Hello, Cambodia!

Once again, a predawn flight to beat the traffic and I was on my way to the next country. It was a short flight, and I was sad the clouds blocked my view of a landscape I’ve wanted to see for so long. I was told to wait until I arrived to buy a guidebook, which I foolishly equated with not doing any research before I arrived. Imagine my surprise when I discovered:

-They drive on the right side of the road! After 2 weeks of forcing myself to get used to the left side, it was a difficult adjustment. Thankfully, their traffic can get chaotic enough that this isn’t really an issue and you can enter a tuk-tuk from both sides.
-They use the US dollar for any amount >$1, but give change in their currency, the riel. And with a current rate of 4300 riel = 1 USD, this is giving me some numbers that make my head reel (sorry, had to throw that in).

I was so tired from my Friday night adventure and early Saturday flight that I was perfectly happy to use my ignorance as a chance to take a long nap. I ventured out long enough to buy water and a few local snacks, and even the grocery store confused me with its odd blend of Asian and western goods. Really now, where am I? I returned back to the hotel and became engrossed by a documentary about Bruce Lee. If anyone’s up for watching “Return of the Dragon” in a few weeks, call me.

Sunday morning I awoke bright and early (easier when the sun rises at 6) to attend church. Again, the chapel wasn’t very far and friends had shown me a picture that made it easier to spot. It’s on a fairly main street and while it did stand out, I was shocked by the number of large villas we passed—it was like being in a Cambodian Corona del Mar. I was actually an hour early, which gave me a chance to sit and admire the beautiful building. The international branch is quite small, but I’ve heard there are now 8,000 LDS in Cambodia! The members were very welcoming and it was nice to actually contribute to the lesson without needing a translator. Besides, I’ll get my Khmer kick next week in Siem Reap.

After church, I was met by the head of our Cambodia office, David “Wiggy” Emmett. I’d met him in DC so it was nice to see a familiar face again, and he was kind enough to give me a tuk-tuk tour past the major sites before we grabbed lunch and dropped in on the Russian Market so I could finally buy my guidebook. It was also nice to chat with him and actually learn about what CI does in this country. In my position I get to learn about the overall work of many different departments in the organization, but usually only on a superficial level and usually only from headquarters. They’ve got such cool stories to tell!