I don’t know how much news coverage this got while it was happening. But, while in Fiji, there were some political occurrences. To give you some history, Fiji gained their independence in 1970, and has had some coups since then: 1987, 2000, and most recently in 2006. I have previously mentioned that the Fijian population is mainly indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. The 1987 military coups occurred when it seemed that government was mainly Indo-Fijian, which indigenous Fijians did not like. In 1990 the Constitution was indigenous Fijian centric, which caused protests to revert back to the 1970 Constitution (when there was more equality and equal representation between the groups). A new Constitution was created in 1997, and an Indo-Fijian was voted Prime Minister – setting off the 2000 coup, which tossed out the PM. In 2001 a general election was held, and the elected PM proposed, in 2005, to compensate victims of the 2000 coup. The military was against this, and in 2006 the Army Commander led another coup and was named Interim Prime Minister.

At the time I was in Fiji, this Army Commander-turned Interim Prime Minister was still in power. The week before Easter weekend, the Fiji Court of Appeals ruled the 2006 coup was illegal. During Friday and Saturday (10th and 11th of April) of Easter weekend, the President abrogated the Constitution, sacked the judges, and renamed the Army Commander to the Prime Minister post – no longer as interim. Elections were postponed until 2014, and media was suppressed.

What did I see? To be honest, not much. No one talked much about the political situation, and people were more concerned with their everyday living (much as I found in Pakistan during their state of emergency). TV news and papers mostly reported positive government messages, or no reporting on government at all (the media censorship worked well). The only things that occurred that directly related to the little world I was functioning in were: the Fijian money was devalued in order to increase tourism, which meant my money was worth more so I could buy more; and I saw first-hand how the policy of retirement at age 55 played out.

You see, since the 2006 coup there has been a push to mandate the retirement age for civil servants at age 55, rather than 60 as it currently was. Everyone is now concerned how this might affect the civil service workforce – teachers would be forced to leave the classroom mid-term, replaced by newly graduated teachers (or, not replaced, or other staff reassigned to cover the classes). Staff in the district/division/central levels would also be forced to retire, unless they received special permission from the Ministry to stay; everyone wondered how retirements would affect the work load – would positions remain vacant? Would positions be filled by lesser-qualified candidates who received promotions because they happened to be younger? What would happen to the institutional history and experience that these retirees have when they leave? For example, the project I am reviewing has been working with staff in the Ministry of Education, Curriculum Development Unit, and a Teachers College (upgrading the early childhood training). Most staff are either retirement age or close to it, and there are few currently with the experience and skills to replace them. It will take a long time for the ripples to fade from these waves, and I am sure I will be gone before these answers are straightened out.

Easter Weekend fell in the middle of our field study, so rather than go back to Suva I decided to stay out west and enjoy some time to myself. I ended up booking myself at the Sofitel Hotel in Denarau Island. I knew it was expensive and I was treating myself, but I didn’t realize until later that Denarau is THE place for tourists and the main port to get to the other islands to the west (Yasawa Group and Mamanuca Islands). Turns out John Travolta was there, but at a different hotel!

Anyway, I treated myself Easter Weekend, for many reasons: I was tired from the first week of field study, and had 2 more weeks to go; I was by myself while surrounded by families enjoying the holiday; I missed David and wished he could be there with me; and who knows when/if I’ll ever get there again? So, on Friday I went to the shopping area near the port and had dinner at the Hard Rock Café Fiji (touristy, I know!). Saturday and Sunday – I had planned to go to Nadi and explore, but never even left the hotel. I lounged around the pool, read novels for fun (versus books/articles for work), and got a massage (ok, I’ll admit, and a wrap too!). I had blissfully managed to forget that I was not a tourist, and was here to work. Of course, I was also the only “tourist” to join some of the hotel staff, sit on the floor, and chat around a kava bowl. 

My earlier observations about purses and bags not being carried over one shoulder or across the body – while you are not supposed to do so in the villages, overall people can use anything. So, I was wrong. Yes, I am saying something I am sure my husband wishes I would say more of…. “I WAS WRONG.”

3.24 – 3.21

 

• Food

 

So, surprisingly, I haven’t had too much seafood yet. I have eaten a lot of Indian food, and one snack I really like is chicken liver curry rolled up in roti, and my favorite food so far is palusami, which is cooked greens mixed with coconut milk, canned beef, and onions, with taro on the side (I loved it in Samoa as well, though there they did not add meat or onion). I am usually too tired after work to go out to restaurants, so I either bring home half my lunch for dinner, or make something. Though I am starting to find a few restaurants which I hope to try soon. For lunch, there is a food court about 10 minutes walk called the Dolphin, where I always go (I walk past the US Embassy). It is an open air food court, with food stalls. The food stalls include:

• Hare Krishna Vegetarian
• Wonder Wok Chinese
• Chez Wendy (I have to remember to get a picture of this!)
• Wishbone – Chicken So Tasty
• Hot and Spicy Kitchen
• No name, but Fijian
• The Roti Shop

 

So, last Wednesday (3/25) was the second day Suva had water problems, and our office had no water. I had a meeting scheduled, but we moved it to the Dolphin so we could have tea while we met. Anyway, I got there early and was concerned she wouldn’t find me – until I realized I was the only white person there!

 

• Purses

 

So, anyone who knows me, knows I love bags – any and all bags (purses, handbags, backpacks, messenger bags, organizers, etc – the more unique and interesting the size, shape, and color, the more interested I am. In fact, while some women might notice another’s clothes, shoes, makeup, etc first, my eyes usually drop to see what accessory she (or he!) is using to schlep things around.

 

So, why the heck am I talking about purses? I enjoy looking at – and buying when I can – interesting bags during my travels. I noticed today that almost all women’s purses are handbags, those with really short handles. I have not seen any woman with a messenger bag or purse with a cross the body strap. In addition, I have noticed many more backpacks than one-strap messenger bags.

 

Why would I notice this, and why would it intrigue me? In Samoa, it was considered rude to wear or place things on one shoulder; if you wore a backpack, you should use both straps, not just one; you should hold an umbrella straight up or closed straight down, not walk with it leaning on your shoulder. This, from what I remember according to our language/culture trainers, traced back to the days of village warfare, when warriors would fight against other villages. To claim victory and come home with “proof”, the fighters would return with the heads of the vanquished at the ends of their nifo o’ti (teeth of death) slung over their shoulder (yes, at the same time they practiced cannibalism). (If any RPCVs from Samoa is reading this, if my memory is fuzzy please correct me!) As I started noticing the bags here, I wondered if Fiji had the same rationale; they also have a cannibalistic history, but I don’t know if they trekked back to the villages with the heads. While I have read that to carry bags on one shoulder is also considered rude in Fiji, I do not yet know if the rationale is the same. If I find out, I will let you know!

 

• Weekend

 

So this weekend has been really busy, and very social! On Thursday night, I had dinner with the Project Director for FESP, who was here for the week from Australia. Fiona has her own consulting business, and has worked all over the world. We talked about consulting, where to find jobs, distance education opportunities to stay current in the field, and how I should decide on a direction and continue my studies. We also discussed how challenging it is on a marriage when one spouse travels so much and the other does not.

 

Friday night I got together with another FESP consultant, recently arrived this week – though Barbara has worked in Fiji with FESP before. We went to a happy hour and shared a pitcher of sangria, had dinner, and then enjoyed having coffee as we watched the nightlife out the window start to come out of the woodwork. She also warned me about some areas to stay away from once it gets dark, including some restaurants and clubs which moonlight as brothels.

 

On Saturday I got together with both Fiona and Barbara for lunch, and then walked around Suva with Barbara. Afterwards, I got together with Fiona for business – she was leaving Saturday for Samoa, and she had feedback to give me on my evaluation plan. Wow, is she tough! One thing that is really hard about short term consulting is, not only do I have to quickly learn about the project I was hired to do, I also have to learn about the organization and their different reporting, etc. Fiona gave me some great feedback, and also taught me some new tools to use, which ultimately makes my life easier. I asked her if, once this project is done, if she would be a mentor to me. As long as I view this as a learning opportunity, I won’t take it personally that she trashed my first report! LOL Apparently, every other staff person had a rough first time with her, but she instills loyalty; and, as Barbara, Helen, and Steve, put it, it would have been more worrisome if she didn’t have anything to say.

 

Speaking of Helen and Steve, they are also FESP staff from Australia, an older married couple working together. They invited Barbara and me to their flat for dinner, which was great because it was up the hill overlooking Suva, and we could watch the lights go out for Earth Hour. It was lots of fun eating dinner by candlelight!

 

Sunday, since everything is closed except the movies and one shopping store, is becoming predictable already. Laundry in the morning, a movie (I was joined by Barbara), and then came home and worked on revising the evaluation plan. Sunday night, around 11pm, I heard what I thought was a gunshot and a lot of yelling, but then realized it was fireworks (though I didn’t see any); it seemed like all of Suva erupted in celebration when the Fiji team won a rugby game against Kenya. People came to work today half asleep on their feet!

 

Speaking of Monday, I finished the evaluation plan but didn’t send it to Fiona until I reviewed it with my counterpart. Now, I get to wait to see if it is approved; I can’t do my field study until it is. Hopefully, we’ll be off to the western division next week!

 

• Out at 55

 

So there is a new referendum in Fiji which has everyone talking. When I first arrived (wow, it’s been 3 weeks already!), people were talking about mandatory retirement for civil servants at age 55. Last week it was put on hold until the courts could decide; the ruling came today that people have to go. There is no word yet on how this will work; do people have to leave if they are 55 already? Will they have everyone 55+ leave at the end of the year? Do you have to leave on your birthday? As you can imagine, lots of debates: those for it, say it will create more jobs for a younger generation who have been more recently educated/trained; those against it, say it is forced brain drain, and staff with years of experience and skills will be lost. (How will they ensure transfer of knowledge?) and, of course the cynical side of me wonders if this is just a way for the government to either save money (lower salaries for those with fewer years of work), and/or a way to increase the civil service ranks with political “friends”. I don’t know or understand enough about the political situation, but I can’t help but wonder. I know of at least two people who have shared their ages with me and are concerned.

 

• Roshni is pregnant

 

So, I think I have mentioned Roshni already? She is the office assistant, and she is great. She has never left Fiji, but she has a very “Western” sense of humor and outlook; she is hilarious, and I can be sarcastic with her and she gets it. Anyway, she is pregnant and due in a month; I doubt she will last that long. She is HUGE and waddling around, and it is very funny to see. It is her first, and she is very excited.

 

• Flat Sharing

 

I am leaving for my field study on Sunday, and since Barbara’s flat isn’t ready yet we are thinking she will move into my flat while I’m gone. It’s win-win; I know that someone is in my place and it won’t be broken into/robbed, and she’ll save money by not having to extend her stay at a hotel (plus, good karma may be returned; I finish work May 11^th, but don’t leave until the 19^th, so she may let me use her flat as a home base, since she’ll be moved in by then).

Ok, so I got to work today and asked about the guy asking me to pay $0.20 to use the bathroom at MHCC - turns out, it was legit! Oops! I thought he was trying to con me, there were no signs, so laughed at the guy and said "no" as I walked into the bathroom, and just ignored him and walked away when I came out! I'm lucky they didn't call security. Next time, I'll pay extra. Now I know... carry toilet paper AND loose change when going to the bathroom! LOL

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been 2 weeks already; time is going so fast! Slow down! I have so much to write about, and my mind is a-jumble. I have been keeping a bullet list of things to blog about, so I think the most sane thing for me to do (might not be your cup of tea, but hey I’m the one who’s writing) is to keeps the bullets and just flesh it out. This list is in absolutely no order; just as I wrote things down to remember to add.

 ·         Assignment

 So, I thought I should first explain in a little more detail why I am in Fiji. I am in Fiji as a consultant for Cardno Acil, an international development company based in Australia. Cardno Acil has been working on a variety of projects in Fiji, and is working in partnership with Fiji’s Ministry of Education on FESP, the Fiji Education Sector Program, through funding support by AusAID (Australia’s version of USAID). Acil works closely with a local counterpart at the Ministry level in almost every sector, from early childhood through secondary, curriculum development, teacher training, vocational/technical education, monitoring/evaluation, etc. to support capacity and sustainability.

 I am here to evaluate the impact of their support with the early childhood component. I am evaluating policy, curriculum, teacher training, classrooms, and child outcomes. I’ll be doing mostly document review, interviews/focus groups, and classroom observations. This is very similar to what I did in Pakistan, and it is so nice to be in familiar territory again. Truly, early childhood is my comfort zone!

 I will be in Fiji until mid-May; when I come home, Acil will have a draft of my report. Then I wait for feedback and finalize the report; I’ll be done with this contract end of June. Too bad I can’t stay in Fiji until then!

 ·         My office

 So, my “office” is a desk shared with the 2 FESP program office assistants, where the table and fridge are. It is a really social place, and my office mates – Roshni and Una – are really nice. The main FESP offices are located in the Ministry of Education building with primary and secondary departments, though most staff are located in offices with their local counterparts elsewhere in the Ministry. Also there is Mrs. Fung, the office manager; Greg, the project manager; and Joanne, the assistant project manager (of those I have named so far, Greg and Joanne are the only Aussies; the others are locals).

 Everyone is really nice, and laid back. But, I have been impressed with the [Western-style] professionalism I have seen. 8:00 am on the dot and everyone is at the office. 4:30 pm on the dot, it’s time to leave – no one is late arriving, no one is early leaving (contrary to the assumed “island-time” mentality). We have tea at 10am, and lunch is 1-2pm. Fridays the day ends at 4pm. Unfortunately, I have been so hot and tired I have gone straight home after work, but hopefully soon I will do some exploring after work. The problem is, I don’t want to carry my laptop around with me, and when I go home to drop it off, I am so happy to relax I don’t want to leave again. Yes, my office has air con, but when you leave the room it is like you are walking into a wall of sticky heat. Yuk. I have gotten in the habit of walking to work, and taking a taxi home.

 My counterpart, Meleniani (Mele for short) is very nice, though it was a rough first week. She is very busy and overworked, and it seemed like I could never catch her my first week. I found out from Roshni that an earlier advisor had difficulty with her, and never seemed to catch her. She gave me tips that I should make clear appointments with her. This past Monday and Tuesday was a teacher workshop that I attended to observe (more on that later), and while she attended with me on Monday she didn’t show on Tuesday. We were supposed to meet Wednesday morning, but then I heard from someone else that she had scheduled a different meeting then, so I met with her Tuesday after the workshop. After that meeting, things have gotten better. She is a really nice woman, and I think we get along well; it is just a matter of me trying to be as flexible as possible, and respectful of her work requirements, while still making sure my work needs are addressed so I can do my work. She is a lot of fun, though, and we find lots to laugh about – always a good thing for working relationships (any relationship, for that matter!).

 ·         Hotel/apt

 So the first week I was here, I stayed at the Holiday Inn. It was very nice, but had a business feel. The food was good, but very expensive. The staff were great; very friendly, very personable (everyone knew me); and extremely helpful with locating and coordinating my delayed luggage to be delivered to my room.

My first Friday night, I was moved to Victoria Apartments, where I will be staying the rest of the time I am working on this project. This is a really nice change; before, whenever I did my field studies, I would have to pack everything and drag it along. Now, I can fully unpack and relax, and I have a place to leave my things when I head to the western area. The apartment is a small but very nice building, and the apartment is fully self-contained. There are 8 apartments, so it is a small building. It has a small gym (3 pieces of equipment), though I don’t plan on using it; my foot gets enough of a workout just walking around. There is also a very small pool. My apartment has a bedroom, nice closet, air con and fans in the bedroom and living room/kitchen. The bathroom has a shower/tub, plus a washer/dryer so I can do my own laundry. The rest of the apartment is a kitchen/living room; the kitchen is complete with microwave, oven, stovetop, fridge, and mini-dishwasher, with a small table/2-seat eating set. The living area has a sofa, 2 chairs, and tv. There is a small balcony with table and 2 chairs. Overall, the apartment is extremely comfortable, and those on security are all very nice. In addition to the security, the apartment is also surrounded by a fence with electric gate.

 ·         Friendliness

 Everyone is so friendly! Smiles everywhere, saying hi as you pass on the street. When someone saw me standing there with a map, they stopped, asked where I was trying to go, and pointed me in the right direction.

 ·         Differences with other places gone?

 A friend asked me about differences I have noticed in Fiji with other places I have gone. I think it is too soon to tell, but so far I have been struck with how few personal questions I have gotten. In Samoa I got used to people asking me not only where I am from, but married or not, number of children, what church I belong to (the assumption being I am Christian, which I am not and tried not to take offence over the question). Here, they ask me about where I come from, with the overall assumption being that if I am American I must come from California. They (as with other places I have been) have a hard time comprehending how big USA is, and how far the east coast is from the west. Other than where I come from, though, I have not had too many personal questions, except from those I work with as we have gotten to know each other better.

 ·         Mouse in freezer

 I know, I know, odd bullet; let me explain. I have a wireless computer mouse, and for a few days the stick you put in the laptop so it recognizes the mouse was stuck inside it, so I couldn’t use it. After chatting with Dave, I got the idea it might be stuck because of the humidity, so I put it in the freezer. Ta da! The stick popped right out!

 ·         Random Oddness

 So, there are a few indoor shopping centers (as opposed to the stores along the streets), and the newest one is called MHCC. This is 3 stories tall, and has a nice grocery store on the main floor along with a few shops; the second floor has shops as well, and the third floor is an eatery. Friday night I went grocery shopping, but went to get some food first; as I was sitting eating dinner, the “entertainment” was a Fijian band at the end of the sitting area covering Abba’s “Dancing Queen”.

 ·         Blunt, honest talk

 One thing that I have observed in my travels is how frank and honest people are when talking about sex and HIV/AIDS prevention.  America is so prudish and judgmental when dealing with anything sex-related. Sure, it is important to abstain and stay monogamous, but for those that choose to be active I think it is important to educate them on how to protect themselves (and, for those that do not have option to choose). In Uganda, the newspaper ran colored photos of STD-infected genitals so people could learn what to look for and stay away from, as well as when to see a doctor. In Cambodia, there was a great deal of publicity against child abuse. I have always heard HIV/AIDS and sex-ed use the acronym ABC - Abstinence, Be faithful, Condoms. However, here in Fiji I have seen public health brochures advocating ABCD - Abstinence, Be faithful, Condoms, Do other things “non-penetrative and less risky”. It is actually refreshing to see the “D”, which acknowledges to people that you can have fun, while playing safer. I feel like in America the “D” is ignored as a sex-ed/pregnancy prevention topic. While Americans are so “advanced” in many ways, in others we are so far behind.  

 ·         TV

 I have to talk a minute about my TV, because this is so weird. Let me share with you the channels I get:

0, 3 = Australia network

1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14 = fuzzy (nothing)

2 = Star Movies*

4 = ESPN

8, 11 = Al Jazeera English; Mai TV*

12 = Christian Network

Now, channels 2, 8, and 11 are starred, because to be honest the stations switch. 8 and 11 are Al Jazeera in the morning, but then it changes to Mai TV sometime during the day and plays a random mix of Fijian news, and TV shows from USA, NZ, and Australia (shows from USA include Walker - Texas Ranger, Charmed, CSI and CSI Miami, Amazing Race, and Survivor). Channels 0 and 3 also switch to something else, but I haven’t been able to figure out what other channels they show on this station. Channel 2 is starred because they have often switched this channel to show something else. Twice so far I have been watching a movie, and ½ way through it, they have changed the channel to show wrestling, rugby, or cartoons. You can even see the tuner scanning, going through the channels, as they switch it to something else. Very odd. Watching TV is like Russian Roulette; you never know what you are going to get, or if the channel will even stay the way it is when you start watching something.

 ·         The ECE training workshop I observed

 This past Monday and Tuesday, I observed an early childhood education (ECE) teacher training awareness workshop. I have to say, I was really impressed with their knowledge and ability with training techniques. I was expecting a lot of boring stand-up lecture, much like most of their educational system is still doing, but the trainers used activities to address almost every main point they were sharing. The big question is, are the teachers doing what they have been trained on in the classroom? ;-) That is my field study!

 One interesting note, during the workshop opening speech and prayer, President Obama was quoted as they talked about how they can improve their classrooms - “yes we can”.

 ·         My foot

 I was really worried about my foot when I left to come here. I brought my sneakers with the special insoles the surgeon gave me, and wore those my first week. By Friday night, my foot was swollen and very painful; I ended up spending most of my first weekend in Fiji in my apartment with my foot elevated. Woohoo, what fun. This past week I still wore my sneakers, and by Friday my foot hurt a lot but it wasn’t as swollen. I am hoping to wean myself off my sneakers and into my sandals soon, though; the sneakers are so hot, and I am wondering if that might be contributing to some of the swelling. Though in the sandals I can’t use the insoles. I decided to try wearing my sandals this weekend while walking around, and while my foot hurt it wasn’t as much as I was expecting. I may try to wear my sandals during the week as well. I just hope I’m not damaging it in any way; a screw in a bone can’t shift, can it?

 ·         This past weekend

 Well, this weekend started out with some excitement. Some of you may have heard, but there was a volcanic eruption off of Tonga in the ocean Thursday night, and a subsequent earthquake registering 7.9 in the ocean floor. Tonga is Fiji’s neighbor to the east, and Friday morning there was a tsunami warning. I didn’t know (I don’t listen to the radio), so I went to the office. On the way, I was surprised at the traffic heading out of rather than into Suva; turns out, the government told all civil workers to stay home/go to higher ground. I got to the office and no one was there; I found someone who told me about the warning, and I headed back home. About an hour/ hour-and-a-half later the warning was lifted, but hardly anyone came back to work. It was so quiet!

 Saturday I decided to explore Suva, and started by taking some material to a tailor to have some dresses made which would be appropriate to visit the villages. After that I mostly wandered, but everything closed by 2pm. I was just walking around when I bumped into an old man closing his shop; we started chatting and he started giving me a history tour (all very public places, no worries). Another man caught my eye and shook his head, so I started to make my excuses and leave; the old man then took out a mask and tried to sell it – ah, one of the con men visitors are warned about! They find out your name, quickly carve it on a wooden mask or wooden sword, and then try to sell it. I told him no, and started to walk away. I thanked the second man for warning me, and he fell into step as I was walking, and pretty soon he pulls out a sword and tries to get me to buy it! Unbelievable! I told him if I wasn’t going to buy from the first man, who was actually very nice and telling me about Parliament, I wasn’t going to buy from him! I then jumped in a cab and got away from the second guy. How annoying!

 It turned out MHCC stays open late, so I went there. While there, I used the bathroom, and some guy was in front of the door and tried to charge me. I laughed, said no, and ignored him. When I came out, he was still there and tried to charge me again; just said no and walked away.  Have no idea if they really charge to use the bathroom or not, but there was no sign so I wasn’t going to. I’ll ask about it when I get to work. Otherwise, I just cheated someone out of money! Or, they were trying to cheat me. Who knows.

 Everything is closed on Sunday except MHCC (no reason to go back there) and the movies; so I went to see a movie. Tomorrow, Monday, is a holiday and everything is closed again, so I’m making it a stay-home-and-get-some-work-done day.

 Whew, I just wrote a lot! I hope you had fun reading; don’t forget – any questions or comments, let me know! =)

You may have heard in the news how the situation in Pakistan is deteriorating; the Sri Lanka cricket team getting attacked, Sharif being banned by the Supreme Court from running for office again; increased attacks by militants; and the current pro-Sharif protests and marches and subsequent reactions by the government. I have been communicating with Audrey and Jamshed on and off since I returned from Pakistan, and I just received news from Jamshed. His family is based in Peshawar, in the NWFP region, which is where there has been a huge increase in unrest. This is what he wrote to me:

"The conditions in Peshawar in general are not good. Last month my nephew was kidnapped for ransome from a Medical College of Peshawar. He was recovered in a successful police raid and the seven abductors were arrested. My nephew remained in their custody for 12 days and during this while period he was kept blind folded. But thanks Gid he remained unharmed in a raid."

It is easy to see all of Pakistan as a threat. However, I made some good friends, and I loved my time there. Innocent people are being affected in their homeland, and the majority of Pakistanis only want health, happiness, safety, and education for their loved ones. Please spare a kind thought for Jamshed and his family as the situation around them grows more unstable.

So, this is just to warn you that my internet access is fuzzy.I have been given an external modem to use, but it is mostly for work, there is a limit to it, and it drops the connection. So, I most likely will be blogging in a word doc and when I can I will post whatever I've written. I woke up yet again at 4am after a not-so-restful night, so I'm exhausted. I hope to reset my sleep cycle by this weekend, and then I can have some time to write a little more coherently.

It turned out that Monday, the day I arrived, was a holiday; not only was there no work (which I knew about), but most shops were closed except the most expensive shopping complex. I was able to find something to wear for Monday, so that was good. I was able to stay awake all day Monday, and ordered room service so I could finally get out of my travel clothes.

 

I am staying at the Holiday Inn, Suva, but only until Friday; at that time, I am checking out and moving to a short-term apartment rental, called Victoria Apartments, where I’ll be until May 11^th (then from the 11^th to the 19^th I’ll find someplace to stay on my own). This will be nice, because I can settle, and I’ll have a place to leave things while I am doing my field study. Plus, I’ll have more control over what I eat. However, there are negatives – 1: I will do everything in my power to not cook as much as possible (I hate cooking; and why should I eat my food when I should be enjoying Fijian food as much as possible?); 2: in my own apartment I won’t have the socialization I get when in a hotel, ie. the people passing through or also staying there, or the staff.

 

The hotel is currently a 5 minute walk to the office; I am housed in the government education building that contains the Primary, Secondary, and Asset Building Unit offices, where most Cardno Acil employees are located (since they are working with the education ministry) as they work with local staff. I walk past the American Embassy to get there, though I have not gone in. I have no idea where the apartment is located yet, or distance/what the walk will be like. There are taxis available everywhere (taxis are standard cars here; no interesting transportation that I have seen yet). Speaking of taxis, from previous experience I am so used to getting ripped off (or the attempt is made) when I go places. I have to say, the drivers here are the most honest I have met! They are nice; when I ask the cost, they tell me straight (and quote the cost I was told to pay), and there are meters in the cabs so you can see you are being charged correctly (though I have been told that some drivers don’t want to use it, so just tell them to turn it on and they do). I am assuming I will be cheated at least once, but it is so nice to have my first few taxi experiences be so positive.

 

Everyone is so nice. The major languages are Fijian and Hindi, due to the large Indo-Fijian population. English is the 3^rd language, and I have heard that they are pushing to teach all 3 in the schools. Right now, you have the 2 ethnic groups who speak their own language, and then English to communicate with each other. I am excited to learn more.

 

My sleep has not evened out yet; Monday night I slept from 9pm-6am, but last night I couldn’t fall asleep until 10pm, I woke up a few times, and then I woke up at 4am and couldn’t fall back asleep. I hope in another day or so my sleep will get back to normal; I keep hearing that the number of hours changed, that’s the number of days it takes to really reset your body clock. Great; 15 days? I can’t wait that long. More coffee please!

 

The weather is hot, sticky, sweaty; the humidity is disgusting. I wake up sweaty, and after I shower I am still sweating. I am glad the office I work in has air conditioning. I am amazed at how gross I can feel after a measly 5 minute walk to and from work. And so far, while it is the rainy season, I haven’t seen any rain yet. I am hoping; it is a good way to break the humidity, at least for a little while.

 

Ok, it is 2:15am home time as I write this, and 6:15pm my time now – and I’m hungry! I’m off to find food, and once I get online I will post this. I hope everyone is doing well!

 

Oh, forgot to say – I got my luggage Tuesday! Woohoo!!!!!

 

Ok, just back from dinner and my shower, and it is pouring sheets!

(WARNING! The below is written very stream-of-consciousness, and somewhat pessimistic sounding).

 

My flight from DC to LA was 30 minutes late; then I had to change airlines. My luggage never made it to Fiji; when I got to Nadi, I spent an hour waiting for luggage that never arrived, then filling out paperwork. By the time I got to my hotel, I was tired, hot, sweaty, and flustered. I was hoping to spend today relaxing and resting for my first day tomorrow; now I have to go out and try to buy some clothes.  They have internet at my hotel, but it is expensive! On the flights I saw “When the Earth Stood Still”, “Sixty Six”, “Twighlight”, and “Slumdog Millionaire”. I managed to sleep 4 hours on the flight between LA and Nadi. It is 8:00pm Sunday night home time but 12:00 noon Monday at the time of this writing. I am so tired and hungry; I just took a shower to freshen up and try to wake up. I should get dressed and go get food and clothes, but the thought of putting my travel clothes back on disgusts me. I can’t even wash them, because I have nothing else to wear yet. I pray my luggage gets here tomorrow. My foot hurts from running around 4 airports.

 

(ok, just reread this on 3.11; wow! I was so out of it exhausted when I wrote the above…. Ah, a good example of what sleep deprivation can do to you! LOL)

Well, it is 12:30 on Saturday, and my flight is at 5:30. I have my carry-on left to pack, but otherwise I am ready to go. Wow!

Ok, I figured I should finish posting my pictures of Cambodia before I start my Fiji assignment. So, new pictures are posted on my Facebook account! Some albums have had pictures added to them, and other albums are completely new. There are a total of 17 "albums", and new albums include pictures from Siem Riep - Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and 4 other lesser-known temple complexes. I also added some "food pictures" to existing albums, and pictures from my 2 weeks of field study on Kampong Thom and Stung Treng. Have fun looking at them and let me know what you think; and be thankful I don't have a slide projector!
:-) LOL

Well, as I hinted in my last post, I have been awarded my next contract! I had applied for this position last year and was short-listed and invited to submit a proposal,  but I didn't find out until 2 weeks ago that I won the contract! I have been hired by a company in Australia to evaluate AusAID-funding support to early childhood programs in Fiji! This is very similar to what I did in Pakistan, where I evaluated USAID-funding support for early childhood programs there. There was delay in letting me know because 1. there was flooding in Fiji in late January/early Feb., and 2. the recent fires in Australia are where this company's office is located, so I am sure they have had other things to worry about. With the economy tanking, Dave and I are so glad I got this contract, and while it is disappointing he can't come with me, we are thankful!

I  leave for Fiji next week (March 7th) and as you can imagine, I have been very busy. I am still working on my final report for Cambodia (lots of delays there), and I have to finish it before I leave. I haven't even started packing for Fiji, but the good thing is I am up to date on all my shots, and there is no malaria there. I am most concerned with my foot, it has been healing very nicely but slowly, and if I step on it wrong it hurts, and I can't walk barefoot... so using flipflops or most sandals hurt. But sneakers aren't very culturally practical since you are always taking your shoes off when you enter a room. I was also given ortheopedic insoles for my shoes, and have to see what I have that they fit in. So, my biggest thoughts now are what shoes to take...

I am so excited to be working with a topic I am so comfortable with again. Plus, Dave and I were in Samoa 10 years ago, and while there we went to Fiji; I can't wait to see how it has changed! Dave has reinstated my no-injury clause, and is adamant that I be careful... no falling down waterfalls, no scuba diving accidents (I may not go diving while there, I haven't decided yet, but I am bringing my mask and snorkel), no getting attacked by laundry.... ;-)

As before, I will be posting on this blog, and for those of you already linked to me on Facebook I will continue posting my pics there (I still have some from Cambodia to post, I hope to get to that soon). I will be coming back home mid-May.

Hope all is well with you!

Yes, you heard me; I am in the process of finalizing a contract for a new short-term consulting gig. Stay tuned for details - where, when, and doing what. Woohoo!!

Hello everyone,

Please excuse this poor attempt at getting in touch, but with everything going on there are no holiday cards this year.

An update - I am - yes, *still* - working on the report from my Cambodia evaluation, but I hope to get it done next month. I am anxious to complete it.

Foot-wise, I had an x-ray yesterday and it is slowly healing. The break is still evident, bone is slowly growing in, and it may take another month or two to fully heal. However, the dr. did say I can start bearing weight on it while using the walking air cast/boot thingy, and use crutches. I have started taking a few steps, but it hurts a lot and I will be taking it slowly.

I am also starting to look for my next contract. I was recruited for one possibility - program manager on an inclusive education project - but I turned it down; while it was in Vietnam and that would have been cool, it was for 1 year (originally a 2-year position, but when they heard I didn't want to be away that long, they dropped it to 1). One year is too long to be away from my family, and the pay was not enough for Dave to come with me. Plus, I had originally told this organization I was looking for short-term consultancies, so hopefully they will have something in the future with a more attractive time frame for me.

With the economy the way it is, I am also trying to decide if I should apply for more stable, full-time positions here; I may just start applying to everything, and see where the chips fall. I have a short-term consultancy that I have been short-listed for, and have to write the proposal in the next few weeks. I will keep you all posted!

Aside from working on the report and healing from my foot, nothing new is going on. I do hope to post more Cambodia pics on my Facebook page soon, so keep checking back.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and I hope everyone has a happy, healthy New Year!

Well, I am back from Siem Riep, and it was amazing! It took 6 hours by bus to drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Riep on Monday, but the bus was not very full and the seat next to me was empty – so I got to stretch my leg across the seat and prop my foot up. I settled in the guesthouse, which was just outside of town, then made my way to the tourist center and booked a guide and tuktuk to the temples. Monday night I ate in Siem Riep town, and had some time to walk around. I like Siem Riep much better than Phnom Penh; it is cleaner, geographically smaller, so easier to get around and find things, and I like the atmosphere. There is a pub street with restaurants and shops, that they close off to traffic every night; there is a river with very clean riverfront area with benches; there is a garden area… I really like Siem Riep.

 

Tuesday I went with my guide to the temple area. It is amazing how Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and practices have meshed together in Cambodia. The first view I saw was Angkor Wat as we drove by it to Angkor Thom; stunning. However, Angkor Wat was scheduled for the afternoon, so we continued on. We reached Angkor Thom, which turned out to be a huge complex of buildings – Angkor Thom was actually an ancient walled/moated royal city. We walked through the South Gate (main gate), where I saw elephants which tourists can ride up to the gate on. I did not have an elephant ride, which I now somewhat regret, but walking slowly let us see different things. What we saw at Angkor Thom:

·         Inside the complex, we climbed around Bayon, which is a temple with 37 towers, each of which have 4 carved faces that are facing north, south, east, and west. There is debate over who the faces represent; the king at the time, or Buddha. There are carvings and bas-reliefs all over the walls, depicting historical battles, everyday life, and traditional carvings. The detail of the faces and carvings were amazing. The guide helped me with the climbing, but I did not climb to the highest tower – the stairs were too steep, no handrail, and my foot does not feel well on stairs. It is in the Buddhist style, though in later years some of the Buddhist carvings were desecrated and carved over with Hindu gods. I have a few pictures where you can see the outline of a Buddha with a Hindu god carved over it. I loved Bayon, the temples, and seeing not only the statues of different Buddhas in different hallways and nooks and crannies, but also watching people actively praying.

·         Baphoun – this is a big Hindu temple-mountain; mostly collapsed and under renovation, though we climbed what we could. Carvings all around.

·         Phimeanakas – this was a Hindu-style king’s temple; I saw it from the ground but did not climb up it.

·         Terrace of the Elephants – this is Buddhist-style, and a huge terrace that includes very impressive carvings of elephants (hence the name?), garudas (the lions that guard the temples), warriors, and dancers.

·         Terrace of the Leper King – this terrace is next to the other one, and has bas-reliefs of demons, nagas (magical snakes), and other mythological beings. I had climbed down the Elephant Terrace to see those carvings and then saw the Terrace of the Leper King carvings, but I did not have the energy to climb that one to see the statue of the Leper King; after seeing 5 sites, I needed to rest my foot!

 

We stopped for lunch, and my foot needed it – it hurt climbing, and walking across all those uneven surfaces. Plus, the weather – hot, sweaty, sticky…. It was gross. After lunch, on to Angkor Wat!

 

·         Angkor Wat was amazing. Surrounded by walls and moat, it is a 3-tiered pyramid, topped with 5 towers. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishu; it faces west, so is assumed to be a temple of the dead. All the walls are covered with carvings and bas-reliefs of apsara (traditional carvings of female dancers, also considered angels), Hindu mythology, and historical wars. The size and architecture is stunning, and I was very glad to have a guide. All day long, he pointed out great picture shots, told me what all the bas-reliefs meant, and helped me up and down the climb. In fact, he was very tricky at Angkor Wat; he went slowly, helped me at each climb, told me it was only a few steps, talked all the way, and next thing I knew – I was at the highest tier, though we couldn’t go higher into the towers. However, my foot was really hurting when we got to the top, so by the time we got back to the bottom I had to call it a day and did not see the last 2 walls of the bas-reliefs. I asked if it was like the other 2 walls (battles and Hindu mythology) and the guide told me yes; frankly, I feel I didn’t need to see them and stand there as he told me the stories. 2 walls were enough for me!

 

By the time we made it back to Siem Riep, I was exhausted, barely had energy for dinner and then had to rest my foot. I had bought a 3-day temple pass, but I was worried my foot wouldn’t let me enjoy Wednesday.

 

On Wednesday, I kept my tuktuk from the day before but not a guide – the tuktuk driver knew where to take me, and he drove me and dropped me off, waited for me, then drove me to the next site... and so on. I saw 4 sites on Wednesday. With no guide, I know there were a lot of things I missed, and meanings I did not catch, but it was nice going at my own pace, stopping and looking at things in silence, and just enjoying the peacefulness of the sites.

·         Banteay Srey – It took over an hour drive to get to this temple, into the countryside. It is a Hindu temple to Shiva, with very delicate carvings. It poured sheets of rain while  there, and most tourists left; I had hat, umbrella, and plastic rain poncho, so my bags and camera stayed protected; it was quite beautiful in the rain, and I got some nice shots. Got completely soaked, but who cares. The temple is relatively small, but the carvings are beautiful, and made of pink sandstone.

·         Pre Rup – another Hindu temple to Shiva; a temple-mountain with 3 tiers and towers at the top. I ran into 2 children around a bend and gave them some crackers; then they followed me and asked for money (I never give money to children, or buy things from them. Crackers/cookies only, and I usually have a few packs on me every day). And I am an idiot; even though the stairs were steep stones with no handrails, I stupidly started climbing and reached the 2^nd tier, and realized, A) there is no way I can climb to the 3^rd tier, and B) how the hell do I climb down myself? I ended up climbing down while facing outward, so I could scoot down on my bottom as needed. The views of the countryside, the rice patties and fields were beautiful.

·         Ta Prohm – a Buddhist temple, and was my favorite. There is jungle growth everywhere, with many buildings with trees growing through/around them. There are tons of corridors and open plazas, as well as areas that have collapsed; I got lost and twisted around a few times. This complex was dedicated to the mother of the king who built it. I belive this was also where “Toom Raider” was filmed, though I still have not seen that movie yet (I overheard other guides telling people, “… and this is where Angelina Jolie…”). This was my favorite temple, and I wish I spent even more time there, though my foot was really hurting by now.

·         Banteay Kdei – the last temple I saw, in Buddhist style, and I have to say I walked through it pretty fast – I had hit my temple limit. Also, at every temple there are vendors/hawkers at every entrance, which got very annoying very quickly. The vendors at this temple were very aggressive, they almost didn’t let me out of the tuktuk to go to the temple, they swarmed me trying to get my to buy – I thought they were even going to follow me into the temple itself  but I pushed past them and they backed off. This also affected my ability to enjoy this temple. By the time I finished this one, I was ready to go back! Dinner in Siem Riep, then back to the guesthouse.

 

One point about the vendors here, not just at the temples, but all over – someone really needs to train vendors how to attract customers. They truly do not understand that getting in tourists’ faces, grabbing their arms, yelling at them to buy my… and then at each “no thank you” shoving a different item in the face, by my…., and each time you say “no” something else is in your face, and this continues until you are able to walk away – this is not the way to attract customers. I make a point to buy from vendors that are polite, that don’t yell at me, that don’t keep trying to show me every single item in their stall….. There really needs to be training for vendors on how to effectively attract customers and close the sale.

 

On Thursday I just could not see any more temples, so did not use the last day on my pass. I stayed in town, which turned out to be a good idea; it rained all day long. It also gave me the chance to rest my foot more often. I spent the morning at the markets, had a nice slow lunch, and then in the afternoon went to the Angkor National Museum. The museum was ok, but somewhat disappointing; it was a huge, new building, with huge rooms with lots of writing on the walls and short videos throughout that gave some history, but the items themselves were very limited – there would be this huge room and only 6 statues in it. There was a lot of dead space. There was 1 room that billed itself as having 1000 Buddhas in one room, but most of them were very small in holes in the wall, so hard to see the ones higher up. It was a nice place to stay out of the rain, though. I had hoped to take pictures of Siem Riep today, but the rain made it impossible – the shots I wanted would not have worked. Oh well.

 

Friday I took the bus back to Phnom Penh, and I am now in my last week in Cambodia! I cannot believe it. The time now feels like it has gone so fast, and I will miss Cambodia, but I am very ready to come home. This last week I will be working some but playing as much as possible, seeing what’s left that I want to see. This morning (Saturday) I went to the market with Vered, and then took it easy in my room in the afternoon. I have to think about what I want to do the rest of the week!

 

Hope everyone is doing well!

 

 

First, to everyone who has wished me Happy Birthday, Thanks! (This is not a lame request to have others wish me a happy birthday, but an acknowledgement to those who did)

 

I decided I needed, and deserved, some pampering today. I slept late (8am – woohoo!), chatted with Dave online (always a treat!), and went to one of the markets. I bought a few clothes, but I am waiting to get most of my souvenirs after Siem Riep (I don’t want to schlep my purchases ½ way across the country). I was there for 1.5 hours, and my foot was really hurting – note to self, take it easy in Siem Riep. Yesterday (Friday), Randi, one of the expats who works at UNICEF, was supposed to meet with me but had to reschedule. She suggested lunch on Saturday, and I said ok; when Randi came she showed up with Natalia (another expat in UNICEF, who I am sure I have mentioned before; come to think of it, I may have mentioned Randi before as well).  They were so sweet, they gave me a small purse for my birthday! (To those who know me, the truly perfect gift for a bag lady such as myself). Needless to say, we never did talk about work…

 

After lunch was my true birthday gift to myself - a spa afternoon! Scrub, aromatherapy bath, massage, and facial…. 3 hours of bliss, with everyone being very careful not to touch my foot. Everything was so gentle and nice, until the very end – when the woman doing the facial gave me a mini massage, but it was Khmer style and not the relaxing, aromatherapy style – which means she was digging into me with her thumbs, and then used her elbows to dig into my shoulders… not my cup of tea, but the rest of the spa was so nice, nothing could ruin it. And for $95, I think I just may have to see if I can do this again before I go!

 

After the spa I went out to dinner with a book, a very friendly companion….. and ended my day with a chocolate martini, something I have never had before but was sinfully delicious.

 

Yes, I know, a total splurge the entire day…. Ahhhhhhh….. Now if only Dave was with me, the day would be complete…..

So, I know it has been a while since I blogged, and that is mostly because nothing much has happened. The interviews I was hoping to reschedule as phone interviews didn’t happen, so I had to postpone them to the first week of Oct. I was able to go to them, because when I went back to the clinic on Sept 26^th, I was given a full cast and walking boot. Now, this was not your typical cast that I would imagine, some fancy colorful thing that you see nowadays. No, they decided to play paper mache with my foot; they used so many strips and so much water, that they soaked the bed I was on - not to mention the pants I was wearing. It’s a good thing I went on a weekday in the morning, because I spent all day lying on my stomach with my foot in the air hoping it would dry. They finally sent me home and told me to keep it up until it was dry, then I could use the walking boot and walk on it. Well, as those of you who have followed my saga on Facebook know, 11pm and my cast still wasn’t finished drying; it was a little pasty to the touch. I wrapped the whole thing with ace bandages, and went to bed; I ended up keeping the bandages over the cast for the rest of the time. A week later I was able to do the interviews, but wouldn’t you know it – one interviews was up 2 flights stairs, and the other interview was up a freakin’ 3 flight curving staircase! Very hard to climb up a curved staircase, when the foot with the cast and boot is on the part of the stair that curves. I got a lot of sympathy stares, though!

 

At Rosh Hashanah I met an Israeli who is here volunteering with a health program (the second Israeli I’ve met). Vered was nice, and she invited me to join her when she went to the Museum on Saturday. I went there before, but I was getting stir crazy in the hotel, so I went. This time we got a guide, and it was great. Plus, Vered is an older woman and she was like a little Jewish grandmother; we would walk to a bench, and she would make me sit with my leg up while the guide told us about what was in the hallway. Then we’d walk a little more, and she’d tell me to sit… walk and sit, walk and sit… It was fun; painful, but fun.

 

Vered found out from her coworkers about a theater festival going on, and invited me to join her on Sunday. They were really nice, they saw my cast and let us go inside without having to wait in line. We went one night, and there were lots of families and kids. There were 2 shows; the first one was a comedy pantomime about a well-known fable of a poor fisherman, a robber, and a rich man. The fisherman was doing his thing when the robber ran by, and talked the fisherman into helping him hide from the rich man he stole from in return for some of the stolen stash. In the end, The rich man caught them, they returned the money, and he gave them each some back and told them to use it to go to school. Pretty good for all pantomime! The show was hilarious, and the audience was cracking up. I used my camera to take a bunch of short video clips, and I’ll try to post them on Facebook once I have a strong/fast enough connection that lets me download stuff again. Unfortunately, the second show, while good, was an awful pairing with the family-focused comedy. It was a drama from Thailand, and it was about the tsunami and survival in its aftermath…. Death, fishing bodies out of the waters, refugee camps, rape, suicides…. Not something for children! The audience had a hard time with it, and many people walked out. It was a very powerful play, but it was not a good pairing for the audience. At one point, an actor screamed, a child from the audience screamed back, and the audience burst into laughter at the child, completely breaking the mood.  After the theater, I joined Vered and her coworkers, plus a Swedish photographer who joined us, to go for dinner. It was a long night and my foot hurt, but mainly it was hobble to the tuktuk, sit, hobble into a building, sit, etc. Mostly, my problem with my cast has been due to the heat and my foot swelling, so wherever I am I have been trying to elevate my leg.

 

I was hoping to go to the theater again to see Burmese marionettes on Monday night, but I woke up and my foot hurt so much; I obviously overdid it with the museum and theater. Bummer! I still worked from home, so I got to keep my leg up all day Monday and Tuesday; Tuesday night I went back to the theater; a man recognized my cast, said he saw me Sunday night but not Monday…. I told him I had wanted to come but my foot hurt too much. Well, turns out he was one of the Burmese puppet masters, and he gave me a DVD of his show! Very cool. The first night’s show was a puppet show about warring gods; the second show was a comedy about 2 couples, one rich and one poor; they wife swap, and the rich-man poor-wife become poor, and the rich-wife and poor-man become rich. The narrators were especially funny; again, I took some video clips and will try to post them.

 

For Kol Nidre (the beginning of Yom Kippur) I went back to where I went for Rosh Hashanah. This is where I was a VERY BAD Jew this year; for the first time ever, I did not fast; not only that, but after “services” Vered and I went out to dinner (ok, I did feel a little less guilty by going with the Israeli). We found a restaurant in a local mall, and on the door it said it closes at 9. So we are eating, and around 8 I noticed outside the restaurant in the mall area lights are going off. We finish and go to leave at 9… and the entire mall has closed! Luckily the stairways still had the lights on, but everything else was dark; a security guard tried to tell us we had to walk down a delivery ramp to get out of the building, but I was not about to risk tripping on a ramp so told him to unlock the doors so we could get out. And there, on the door – close at 9!!!!! 9:00pm people!

 

I spent the rest of the week in my hotel, and on Saturday the 11^th went back to the doctors for a second x-ray. They took the cast off and did the x-ray; to me, I didn’t see a difference between the x-rays from 9/20 to 10//11. The doctor said that is because I am forming cartilage, which does not show up on x-rays. They wrapped my foot in ace bandages, and told me to be careful. That’s it. Wait a minute, so it’s ok for me to be walking around with my foot still broken with only ace bandages around it? This is my first broken bone, but I don’t think that seems completely kosher…. Well, what am I gonna do? I go back on the 30^th for a last visit, and I’ll get all my dr. notes and x-rays and bring them home with me so I can follow up with my own doctor. Until then, without the cast on, my foot isn’t swelling as much, so at least the pain associated with that is decreased. I can’t wear my sneakers though; I thought they would give some extra stability, but they are too tight with the ace bandages. So, again, I stayed in my hotel until the 15^th working and taking it easy on my foot. On the 15^th I presented my preliminary findings; it went ok, but are still some things I haven’t analyzed yet, and they were asking questions I couldn’t answer (hello, “preliminary”! Means it’s not final, I’m still working on it!).

 

So now, today is the 17^th. It was my last “official” day at the UNICEF office; from this point on I’ll continue working on the project on my own (kind of like what I’ve been doing these past few weeks in the hotel). But, I am taking a week off; tomorrow, the 18^th is my birthday and I am treating myself! I am going to treat myself to a spa and dinner out. Then, on Monday, I am leaving for Siem Riep! I am going to go see Angkor Wat temples; I know I won’t be able to climb up the steps to go into the temples, and there may be some I can’t get to, but I am going to try and see what I can. I can’t wait, I am so excited. I leave Monday and come back to Phnom Penh on Friday… which will then leave me with 1 week left before I come home! When I come back I am moving to the hotel Vered is staying in; much cheaper, and easier to walk places (much closer to things). I will work some more, but also try to enjoy Phnom Penh with the time I have left (especially since I feel all I’ve done these past 4 weeks was stay at the hotel); I’ll be finishing my final report when I get home.

 

I have to say, this project has been 10 times more challenging than my contract in Pakistan, for so many different reasons. I love Cambodia, and now that I am getting close to the end of my stay, I am sad about leaving, but this has been tough. I hope sometime in the future I can come back and enjoy it more.

Ok, I usually don’t watch reality shows, but there is one show here that I really enjoy – Amazing Race Asia. I know there is an Amazing Race, but I have never watched it before. I have been hooked on this show, and then they started showing the original Amazing Race…. Amazing Race Asia is so much better! The Americans are loud, backstabbing, annoying, and it is really hard to watch them. I don’t care if any of them wins. Amazing Race Asia, people are strategic but not hateful/hurtful; it is more about competing for the sake of doing your best and having fun vs. the win; and while there are a few standouts that you like a lot, and that you want to get kicked off, in general they are people you can really root for. I see the comparison as a very interesting cultural study.