Are we there yet?

I so wish I could start teaching. It would give me something specific on which to focus. I'm the kinda guy who likes a routine. Seriously, I wouldn't mind, for the most part, doing the same things at the same places at the same times day in and day out as long as A) It's productive & B) It's enjoyable. Here I take a certain amount of pleasure in frequenting the same breakfast place, and using the same money exchanger, and getting my moto tuned up at the same mechanic, and using the same internet shop, and knowing that on Saturday's I'll be playing soccer. I just wish that I could go ahead and incorporate full-time English teaching into the schedule. But who am I to argue with the Buddhist calendar?

If you need an update, I haven't started teaching yet because the school year (this year) doesn't begin until Nov. 15th. We discovered that school schedules here are very flexible things. They may start earlier or later depending on the Buddhist calendar and on the politics/enrollment numbers going on within universities. For example, the administration may say, "Hmmm... Buddhist holiday such-and-such is rather late this year, let's start school late." Or they may say, "Well...we haven't got a full enrollment yet. Let's start school a month later to see if we can get some more students." I know this is bizarre to our Western way of thinking, but it's totally normal here, and I assure you no Cambodian gives it a second thought.

In my haste to have something "more productive" to do, I think I'm forgetting that people/situations/opportunities are being placed right in front of me right now for a reason. My soccer team is such a highlight during the week, and I want to make an effort to get to know those guys better - yes...even though they're French. Today we played in the monsoon rains. It was killer. I'm so into soccer right now. Ben and I will have tons of fun on our campus, as they have a really nice field (in our backyard!).

There are other things going on that make my time productive. I'm teaching Spanish and piano at a student center. That's really fun and makes me feel useful. There are some other things too, but they're too sensitive to discuss over a blog.

Here's some random info. Today I got into a moto accident. I was driving Ben and me to our match when this guy pulled out in front of me. I swerved as much as I could without totally laying the moto down, but I still clipped him. What killed me is he not only pulled out in front of me, but was looking at me the whole time like, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" It bent my foot brake back onto the foot rest, so now that's totally unusable. I'll have to get it fixed tomorrow. Another funny thing: When I hit the guy, he toppled over slowly, but I kept going albeit a little wobbly. The rule in Cambodia is the foreigner always loses. If I had stayed he would have insisted that I pay for the "damages." Other people nearby started yelling at me to stop as soon as it happened, but I kept going. I knew he would accumulate a crowd of "witnesses" who would attest to the foreigner's guilt. Running away from an accident seems atrocious to a Westerner, but there are no police to speak of here, and if you can get away it's in your best interests. Ben kept looking to see if we were being followed, but we weren't. I kept thinking, "If I can just get to my team they'll be able to back me up!" Fortunately we didn't reach that point. I can get the brake fixed for about $3 - no biggie!

So...Ben and I are sitting in Freebird's American Bar & Grill. It's less glamorous than it sounds, and far less American. It is, however, a nice reprieve from Asian life outside, and there's free wireless and Johnny Cash and something that approaches a cheeseburger.

Tomorrow I think I'll go to my breakfast spot, get some noodle soup, buy some postcards in the market, and see if I can't find a post office. Be checkin your mailboxes folks!

Grace and peace,

Bryant