Let's open the credits on my BFF Erik
Willia is The Sass. She is a great friend located north of me in Pursat at a health center and does a lot of the same work that I do. The best part about Willia is that she always knows how to make me laugh and she is great at being a cheerleader. I call her up sometimes at site just to hear her voice and her reactions because I know that one conversation with her will put me into a good mood that will last for hours. She always knows just what to say and whether to turn the conversation to funny or serious and is a good cheerleader to have when I am stuck at site and in some major need of a good laugh.
Next comes The Roommate, Miriam. Miriam was my roommate when we arrived in Phnom Penh that fateful day so many months ago not really understanding what we were supposed to be doing in this hot country with a language we could not understand much less speak. She was placed in Svay Rieng at a health center as well and not too long ago we began a project on ANC work and educating Village Health Volunteers in order to be able to reach the villagers that we are not able to get to, or do not come to the health center. Miriam and I have the same sense of humor and we both get told that we look Khmer by Khmer people (which boggles both of our minds). I am always happy to see and hang out with Miriam when I get the chance in Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville.
And then comes the paradigm: the Team (aka Team22). The Team is made up of Mark (the Brains), Evan (the Beauty), Andrew (the Brawn), and Tony (the Wild Card). Jill is the "Useless Girl" and I am the "Token Girl" but we share the attributes and mostly are just along for the ride. Let me Game of Thrones the Team for a second so that you can better understand the dynamic. If we were to play the Game of Thrones (where either you win or you die), Tony would be Tyrion Lannister. Tony is extremely smart, and can out-talk, out-think, and probably out-play everyone involved in a Game of Anything. He also knows how to designate roles which clearly Tyrion is great at when he takes over being the Hand of the King and outwits Cersei at the end of Season 2.
Mark is Robb Stark because he is good at getting people out of trouble and diffusing situations, although he also has attributes of Tyrion Lannister and is pretty good at talking himself into and out of anything. He and Tony make the most terrifying Team in that they are always up to shenanigans. If Eddard Stark had Mark and Tony on his team he probably would have escaped and gone on to lead an army against Joffrey Baratheon and whatnot...or maybe they would have played the Game of Thrones to a different turn - with the two of them, one never knows what is going to happen.
Evan is Jon Snow, not because he's a bastard or and outcast with a giant albino direwolf, but because he is super nice and befriends everyone in Peace Corps. Also because if Evan were to be groomed for taking over Peace Corps and setting the rules, like Jon Snow in the Night's Watch, he's a leader I would definitely follow.
Andrew was a tough one to place but after much deliberation, he would be Jaime Lannister. Whenever we go out the Khmer girls love to look at Andrew and tell him he is so handsome! Also Andrew is generally willing to be the brawn behind the ideas of Tony and Mark who love to twist and thicken the plot.
Jill would be Cersei Lannister - if Jill is happy, everyone is happy. Unlike Cersei though, Jill is generally happy and always down to have a good time, even if she did go to UK (Sorry Jill, but March madness just ended).
And I fancy myself to be Daenerys Targaryen, mostly because I like to play with fire.
top photo: Jill and I on our birthday boat ride
bottom photo in order from left: Jill (on the phone), Andrew, Tony, Mark, me, Evan
Last but not least comes The Girls. The Girls are my absolute favorite part of Peace Corps (mostly because I can refer to them as "The Girls" and everyone knows who I'm talking about). Sometimes I picture us on "Real World Peace Corps Cambodia" (except more like "Sex and the City", "Girls" and like shows) only instead of wine glasses and salads we have Nalgenes and rice. I am really big fans of The Girls and also am secretly grateful that they have scooped me up and become friends with me because they are lifesavers and meeting up with them is something I look forward to when I am at site. Let me tell you a little about them via interpretation of The Girls through the Hunger Games (yes, I have seriously thought about this. What else do you think I do in my spare time?).
In a Hunger Games-type situation, Hayley would die first (Sorry, Hales). This is because Hayley is the nicest person I have ever met in my entire life. She's simply too sweet and would not be able to handle killing the other tributes in cold blood. She would be sharing her food. Sharing of sustinence does not let one live in the Hunger Games where the odds are never in your favor. Hayley is also absolutely no good at hiding what she is thinking. If you want to know what she is thinking, just take a glance at her face because she has the most priceless facial expression responses to almost everything that is said.
Caitie would be killed off second because she is also extremely nice and likes everyone. I mean, everyone. Generally when I'm out with Caitie and we run into other people, I find Amber and Hayley. "Caitie's making friends again," I say to Amber very often, "I hate it when she does that" (I jest, I jest - I mean I say that but I don't hate it when she does that). BUT Caitie is a huge inspiration to me and a great influence because she is so enthusiastic about life - seriously, Caitie has more enthusiasm for breakfast than I've ever had for anything in my entire life. She's also super strong because she played lacrosse in college - which might be the only thing that let's her live longer than Hayley. In the long run though, Caitie is too nice and friendly to survive in the Hunger Games. She goes second.
Amber is pretty ruthless when it comes to sports and Games because she's is probably one of the most competitive people I've ever met. This will take her far in a Hunger Games-like situation, especially when it comes down to hand-to-hand combat. She pretty much shows no mercy when she is involved in anything where she could win. Amber also likes to gamble (which did me no favors when IU lost to MSU during football season.) BUT - the downfall of Amber in the Hunger Games is her loyalty. She loves Caitie, Hayley, and I and to her credit I think she would do anything for us, including share food or weapons. Thus Amber would be the third to go.
And obviously I would win because I have no heart and am now accustomed to life without showers, electricity, and food options other than rice. Also I am now bomb at using my tiger-camo pocket knife that supermom sent in a care package. Take that mangoes that need to be peeled before consumption! Bring it on, Everdeen!
from left: Hayley, me, Caitie, Amber
And that is just a small view and a few of my favorite people who take part in the drama known as "Peace Corps Cambodia: Amanda Arand". Like I generally say, it's my world and they're just living in it.
End Scene.
xo - Amanda
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