This Town Ain't Just Filled With Peace Corps Volunteers

If any of you are not familiar with the volunteer organization, VSO, let me introduce you. VSO stands from Volunteer Services Overseas. It is an organization very similar to the Peace Corps, only it involves a wider range of countries (mainly Europe-based but includes Australia) and they get paid better (way better...). Regardless of the higher pay (which actually makes me feel less dissuaded about the association of terms "volunteering" and "readjustment allowance". I still think the VSO volunteers are doing a wonderful thing. I'm just prouder (as a result) of the joking nickname "Peace Poor".

Anyhow, where I was getting at: Recently, I've been socializing more with them. I was invited to a "Royal Wedding Viewing Party" for William and Kate's wedding, which was quite a lot of fun. Rachel and I brought over some cakes and "doughnuts" from one of the bakeries in town and one of the volunteers who lives at the "VSO House" supplies Pringles, Oros, Ritz crackers, and plenty of gin, vodka, and tonic. There were three Americans, two Brits, and one Belgian. We all had plenty of interesting conversations comparing governments and the differences between Royalists and Republicans in England. I became friends with one volunteer who lives out in Thmor Pouk about 40km from Serei Sisophon (Svay), the provincial town. I offered to invite him over for dinner because he can't get tofu in his town (as he's a vegetarian). Today, I was also very surprised as I got a knock on my door around 7:30a: "Hello!" Whoa! That's weird. That sounds like someone who actually knows English. "Hello?" It was one of the Australian VSO volunteers from town who was on his way to Poipet to inspect some new staff at the hospital there. We ended up getting some breakfast in my village and chatting for a little before he left. I've made some friends from travelers and volunteers from other volunteer organizations.

It's nice to have friends outside of the Peace Corps.

Hope all is well.

Talk to you soon,

Garrett

It's nice to have friends outside of Peace Corps.