Well, I got my first chance to drive a motorbike (or motorcycle) into town. I have to say that my heart rate was up considerably and I was sweating more than usual, which is saying a lot. I drove around the school a bit before attempting to have Emily ride on the back. I drove from the dorm to our house, and as I tried to turn around, I just about tipped the bike in the deep sand. I don’t know why Emily trusted me enough to ride all the way to town and back, but miraculously everything went okay. I drove it into town today too, and am getting slightly more comfortable with the whole thing. It would be one thing to learn how to drive one in the States, but here… Sand, pot holes, construction sites, and numerous other things are the obstacles one has to go through. I was praying the whole way…
Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to a Khmer wedding. One of my students, Chair (pronounced as if with an Australian accent), invited all us volunteers to come to his mom’s wedding. It wasn’t quite as traditional as I hear the other ones are because this was her second wedding and she is also Adventist. It was held at the church here at the school. The ceremony was pretty boring since we couldn’t understand it. One of the bridesmaids kept powdering up the bride every 2 minutes, and the people taking pictures blocked out view most of the time. The reception was held at her house. They set up a canopy outside the house where there were tables and plastic chairs covered in fancy cloth. The music was incredibly loud. Chris and I were standing right in front of the 10 or so speakers taking pictures when they suddenly started up the music. I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear again. Fortunately, we vegetarians were put at a table that was a little farther away from the speakers than the rest of the guests. There was tons of food, but only some of it looked slightly familiar. By this time, the bride had changed into another outfit. She had on an elaborate gold dress and was wearing huge anklets, a very poky arm band, and some white socks with her high heels. Stylin’… I’m told that by the time the festivities are over, most brides will have changed their outfits at least 5 times. When we finally left, we dropped our money gift into a heart-shaped container. Apparently it’s customary for all the guests to give a cash gift to the bride and groom. All in all this wedding was quite the experience…
This week is revision week, and I have all my exams scheduled for this Friday. That way I’ll have all next week to do grades and see some sites. Then, Emily and I are blowin’ this pop stand!
