On the 22nd of June it was my One Year Cambodian Anniversary. Looking back at the year that I have spent here I can see such big differences in my life and in my thoughts. It has been so Good in the Godly sense of the word, meaning it hasn’t always been easy to accept. In recognition of one outstanding year, here are ten notable changes.
Rice
You can ask my mum, I have never been a fan of rice. I always thought it was boring and, it is- back home. Here it’s revered. The three times a day staple food of Cambodia. It’s in everything from porridge to cake, dohnuts, midday snacks, crackers, lunch, dinner and dessert too. Rice has amazing (if questionable) energy boosting abilities and packs a calcium/magnesium/potassium combination punch. But more than just the presence of rice in basically everything there is a special ritual in the preparation of it. One of the best cooking lessons I have had (and I have had many) was the lesson I received on how to actually make rice. It probably helps that we consume some top quality Bai. Cambodia has won the award for World’s Best Rice three years in a row for its Romdoul Rice variety. Did you know there are more than 40 000 cultivated rice varieties? Look it’s a serious thing OK?!
Cats
Yes I have had experience babysitting my aunties darling kitties but I have never actually owned nor been sole care-giver for cats before. Anyone who owns cats knows that it’s actually the other way around. It’s a struggle to stay on top in the epic cat and mouse mind battle. My babies will bite me in the face if I try to sleep in and miss their precious breakfast time. So, I adjusted to sleeping with the door closed to keep them monsters out. Outsmarted! Nope. Jenni Hendrix figured out how to get out the window, jump out onto a ledge, climb up the walls onto the roof and through a small gap, aim for my bed and come in hot. No jokes.
One moment you believe you are safe behind a closed door, the next you know that you will never truly be safe. I love my my black panther but luckily I have an especially pathetic, full figured, cat/dog hybrid called Noki. He brings together the best of both worlds. He is dog: gate greeter, companion to anything that breathes, over-eater, professional teddy-bear. He is cat: mostly-silent, butterfly killer (good boy!), self-entertainer (takes himself for walks), professional cockroach hunter/exterminator.
Yes I’m a cat person now…
Motorbikes
Faithful Instructor Dave has shown much patience in teaching me how to drive a motorbike. He also demonstrated fearlessness by riding shotgun in the early stages of training and continues to do so now that I am more… qualified. If his chosen profession doesn’t work out for him, he can definitely make something out of being the calmest driving instructor in history.
I’m a biker now baby, I like to go fast!
Grammar
Do you know what a non-defining relative clause is? How about a gerund? A present participle? If you do know these terms you are either an English Second Language teacher, an ESL student, or you’re a freakish dork. One year ago I had no clue. Six months ago I had a slightly better clue. Now I have a firm grasp on the convoluted handle that is English grammar. I feel like a grammatical super hero/ villain riding off into a well-written, robotic sunset.
Home
My home has changed a lot of times in the last few years. From mum and dad’s house to aunty Jax’s to Jessie’s couch to Ash and Sarah’s beds alternately to different guesthouses around Siem Reap for about 4 months. I have had a lovely time and been spoilt rotten in all of these homes but I have finally moved into my very own place. Playing house is my favourite game: stocking my cupboards and fridge with things that I want in there, decorating, cleaning up, moaning at Dave for not being anal about the dishes (thanks Jax) and generally spreading my belongings over the entire area of a house rather than just one room. So many rooms! So much vegan food! So much me-time! So many great playlists! So many cats! That’s my home and I am blessed to know it.
Showers
You know that little thought that pops up if you share a home with other people? It goes, “I hope no one’s had a shower yet so I can get some hot water.” I absolutely hated cold showers before. I would rather go without food than have a cold one, even in warm weather. Maybe it’s just the bi-product of the 44 degree C summer that we just endured but now my thoughts are more like, “I hope everyone’s showered already so I can get some cold water.” It’s so refreshing. The other day I treated myself to an ice-bath.
Work
I have been blessed with some pretty good jobs in my life, most notably having the opportunity to open Plant with Adien. The gigs taught me much and gave me the skills I have today. However something has changed for me, I get up every morning feeling so excited to get into the office. I have found a consistent joy in working where I do now. I spent years jumping from job to job, never really feeling settled. But that has changed. I think it has something to do with switching from a highly physical to a mental day and a lot to do with the combination of organizing, planning and strategizing, creating and the couple of hours I spend teaching and interacting with students.
Piano
I have finally found the time and funds to start up again. I have an amazing Japanese tutor and a very cool Electric Piano. I also have Lenny breathing down my neck about Metronomes and blah blah blah. Anyway, It’s a relaxing daily practice and has lots of “Uhuh!” moments when a piece finally comes together.
Health
Painful aches, stiff joints, anxiety, fatigue, bladder problems, and noise sensitivity are some of the symptoms of fibro I have been dealing with since I was 13/14 years old. I wouldn’t normally bring it up but last night I had a full blown anxiety/pain/spasm/foggy moment. I realized on waking this morning that the pain and anxiety symptoms have been decreasing all year. I even feel more energetic and alert. I haven’t felt this great in years and I am so thankful for the reprieve.
David
Dave (my cousin) and I have always had one strong link- Caleb (my brother). In our childhood Dave was very quiet, preferring only to speak to his parents, sister and of course Caleb (because who doesn’t like to talk to Caleb? Except for that first year in Uni when he went full-philosophy-righteous-intellectual- douchbag.) So we didn’t talk much or play much or even know much about each other. Fast forward 19 years,(three months after I had touched down in Phnom Penh) and I’m on my way to fetch Dave from the airport. I was nervous as hell because Dave and I had never held a one-on-one conversation before and our glue was thousands of miles away. It’s pretty awkward when you have known someone for so many years without really knowing them. One of the most valuable differences in my life has been getting to know my incredibly special cousin. We can hang out for hours coloring-in. We can team up and host awesome dinner parties. We can talk about food for about 5 days straight without pause or interruption (seriously though, we had to consciously make the decision to stop talking about food). All this one-on-one time with Dave has taught me how to be more patient, more generous and more positive.
I keep learning everyday.
