Last day in Phnom Pehn
The sleep continued, Kat went off to work and I finally got my act together by noon and packed myself. Kat got home around 3:00 after my nap:) I think 18 hours should have done it. She brought home some things from AEC that I ordered. I needed some gifts for friends that had donated kits to my trip. I couldn't find enough bracelets at the store that are were alike, or more importantly BERNINA red. I was able to place an order directly with the bracelet room and even choose the style and my own beads. BERNINA red of course. When I went in the last day I even watch them making them! I think it is so cool that the bracelets I ordered, were made just for them, designed just how I asked them and are 12 of a kind! I needed a shirt for a friend in an XS, they didn't have one in her size so the girls cut it out and made it for me! They are just so talented.
Kat got home and we made one last trip to the AIM store. I picked up some of the orders my friends had ordered. I met the new store manager and a few of the other employees. Kat's friend Siscerat a Khmer woman who works for AIM, invited us to her home for dinner! It was such a special treat to be invited into her families home for dinner. We were suppose to be there by 6:00. Now remember who I'm with! When we looked at the google map for her address it said an hour away. It was 5:30. Rush hour in Phnom Penh. About 100,000,000 more cars and motos than usual. We drove backroads and alley ways, zoomed in and out of cars, trucks and motos in the dark. I don't think I will not miss this part when I get home! Google maps was correct and 60 minutes later we arrived for dinner! Kat's roommate Ellen came as well. When Siscerat invited us she asked if we liked lobster. Silly question! It was actually crawdad but I don't think there is a translation for that. They BBQed the crawdad and chicken along with green beans mango and rice. They even had cold diet coke for me:) Such gracious hosts. She is married and has a 6 year old son and her mother was visiting. It was such a sweet and pleasant evening. So gracious and hospitable. She and her family speak excellent English so it was fun dinner conversation. Her mom doesn't speak English but the translations were good. They have a lovely home and family.
You know when you first come to a country that has a lot of unknowns and especially a country where your daughter works in the job she does, I know I had some preconceived notions of the people who live here. I was especially worried wandering around by myself. Kat had some interesting observations for me. When we were on the moto we always had a purses locked in the seat and she told me to not have my phone out. She said you will have your phone ripped out of your hands and your bags and purses stolen out of your hands or out of the tuk-tuk. It is very important to keep them inside where someone can't grab them. We always kept them in between us in the tuk-tuk. there was one instance where to motorist came up on either side of the tuk-tuk distracted the person on one side while the other one grabbed the bag on the other side. She said that is really the only crime that happens in Cambodia (I did remind her they sold their children in to trafficking...). Cambodia has a very low crime rate. They are a very communal people. They do everything as a group. No one would consider eating at a restaurant alone. They spend lots of time with family. It was interesting that when Siscerat invited us she was worried there would only be 5 present. She felt bad about that and wondered if she should invite more! Cambodians are very friendly and will go out of their way to be kind and friendly. They are very service oriented. It is not uncommon to have an employee follow you around a store, not because they are suspicious of you but because they want to give you excellent service. They really bend over backwards for you. Where we would have 4 employees at Starbucks, they would have 12-14. They invent a lot of jobs just so people can work. It's an interesting concept that I saw at work at a park in Battambang. Battambang has been awarded the cleanest city in Cambodia the last 8 years in a row. We were walking through the park and I did notice how clean it was. The next morning we were walking through it again and there were employees cleaning up trash. I said to Kat, what do they do just litter at night? Actually, they do. Because they know there are people hired to pick it up the next day. Now I know that is screwy thinking, but if there wasn't litter to pick up there wouldn't be jobs for the people who pick it up! Interesting concept.
We took cupcakes to dinner. We got them at a little bakery called Blossoms. It is an NGO that employees some of the AIM girls. They teach the hospitality industry, service, baking, restaurant. etc. the cupcakes were beautiful! I wish I would have remembered to get a picture of them! The service at the restaurant was amazing as well, I really love how many NGO's (Non Government Organization) are in Cambodia helping. I had never even heard about NGO's before Kat joined AIM. If you ever get a chance to help or sponsor one, they are really doing a great work around the world, do it!
Then it was off to the airport in a taxi. Time to say good bye at the airport:( It went too fast. It was just the two best weeks ever. Spending time with Kat was so amazing. Watching her work, watching her interact in the community, watching her speak Khmer. I hated leaving her and can't wait to go back.
Kat got home and we made one last trip to the AIM store. I picked up some of the orders my friends had ordered. I met the new store manager and a few of the other employees. Kat's friend Siscerat a Khmer woman who works for AIM, invited us to her home for dinner! It was such a special treat to be invited into her families home for dinner. We were suppose to be there by 6:00. Now remember who I'm with! When we looked at the google map for her address it said an hour away. It was 5:30. Rush hour in Phnom Penh. About 100,000,000 more cars and motos than usual. We drove backroads and alley ways, zoomed in and out of cars, trucks and motos in the dark. I don't think I will not miss this part when I get home! Google maps was correct and 60 minutes later we arrived for dinner! Kat's roommate Ellen came as well. When Siscerat invited us she asked if we liked lobster. Silly question! It was actually crawdad but I don't think there is a translation for that. They BBQed the crawdad and chicken along with green beans mango and rice. They even had cold diet coke for me:) Such gracious hosts. She is married and has a 6 year old son and her mother was visiting. It was such a sweet and pleasant evening. So gracious and hospitable. She and her family speak excellent English so it was fun dinner conversation. Her mom doesn't speak English but the translations were good. They have a lovely home and family.
You know when you first come to a country that has a lot of unknowns and especially a country where your daughter works in the job she does, I know I had some preconceived notions of the people who live here. I was especially worried wandering around by myself. Kat had some interesting observations for me. When we were on the moto we always had a purses locked in the seat and she told me to not have my phone out. She said you will have your phone ripped out of your hands and your bags and purses stolen out of your hands or out of the tuk-tuk. It is very important to keep them inside where someone can't grab them. We always kept them in between us in the tuk-tuk. there was one instance where to motorist came up on either side of the tuk-tuk distracted the person on one side while the other one grabbed the bag on the other side. She said that is really the only crime that happens in Cambodia (I did remind her they sold their children in to trafficking...). Cambodia has a very low crime rate. They are a very communal people. They do everything as a group. No one would consider eating at a restaurant alone. They spend lots of time with family. It was interesting that when Siscerat invited us she was worried there would only be 5 present. She felt bad about that and wondered if she should invite more! Cambodians are very friendly and will go out of their way to be kind and friendly. They are very service oriented. It is not uncommon to have an employee follow you around a store, not because they are suspicious of you but because they want to give you excellent service. They really bend over backwards for you. Where we would have 4 employees at Starbucks, they would have 12-14. They invent a lot of jobs just so people can work. It's an interesting concept that I saw at work at a park in Battambang. Battambang has been awarded the cleanest city in Cambodia the last 8 years in a row. We were walking through the park and I did notice how clean it was. The next morning we were walking through it again and there were employees cleaning up trash. I said to Kat, what do they do just litter at night? Actually, they do. Because they know there are people hired to pick it up the next day. Now I know that is screwy thinking, but if there wasn't litter to pick up there wouldn't be jobs for the people who pick it up! Interesting concept.
We took cupcakes to dinner. We got them at a little bakery called Blossoms. It is an NGO that employees some of the AIM girls. They teach the hospitality industry, service, baking, restaurant. etc. the cupcakes were beautiful! I wish I would have remembered to get a picture of them! The service at the restaurant was amazing as well, I really love how many NGO's (Non Government Organization) are in Cambodia helping. I had never even heard about NGO's before Kat joined AIM. If you ever get a chance to help or sponsor one, they are really doing a great work around the world, do it!
Then it was off to the airport in a taxi. Time to say good bye at the airport:( It went too fast. It was just the two best weeks ever. Spending time with Kat was so amazing. Watching her work, watching her interact in the community, watching her speak Khmer. I hated leaving her and can't wait to go back.
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