Last evening (Wednesday evening) was the first P’teah Goshen gathering. Ann cooked up two batches of homemade chili (one a vegetarian version, one with meat), and that was supplemented with hard-to-find tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, salsa, crackers, bananas, and ice cream. Students gathered at the Graber Miller apartment (P’teah Goshen) shortly after our afternoon lecture about the French Protectorate and Cambodian Independence, and stayed through the evening.
In addition to the meal, the evening included a reflection by Sara K that was based on a perspectives piece she wrote for this week’s Record. The group sang hymns together, evaluated some of the initial lectures and Khmer classes, and processed other business of the week.
This morning (Thursday) students are in Khmer class, and at 1 p.m. we’ll go to purchase bikes for all of those ready to leave behind tuk-tuks and moto riding. A few students might wait a week to tackle navigating Phnom Penh by bike.
Several students have had the usual cross-cultural stomach bugs, but all have recovered within a few hours and are continuing to engage well language classes, lectures, families, and Cambodian culture.
At P’teah Goshen Wednesday night, students formed a Back-Rub Line. Seth was the only one of the men to get in on it.The Back-Rub Line at P’teah Goshen.Joel and Carina check out the SST Cambodia library at the Graber Miller home.Relaxing on the floor at the Graber Miller home.An overhead shot of women taking a break on the floor mats at the Graber Miller home.Simon and Sara T start the dinner line.Lining up for dinner.Although students say they’re loving the Khmer food they eat each day, they also were grateful to have a taste of Western food at P’teah Goshen.Dinner included Ann’s homemade chili soup (including a vegetarian version), hard-to-find tortilla chips, salsa, cheddar cheese (rare in Cambodia), bananas, crackers, and ice cream.Lining up for dinner.Lining up for dinner.Overhead shot of the dinner line.Lining up for dinner.Lauren, Henry, Nate, and Jacob M quickly volunteered for dishwashing duty.Keith shows Carina some of the landmarks on the Phnom Penh nighttime skyline.Relaxing while waiting for the dishwashers to finish.Seth relaxes with a book on the Graber Miller front porch.Jessie, Sarah, Lauren and others at P’teah Goshen.Women relax on the mats while waiting for the dishwashers to finish.Finishing dinner.Formal group gathering at P’teah Goshen. Sara K led an opening reflection based on her Record article for this week.
