Week Three

For entry #3 and week 3 I am going to tell you a few things I have learned thus far living in Cambodia.

1.   They love love love pajamas sets. Everyone, babies to grandparents, wears matching pants and button up tops to work and play.  I don’t know who started this fashion trend but I do not think I will be joining in any time soon. 

One of my students in his yellow pajamas

2.   They call every meal “eat rice.” Apparently rice refers to all hot food and since we are never served anything cold they can just ask us “eat rice?” and that means “are you eating lunch/dinner?” At first I thought they just didn’t know how to say anything else but then I was told that is how they translate lunch and dinner.  Weird.

3.   The kids will play with anything and everything.  So far Stacy spotted her old cereal box being used to carry school notebooks (like a trapper, remember those?) and I have seen my old bowls and spoons being dug up like prized possessions.  

Here they are using Stacy’s thrown away Pringles can to hold their rocks (used to play “jacks”)

4.   Sleeping and a bed do not necessarily have to go together.  No matter the time of the day I can find someone sleeping miscellaneously around Palm Tree.  Here are my favorite 2 spots so far- the bookshelf and literally RIGHT outside our door:

5.   This fifth point is a little weak but I want to make a list of 5 so here it is: there is some weird obsession with Korean socks.  We have seen numerous signs advertising, “YES! WE HAVE KOREAN SOCKS!”  Stacy and I are yet to get to the bottom of this but I will be sure to update you when we find out what is so special about these Korean socks.