Two years in the Kingdom of Wonder- blog post #4

Hello All, and thank you for following me. This weeks post is about the Wat. There are Buddhist Wats all over Cambodia. The most famous being Angkor Wat which is a long way from where I am currently located. When we first arrived here we were taken to the local Wat and led to the open building that is pictured. We were seated on the wooden floor covered with brightly colored mats while the monks sat on a raised section in front of us wearing bright orange robes and their heads shaved. We were asked to sit with both legs bent and to one side. Although I see women commonly sit this way it was extraordinarily uncomfortable for me. After one of the monks had finished speaking- in Khmer of course- they walked among us sprinkling water on us from a bowl using what appeared to be a wooden implement. I felt truly honored. There are many rituals in Cambodia including weddings and funerals. I will share with you first hand each event as they occur. The Wat itself is an amazing place. The pictures here don’t do it justice. I was overwhelmed by the serenity and beauty of the buildings and the flora.  I will be visiting many Wats over the next two years so I’ll continue to share with you these amazing places as I experience each of them. When I was in my twenties and living in center city Philadelphia I had the incredibly fortunate opportunity to shake hands with the Dalai Lama. We were told when we arrived at the Wat to never look a monk in the face but when I was in my twenties I was ignorant of this and unaware that this is something that is asked not to be done. So I looked into the eyes of the Dalai Lama as I held his hands in mine. I was engulfed by a sense of peace that is hard to put into words. I realize these posts may raise many questions and I encourage you to search for the answers. Thanks again for following. Next weeks post I’ll be covering my daily life, Where and how live with a Cambodian family that does not speak English.

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Cambodia

Two years in the Kingdom of Wonder, post#3 Arrival. Arrival into Cambodia was not nearly as bad as I expected in regards to the heat and humidity. However the heat and humidity was soon to come. I sweat from morning to night even with showers throughout the day. I am at a training center in Kandal Province receiving 9 weeks of language and cultural training before I head off to the clinic where I will spend the next 2 years. Cambodia has a rich history which I will be covering in this blog. You will learn as I do. One staggering fact that I was informed of this week that in 1970, prior to the Khmer Rouge there were 500 doctors in Cambodia. By 1979 the number had dwindled to 10-45 in the entire country. The Cambodians are working hard to turn this around but there remains a need for outside support. Upon my arrival to the training center I was taken to a Buddhist Wat where I was blessed by the monks. More on this in my next post. Can’t figure out how to post pictures so you can see them on facebook. If anyone can tell me how to put them on wordpress it would be appreciated. Todays pictures are of the training center. Keep in touch! Disclaimer: The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the Cambodian Government

The wait is over

Tomorrow I leave for San Fransisco. It is there that I will meet with the others that I will be working with in Cambodia. There has been a tremendous amount of preparation I’ve had to go through. Imagine taking an entire home and all your belongings, determining what not to keep and what is going into a 10 by 20 locker for the next two years. And then whittling that down to 2 duffle bags. That is all I’m taking with me for the next 2 years. Most likely my next post will be coming to you from Cambodia