Missing PB

Charles bought a jar of peanut butter at Lucky Market (a western store) Monday evening and enjoyed a slice of peanut butter toast for breakfast the next day. However, the peanut butter has now been lost. Abandoned on a table, the peanut butter has found a new home. But 'where' is the question of the week. But since Charles and I were leaving random gifts in other MCCers' mailboxes, prehaps this is payback.

Aside from the peanut butter, this week has been going very well. Tuesday evening, some of us took a lovely boat ride on the Mekong. It was Doug's parents' and sister's last night here so they rented a boat and invited Elijah, Amy and me along.

Yesterday I started the vaccination series for Japanese Encephalitis and rabies, yet the shots were the adventurous part. I rode Amy's bike to the doctor's office which was 262-B. None of the numbers here are in accending order, so when I got to the house that said 262, I stopped. The gate was locked so I shook it and this kid, about 9 or 10, came to the door. He smiled and I was dumbstruck. I showed him the business card I had, and pointed down the street. After asking him how far and finding out it was three houses down, I thanked him and left. He was still smiling by the time I left, even though I know he was laughing at the ignorant American. After arriving at the correct place, I took a seat and noticed the young couple with an infant, teenage boy, and nun in the waiting room. The nun started asking me where I was from and why I was here... the common questions most people have. Needless to say she never heard of Mennonites before and explaining I was moving to Prey Veng to eventually work in something related to health didn't go so well either. So she started asking me if, along with my companions, I went out at night. I replied I didn't. She was very glad to hear that; it's not safe at night, especially on a bicycle. I found out she had lived in Cambodia for about 6 years, but not her nationality. Reflecting on this experience, I strive to be more like this nun. Not that I plan to take a vow of chastity to the Catholic church, but that eventually I can encourage others whom come to better a fellow human's life. Even though she didn't understand why I was here, she still welcomed me and offered a conversation.

On, a different note, I'm frusterated with the language study. I deeply want to learn Khmer, but I'm having issues with the tutor in here in Phnom Penh. He is a wonderful man, but I'm not adhering to his method of teaching. For one, we are reading the phonetics, not the Khmer script; since I am a visual learner, I'm afraid I'll have difficulty learning the script later. But, when I move in with my host family on Tuesday, I will be able to practice the language more. I also plan to start learning the Khmer alphabet in Prey Veng. It's very frusterating to be illerate in Khmer. I have always taken being able to read for granted and never realized how much I depend on/enjoy reading.

On a lighter note, I found a book in the library, The Cambodia Less Traveled by Ray Zepp, that included a section on Prey Veng Town. Under 'The Lure of Prey Veng' (pg 71) two parts stuck out to me. One had to do with Prey Veng Town having lots of snakes. Uck! Being a biology major in college should have cured me of this, but I can't even stand to see a snake preserved in formaldehyde. The other part went like this: "On the negative side, I had originally planned to go there with my neighbor, but his father forbade him from going because Prey Veng was too dangerous for a lone foreigner- too many 'grangsters,' he said." The book was published 10 years ago, and I'm not frightened. Like the nun told me, it's not safe on a bike at night, and if you use common sense (Yes, Danny I realized common sense is learned) usually you'll be fine.