Day Two: A Time of Reflecting and Learning

After the hectic craziness of my first day, I took the next day easy … relatively. I spent the morning learning basic Khmer from Bom. Very helpful indeed!

My goal: to attain conversational Khmer by the end of my 11 months here! 

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Khmer Progress Chart

After my crash course I hopped onto Bom’s moto (you see, I’m quite a professional now), and had a Khmer lunch at her home with her family. We zoomed down a bumpy unpaved path past slum-village hybrids (very common in Cambodia) where shiny new bungalows stood next to shacks where naked children and dogs ran as wild as the wind together. Bom’s house is a compound enclosed by a high gate, tall fences and barbed wired around the fencing. I later learnt that barbed wire is quite a common choice for fencing in Cambodia. Ditch the picket fences!

Anyways, back to the point. The visit to Bom’s was thoroughly interesting. Cambodian lifestyle still confuses me. It’s not in between modern and traditional. It’s both at the same time.

After lunch I got to meet with Jess Nguyen! It was such a delight to meet with Jess again, visit her new home, see her school and talk with a friend! I admire Jess immensely. She works at Asian Hope International School. I got to see her school and her classroom. She teaches Grade 1 and 2. I will be teaching Grade 1 so it was an immensely eye-opening experience for me – fresh off the boat and with no teaching experience whatsoever. I promptly stole many teaching and classroom management ideas from her.It was a good vision trip for me.

The 2 days I spent in Phnom Penh was a great introduction to Cambodia. I got to take in some of the sights and got a taste of the culture but more importantly, I got to glean from very wise men and women of God who have had much experience living, working and loving Cambodia.

Visited the tourist attractions: Check

Met missionaries/teachers/friends: Check

Had time for reflection and devotions: Check

Encountered authentic Cambodian family: Check

Very successful 2 days. Praise God!