Top 5 things missed about the South

This is a brief list of things I miss or just appreciate about growing up in the South...

1. Food- grits, fried chicken, greens, BBQ sauce, butter biscuits, squash, butter beans, fried shrimp, Brunswick stew, catfish stew, fried okra, black eyed peas, gumbo, jambalaya, peach cobbler, apple pie, the list goes on and on. There is no one style of Southern cooking as you have styles such as Gullah Gullah, Cajun, Creole, Low Country, Native American, and several others. Growing up in the South these various styles blend together at the dinner table and you don't think "Oh this is from the Carolina low country, but this dish is from the Louisiana gulf area..." Instead you get a powerful meal that isn't focused on health consciousness nearly as much as it is focused on making sure the ingredients bring out the best possible flavors. There is a reason folks get big in the South; we cook with Crisco, lard, fatback, smoked neck bones and wings, bacon drippings, real butter, salt pork, and other cholesterol filled, flavor packing ingredients.

2. Southern accents- people from other parts of the English speaking world act like I am the one who speaks in a funny way. Come on now, don't tell me that a simple phrase like "I ain't ate yet, but I'm fixing too. I'll give yall a holla when I'm done." is confusing. Southerners speak slow because we don't want to have to translate it for those of you that don't understand. I miss hearing folks speak the right way. People in the South speak in a manner that has a bit of soul and humility built right in to our pronunciation.

3. NASCAR- I don't even like NASCAR but I like people who do. Seeing a fully grown woman with 3 kids and a mortgage get excited about Dale Jr. winning the pole is just funny to me. For a sport that consists of little more than a lot of left turns and loud engines, people get fanatical in their devotion. Kevin Harvick, Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, and any other number of drivers have no special importance to me, but after a while you just get used to seeing people wearing Budweiser hats with the number 8 on them or Tide t-shirts or any other number of corporate sponsors. NASCAR is a sub-culture within Southern culture and though I am uninitiated I miss those funny folks back home who after a few Natty Lites might punch you in the mouth if you say something bad about the Intimidator.

4. Walking around in a Walmart after midnight- Sounds a little odd right? Go to Wallieworld after midnight and look around. I don't even buy anything when I go, it is a trip made for sheer entertainment value. There are some free-spirited styles of dress all over the world, but nothing quite competes with the run-away fashion sense displayed in a Walmart after dark. Want to see a plus size lady in neon green elastic pants, red open toed shoes that have been customized with a Bedazzler, with a American flag patterned midriff shirt? Make the trip. Want to see a man dressed completely in camouflage hunting gear and sporting a mullet hair cut walking around like he is Bill Gates and has the power to buy and sell whatever he wants whenever he wants? This man is confidence on steroids and he shops at Walmart after midnight. He will probably be hopping out of his girlfriend's mid-80's pickup that has been customized with either a sticker or airbrush art on the back window with a picture of Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes urinating on either a Chevy or Ford logo. If you strike up a conversation with this gentleman he may show you his Tasmanian devil (cartoon character) tattoo that he got when he was 16 because he wanted to "express himself and have something original that represents him." Guys of this general description are all over the South and generally they are friendly good natured men, but if there is a sale on Walker Texas Ranger DVD sets or commemorative plates in the back of the store do not get in this man's way under any circumstances. Folks like this make shopping after midnight the only time I want to shop.

5. County folk influence- I don't mean good old boys or "rednecks" here; I am talking about the influence of folks that aren't that far removed from a small town mentality where the pace of living is leisurely, the purpose of asking how someone is doing is to actually find out how they are doing, your dog be it a Chihuahua or a Black Lab is a your buddy and friend not an accessory, and you treat your elders with respect because they are your elders. These are the people that don't understand Hollywood fashion or feng shui, but if your momma gets a flat tire on the side of the interstate they will pull over and help her change the tire because it is the right thing to do. Country folk tend to not be overly complex and don't put a lot of esteem in book knowledge, but don't be fooled these folks know some things that you can only learn by sitting on a front porch and drinking lemonade with them on a Sunday afternoon. Don't get me wrong, I am not country folk since I was born and raised in Augusta, GA which is a far cry from Cornelia,GA but I am influenced by country folks. It's country folk that are most represented on this list. You may live in the heart of mid-town Atlanta and dress in the newest clothes, but when you sit down at a bar in Buckhead and order fried shrimp and beer battered onion rings, you have country folks to thank for bringing you that meal. When you are planning a business lunch and you have the caterer serve up a variety of Po'boys you have country folk to thank. Whether you are listening to Alan Jackson or Outkast, you can thank country folk for perfecting the Southern drawl that makes their delivery just right and the slang of the South for making their music stand apart from similar artists in California or New York. From the lady living out at a horse stable in the country to the head of orthopedic surgery in a major hospital, if you were born and raised in the South you have been shaped and molded in many ways by country folks and that is a good thing.

Random thoughts on living in a developing country...

This is a quick and far from thorough guide to a few things you can expect living in Cambodia (with some exceptions being made for Phnom Penh and Siem Reap town).

First, you are going to get sick....you are going to get sick a lot and it is going to be painful. Diarrhea will be your constant companion for the first couple months, once it finally goes away you can expect it to revisit you at least once on a monthly basis. Dengue fever, giardia (caused my ingesting fecal matter), internal parasites, sinus infections from living in a dust filled environment, and constant lethargy due to the unending and inescapable heat are normal. You will not live here for long without experiencing some or all of these.

Second, bathrooms are a necessity, but don't expect anything too comfortable. Unlike their Western counterparts, bathrooms in Cambodia usually consist of a hole in the ground with a porcelain bowl over which you squat. They usually empty into a river, stream, or lake via pvc pipes. Because of this they are not suitable for toilet paper, hence you won't have any. What you will have is a small bucket and a reservoir of water. Unless you came prepared, you most likely will not have any soap. Come prepared! Wiping is accomplished through a an experiential learning process that focuses on leaning and pouring water at the proper angles. It should be noted that we don't really use our left hand for much social interaction as this is customarily the hand used for anything that is considered unclean. The bathroom conditions should be considered in light of my first observation (you will get sick a lot).

Third, if you are living in a rural area or any area in which there are not many tourists (basically anywhere outside of a provincial town), you will become an instant celebrity. Sounds kinda cool right? Nope! It sucks. Think of it this way, you have had diarrhea for two days and you are convinced that the local market is trying to kill you by spiking all of the produce with laxatives. It dawns on you that you should go buy some more soap and some bland food (see "Rice"). You step out the door trying to keep in mind a certain time frame so that you can make it back home the next time your stomach declares war and rises up in revolt. You make it about half way to the roadside stand where you can buy soap and you have already had "Hello" yelled to you by 15 well intentioned but star struck Khmer children. Once you get to your destination and negotiate the purchase of soap, you are greeted like most stars to an endless barrage of questions such as "Have you eaten rice today? Where do you go? Do you have wife? Girlfriend? How old are you? Why do you come to Cambodia? How much money do you make? What state are you from? Can I learn English with you? Where is your home? Can I have your phone number? What do you do in your free time? Do you want to marry a Khmer woman/man?" The list of questions does not end.... really it doesn't. Meanwhile you are plotting your getaway to buy rice when your constant companion, intestinal discomfort and pain, reappears. You make your escape to the rice seller's stand (Note: there are no "merchants" only seller's) and are greeted by the murmur of everyone in sight. Comments on how beautiful (determined here by skin color) you are come pouring in and there is no shortage of compliments or critiques. As you determine which of the 5 types of rice you want to buy, you realize your stomach can't maintain discipline and order much longer so you pick some rice and get home as fast as you can. What should have been 10 minute errands have turned into a labor intensive sea of attention that can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. All the while you feel sick and continually hear the same questions and comments in a foreign language you barely understand. Being an instant superstar gets old quick...

Fourth, you are having rice for dinner. And lunch. And breakfast. Everyday. Really you are. Occasionally you will get a break from the norm and have noodles, but come on Cambodia is an agriculturally based society. Around 90% of the overall population makes their living as from farming and the number one crop is rice by far. For breakfast you have baubau which is basically soggy rice in water with or without additional seasoning. For lunch you may have beef (imagine jerky with a slightly burnt flavor or chewy fat depending on the dish prepared) with some vegetables and rice. Maybe pork or chicken, but rice is guaranteed. Dinner will be similar to lunch but there will be an expectation for you to eat a larger quantity of it because rice it is essential to Khmer people that you eat huge quantities of rice. It should be noted that the quality if the rice here is far superior to the rice I was familiar with in America. Uncle Ben's has nothing on rice from Cambodia. After a few weeks, you long to go a few days without rice. After a few months and maybe some time in a provincial city where there are non-rice options you may find yourself missing rice. Not everyone feels this way, but generally after a day or two without rice it becomes missed. If you don't like rice for whatever reasons, Cambodia is not the place for you.

Fifth, if you want a refined culinary experience go somewhere else. If you want a unique culinary experience we have you covered. Local markets carry lots of fish, beef, pork, and chicken. In addition to these we have plenty of dog, snake, frog, bird, insect,and various rodent meats to choose from. Keep in mind that refrigeration is nearly unheard of so most of these items that may make their way to your dinner table have been sitting in the insanely hot sun until you came by and purchased them. Making your selection is easy though, simply swat away the cloud of flies hovering over the meat sellers table and choose away. Feeling adventuresome? Try some snake on a stick, waterbug (imagine large cockroaches but more moist), large winged ants, crickets, fried spiders (larger than tarantulas), or similar delicacies; all of these are available in provincial towns and to a lesser extent in district towns. Some are quite good, some are not....there is only one way to find out. Personally, I eat frog as often as possible and find it to be delicious and nothing like chicken. At this point I am fairly certain that if I saw Kermit the Frog in one of the Jim Henson Muppet movies my salivary glands would kick into overdrive. Please remember my first observation. Fruits and vegetables are diverse and plentiful in Cambodia with an assortment of selections that I had previously never seen or heard of in the States. I won't go into much detail but sowmow, mein, dragonfruit, and several others must be tried. The one fruit that I will give some description of is durian. Durian is highly popular in Cambodia and other parts of Southeast Asia. It smells like a dead body left in muggy heat to rot indefinitely. It has the taste of a mixture between raw onions, cream cheese, and grape fruit. The texture of the edible section generally resembles custard or a thick pudding with a slight dough-like quality. For most Westerners the smell of durian does not make you want to eat it, the taste confirms the suspicions of the nose, and the texture adds an air or mystery. Try it, it builds character (or so I tell myself). It's awful but much like a car accident grabs your attention and won't let you look away, durian is horrendous but once you try it for some reason you find yourself thinking "maybe it isn't quite as bad as I remember...." It is.

This is only a short list, but there will be more to come in the future...

Overview of a normal day in Maung Russey

This is a rough estimation of what I am doing at any given point on a normal day in Maung Russey. Everything here is subject to change as there is no school on holidays or if it is raining. The holiday point may seem obvious but Cambodia is has more holidays than any other country (or so I have heard) and they are not usually clearly announced. You may show up to school just to discover a few teachers sitting around playing cards without a student in sight because it is a random holiday... Anyway here is a rough schedule:

5:30am - 7:00am Wake up, shower, eat breakfast, and ride my bike to school.

7:00am - 11:00am Teach 2 classes of 11th or 12th grade students for 2 hours each.

11:00am - 1:00 pm Lunch, possible nap, or household chores such as washing clothes

1:00pm - 3:00pm Ride my bike to the market to buy vegetables, rice, noodles, household items,etc. Meet with my Khmer language tutor on certain days.

3:00pm - 4:45pm Teach at a local NGO or just spend time there discussing issues with the young people or staff members.

5:00pm - 6:00pm Teach remedial English to a group of poor students ranging in age from 4 to 16 years old. This is often the highlight of my day as these students are a joy.

6:00pm - 7:30pm Varies, but may ride to the local pagoda to hang out with students and various people in the community. Sometimes I run errands that I didn't get to earlier.

7:30pm - 11:00pm Cook dinner, clean up, shower, read, maybe watch a movie on my laptop, and try not to be consumed by the huge mosquito population.

11:00pm-ish Climb under my mosquito net and go to bed, sometimes earlier sometimes later depending on what I need to do the following day.

No two days in Cambodia, or anywhere else for that matter, are exactly alike but over time the days start to run together and what once felt unique and foreign begins to seem normal. The first time you are woken up by blaring Khmer music at 5:00am it is a bit of a shock and rather disorienting, but the 30th time it happens it is just a common annoyance that is a normal event in Cambodian society. Having a party? Getting married? Is it a holiday? Do you want to celebrate something just for the hell of it? If so, there will be a large tent set up in a local street and music will blare from 5am until about 11pm. This is happening somewhere in my town on a daily basis or every other day. If the celebration takes place within a half kilometer of my home, I can forget about sleeping or not having a headache; if the party is going on further away I can hear the music in the distance and rejoice in the fact that it isn't going to be a constant agony to listen to it all day.

Again, this is a general idea of my day and a small taste of some of the challenges found in Cambodia. Honestly, my challenges are quite insignificant compared to my Khmer neighbors who battle far more difficult circumstances on a daily basis, but that discussion is for a future blog.