It's Christmas Once Again in....Phnom Penh

One day, during a family nap, we awoke to a Christmas tree on our wall! The only logical explanation was that Santa's elves came and made this for us since they knew that buying a Christmas tree probably wasn't an option this year.

So the Griffin family reveled in this magical creation for a few days until we decided we must decorate it. Out came the scissors, the construction paper, paint, and the glue. 

Papa Griffin really helped in making it special, complete with a dolphin jumping out of the water, a fish, school bus, airplane, and dinosaur. We each decorated a few Christmas bulbs, and if you look closely enough (and you're a pretty good friend), you might just see your state represented.

Surprisingly, this Christmas tree hasn't been our worst. In fact, it might be one of the best! The tree reminds us of home, and we had a lot of fun decorating it as a family.

In addition to a BIG thanks to Santa's elves, we also want to thank YouTube for putting on continuous Christmas music "channels," which fills our home full of Christmas cheer!

 

 

More Vulnerability...

So here I am, four months into living in Cambodia, and it's happening again: increased sense of vulnerability. I thought I had it all down: riding motos like a pro, speaking a bit of the language, and smiling at all the people. But now I've bought a bike. As I write this, it seems silly. Yes, I am anxious about riding a bicycle in Phnom Penh.

Now I know my CWF volunteer friends will laugh because they have been doing this for months now, and I've been riding a moto to and from work. Most would probably argue that riding a moto is far more dangerous than riding a bike, which I probably agree with. But that doesn't change the fact that riding a bike is something new for me, new terrain of my ever-present anxiety to master.

I've hopped on my bike a few times and have been successful, but much like what I mention in a previous post entitled "Vulnerability," I find excuses not to ride it. Not to go out. Writing this blog, for example, is another way to avoid hopping on the bike and exploring PP in a different way.

But what I'll do--eventually--is look back and laugh at this post. I'll recognize it's my same pattern of fearing the unknown and pat myself on the back for overcoming it.

What I would eventually like to get to is not having to look back and laugh. Instead, I want to be laughing with every new thing that comes my way, unaware of the "what ifs" that might be. If you know what I'm talking about, then you also know how hard it is to do this. For now, I'll keep pushing--or pedaling--forward, hoping one day every new thing in my life is met with a sense of exploration and wonder.

Why do I love Cambodia?

Surprisingly, this is a very hard question to answer. Of course, there are the beautiful beaches and the unparalleled Angkor Wat and surrounding temples to consider, but that's not it.

I even try to grapple with the answer as I walk or moto through Phnom Penh--a bustling city but nothing like New York or Paris or Madrid.

So what is it? Well, I think it's the people. And the smells. And the sunshine. And the warmth--from the sun and from the people. And the breeze. And the ease of getting around. It's all of these things.

First, the people. I am currently assisting with testing new students for CWF's next semester, and there is one question I ask potential level 4 or higher students: "If you had $1000 what would you do with it?" The question, a simple one that gauges a student's ability to speak English with a bit of depth, is my favorite to ask because of all the answers I receive.

But if you're reading this, then you probably have spent a $1000 on useless shit: a TV, a phone (gasp!), or something else of the like. And if you're reading this, then you're probably thinking that $1000 is nothing. I know that I would need a dollar figure much higher to really stop and think about how my life would change with such a gift.

Yes, some students' answers range from a new car to a new laptop, but most respond with a sigh, a glint of hope in their eyes, and talk about how they would give their parents money, or open a business, pay for school, study English more, start a NGO where they would help street kids or the elderly, pay for books. And they're so many more answers where I see their hearts open, their hopes soar, and their voices crackle with the potential to have their lives changed.

This is why I love Cambodia. It's the people and their answers. It's the perspective they give me that encourages me to be a better person and to value what I have. It's the smiles I see on their faces as they look at me. It's the constant love and attention they give to Sila because he is a person they feel as if they can connect with, someone who isn't entirely lost to the Western life and who would probably scoff at such a question if he were 10 years older.

It's also the weather. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love sunshine and warmth and maybe a slight breeze and rain. Thankfully, Cambodia has all of this right now, which reminds me of home but yet makes me feel at home.

So there you go. Cambodia, I love you so.

Thanksgiving and Endings

Our second major holiday in Cambodia was...well...a success, I suppose. Yes, we had a proper Thanksgiving dinner, and yes, we were able to be together as a family.

Was it large and full of friends and family? No. Did we have the day off from teaching? No. So that's why it was a doubtful success. Regardless, we made it the best and tried not to focus too much on the fact that we weren't at home and that we miss everyone so freaking much.

I know you're all wondering about Thanksgiving dinner, so I'll include some pictures to give you a visual. Surprisingly, the restaurant did a great job trying to recreate a traditional, American meal. We were pleased, and it was great to eat ourselves into a food-induced coma.

For the second part of my blog posting entitled "Endings," Conan and I are trying not to get too swept up into the homesickness that all the goodbyes have created.

Our semester teaching at CWF has come to an end, and while we're staying, all of the good friends we've made here in Cambodia are leaving...heading home...spending Christmas and New Year's with friends and family...living the comfortable Western life. Sigh.

Don't get me wrong: we really do love our time here in Cambodia and Cambodia itself. It's truly an amazing country, but damn would we love to see our friends and family right now. It is what it is, though, and we have another three to four months left here before we head to Vietnam.

I will leave you with a few pictures from my class party and pictures of the four most amazing people we had a chance to know and who have now left us. I'm sure you're all sick of seeing pictures of them, so this is the last time, unless, of course, they come back to visit!