today is the day when i write you with happier news!
things are looking up. after a long period of intense worry and sadness (the details of which only my "lucky", close friends are privy to), i am happy to announce that things are LOOKING UP!
there will be two parts to this exciting, more positive blog post:
(a) my exciting and different-than-expected plans for the future, and,
(b) the most disturbing things that i have seen of late, related to electricity and the monsoon season.
First, and most importantly, i want to thank everyone for being so amazing supportive. i never thought moving here would be easy, but i was not expecting the particular brand of surprises that i have experienced. thank you, Universe.
Dad always said - "if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."
i get that now. i really get that...
the job which i moved here for is no longer sustainable, to put it mildly. i have been faced with many challenges related to this, and have decided to stay in Cambodia and to move forward with a new plan. this is one of those times when, if you are paying attention and putting forth positive and intentional energy, the Universe opens doors - unexpected and full of blessings...
a little history: the job i accepted here was not the one for which i originally applied. i was offered an alternative position within the same agency, and i accepted. the woman that got the job for which i had originally applied was "this Carolyn-person from Australia", who i immediately googled and was resentful of, on some level. turns out that this Carolyn-person is truly wonderful -- certainly to be a lifelong friend. if you are lucky, you will meet her someday. the only problem thus far in our relationship is that i keep calling her Caroline, but shes very patient, understanding that, even though we both speak English, mine is a bit mixed up.
as a result of everything subsequently falling apart at work, she and i have decided to open a private therapy practice here and to make our own way in the world.
we are calling it the "Banyan Tree Therapy Centre."
i alerted her that she had misspelled "center", but her computer's spellcheck disagreed, so i hadnt a leg to stand on with that argument. indeed, i apparently spell many words "incorrectly" on a regular basis.
and so, my worldly education continues....
it turns out that there is a strong need for counselling (yes, TWO L's), in Phnom Penh among the English-speaking population. i will be able to do this a few days a week and also have time to consult and train and collaborate with various agencies in town to maintain my connection with the local population - the reason i came here in the 1st place. i already have a gig doing some training in 2010. i will be teaching a mental health curriculum to formerly sex-trafficked teens who are now training to be yoga teachers. if that not kizmet, im not sure what is.....
so, life is falling to place, it seems. we hope that the business will take off soon, and are working hard to transition into that as soon as possible, other opportunities forthcoming...
now - on to the disturbing monsoon season practices of the Khmer people.
in the past week, i have seen the following during major storms:
1. in front of Carolyn's house, a man on a metal ladder fiddling precariously with the electrical box and a pair of metal pliers, insisting that he was safe, installing the internet immediately, per his boss's instructions.
2. a man walking down the street in an unbelievable lightening-ridden downpour with a metal ladder over his shoulder.
3. a man on a metal roof cleaning gutters and trimming plants, wielding a pair of large metal hedging shears.
4. a man trimming tree branches on Monivong Blvd, with the large branches entangled in the mess of power lines, hanging with his full weight on the branch and twisting it all around to get it to disconnect from the tree trunk. i was in a tuktuk saying (out loud), "oh, my. no. please no. sir, please dont do that. uh-oh!"
i have been lucky enough to have not witnessed an electrocution-style death here thus far. i have, however, seen a fatal traffic accident, and hope to see no more of those...
ps - i do not have lice. heavens be praised.
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