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May 02, 2005

Alive and well (almost) in Phnom Penh

Hi everyone!

So sorry it's been so long since I've updated my journal. It's so hot here, that it's hard to make yourself do anything and most of the day, say from about 11:00am to about 4:00pm is wasted just having to lay around like a limp rag in this heat.

I now have a little apartment, and I am in the process of getting settled. It is all I need and not much more for only $180 a month. It has a large balcony that overlooks the rooftop of the National Museum, and is about 2 blocks from the Royal Palace and the riverfront. So, I can take a short walk and go to the "touristy" areas here and meet other people like myself fairly easily in restaurants and such. I have memorized just enough Khmer to get along, to find what I need and go where I need to go. But as I said, I am missing friendly conversation with others, and it is something that takes a while to get used to. I will do my best to take and upload some pictures soon, to let you all see my place.


I was quite ill as some of you might know for about 2 weeks only after having been here a few days. It was some kind of respiratory thing, like bronchitis, and I was weak and coughing all night and all day for a long time. Then I suffered from Montezuma's revenge, and that wouldn't just go away on its own either. I finally had to seek something out at a pharmacy to make it go away. Now I have a slight cold, and it is more of an irritant than a problem. I am convinced that the climate here has and still is taking some getting used to, and that's why I've been sick. The heat is unlike anything I have known in Oregon even at it's hottest and about like Mississippi was when I was growing up. But at least in Mississippi I could escape from the midday heat in an air-conditioned home. My apartment has an airconditioner, but all it does is make noise, and no cold air comes out. My landlord doesn't seem too concerned about my comfort since they had to do many other things to remodel the place before I moved in. I think they think, that if they can live without A/C, so should I. Oh well. Whatever doesn't kill ya makes you stronger, at least I hope.

I find that I am homesick and missing talking to friends and family. It doesn't take long to feel isolated here, I mean especially when you don't even speak the language. I am working on my Khmer though, and often can pick out words that are spoken, but they speak so fast and the meaning of what is said is lost on me.

Well, after spending way too much money in restaurants until I had a place to cook for myself, I now can make meals very cheaply. There is an open air Khmer market only about 2 blocks away, and produce and just about anything needed to make a great meal is very inexpensive. I had a stir-fried eggplant thing this morning, and yesterday a tofu vegetable stir fry. Each large meal which can feed me for a whole day only costs about $1. The secret is having to make it yourself. Although the meals in restaurants here are very cheap by western standards, maybe $4 - $5, it adds up quickly when you have to eat all your meals that way. I also have to wash and line dry all my own clothes. It was getting too expensive to have it done by someone else. I will never look at my Maytags the same way again, I promise you!

Well, I would write more, but I only have 5,000 riel, and am hoping not to have spent more than that. Take care everyone!

Posted by Shonda on May 2, 2005 04:25 PM
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Comments

I am glad you are okay now. I sure do understand about the weather and need for relief.

The ready to cook rice noodles are the equivalent of 'Ramen Noodles' probably and you will be needing some carbs. Then those pouch things.

Try to find an inexpensive source of seltzer water. Gotta watch them fresh veggies etc. too because of what they can contain due to where they were grown (not telling you this to spook - it's just reality - nite soil with human night/nite material!...)

Miss you too! What phone cards are available and can you take calls station to USA? I used to do this from Philippines when I was a Sailor...

:-)

Posted by: Ricky on May 3, 2005 09:48 AM

Glad you are feeling better. Sorry about the heat. Sure makes you appreciate home, eh? But this will be a great, memorable experience even if it only reaffirms "there's no place like home"!

Posted by: Betsy on May 5, 2005 06:24 AM
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