Monday, June 20, 2005

Don't Try So Hard...

I think I've stopped trying so hard pretending to play Khmer (is this a good thing Gail?) : ) Maybe it is too early to tell.... But last week I bought a loaf of bread for the first time since arriving in Cambodia (wholemeal, sliced, very good...) and the week before I bought a tub of yoghurt. Several days a week I still get up before 5am to do exercise around the market. Some days, though, I sleep in until 6:30. Some mornings I eat rice for breakfast. Sometimes I skip breakfast and go to the cafe around the corner for a coffee and a cinnamon roll. Sometimes I choose to stay at home with my adopted family- watch a bit of TV or just sit around. Sometimes I'll go out and talk my head off in my native tongue. Sometimes I bring my hands together in a polite greeting and smile gently. Sometimes I laugh too loudly and hardly seem to care. "Yes!" I say laughing, "Yes! I am the Strange White Fat Rich Foreigner!"
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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:21 pm

    Amen to that! Thanks for making me laugh!

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  2. Anonymous3:52 pm

    Great attitude, but we all knew all along you'd be fine. As soon as you can laugh and agree that you're a big white rich strange (what were the other adjectives you used?)foreigner, the sooner you can relax and really enjoy your adopted country. (at least on the good days). In fact, I find that I have more trouble adjusting to countries that 'expect' me to have some level of intellegence and act accordingly.

    Marsha

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  3. Anonymous10:44 am

    Pip- u are not fat tho the whole emotion of yes i am a stranger made me laugh...
    It sounds are though u have Khamer under wraps these days..i should have read this first b4 i rambled on with the questions on "Miss I."
    Haha!! Tho it is GREAT to know that u are adapting so fast =)
    Lu is planning to send to an encouragment package..perhaps i shouldn't have put this in cos i might b spoiling the suprise =P

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  4. Anonymous7:54 am

    If this is what they call you, I wonder what they will call your mum? Stranger, white, fatter, richer and weirder (because I have less idea of the norms and customs) foreigner?
    Can't wait to alternate rice, yoghurt and cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

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