In which I write about everything

I asked my very good friend, Shiri, what I should write about on here, and she answered 'everything', so here goes. 

Right now I am lying on an actual bed in a hotel room in Phnom Penh, watching CNN and feeling horribly out of touch with everything not Cambodia. On Friday is a swear-in ceremony in which I finally become an official volunteer. After that, we are shipped off to our separate provinces, where we do all sorts of Peace Corps volunteery stuff. My province is Siem Reap, and there are 4ish other volunteers going there as well. 

Leaving my first host family was intensely sad, lots of crying. I've been trying to talk to them a bit on the phone, but speaking Khmer on the phone is a whole new ball game. I promised to visit them whenever I have time, and will try to get them to visit me in Siem Reap. 

My last couple weeks in Samrong were awesome, my host family spoiled me all the time, lots of little gifts and cakes, and not making me eat a whole bowl of rice. I got to do some stuff with string, don't ask me what, but it had something to do with the loom. I also learned that even when you are hand washing all of your laundry, you still end up with an odd number of clean socks. 

Today we had a lot of sessions at the Peace Corps buildings, of which there are a lot more than I was expecting. There's a nice volunteer lounge that has a huge library. I checked out approximately 10 books. 

A couple weekends ago, my family had a professional photographer come and take a family photo to hang up. They took me to get my first ever mani pedi beforehand. 

My beautiful younger sister in her fancy party outfit. We had a whole fashion show that night of all of her party outfits. I have about 45 pictures of her on my iPad now. 

Me, Samnang, one of my Khmer teachers, and my friend Jeff, who is going to Siem Reap with me as well. Samnang is the Khmer word for luck. 

Khnyom sraw-line Kampuchea. Samnang laor dayung awh-k'nee-ah nov Americ. N'yam Bai!