the healer.
  Recently my host brother-in-law's parents came over to see the new baby and after dinner and small Khmer talk with me, his father decided that I looked more Khmer than American due to my hair and eyes (I've been getting this a lot lately). Then he proceeded to tell me that he had another son, whom I could marry if I wanted. My family may not have running water when the rain ceases, and survive on bowls of rice, but they are nothing if not accommodating: quizzing me on Khmer, finding me a husband...my future here in Cambodia is all set!

  As an off-topic digression and with absolutely no connection to anything in my blog other than my history obsession, my "This Day in History" app has informed me that today (29 August) is the birthday of Oliver Wendell Holmes, American physician and man of letters. "Man of letters"?! What a way to be remembered to the world! I would like to hereafter be known as, "Amanda Arand, woman of letters" due to my witty and entertaining blog posts, not to mention I have many digital e-books and my room smells of sticky rice and hoarded candy. More descriptive phrases to come, all suggestions of good taste invited!

My Language Proficiency Exam is Saturday - wish me luck!
xo-Amanda

Once you get past the heat here in Cambodia, well...you still feel really hot.

  Training continues for me and the rest of K6 CHE here in Tramkak, Takeo.  We have been busy working with some local high school students on our first community project, as well as preparing for our LPI - the language proficiency exam that must be passed in order to continue working in Cambodia as a PCV.  The community project is more interesting though. 
   For the last few weeks K6 CHE has been learning about utilizing different tools to educate communities on basic health issues such as I mentioned before: washing hands after using the bathroom, using a toilet if possible, covering food after it is prepared before it is eaten and things of that nature.  Last week and this week we were able to firsthand talk to some of the members of the community in direct line of any changes we might be able to make: the teenagers.  Groups of us met with members of an English class (thank goodness they spoke English and can translate- my Khmer is pathetic at best).  We were able to complete certain avenues of getting to know our community such as mapping the village and finding out where a majority of people congregated.  In addition we discovered their daily activities and when would be the best time for education or outreach.  Most importantly, we asked the students what they though was the biggest problem in Angtasorm (the village I live in) that they would like to see resolved.  The students were incredible.  They took to this project as if their grades depended upon it (they don't get grades in this class) and helped us out so much.  At the end of numerous sessions, we were informed that one of the biggest issues they wanted help with was the trash.
  I do not think I have explained the garbage situation yet in Cambodia so for a moment I will take a tangent.  There is no waste disposal situation in Cambodia.  This, combined with the fact that cheap plastic has recently been discovered by the Khmer, leads to an enormous trash problem everywhere.  The students we are working with knowing this too; that the problem is one for their generation.  Their parents did not have to deal with all of the plastic on the ground. There are no public trash cans just as there are no public toilets.  The world is their trash can and it is very obvious upon first sight of the country.  What is even worse than the trash is that to get rid of it, each household burns their own trash.  If you have put two and two together yet, you have noted that Cambodians (population of Cambodia is  approx 14 million) burn a lot of plastic.  This is bad. The air is gross and the ground is littered...in litter. (Stay tuned for my marathon announcement).  It literally hurts my heart not to be able to recycle especially in a place that so desperately needs it (and if my rice rant has told you anything about the nutrition here in Cambodia, you'll recognize that my poor heart can't take much more stress...or sugar).  As I try to locate a silver lining, I am doing my best not to purchase anything that involves lots of plastic, and keeping track of my own trash disposal including the amount of garbage I personally am capable of.  The results are, quite frankly, astonishing.  
 Back to the students: 
  They are dears, and probably some of the brightest and most educated students in rural-ish Cambodia.  And they have asked us to help them with the trash problem. A few ideas populate our activity such as making posters for health centers, surveying the population on their knowledge of the relationship between trash and health, and just plain cleaning up.  For the moment we are leading trash clean-ups but will have to plan for long term or sustainable disposal soon.  This is more difficult than you might think.  For example, a suggestion was made that we might get public garbage cans for the market so that trash would not be littered all over the earth.  However since there is no waste disposal, the trash cans would fill up and then continue to overflow until someone set fire to the trash, and then where would we be?! Right back to square one.  Setting up a recycling or garbage system for the whole country is a little beyond scope of Peace Corps resources and management but, for the record, I'm taking suggestions.

  Contrary to my constant blogging, we don't have the luxury of a lot of free time, but I have heard that will come later.  In an attempt to stay true to my American lifestyle (and thanks to supermom for sending my running shoes) I have begun to train for the half marathon at Angkor Wat in December.  Soon after arriving, and feeling desperate for some physical activity, I heard about the half marathon from a couple of PCVs who have taken part in it in years past.  A lot of PCVs take part and we all have a little Peace Corps get together up north.  Apparently it's pretty sweet and the run actually goes through the temples.  Running 13.1 miles through ancient history in one of the colder months of Cambodia's year? Sign me up (read: athletic ancient history nerd coming through)!  I'm just beginning my "training" now and the Khmer are nothing if not confused about my jogging through the village.  They have no concept of exercise - guess what I'll be introducing?! The adaptation might not be pretty but I will be sure to keep you updated on my progress.  Thus far I can report with firm knowledge that jogging in Cambodian heat is a heck of a teacher on sweating.  To hell with Dengue and Malaria- the only thing I'm worried about is dehydration!  Well...that and diabetes from the insane amount of sugar and msg in Khmer cuisine.  As of right now my goal is to finish the race - be it on my feet or on my knees. More information can be found through the link posted below and yes, I am currently accepting applications for super fans. Face paint and hand decorated clothing is a must, boring people need not apply.   

Angkor Wat International Half Marathon

 In related news my sister Diana, avid runner that she is and at least 100% more runner-ambitious than I, has decided to run her fourth Chicago marathon in honor of Carter William Gloff, son of dear family friends of ours who was taken too soon last year.  To all fellow Niners who recognize the impact Mr. Gloff had not only on our school, but on our lives, I ask you to take a moment and be thankful for what you are given each and every day.  Please visit Diana's webpage (posted below), and support her run and Carter's memory if you can.  Regardless of monetary support, please spread the word.  Sincerest thanks for any and all help.

Diana's Marathon Run in honor of Carter William Gloff

 I anxiously await my runner's high...as I sweat a lake on National Hwy 3.
xo - Amanda


 
above: students work with us to map their village and plan a clean-up

You can't choose your Khmer family...they are chosen for you by Sipane.

   It's time to introduce you to my Khmer-family, the hosts who have had the blessing of my taking one of their rooms for the past month.  The Saos! 
   I will begin with the power of the house: the mom.  My host dad struts around thinking that he is the king of the roost but I think that everyone in the house and probably outside of the house knows who makes all of the real decisions around here.  I am barely able to communicate with them and I know who the boss is.  My host mom (name: Bo.  "mom" in Khmer sounds like "maak"...I actually don't call her anything...and haven't thought until now about how I NEVER have had to address her) is a lean (and I mean TINY) mean (not by a longshot) Asian mom machine.  She was appropriately mom-worried when I was sick and is trying to understand why I eat so little rice (a bowl is not enough) and why I am so bad at cooking.  Generally she just hands me things to chop but I notice she keeps a good eye on me and the cleaver in my hand.  Good thinking, Bo.  A tailor at the market, she sews shirts and skirts and pants and virtually anything that anyone wants she can make.  I found this amusing in that my real/biological/American mom is also talented with the needle and thread and have tried to convey this to my host mom.  I showed her a shirt that Mom-back-home made me and she said it would fetch about $6 at the market.  Go Mom! That's a high-class fashion item in Cambodia.
    My host dad is quite the character.  Sao Sareth THINKS he knows English, which is actually worse then not knowing English at all.  He also seems to think that every time he sees me it's an opportunity to give me a quiz on my Khmer.  When I walk inside the gate or sitting at dinner he'll point to a random object and say "what" or "in Khmer", to which my usual response is a blank stare or "I don't know" in English.  Once I said "I don't understand" in Khmer back to him, and he responded, "you understand! What?!" in English.  Sorry paak, I haven't learned "bird bath" in Khmer yet, still working on "Where is the bathroom?" What he doesn't seem to understand is that life is a quiz when you live in Cambodia and don't speak Khmer.  Have I mentioned yet how I need to learn how to bargain for food?
   I have a host brother, whom I like to call Kenny-he told me that was his English name (but not to his face...I never actually call anyone by their name) who studies at the university in Phnom Penh and I have only met him once when he came home for a weekend.  He's pretty typically Cambodian: skinny, small, dark, and laughs at me when I speak his language.  I have found out that I am JUST under a year older than him - his birthday is 17th January 1990.  Damned by two days!
   My host sisters are Lena and Dany - and I'm 97.4% that those are their real names! Lena is married to my host brother-in-law Mao who is an English teacher and likes to speak to me in English.  They both live at the house with her parents and poor Lena is heavy preggers - as in she is ready to pop.  I have tried to imagine the look on my parents' faces if I ever got married and then asked them if my lucky groom and I could move in with them.  I never get past the thought of me being married though - too much laughter abounds.
   Lena is 21 years old and Mao is 25.  She works at a cosmetics store in the market across from Bo's tailor shop.  The two of them (mom and daughter) must get along WONDERFULLY.
    Dany is the youngest and from what I gather she is about 18 and just taking the exam that Khmer children take to graduate from high school. She also lives in Phnom Penh and goes to university...apparently they can enroll in university here without taking the graduating exam from high school. Go Dany. She speaks a little bit of English and likes to practice with me when she is home, which is not often. She's also a quizzer of Khmer, like her dad.  Dany and I have had very long, very simple, conversations about how she wants to be a doctor in Cambodia and how I have also considered that option in America.  It's interesting to think of the differences in both our education and practice in the two different countries.  For example, it will take Dany 10 years to become a licensed physician, during which she will work on the weekdays and go to school on the weekends.  In addition, though there are scholarships available in Cambodia, student loans are virtually non-existent therefore if one wants higher education they have to rely on their parents to pay for it.  Americans are pretty unique in that we commend those who pull themselves up by their boot straps from hardship whereas if a Khmer were to be independent in the American sense it would be looked on as curious and almost wrong - like what is wrong with the person that their family kicked them out and they deserved having to survive on their own.
   The family has two dogs, a white one and a black one.  Their names are "Doggy Black", and "Doggy White".  Very original, I know.  There is also a rooster that likes to begin crowing at about 4am right outside my window, and a bunch of chickens that like to run away from it.  
   I really only see my host mom and Lena at dinner because they are always working.  However I have the pleasure of eating with my host dad and brother-in-law for lunch as well.  They bring food which Bo and Lena have prepared at the market home to where the three of us eat.  Nothing says "family" like a Khmer quiz in between spoonfuls of rice and English lessons.  
   Khmer meals are a good deal different from American meals, and not just because of the rice consumption.  My family has a table so we don't sit on rice mats, but everyone gets their own bowl of rice to eat and then in the middle of that table are the dishes that get eaten with the rice.  Khmer eat with spoons and sometimes forks but the forks really just serve to shovel food onto the spoon.  Knives are not necessary for any of the meals.  What I found extremely interesting is that they don't have drinks while eating meals.  None.  No water or pop or hot Asian tea.  I want to learn Khmer faster solely for the purpose of asking anyone if they are thirsty during dinner.  Anyway, like I said the dishes that go along with rice are in the middle of the table and everyone helps themselves to whatever they want whenever they want as the meal goes on.  It's very unlike American meals where you load up your plate and then work on the food you have in front of you. In Cambodia, you take a spoonful of what you want, eat it with rice, and then go back for more spoonfuls.  I don't suppose I've written yet about the relationship between me and germs, and sharing those germs, huh.   Most dishes are soup-like, but sometimes there will be a plate of chicken pieces or fish.  I have to watch out for bones though, the fish look like they're caught, killed, then roasted and plated.  It's easy to stay away from meat when you're worried about breaking your teeth on bones and looking into eyes in your soup.  In addition, Khmer meals last about 10 minutes during which everyone just fills up their mouths and bellies and conversation is kept to a minimum.  Khmer eat as though they are never going to see food again.  It's a little earth-shattering and more than a little heartbreaking considering what this country has been through and how poor it is.  My family are lucky though and seem to be doing quite well.  We have running water and electricity! And let me tell you that is not easy to come by in Cambodia for the most part.
    My host family calls me "AhmndAh" or more recently "MnnUH" which makes for interesting shouts and references.  Every day they make sure I am awake by 6:30am because as Mao puts it, "if you sleep in it means you are sick".  They often comment on how little rice I eat and I expect they'll be locating a Khmer husband for me before the next month is up.  At the very least my hidden cooking talents will be showcased and luckily for me it's hard to mess up steamed rice when you have a rice cooker.  Good thing I can clean dishes, although this whole "laundry-by-hand" thing could end up being a dealbreaker. What can I say? I'm very impatient for clean clothes and water is more fun to play in.  I haven't turned any white clothes pink or light blue yet...which is more than I can say for my time abroad in Greece.  O the wonders of growing up.
   Everything I write is in good fun though, I feel very lucky to have landed the host family I did and am taking great pleasure in learning Khmer culture from this "typical" Khmer family.  I wish I could convey to them the service they are doing me! It's hard to be in a new place with new people but I can't imagine welcoming a girl from the other side of the world who doesn't speak my language into my home, cooking for her and trying to communicate about basic life.  Needless to say I think the Saos are akin to angels. They are doing their best as I am doing mine.  
   This is a fabulous time to give a big HI to my own Mom and Dad (whom I like to refer to as "supermom" and "superman" ... it has thrown my host family for a loop) and a shout-out to my favorite siblings: Joe, Diana, Thomas, and Laura (and I can say that now because I have Khmer siblings).  Missing you on the other side of the world!  Here, there's a saying that when you cough (*coughcough*) it means someone must be missing you.  I cough a lot due to the dust and rice here...so I'm betting it's you 6 missing on me so hard.  :D 


I am ever thankful for my family-you guys are amazing.
Here's hoping my Khmer husband knows how to cook Western food!
xo-Amanda

   From the left: Lena, Dany, me, Ken Behind us: Bo and Sareth

WASH

  I'll bet minds are being boggled wondering what I am actually supposed to be doing here in Cambodia in terms of Peace Corps and the reason I was chosen for this mission and flown cross the world.  And no, it's not wholly due to my sparkling charm and irreplaceable wit.  As much as it may seem, my time isn't taken up with rice eating and traversing across southeast Asia.  What I am doing right now is Khmer language acquisition and CHE technical training.  I would like to get out there to my actual site in the far reaches of rural Cambodia, but I also do not want to be unprepared so that ineffectiveness follows.  My talents (natural and American-acquired), without the correct training, will come to nothing here and I will end up being useless. That's why I am here in Tramkak for about 4 more weeks.
   CHE volunteers are one of many groups in Cambodia interesting in improving the health of the Khmer people.  Peace Corps volunteers in particular focus on a few main regions of interest: maternal and infant health, nutrition, and communicable diseases.  We are not here to treat these maladies, but rather for the education of the people.  For instance, one of the things we will be spreading the word about is that breastfeeding is good for mothers and infants for up to two years after birth.  Khmer mothers feed children rice soup as soon as possible.  Nutrition plays a bit part in our technical training because it is such a problem here in Cambodia.  Not only does their diet revolve around rice, but as the staple, they believe that it is really good for them in large quantities.
     Nutrition is one of the most visible problems in Cambodia and one only needs to view Cambodians to see this. Cambodians as a whole are generally smaller in stature than Americans or Europeans, but it's not the stereotypical "skinny Asian" that we might see on campus or at work. Cambodians are just small. My group has had many discussions about this regarding sports. One thing that I noticed at our first soccer game was that the Cambodians had great skills but no body behind the skills. The would not be able to compete with European football players simply because they are too small to be competitive. This problem begins, literally, in the womb. Khmer mothers are slowly (with our help and help from others) learning about pre-natal care. Previously we have learned that about a month before giving birth, pregnant Khmer women would stop eating as much so that their birth would be easier. The child therefore is deprived of nutrients very early. They are often not breastfed, and wealthy families believe that formula is better than breast milk. As early as possible the children are fed rice-soup (rice and water) and from there as they grow up the diet generally consists of rice and anything else their mother prepares for them. A big problem is that mothers prepare what their mothers prepared...and the food groups, while known to the children, are not known to the mothers and fathers and therefore a generation passes before a change is made. Parents also think, "well it worked for me so it will work for my kids" not understanding the cycle that persists.
      One of the programs here that we are learning about now is WASH, or Washing and Sanitation Hygiene.  A large problem in Cambodia is sanitation and clean drinking water.  Let me tell you the root of the problem: toilets.  I am not going to post a photo of what I see on a regular basis here, but it can be summed up for you in one word: shit.  When people here need to poop or pee, they do so-on the side of the road. Or in the market. Or next to the table they are eating at.  You think I'm pulling your arm hair - I'm not.  Not everyone here has a toilet for various reasons.  Some because it's too expensive, some because they've never had one and they're still alive, some because it's too hard to clean, or pump out.  Whatever the reason, 100% of the population does not have toilets.  This presents a whole slew of problems that I'm sure Americans can only wince at, the largest of which, here, is contamination of drinking water.  Therefore, we assess sites and villages without toilets and proper hand washing education, and attempt to rectify the situation through education.  It's hard to go into details but basically I am presently learning about the problem, about the solution, and about how to educate Cambodians in a respectful and correct manner.
   Yesterday I was able to go out with a group in my first village survey to talk to some Khmer about habits they already have, and knowledge they would like to acquire. Speaking a little bit of my own rusty Khmer and mostly through a translator, my group discovered that the people living in the village are more worried about Dengue than diarrhea and do not always utilize hand washing or proper food washing. Sometimes the women who prepare the food simply don't have time, they told us, or do not know the correct way to cover food. Since there is no refrigeration the food has to be prepared right before it is eaten or else it sits out for hours. This sounds appalling to an American ear, but washing hands is not prevalent here...and neither is soap (no worries, my mom is sending a bounty of hand sanitizer for me...THANKS MOM!).
 I hope I've explained these things ok...I'm still learning about a lot of it myself!

  In completely unrelated news, I've survived my own first Cambodian sickness and have lived to tell about it.  One of the only bad things about growing older, in my opinion, is that your mom isn't on hand to take care of you when you get sick (she's pretty much all I want when I'm sick).  Imagine getting sick with your mom 7000 miles away...that's an additional 7000 reasons I wanted my mommy!

 Happy hand-washing back home!
 xo-Amanda