total bummer:
it turns out that my job that expects me to PHYSICALLY be at the office for 8 [EIGHT!] hours/day. this is something that i heard some unfortunates talk about before and vaguely remembered doing in my early twenties, but no one prepared me for how exhausting it is! also, theres no AC, which adds to the fatigue. but really - im pretty sure that the heavy, swollen eyes and slouchy shoulders are a direct result of getting UP in the morning, commuting, working/eating/working, commuting home. i have also tentatively gathered that, at some point, i will be expected to produce some outcomes or some deliverables and to make those outcomes known to other human beings who are expecting to be impressed by them. this is a lot of pressure. especially as i am still trying to figure out how to get a cup of coffee in this country. the distant bastard cousin of coffee -- overly-sweetened Nescafe in a can -- has taken advantage of my longings and has seduced me with its convenience twice already this week. my new friend, Tiffany, has promised to take me to buy a french press and some coffee this weekend.
i have also developed a problematic habit at work. sometimes, in general, i wink at people in a very unassuming way, unintentionally, but as if to say 'hey! we just shared a little private jokey laughing moment.' for some reason, i am specifically inclined to wink at our very smiley office manager, Leak. i find myself doing it all the time. and everytime i do it, im like, 'Self, thats weird. dont do that again! why do you keep winking conspiratorially at her?' and i do it, like, multiple times each day. so weird....
so now, i have managed to start catching myself doing it, but its halfway through the wink, so i do that weird, spastic-looking, halfblink that you guys make fun of me for -- which, im sure, is 10 times more weird and creepy then just a full-on winking.
many times per day i just hope that people are chalking my behavior up to 'strange western lady' behavior.
there are many things that i have figured out. relying heavily on the assertion that there ARE NO stupid questions, i have found out some important information in recent days:
(a) the bats will not attack me. i have not been able to find out about the possibility of an owl attack, but i will keep you posted.
(b) the lightening, however, is super-dangerous. its killed 12 people in the past 7 days. (there is no electrical grounding system like the one we take for granted in the US. although Cambodia cannot claim #1 lightening strike status - thats Rwanda - there is still cause for concern, even without a thunderstorm)
(c) the after-work outfit-of-choice for many women in Cambodia is the matching pajama set. they come home, change into the PJs and head out to do their errands or walk around. its not uncommon to see a trio of women, one in turquoise, one in pink and one in white, walking in the park at sunset. delightful!
other things i have learned:
on Wednesday, i learned how to say 'client', 'lawyer', and 'delicious' in Khmer. i can also construct sentences like:
"i go to the bank, but not the school."
"i go to the market, but not the restaurant."
"i go to the hotel with my friend."
i am often called 'Sir.' thank you, Sir. where are you going, Sir? are you married, Sir? i think this oversight is endearing....
weird stuff i do to entertain myself:
when i get bored somewhere, i just play a little private game i like to call Cutest-Feet-in-the-Room. everyone takes their shoes off at the door, so i have developed a (non-sexual, look-but-dont-touch) foot fetish. whoever in the room has the cutest feet gets an imaginary award.
read resumes at work. here is an excerpt:
"Interests: reading, listening, traveling, badminton, rope skipping, boiling."
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