HOOOOLAAAA
NACHOOOOOO!
I'm just jealous that
McKenna gets to start all of her emails like that and I can't because I'm
speaking Khmer. That jealousy finally got the better of me this week, so I
broke the rules. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone in my family understands
that movie reference so I'm hoping the other 2 (maybe) people who read the blog
will get a kick out of that (lookin at you, Mrs. Thomas).
Speaking of Spanish, I
will say that I still have not yet gotten that language out of my head! I've
been trying to learn Khmer for quite some time now, and Spanish still manages
to weasel its way in every now and again. For example, I know the Spanish words
for food much better than the Khmer words for food. I'll just tell you this:
Saying "dop manzanas" (10 in Khmer, apples in spanish) does not work
out so well at the phsaas here in KC.
You may be scratching
your heads a little bit at the subject line. I did too for a while when, not
only did I see a Cambodian midget (as if those even existed), but when standing
near said "little person", I STILL GOT STARED AT MORE BY OTHER
PEOPLE. Ladies and gentleman, when it comes to Cambodia, white people are
officially more rare than midgets. I'm not even joking, I'm one of maybe ten
white people in Kampong Cham (5 of which are missionaries). Obviously there are
way more in Phnom Penh, and they don't get stared at, but here in KC white
people are a rare commodity. The other day a kid almost crashed his bike
because he was staring at me looking behind him for so long. That's the other
thing: they have literally no shame when it comes to staring. Or pointing. Or
laughing.
More stories from the
"I'm in Cambodia and I'm White" support group: This week, we got to
go to "the island." Sounds exotic right? I don't know what its actual
name is, we just call it the island. Anyway, to get there you have to go over
this bamboo bridge. It's way cooler than it sounds. It's a super long bridge
thats made entirely of bamboo, and it's freakin heavy-duty. People herd their
cattle across that thing. (that's right, my gauge of the strength of a bridge
is now measured by "number of cattle herded" rather than "number
of cars driving"). I have pictures of that and of the island, which was
beautiful. So what's wrong with being a white person on the bamboo bridge? When
you get to the other side, they charge Khmers 1500 riall.....and white people
are 2000 riall. Which didn't bother me too much, because that kind of stuff
happens ALLLLL THE TIME except then I thought about it in the context of
America: Let's picture the riot that would ensue if a Khmer went to the Bronx
zoo and got charged $20 more than a white person. So just think about that next
time you want to call America racist. I'm livin it people.
But just as I'm
getting used to being a white person in an Asian country, so too am I getting
used to being a missionary. In the worst ways possible. Onjung: I was riding my
bike the other day, talking to myself, as per usual because I'm really starting
to lose it. (I was really just thinking to myself, but it still makes me sound
like a psycho, I'll give you that). And anyway, I thought these exact words:
"Well, Sister, that's what you have to do...." I referred to myself
as "Sister." SOOOOOOOOOOO game over. I've been here for too long.
Yes, so I can
definitely tell I've been out for too long by the way I'm trying to entertain
myself. Besides talking to myself, during the very diligent hours of language
study, I'm usually playing with silly putty, sharpening all of my pencils
really sharp so that I can poke myself, then making pictures out of the
shavings.................#lifewithoutAdderall2014
Are hashtags still a
thing?!?!?! How long have I been gone???
OH WAIT WAIT WAIT
BEFORE I FORGET - this could be the biggest news you hear from me the entire
time I'm in Cambodia: I heard "Teach Me How to Dougie"------IN KHMER.
That is for sure the first thing I'm going to get my hands on when I come
home.
Sister Kong has had
her fair share of hilarious moments this week. I have recently been hearing her
throw out very American phrases such as, "What up, Homie G." (I'm
assuming she learned these things from legendary Sister Hartley, who you don't
know yet, but you will certainly hear about her in the near future if I am
lucky enough to even live in the same house as her. That girl..)
Anyway, I have also
taught her some of the slang those hoodlums in America use. She was especially
confused when Elder McGavin and I tried to explain that "That's
sick!" actually means a good thing. I've also taught her what I mean when
I say "I look like a hobo" (which comes up more often than I'd like
it too). This week, her favorite phrase to use, which she didn't learn from me
is "You need to take a chill pill." I got a little spastic outside of
a members house for a sec and for some reason my bike fell over, and she just
says to me (with her palm up and facing me) "Sister, you need to take a
chill pill." Being with a Khmer comp certainly has its perks.
I feel I should tell
you that I actually lied just a second ago. This big news of this week is not
that I hear "teach me how to dougie" in Khmer (depending on your
perspective.....). I actually feel I should tell you that Moiseng, the
investigator who learns in English, is super smart and actually UNDERSTANDS
this gospel (which is a rarity) got a new job and IS MOVING TO A DIFFERENT
PROVINCE. In like less than a month. The province is called Preahvihhia and
they don't have a church or missionaries there or anything, so she's totally
going to lose touch with the church which BITES. I was so upset. It sucks to
lose an investigator, especially since she was really progressing so well. So
that's the end of that saga. Who knows though, maybe she'll find the church
again. A lot of missionary work is just "planting the seed" so I'm
glad I got to be a part of her story.
I think that's all
I've got for this week. Next weekend we're having a District Conference and
we're gonna have a few people getting baptized in KC and President Moon is
coming up and everything so that should be fun. Those pictures will be good. I
love you guys a ton!!! Thanks for all your love and support - Yes, Mommy,
emailing is 100% my favorite part of P-day and my whole week!!! I love hearing
from you guys! It;s the best! I love you and miss you so much!!!
Love, Sister Davis
PS Spiritual thoughts
for this week:
- I've been spending
some time reading the hymn "Because I Have Been Given Much." Really
putting it into perspective for me. I used to think my life was hard. WHAT A
FOOL I WAS. Nowadays, I struggle to think of anything I have but blessings. We
are all so blessed! So don't think so much about what you need and think about
what others need! Because we have been given much we too must give!
- Also read Doctrine
and Covenants 50:40-44. Don't remember what it says and I don't have my
scriptures with me right here, but I wrote it down so what the heck, go ahead
and read it.
And Jacob 3:1 too.
Loved reading that yesterday.
WELCOME TO THE ISLAND.
Ugh, so pretty. Prettier than Veal Ksaac. That's right, I said it.
Forgot to tell you the
whole reason we went to the island was to harvest rice. Yep, it's STILL
rice-harvesting season. Whatevs. I'm harvesting rice, all day errrrrry day.
This is a picture of the
bamboo bridge leading to the island.
DON'T BE FOOLED: That's
actually not a peace sign. It's some hand sign that all the asians do, so i
tried it out. I'm pretty sure its facing the wrong way though. I guess they do
it because it's cooler than a peace sign. Which coincidentally is
everything....everything is cooler than a peace sign. But you know I rock it
hard in every picture.
What a lovely river of brown.
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