Waves, squid and jewelry

Last weekend we went to the beach. We went to Sianoukville and stayed at a guesthouse called Orchidee Guesthouse and spent our time on Ochheuteal beach. Orchidee Guesthouse was very nice and we had a large room with air conditioning! It had a nice pool in which we used late at night when we were back from the beach.
We left Saturday morning very early; I had to get up at 6:30. We went to the Mekong Express bus leaving area near Oresey market. While waiting people tried to sell us sunglasses and magazines, only a taste of what was yet to come. We got on the bus and started the four hours long bus ride. Much to my relief the bus had an onboard bathroom (it was even western). There was also a television which started out showing the ever popular Cambodian karaoke but then moved on to the Titanic. Four hours later we arrived and got on a tuk tuk to go to our hotel.
As soon as we got to our hotel we changed into our swimming suits, packed towels, sunscreen, and water and headed to the beach, which was within walking distance. Upon arriving at the beach we decided that it was time for lunch. We made our way to The Frog Shack and ordered seafood. Fish, shrimp, and squid were our orders but when they arrived we had varied emotions. My mom and I had ordered fried squid and fries only to receive barbequed squid and mashed potatoes. This squid was not exactly calamari as we expected and we gladly shared food with the rest.
Afterwards we went and found a table and chairs amidst the Cambodian people that we had heard were free. My mom and my siblings and I went into the water while my dad guarded our stuff. After getting wet my dad called us in and said we had to move or pay five bucks! So we walked down to the tourist area of the beach and found a restaurant that would give us chairs and a table if we bought something. So my dad sat down and ordered a coconut and we hurried back into the waves.
Soon after we went into the water my dad was bombarded with people selling him stuff: jewelry, being shaved, pedicures, and such were the items and services they were selling. Otay, otay, otay (no, no, no) was his response. They left but not without trying to sell him something. One lady trying to sell bracelets and headbands was particularly set on selling him something. She gave him a “free” bracelet and said she would be back later to sell stuff to me and my sister and mother. She did return only to ask an outrageous price for something we had seen for less than half what she was asking down the beach. Her main selling point was that she had given my dad that “free” bracelet. I decided against buying them and ran back into the water only to have to come ashore again and be offered a new price. This was the same price except for two headbands. Sneakily, she tied a bracelet to my wrist thus making me buy the headband. Acacia paid for the second one.
We spent some more time on the beach but soon a storm came along and brought us back to the guesthouse. We arrived at the guesthouse only to watch the storm quickly pass by. Now it was time for supper, hopefully an improvement from lunch. Supper was yummy and everyone enjoyed their meal. Acacia’s pineapple fruit shake came in a pineapple, which she loved. The thing that was the best though was the peacefulness, after being in Phnom Penh for quite awhile. After supper we went back and swam until it was time to go to bed. We were all quite tired from the afternoon on the beach.
The next morning after eating breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant we headed back to the beach. After purchasing a shake we went back and enjoyed the waves. They were a little rougher so we tumbled some more but still had fun. We tried to build some sand castles but we did not have the adequate buckets and shovels and the waves destroyed them all. We headed back to the hotel to gather our bags, rinse off in the bathrooms and change into dry clothes.
We went to lunch at Starfish café. We enjoyed sandwiches, lemonade for some and shakes for others, and cookies. We browsed at Rajana, an MCC partner and craft organization, and then went to catch our bus back. After another four hours in the bus we arrived back in a rainy Phnom Penh and we were all glad to get to our dry home and grab some winks before another week of school and work. Everyone enjoyed our weekend at the beach and can’t wait for another.
-Janaya

Animals in Cambodia

You know I like animals, so I will tell you about the animals in Cambodia. Some of the animals in Cambodia look cute. Some look ugly. All of the cats are cute but some of the dogs are ugly. I wish I could pet them but I can’t because they might have rabies and none of them look healthy. So that stinks! I got to pet the cats at The Wagon Wheel restaurant. I also petted the cat at The Starfish restaurant, which was next to Rajana, a craft organization supported by MCC. I also got to pet the dog at our hotel at the beach. He was very soft! I got to see a kitten at school. It was just born because it still had its eyes closed. It was as small as a rat.
Mom won’t let me buy a cat because we couldn’t travel. But mom promised me I could get a pet like fish. One of the Geckos that we saw was in our sink. I wanted to catch it but did not know if it would bite. We have them on our walls and ceiling every night.
We hear frogs and big geckos at night. Mom and me want to see a big gecko, but they run very fast. Once we saw a toad at school. People here eat frogs. I will never ever ever eat a frog. But Austin wants too.
I once got to feed the elephant at Wat Phnom. I hope to ride on that elephant someday. I got to feed the monkeys peanuts at Wat Phnom Park. I almost got to pet a baby monkey. Some of the birds get captured and sold for pets. I wish I could get one but have no birdcage.
Our neighbors have fish. I am so jealous, seriously. We ate fish tonight for supper. But I didn’t get to pet it before it got chopped up.
Close to our road there are goats eating the overgrown grass and trash.
I miss my cats, Addie and Levi, so so so so much.

By Acacia Sachs

Biking in Phnom Penh

August 28

I’ve been biking to graduate school, or work for 21 years. Why stop now?

In PA, my ride in to work is about 3 miles; here it is about 3 kilometers. In PA, the ride has constant hills; I go down, only to go up again. Here the ride is completely flat. (I have always liked flat – like the rails to trails in Minnesota!) In PA, I ride hard, after all, it is my chance to exercise, and I arrive at work hot and sweaty. Here no one bikes hard. Neither do I, but I still arrive at work hot and sweaty! And yes, the first thing I do in both places is sit down in front of a fan to cool off!

In PA, I hug the right side of the road. No shoulders on Fileys or Grantham roads. Here I would desperately like to do that, but the inside curb is reserved for those for whom it is convenient to go “the wrong way.” So when approached by a bike or moto in my lane (a very western notion), I gradually move over towards the center.

The most convenient left hand turn here involves gradually crossing the road, whenever it is clear, and riding the wrong way, right next to the curb for a while. Then you make the turn hugging the inside curb. When convenient, I move back to my side. In the US, I follow the rules for cars, turning left from the inside and using hand signals. Here that sort of turn can be scary, because you find yourself in the middle of a completely unmarked intersection, everyone jockeying for their turn.

I’ve finally found the least stressful route to work – not necessarily the shortest. I had thought the worst of the ride would be the round-about, and crossing the railroad tracks. But traffic is so heavy in the mornings at this place that I get off my bike and walk – over curbs, through the fronts of street shops, and I move faster than everyone else! The worst part is my left hand turn at a very busy intersection, and I now plan to avoid that! I’ve ridden home ahead of a storm a couple times - now that reminds me of Colorado!

I’ve never felt comfortable biking even in sandals. The chemist in my likes closed-toed shoes! Here women bike in high-heeled, strappy sandals! No one wears tennis shoes – but so be it. I don’t really fit in anyway. I’m glad I packed mine.

Roseann