For the first step here, I feel great for its view and environment. However, it is a bit hard for me to adapt to living here at first. I felt sick a lot but lately I am a bit better. First few days was the hardest time of all. Not only because of weather but also because of a very big change of life. As I have never been far away home before, I got a lot of trouble: plane sick, weather sick, food sick and home sick.
Plane sick! I was so dizzy to spend around 20 hours on the plane from Phnom Penh to Bucharest with a three time transit. It was about four days that I could feel a bit better after travelling. It is my first time travelling by plane but it makes me no surprise beside trying to take plane sickness medicine to prevent headache and vomit. However, there was a bit nice scene on the way from Amsterdam to Bucharest that I could see the cloud so close and the ground so far from the sky.
Weather sick is my major problem living in Sibiu. It is summer here but it is just like winter in Cambodia. Morning is cold, a bit hot with sunlight at the afternoon and cold again at the evening and night time. It is really hard for me to adapt at first because I feel so weak with the cold weather. Nevertheless, after a few days, things are alright. Now I can enjoy my time much with that weather. Still, I always have to find the sunlight to lay on so it can makes me feel a bit fresh.
Besides, food sick is also comes into account. Main thing is about the very different taste of food that I can hardly eat. Food at the cafeteria is quiet tasteless with too many oil and not much meat but vegetables especially potato. Actually, I like potato in Cambodia, but not anymore. It is too much for me now. Luckily, there are many mart and super market here that I can find some nice things to eat with not so expensive price. Now I bought plenty of things, include chips, nuts, chocolate, fruits and meat to store in the fridge.
Rather than just illness, weather and food, home sick is what I can hardly face. Only few days living here, I miss everything in my country especially my parent, relatives and my boyfriend. Every night my brain is automatically asking myself what am I doing here? Why do I have to leave them? What should I do next? Sometimes I even feel I really want to go back now. Ah! So stress! Whatever! I can find the right answer to all these question. I get to make a move on with my life. I have to find the best thing for myself and my family; and this is the righteous thing to reach my goal.
Well, it’s been a week now and thing seems to turn a bit better. I don’t feel sick now and I can enjoy some nice places nearby like the park and the square. This Tuesday I start a Romania class, although it is a bit boring but it better than too free for a month until my academic class -public relation- start. Moreover, I also feel comfort with life condition here with a nice cheap dorm with enough accessories and free washing machine. Besides, I also enjoy spending time to know more people. Just hope that my communication skill is improve so I may be able to do good in my PR class too.
Make a move for Khmer New Year!
{ May 6, 2009 @ 9:51 am } · { Cambodia }
{ Tags: Commentary, Khmer New Year } · { Comments (1) }
Three words that you have to think of for the upcoming Khmer New Year are “Make a Move”! Be well prepared or you may taste a lonesome New Year. Beggars and even better-off persons are going to make a move, so why not you?
First of all plan a move. Phnom Penh may look like an abandoned city as most of the residents are leaving for their hometown. Most parts of the town are quiet. You should set up a plan and make sure you have somebody to stay with if you don’t want to be haunted in this hushed city.
Then make your move before New Year. If you need clothes or anything, you’d better go shopping at least two weeks or one month earlier as everything may be the double price. Save some money so you can afford to buy a rain coat to protect yourself from water-throwing on New Year’s day.
Beside, you can enjoy a lot of music from your neighbors to celebrate, sometimes even weeks before the big day. It may bother you but it can save electricity from having to turn on your music player. However, don’t enjoy it too much like the cicadas. Go find some foods to store like ants. Most markets will be closed for three days, and you have to be prepared if you don’t want to look skinny after New Year.
While a market is a daily kitchen for street-boys, they usually eat the foods that are left from people, so where else is their reserved kitchen if it is closed? Well, that is why they too have to make a move. Neither far from a market nor outside town, pagodas are their temporary kitchen. There is going to be plenty of food that people bring to pray for the monks. Lucky for those guys, even though they are not monks, they can share the monks’ food. For the moment those guys are around, you should move watch your shoes too. There always shoes stolen but no court to judge besides issuing these two words: “be careful.”
After these preparations, it should be time to move for your New Year fun. Although the town is quiet, there are also some places that can entertain you. Wat Phnom is one remarkable area where many people play popular games and dance. However, make sure you join a real popular game, not a popular gambling game, if you don’t want to spend your time in detention.
At sundown, many people join this celebration but among those huge crowds, there are bad people who take advantage of innocent people like you. Don’t be careless with your property. With only few police versus large groups of people you’d better bring only a little money, no phone nor nice shoes if you don’t want to go back home with an empty pocket and one shoe. A special alert for women is to bring a male-guard so you won’t experience a stranger’s dirty hand with baking powder on your face like me.
For those who go to the countryside, you should pay much attention to the road. In previous years, people have died when escaping from water-throwing and got into accidents, some with broken necks and unconsciousness. So, you had better stay calm and make a smart move if you still want to join the next New Year.
©Boramey