*I went up to Siem Reap last week to run the half-marathon at Angkor Wat with some of my fellow volunteers. It was a lot of fun, but man I underestimated the distance I was running at site. I felt good up until the 14th kilometer, when I could no longer suppress the need to pee, undoubtedly induced by my 4 am cup of joe. So I had no choice but to duck into some bushes and relieve myself, but unfortunately picked a spot covered in thick, thorny bushes. After clawing my way out, I realized my hands were covered in bloody scratches but at that point, that didn't even come close to the pain throughout the rest of my body. I managed to finish the half without walking, which I was really happy about. But my pace was as slow as a tortoise so I know what I need to work on for my next one. I think I'm hooked on this whole half marathon thing. It's a fun goal to work towards, and now I have a better idea about what to expect. There is a half marathon in Singapore in May which I'd love to run, but the timing is really close to our last 3 months of service, which PC policy says we must remain in Cambodia for. So we shall see.
Some of the Peace Corps vols after the half!*Teaching is in full swing! The Ministry of Education has cut the hours for English from 4 hrs to 2 hrs per week for grades 11 and 12, which I think is asinine. But then again, almost everything about the education system here is silly, so I am not too surprised. The new lack of hours has cut into my teaching time at the high school, but I have supplemented my time in the class with informal office hours. When I say informal, I mean sitting at the snack shack (literally a tin roof resting on bamboo sticks) drinking a cup of coffee and chatting with the students and teachers. It's actually been a great opportunity to talk with students I don't have in my classes who want to get some face time with a native English speaker. I'm also teaching doctors and other staff at the Provincial Health Department, which is totally different from teaching at the high school. I'm working with some volunteers in my province on getting a girls'leadership/empowerment/health camp together for March. We're in the proposal writing stage and are hoping to get it submitted in the next few weeks. Definitely some cool stuff going on.
*My host mother is pregnant! The news was casually dropped at lunch about a week ago, and I initially thought she was joking. But it's become clear that she is very serious and is already 3 months along. I am worried about this for a number of reasons: (1) the risks that accompany having a child at her age are plentiful- the baby could have genetic disorders, she could have delivery complications (especially in this country!), etc. (2) the relationship between my host parents, is well, on the fritz, to say the least. Friends of my host mom repeatedly tell me that my host dad is koich, or 'broken' in Kmai. I'll let you interpret that as you please. (3)The life expectancy of a Cambodian is about 61 years old. That would be the exact age of my host mom when this child is 18 years old. Hmmm. (4) No one in the fam really seems too happy about this new addition. My sister cried upon hearing the news. My brother asked if he was not going to be the focus of attention anymore. It's gonna be interesting to see what happens when this boy is born (my host mom insists it's a boy- she saw it in her dreams).
*Studying for the LSAT is officially under way! I am taking it in June in Bangkok, so I am thankful I have plenty of time to prep for it. My goal is not to drive myself absolutely nuts, which I am already doing and am still 6 months+ away from the actual test date.
*My host sis, Theavy, was given an award today for being the #1 student in her class last year (when she was in grade 11). I went to the ceremony (her parents chose not to attend, another issue) and I was so proud of her when they called her name! For the students who had family members attend, they stepped aside and took pictures with their family. I went to take a picture with Theavy and she leaned in and whispered "Thanks for coming Nisa. I love you so much." I had tears in my eyes and tried to hold them in as I went back to my seat. The hardest part about this experience coming to an end will be leaving my host family. But that's still 7+ months away, so I try to not think about it.
Well, I think that is about it. Hopefully everyone is having a wonderful time getting ready for the rest of the holiday season, finishing finals, and getting ready to ring in the new year. 20 days left until 2011...
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