Safety and Security & Cross Cultural Training Intern

Last year marked the first year that PC/Cambodia had a PCV intern for PST (K4 PST). There were two interns (out-going K2 PCVs). One was the Safety and Security & Cross Cultural (SSCC) Training Intern while the other was the English Teacher and Teacher Training (ETTT) Training Intern. This year, there is one additional intern: Community Health Education (CHE), as the K4 group marked the first year of full-fledged health volunteers. I was selected to be the SSCC Training Intern

What is this position, you might inquire?

During PST, there are a myriad of sessions (there’s that word, “myriad” again) that focus on the cultural norms of Cambodia and how they differ from the United States, i.e. celebrations, clothing, gestures, body language, gifts, what it means to be alone in a room with a person of the opposite sex. That leads me to the second half of the job, Safety and Security, which focuses on what risks are feasible and which ones are not worth taking. When should you head back to your hotel in Phnom Penh? How many people should you be out with? How do you keep safe in your community? Who do you contact in order to make that happen? Should something actually happen to you, what’s the procedure? I’ll be leading sessions alongside our Safety and Security Officer and other Peace Corps staff. The position technically starts on July 7th when the ETTT and CHE interns move to Takeo Province (where training will be) to begin preparing for PST. There are a couple of meetings beforehand, but the Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs) will arrive around July 25th, when I will intermittently be in and out of Takeo Province, where training will be held. I would guess that I will be there around 30% of the time. We’ll see how that actually ends up. Because of various (and deep) budget cuts, and my being a currently serving volunteer, my position will be part time. PST lasts from the end of July until the end of September.

Anyhow, I’m very, very excited to be a part of training and work alongside Kristin (CHE) and Greg (ETTT) and the K5 PCTs. I’m anticipating their arrival, and overall, it should be a really fun time.

Talk to you soon,

Garrett

Mid-Service Training (MST)

So, here are couple of things that happened at our (K4’s) Mid-Service Training (MST):

Day 1:

We started off MST by meeting at the Peace Corps (PC) office for a couple of activities in the new Information Resource Center (IRC…there are a lot of acronyms in PC). This was built by and collaborated with our Language Coordinator. It has resources on topics ranging from microenterprise to sustainable health. It only lasted about 10 min, and the time allotted was 4 hours long, so most of us just spent much of our time relaxing in the PCV lounge/library/computer center.

We had lunch served at a different location, the Pre-School Teacher Training Center (PSTTC), for both the K3 and K4 groups. We watched the uncut footage of the PC/Cambodia 50th Anniversary video that was going to be shown at the embassy. It featured six volunteers, their 50th Anniversary projects and them speaking about it in Khmer; the embassy version only featured three of them. After the viewing, we had a PC quiz followed by some ground rules and logistics (including goals and Close of Service (COS) objectives) to go over to begin the sessions of MST. The first actual session was a health slideshow presentation by our Peace Corps Medical Officer (PCMO), Joanne about dangerous snakes. It featured some pretty gnarly pictures of snake bites! After that we all went back to the hotel, changed, and went straight to the U.S. Embassy for the 50th Anniversary party, where they served delicious h’or d’erves (SP!!!) and had many speeches by some ministry people and Jon Darrah (PC/Cambodia Country Director (CD)). It also began to some American National Anthem and Khmer National Anthem singing. Both groups did extraordinarily well, and we look forward to singing again at the 4th of July celebration also at the embassy!

Day 2:

The second day started off with a session that another PCV, Kurt and I facilitated entitled “How to Work with Your Counterparts”. This was actually not a very accurate title, as none of us could possibly be authorities on that subject, considering how diligently we’re all working on figuring out just how to do that! It’s a long process, but it seems like it’s coming along. We decided to curtail our discussion towards what we could recommend to the new K5 Community Health Education (CHE) PCVs coming in July. Following Kurt and I was Population Services International (PSI) who talked about their mobile video units that come into poor villages and do day long projects about specific health topics. One PCV has already been in contact with them and had them come to their site and said it was a success. We all enjoyed the presentation, and I think most of us will be contacting them in the near future. After that session, we talked about monitoring and evaluation (always a thrill), then braked before coming back to learn about teaching large-level classrooms/classroom management with the Senior English Language Fellow (SELF), Joel Wiskin. This is a position that is supported through the embassy but comes from Georgetown (correct me if I’ve got the wrong university). He was very astute and taught us in a very encouraging and entertaining way. Lunch followed, then a session on what the Small Project Assistance (SPA…I told you; there are a lot!) committee is looking for. The SPA grant ranges anywhere from $50-$2000 for projects during our service. Basically, if it’s related to grade-school level students or teaching microenterprise and the community can come up with 25% of the needed funds (including in-kind donations), the SPA committee (funded by US AID) will review it and consider it for approval. After that we had a guest speaker from RACHA (Reproductive and Child Health Association) come and talk about what we already knew from their organization and then learned a bit from another PCV, Helen about working with Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) and the Village Health Support Group (VHSG). Following this we learned about basic first aid from our resident nurse and PCV, Taylor. Taylor’s blunt and sarcastic, so it made for a very entertaining session about basic first aid. i.e. “Okay. So, it’s pretty easy: if they’re breathing, that’s good, right?! Good. Glad we got that. If they’re not? Okay. You probably want to do something about that.”

Day 3:

This was probably the most useful day (I think the others would agree). We started off the session by discussion potential secondary projects we are in the process of executing now or are planning to do in the future. It was a useful bit of time in that we learned about what others were doing at their sites/in their provinces, and it inspired us to consider projects we had not thought about before. Following that, we split up into groups to discuss the many aspects of Pre-Service Training (PST), i.e. what was successful, what wasn’t, and suggestions for the incoming group of trainees. I facilitated the group focusing on cross cultural training. I thought it was very productive, and I look forward to working with PC in implementing those changes we found necessary. It was especially useful as I’ll be the new Safety and Security & Cross Cultural (SSCC) Training Assistant for the K5 PST (I’ll get to that in my next post). After lunch, I left for an hour to do my mid-service Language P???? I??? (LPI…basically a language test to see how far we’ve come since the end of PST). I’m not sure how I did, as I haven’t heard back from our Language Coordinator and Cross Cultural Trainer (LCCC) yet. After that we had five sessions to choose from that ran simultaneously and repeated three times: Chances for Cambodia (an NGO that supports poor young Cambodian girls to further their studies), GIZ Toolkit (a German volunteer organization), SharePoint Information (a Microsoft program we use to share documents and information updates between the staff and PCVs), Volunteerism, and a session on the PC Fellows Program/Applying to Graduate School which was run by our very own PCV, who was the head of all graduate admissions at a very big university back in the states. That was probably the most helpful and interesting. After that, we all filled out our MST evaluation forms, then celebrated before heading back home.

So, let’s see if you were following along:

At the beginning of MST we had an open house for our new IRC before hanging out in the PC lounge. We all went to the PSTTC to begin a general Q&A session about MST and to review our goals and objectives for COS. Afterwards, our PCMO held a session followed by a SS information session. The next day we had two sessions, one of which about working with your counterparts lead by two CHE PCVs before another session by an NGO, PSI. We then learned about classroom management form the SELF from the US. When that session ended, we learned about SPA grants from a group of PCVs. We split up again, and the CHE PCVs learned very interesting information from both RACHA and another PCV on working with VHVs and the VHSG before learning about CPR from our RN PCV. Finally, on the third day, we discussed SSCC during our PST for the K5s PST before they become PCVs. After that, I had my LPI before going to learn about a specific set of skills from GIZ. We then filled out our MST evaluations before going back to the PC lounge at the PC office to relax before going back to our hotel to change and celebrate.

How did you do?

Hope all is well, and I’ll

Talk to you soon,
Garrett

A Laptop Screen Has Been Replaced

So, I replaced my laptop screen. My old one basically looked like a large magnet attacked it. There was about a 3 inch bar of psychedelic color explosions going on. It seemed I had two choices:

1. Replace the laptop screen.

2. Save some money but take the chances of having permanent vision damage.

I went with option #1.

It was pretty swift and easy. The guest house I was staying at is by a street full of computer repair/sale shops. They were able to replace it in a little less than 24 hours. It's a good thing I'm forced to speak Khmer everyday, as they didn't speak any English other than, "What nation you from?" They were pleasant to deal with though.

I'm going to enjoy this spotless screen for the next 37 min before I will inadvertently cause some sort of damage (smudges, fingerprints, lunch) incurs.

Talk to you soon,

Garrett

I Can Barely See What I'm Typing

So, I'm not really quite sure what's going on with my laptop. Everything works fine, minus the staticy, lines of color that exist on the monitor. I'll probably be bringing it in today or tomorrow.

Wish me luck,

Garrett

White Skin is Prettier

So, despite popular Western thoughts and ideas, you are more attractive the lighter your skin is here. This is a fairly popular belief in much of the world. One might think that it is because they want to look more like Americans or Europeans. That's not quite the case. While, in Cambodia, many people want to be more "Western" with cooler clothes and have a haircut with "sty" (style), the skin color relates to working out in the rice fields. The general belief is that if you have darker skin it means that you are forced to work out in the rice fields more often, more particularly in the sun. As a result, it's a assumed that you have less money. If you have whiter skin, it means that you don't have to work hard and you're able to stay inside more often. Sounds kind of familiar doesn't it? The opposite train of thought is that darker skin is prettier, because you have the money not to work. And what do you do if you have money? Chill out by the pool or the beach. In fact, most bath products in this country (and much of SE Asia) have whitening products in them (i.e. bleach). Sounds health doesn't it? Many products such as make-up, face wash, lotion, soap, etc. have these ingredients in them. Other ways people attempt to have lighter skin is to wear less revealing clothing. You will often see people wearing socks with sandals, jeans, gloves, a mask (for other reasons), and a hat walking around even though it's May and it's 98 degrees out with 90% humidity. People will jump through many hoops in order to be "prettier".

Case in point (actual story):

A PCV leaves on their bike to ride into the provincial town:

Host parent: "No! You can't go out like that!

PCV: "What do you mean? I'm wearing appropriate clothing."

Host parent: "But you don't have long sleeves! Your skin will get black, and it will be ugly!"

This is a pretty popular thought throughout most of Cambodia. In fact, a couple of the other PCVs, who're African-American, have had to face constant shouts throughout their service of "Khmao! Khmao!" which means "Black! Black!" They've found that teaching them to say "Niak Kru!" which means "Teacher!" can deter this. Many times, they (Cambodians) don't realize that they're being rude or offensive (sometimes they definitely do, though). Much of rural Cambodia is based in observations, but that will be another post.

Talk to you soon,

Garrett

Banteay Chhmar, the Last Temple of the Angkorian Period

The temple of Banteay Chhmar lies in the commune of Banteay Chhmar (in Banteay Meanchey province) located 63km north of its provincial town, Serei Sisophon (or Svay). It is one of the last temples built during the Angkorian period of Cambodia in either the late 12th Century of early 13th Century during the time of Javayarman VII (the most famous King of Cambodia who ruled during the naval victory for which Water Festival is celebrated). Not much is known about this temple as a result of years of looting and being uprooted by trees. The temple features many of the famous "faces" of Javayarman VII at different parts of the site. They are hard to find, though. As well, many of the walls features reliefs of military excursions that are quite violent: spears poking through the bottom of ships stabbing enemies beneath the water; alligators eating enemies. The Global Heritage Fund is currently attempting to figure away to make it safer place (for the temple itself) to visit, making low-rise walkways, so as to avoid any further damage done to the temple. None of that has been done yet. Currently though, the town has labeled certain blocks of stone and are attempting to recreate some of the wall faces. It is a very slow process, but a little bit has been done.

I came up here, because I have a friend (another PCV) who lives in this commune, just 2 minutes (biking) from the temple, and he showed me around. It really is quite amazing to see the stones absolutely strewn everywhere across what used to be the temple. Some hallways are intact that we were able to crouch down through, but for the most part, the site is in absolute ruins. Everywhere you look, there are just piles and piles of stones and rocks laid out, and its hard to imagine how some of them ended up there! It is still an amazing place to visit, and I feel a little more cultured for it. The temple is similar to Angkor Thom (the famous temple of Angkor Wat), and was, apparently, more expensive, so I'm excited to see late in my service what it used to look like when I finally visit.

Here are some photos:

Talk to you soon,

Garrett

It's May, and I've Been Waiting Outside for 2 Hours

So, here's another interesting fact of life for rural Cambodia: if you live in the sticks, and you're waiting for your taxi to leave, but no one else seems to want to go to your destination, you'll be waiting for 2 hours, like I am right now. Is this typical? No. But, it's not unusual. I don't live in the sticks, but Kenny does, and I'm visiting him; there's a wedding there that I'm attending. Anyhow, it's hot, but thankfully there's shade as the taxi stand is in the market. It's actually kind of nice (I think I wrote this in an earlier post), because I have the chance to read up on the news without much distraction. You know, as much as there really isn't in this town, I kinda like it here (The taxi stand is in Svay, the provincial town). There's a great group of people in this province, and I'll be sad to see a couple of them leave. Anyhow, MST (Mid-Service Training) is in a week and a half. I look forward to seeing everyone; there are some people I haven't seen in months! Well, that's about all. Thanks for listening to me babble while I wait for a taxi; I'm still waiting.

Keep well.
Talk to you soon,
Garrett

Thai-Cambodian Border Conflict.

A bit of background information:

When the French left Cambodia in the 1950's, not only did they leave baguettes, but also poorly demarcated lines around a few temples in the NW of Cambodia. In the early 1960's, the Preah Vihear temple was dubbed an International Heritage Site in "Cambodia." The Thais were very upset about this, and since then, there have been intermittent conflicts along that "border".

Some shelling and shooting at the border of Preah Vihear began again in February because of a "misfired" shot that both countries are blaming on the other. There were quite a few skirmishes, plenty of damage to the temple, and several deaths and many wounded soldiers and civilians. Since then, it has been fairly quiet until a week or so ago when the conflict moved to the Odar Meanchey (the province to the west of Siem Reap and north of Banteay Meanchey (the one I live in)). There are two temples there that are also in dispute between the two countries. In fact, each country has their own name for the temples. There has been a lot of firing along the border and a bit of heavy artillery fire as well. Several soldiers have died and many people on both sides of the border have sought refuge. Many, in fact have fled to wat (temple/pagoda) at Banteay Chhmar, where another PCV, and friend of mine, lives; approximately 200 people have fled to that wat. Don't worry, if you are, as he says that he actually feels quite safe (his town is well away from the conflict by the way, and I live 80km from his site and about 2 1/2 hours away as the road to the provincial town from his village is very rough.). I'll tell you why I feel safe:

Why are they fighting right now?

The Thai elections are coming up very soon, and because of the timing, there's a need to stir up some drama as a distraction to the current political parties. I think this is unfortunate (I just realized I made a post a while back about being apolitical...I guess I've forgotten about that. I'm being vague, though, right?) because of the unnecessary and misdirected fear it has instilled in the citizens of both countries. Many Cambodian's have told other volunteers that they believe Thailand will take over Cambodia. That will never happen. If Thailand wanted to take over Cambodia, it would have happened a very long time ago. I'm not just blaming the Thais; there are plenty of problems on both ends, believe me. Point being, when the elections end, I believe the current fighting will settle down.

Anyhow, I was in a truck on the way from Mongkol Borei (a district in Banteay Meanchey) when I saw two giant flatbeds carrying a tank each. They were headed to Preah Vihear. So much for a cease-fire (a second cease-fire, in fact). I am one of three people (I believe) who were contacted on a daily basis for about a week by the Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer to make sure we felt safe and if we had heard anything from our towns: i.e. if they were worrying, if the borders were closing, etc... There really is no reason to worry, though. I feel safe, and no one in my town has really even mentioned any personal worries. Worse comes to worse, I get a free night or two in Siem Reap, which wouldn't be so bad. However, it'll never come to that.

I'll keep you informed if anything new should arise. Until then, I'll continue to eat my Nature Valley bars with my jar of peanut butter while I go on with my life (as well as the rest of the people around me...minus the granola bars and peanut butter).

Hope all is well.

Talk to you soon,

Garrett

6 Things Happening in the World

1. Osama bin Laden is Dead:

-Much of the world is rejoicing in his death. Will al Queda retaliate in some form (most likely violent)? Probably. So, my suggestion, cancel any trips you may have planned for Pakistan.

2. Syria's Protests are not Looking So Successful:

-1000s of people are fleeing the country and the rest are afraid to leave their homes past curfew. Bodies line the streets and no is removing them in the dead of night in fear of being shot. The government appears to be pretty tight-knit, so it seems unlikely that the people will win the hearts of the military. I hope I'm wrong though.

3. Cambodian-Thai Conflict Continues:

-There have been many days of gun fire, heavy artillery, and multiple broken cease fires for a 50 year-long conflict over disputed borders. Is there any need for Cambodia to worry about Thailand invading? Absolutely not. This is all simply a distraction from the upcoming election. Let's hope it ends soon after the elections. I'm not pointing fingers at the Thais, though. Both have their own issues. (I'll elaborate on this one in a later post)

4. The Death of Ghadaffi (too many different spellings) Junior and the Continual Repression of the Rebel Regime:

- After a bombing on a Tripoli home in Libya, which is currently in a very violent civil war between pro-Ghadaffi supporters and an opposing rebel force, one of Ghadaffi's sons was killed. This is not the same son as the one who has been doing much of the talking for the country as of late. The rebel forces have been held back and pushed back lately.

5. Tornadoes Have Hit the South:

-Storms and tornadoes have ruined much of the South in the U.S. Destroyed homes and families removed from each other. I've been grieving for those affected wishing them all good thoughts. Hopefully, recovery will be quick.

6. The Royal Wedding of William and Kate:

-Thank heavens Kate's dress looked nothing like Diana's! It was all very beautiful, especially the orchestra and choirs. Will the Queen or Prince Charles abdicate the title of King to Prince William. We'll find out soon enough.

Talk to you soon,

Garrett

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.