Hello!
Yesterday was my first day on the job! We had a whole day of training, meaning more vaguely answered questions. However the staff was really nice and forwarded all country specific questions onto post (Cambodia) in hopes they will be answered soon! I would say the biggest thing I learned yesterday was that CAMBODIA HAS NO TOILET PAPER. I don’t know how I was caught so off-guard by this. After this was shared during an ice-breaker as a fact that someone had learned about Cambodia, my mind froze on those five words and I can’t really remember what else was covered during yesterday’s orientation. I have not been expecting to have electricity, running water, internet, a bathroom attached to my home… which has been affirmed so far, but preparing for no tp has just slipped my mind! I’m sure this is too much information for a blog, but its the number one concern right now. Followed closely by the array of bugs, visible and micro-biological, that could attack me.
Today should be my departure day… however I am sitting in a hotel in Burlingame, Ca. I arrived with my team to SFO earlier today, all 55 filed out of 2 huge busses and into the International terminal. Our “Official” Passport were distributed… the only difference I have found is the nice white mailing label on the outside with my name- but a free ticket is electronically tied to that passport so I can’t complain. After our huge group dismantled to be checked in, the lady checking me just stared at me blankly, telling me I was not in the system - um what?!?!?!- luckily the guy that checked in before me was in-charge of all the paperwork for the flights in our group. And in the end, a ticket was issued for me under the wrong first name, then canceled and never re-issued. So I will be flying tomorrow through Seoul, South Korea with a 4 hour layover and onto Cambodia. I will be meeting my team at the hotel in Phnom Penh in the end, so hopefully I will miss only boring meetings! I am now thankful for the array of self-entertaining devices I have packed to occupy me on the 13 hr flight.
Next time I update I should be across the Pacific.
Lesson learned: Expect the unexpected, always
Love you all!
We’ll send supplies!
Already your Peace Corp. Story is more interesting than everyone else’s