Coins and Standardization

There are no coins in Cambodia.  Instead, there are 100 R to 10,000 R notes, worth 2.5 cents to $2.50.  The upside is that pockets last a little longer (an untested hypothesis at this early stage), but there are downsides:

(1) Very difficult on windy days to determine which team gets to choose its side.  Also, tougher to do some demonstrations of probability if you are a math teacher.

(2) Scratch offs require the use of a paper clip.  I have not turned into an avid Lottery participant, received or wished to receive any iTunes cards, nor are there any McDonald's contests (or restaurants for that matter), but the cell phone cards I purchase every month or so do use the same technology.

(3) You have to find something else to remove the battery on your mac (which is designed to be opened with a coin).  Probably not justification for transitioning to coins... at least not until the King gets a mac.

 

We generally take standardization for granted.  That is until something reminds us how convenient it is.  Like when Walmart started selling 8 x 10.5 paper in the US -- I felt robbed of 19 square inches of freedom because I was, and it just did not look right in my binder along with the handouts and other things printed on normal paper.  And I blame China and Walmart for it, never considering the fact that I am the one shopping at Walmart and buying this paper in the first place.  Oh, but this is not about Walmart or paper, really.  It is about standardization.  And, more specifically, another demonstration of just how great standardization can be until it is ripped from your grasp.  This second illustration comes courtesy of the staff room cupboard at HOPE school where I teach.  There really are this many different sizes of staples in it -- I did not go hunting all over, either.  Every one of these boxes is for a different size.  Crazy.  Granted, in America we probably have like 3 sizes:  Normal, Huge (for stapling books you copied illegally at Kinkos), and Dinky (for those little staplers that overly organized 7th grade girls tend to have).

Saddle Up Partner

Well, you can try to imagine the other things that I had typed below before Safari on my Apple spontaneously quit and my changes were lost (it happened when I was using the online dictionary to look up how to spell pronunciation which I now know as you can see).  Though I think Apple's are a cool computer, I also think they tend to crash much more often than they should for some reason.  The really lame internet connectivity in this country does not help matters.  So, anyway, hopefully you like the photos.  The moral of the story is:  "Take your spelling tests seriously."

I will add comments later, but wanted to get some pics from this past weekend up.  It was a really fun time headed up by Graham, the husband of KC's pre-school teacher and a Kiwi (he is the one with the little blonde-haired boy).

The Vision Olympics

There is no vision olympics at this point in history. And, I need to just accept that there may never be. But, if there was, I have a hunch that I could medal in the 5m Freestyle Peripheral Vision event. The only downside is that it means I sometimes see things out of the corner of my eye that I might have preferred not to. Like today, when I thought I saw something hazy and brown off to my right while I was working at the kitchen table (and, no, aside from really dry steak, I do not consider eating to be work - my table doubles as a cluttered desk). I turned to see a rat in the middle of the floor. That is no good and is the first time I have seen one inside. They are, though, all over the place here. Sorry I have no pics to share.

Snapshots Around Town

It is November 12th and the weather has decided to be amazing -- a definite upshot to living in the tropics or whatever the proper term is for this region (it has been a few years since the 6th grade, but I remembered just enough to eliminate "frozen tundra" from the list of options).


Tennis anyone? I have been an avid fan since I met Boris Becker in high school... The short version is that a few friends and I were walking to the parking lot tram after a day at Kings Island. It was summer around ATP-time (the big pro tourney) and one of my friends said "Hey! That is Boris Becker!". I thought the name sounded familiar, so I turned in the indicated direction. He probably looked tall, but otherwise more normal than expected, though I am not sure since I did not look in time. Still, what an honor to nearly meet such a famous tennis player.


In case you cannot read it (you can click for a larger view), it says "Electronic Mosquito Bat". This device is purpose-built to fry the evil insects and works very well. $3 well spent. You might wonder why I don't just clap them to death -- it sounds easy enough, but the mosquitos here are superbly deft at dodging and hiding, and I do not want them mistaking my attempted murder as encouraging applause.


This prominent landmark is where I keep piles of cash - ANZ Royal Bank. If you are American you would call it "Ay-En-Zee", but if you are from Australia, New Zealand, or England you say "Ay-En-Zedd". And not just to be cool in that way we might substitute "ott" for zero. They actually say the letter Z as "Zedd". Then, to add horror to confusion, I learned that these people of odd accents even sing their ABCs to a different tune. Talk about culture shock.


Fortunately, this is the only place I experience significant hair loss. It costs $0.75-1.00 depending on if I get the master or the apprentice.


Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder would be so pleased. Just about every street you take you will see dogs roaming about.


This is the street my school is on. Some bigger buildings and some shanty-store fronts. And, to add cool color to the scene, the occasional monk will pass by.

Asian Stereotypes

I think it is always a good idea to make sweeping generalizations.  Here are two:

1) Asians are good at math. 

2) Asians are polite.

But are they true?  Let us explore together.  I have done the PhD-level research so you do not have to.

1) There are a lot of Koreans at HOPE school and many of them are good at math, but I think they are probably not much different (than the Europeans and Americans) aside from the notable fact that their families put a HUGE emphasis on school performance and on hard work.  I am not convinced this is ideal since there is definitely a place for enjoying your childhood/teenage years.  But, to get into university in Korea and, more so, in America, you HAVE to do well in school.  And, there are those Korean (and Cambodian, Taiwanese) students who are not particularly over-achieving.

2) When they have something to celebrate, like a wedding, it is not uncommon for them to set up a tent and blast the music at near-deafening levels.  And, as I found out today, it is okay in Cambodia to let the party begin at 4:30am.  Amazing.  And, in my opinion quite impolite.

And, lest this sound angry, let me say that it is not.  I just wanted to put up a couple of observations that were on my mind.

I am hoping to get some photos of general interest and post them soon.

Thanks for reading!

Where The Streets Have No Name

I do not think this is the place they were singing about, but street names are barely in use in my neighborhood. This is the street I live on right now (going to change in 2 months or so). That brick building on the left side is a little store that I never go to, but could if I wanted to buy a Coke, candy, or snack (those of you who have been to Mexico have an idea of what these look like -- they ain't no UDF!). Also, you will understand why I wish I would have brought dark pants rather than tan khakis. Live and learn.

Photos from Koh Kong Vacation

The first two photos were taken at Safari World which is basically like Sea World on a tighter budget, but still fun despite being somewhat run-down.

The next photo is me standing at a place we stopped for lunch on the way home, somewhere between Koh Kong and Phnom Penh (a four hour drive).

The last two photos were taken at the resort where we stayed. This place was very nice and new (though we stayed across the street in the cheaper rooms -- still nice but half the cost). The ocean was great -- it had surprisingly large waves (not pictured, mind you) due, I think, to a Tropical storm off the coast of Thailand. It was the best time I have had body-surfing.

By the way, and in case you did not realize, you can zoom these photos by clicking on them.

Thanks for reading/viewing. Adios.