A constant haze hovers over the city like a blanket of smoke. Dirt spews into the air as a tuk tuk zooms past. Honk honk. Hooooonnnk. Cars, buses, bicycles, motorbikes and pedestrians are everywhere, rushing to their respective duties and all staking claim to the right of way, although the title typically goes to whoever is largest. A horn hums a tune alongside a voice which, while it seems to be rather whiny, is actually the anthem of a wedding festival, allowing all bystanders the knowledge of a wedding in the near future. It just so happens that this bride-to-be is our neighbor and we have the privilege of hearing these hymns from the break of day till deep into the night. Here comes the bride.
Fruit stands, massage booths, along with shoe and purse salespeople flood the streets during the day while restaurants take their place at night. Fried rice, fried noodle, fried paper- oh the possibilities! These restaurants with the red chairs also offer real fruit smoothies so authentic they actually walk next door to the fruit stand to purchase the fruit for your smoothie, then proceed to peel and blend with ice, all for the price of 75 cents. Yes, you read correctly. This 75 cent smoothie perfectly compliments the $1.00 fried rice entree served with soup. Big spenders we are.
Starting at 4pm (and going well into the night) is something almost too difficult to express with words: The Siem Reap night market. Talk about crazy. Think in ridiculously large quantities when I say people, vendors, souvenirs, fish massages, hagglers, restaurants, bars, and street food. While winding through a maze of booths sounds echo amidst the chaos, “Lady, lady, have shirt just for you, give you special deal!” and “Lady, have fish wait for you all night, real good massage!” Tempting.
If silence is golden, this country operates against a different standard. Brass, maybe? Iron? Coal? Mosquitoes reproduce faster than rabbits here and rice is the base of every meal. The sun still heats this place even when it goes down and traffic signs are merely decorations. To even call them “suggestions” would be giving too much credit.
But there is a beauty here, in the people, in the trees, in the river I cross over everyday on the way to the language center. Even though things are different than the States, it does not make it backward or wrong. This has been a lesson I have been learning since my first trip overseas to Latvia at age 15. So maybe they use a hose instead of toilet paper, let their cats share your chair at a restaurant, and deal in two different currencies at once (Cambodian Riel and USD), but that does not mean they are right or wrong, just different. I would like to offer some suggestions for their health regulation standards, but I can’t complain too much, I am still breathing.
You have probably heard me quote the World Race-ism, “My normal is different” a time or two and I can see it is ringing true for me already. I am still assimilating into the culture of Cambodian city life, but I think I’ll fit in pretty well. I like the chaos and liveliness that Siem Reap boasts. It is a change of pace from the village life we experienced in Thailand, which I enjoyed as well. I guess I feel at home in either situation. Bikes are our main transportation and mine sits so low to the ground it must have once belonged to a gangster, but I’m okay with that. My teammates say it suits me.
Right now, we are teaching English classes to university students and hopefully volunteering at the children’s hospital. We will also be taking on some night market ministry, praying for and spending time with the disabled who try to make their living as beggars there.
So, Cambodia, we shall see how you fare for this next month. The transition from Thailand was hard on my heart, but I hear promising things from you here. Don’t let me down. And I promise to give you my all, serving your people well, bringing the love of Christ to their hearts and opening their eyes to the truth.
Game on!
