June 28, 2008
Dear family and friends,
Greetings! First, I want to say that if you didn’t receive the May newsletter, not to worry because there wasn’t one. I found myself in the midst of a busy transition, major computer problems, and a cold that knocked me out for a week. Much of what I did in May was exactly the same as what I did in April, so the newsletter would have seemed redundant. However, much has happened since the end of May, so there is much to tell about this month.
I finished my research project regarding infant mortality rates and beriberi in Prey Veng province and returned to Phnom Penh on May 19th. The research went as well as can be expected with the level of record-keeping found here. The good news is that the overall rate was lower than expected, but the bad news is that it is still high. I will probably return to Prey Veng for a few weeks later this year to assist in a research study conducted by a major research institution.
My living arrangements are quite different now. Whereas I had always lived with host families, now I am living in a student dormitory run by EMM. Including me, there are currently fourteen women in this dorm (there is also a men’s dorm). As far as I know, only the director and one other student are older than me. It has been going alright so far, although I’m still figuring out where and how I fit in. I am trying to get the girls to stop treating me like a guest since I will be here for most of my remaining time in Cambodia. I am grateful that they are so willing to help me and make sure that I am comfortable, but I don’t want them to treat me differently than they treat each other. We are making good progress, though, and I am usually allowed to wash my own dishes now!
Work-wise, I have begun volunteering at a clinic run by Cooperative Services International (CSI). CSI clinic serves mainly the poor from the provinces. All of the physicians, expect for one, are expatriates, and most of the rest of the staff are Cambodian. I mostly observe the doctors, who teach me some basic clinical skills and explain to me why the patient is sick. I also help out in the pharmacy sometimes by counting pills. It’s a little monotonous, but the pharmacy is air-conditioned! The most interesting part of my time at CSI so far happened just yesterday. I got to watch surgery! I was standing right next to the operating table. It was perhaps the grossest and the coolest thing I have ever seen. And I must add that I was mighty proud of myself for not even feeling faint!
Another recent transition has been the EMM team in Cambodia. The Umbles arrived in April and have taken over dorm oversight from the Caldwells, who returned to Ohio this month after twelve years of service in Cambodia.
For the final bit of news, June also marked my introduction to the fruit called durian. I have seen and smelled durian and have heard much about this fruit since I arrived last December. But somehow I never had to eat any until a few weeks ago. This is a fruit that has such a pungent smell that hotels and guesthouses forbid guests from bringing it into their establishments. The odor is not pleasant, and I was not looking forward to tasting it. But I walked downstairs just as one of my dorm sisters was cutting into one. She immediately invited me to eat it with her, and I couldn’t turn her down without being rude. She offered me a huge piece, but I was able to negotiate a much smaller portion after explaining that most expats don’t like it and that this was my first taste. After putting it into my mouth, I was grateful for the small piece. It tasted like jackfruit (a tropical fruit that I actually like), eggs, and mayonnaise puréed together. I hope that was my last bite of durian ever.
I hope you all are doing well. Now that summer is here, we can “enjoy” the heat together!
Peace and blessings,
Greta
Praises
-- that my computer is up and running again
-- for this amazing opportunity that I have at CSI and the dorm
-- that I learned everyone’s name in the dorm
Prayer Requests
-- for health, particularly now that dengue season is here
-- for safety as I ride my bike and take moto-taxi
-- for good relationships and interactions with the girls in the dorm
-- that I would find a good Khmer tutor (preferably a Christian so I can learn church vocab)
-- for peace during elections at the end of July
Greta and the dorm director, Sophal, at the National Museum in late December
Some of my dorm sisters (r-l): Chhayrorn, Savong, Sophal, and Mary
