Life Update

Have almost definitely found an apartment. Get this, $300 for a newly renovated two floors, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a big ass wrap around balcony. Oh yeah, and they're going to furnish it for me. Plus I'm in the middle of a massive fruit market by the Olympic Stadium, with a bigger market just down the street. AND I get my very own security guard. (Granted, he's a 12 year old boy from the very nice Chinese Cambodian family upstairs and not technically a security guard, but he told me, with a completely straight face, that he would walk me up if I get in late at night.) AND I got some free fruit out of the deal. Awesome.

On a less awesome note, I went to visit my first shelter for trafficking and sexual abuse victims on Tuesday. While I knew not to expect anything comparable to that of shelters in developed nations (which aren't always superb either), I wasn't prepared for what I learned. This shelter, one of the better ones in the city, was very clean, with a beautiful garden, and good security (they almost didn't let us in even though we had an appointment, which I think is such a good thing). Having said that however, I was dismayed to learn that "counseling" and "therapy" in Cambodia actually refers most often to asking the clients whether they want to learn weaving or sewing. Sometimes this counseling will include telling clients what they should do with their lives . . . but there is ABSOLUTELY NO WORK done with clients regarding their trauma. This is a country-wide phenomenon in all shelters here. With more severe cases of mental illness, clients are sent to psychiatrists, where they receive meds, but nothing else (although this happens in the U.S. too, it still gets to me). There's a lot more that I wish I could say but cannot. All in all, the lesson learned is that even when you know something is going to be bad, it doesn't fully prepare you for the experience. I realize, now more than ever, how much work is needed.

DID YOU KNOW:
1) A lot of people here celebrate three new years? International, Chinese, and Cambodian (which is in April)
2) The lunch break here is 2 hours long (at my agency it's 1 1/2 hr). A lot of people go home, and some apparently bring cots to work so they can take a nap during the lunch break.
3) There are more Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai than Khmer restaurants in Phnom Penh.

Sorry for the incredibly random post with complete disregard for grammar . . . but you'll take what you get . . . and you'll like it.

PEACE
rosie