this is a long overdue update, as the title of this entry says....
im sorry i havent written more, but things have hit a a rough point in my time in PP and i just havent been able to be bothered to check in for some time.
long story short, things are rocky here and im in what some might call 'survival mode.' i am super-appreciative of support from home, and have just been trying to take care of myself, to continue to have a positive attitude on this adventure called LIFE.
suffice it to say that i have had to take two "mental health days" off of work in the past two weeks. much needed.....
...still taking language lessons, and trying to find my way through the cultural maze. turns out that, unfortunately, the phrases for 'i have diarrhea' and 'i feel really happy' are ridiculously similar.
i have been blessed with a lot of support and love here, and am continuing to keep on keepin' on. i am so glad to have people around who continue to offer encouragement and ideas and hugs.
i was also blessed with a recent visit from my mom and stepdad, who loved Cambodia and offered me the opportunity to travel to parts of the country i hadnt seen before. thank you, mom and leon!
in addition, my friend Carolyn, her husband, and two young sons found out from their night guard that they had a family of ghosts living in the garden (it doesnt help that the house they rented is one block from Tuol Sleng, the infamous S-21 Khmer Rouge torture prison in Phnom Penh). we discussed this situation with him at length and they decided to call in the monks (meenk?) to solve the issue.
yesterday, we had a super house-blessing ceremony. they were nice enough to include me and we all ended up with red woven protection bracelets, and got to experience a special house-blessing and 'ridding of the ghost family' ceremony. everyone feels a lot calmer and more at peace now, especially the Cambodian guard. turns out that almost all Cambodians believe in ghosts, very strongly. we wanted to do something to make the guard feel comfortable and to make things go better for all of us in general.
this Friday, i am going to visit the court trial of the Khmer Rouge outside of Phnom Penh. this trial is open to the public, and is long overdue in my opinion. you can find out more about the trial on the web sites of the Phnom Penh Post or the Cambodia Daily.
there is also a great book by Nic Dunlop called 'The Lost Executioner' if youre into reading some interesting Cambodian history. fascinating and horrifying at the same time....
i will try to do better about keeping current posts on the blog.
i miss you all!
more soon...
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