A day in my shoes: Today I got my bike back from fixing the blow-out of my second-hand tire. And I noticed the new back tire is slightly smaller than the original front tire... and it looks... odd! It may be off by only an inch or 2, but it obviously sits lower. Boo Sarruen suggested I put the smaller tire on the front so it has less weight on it, which I thought was a good idea... until I got the visual image of me riding it, with my head pointed down... OK, no dice.

Second, I found out that there's no word for “home” in this language. There's 'house' and there's 'property' and 'ownership'... but not home. I wonder if they have a sentimentality for their house and childhood village that they just cannot express, or if there is no attachment. I would understand a lack of attachment to a hut filled with daily hardships, but it seems almost inhuman to not have some attachment. Then again, I'm speaking from my experience. There's also no word for “nice” or “sad”... things like that are expressed as a condition of the heart... a good heart and a sick heart. Which may be true, but also strikes me as odd. (If you actually have a heart condition, I wonder if that's a sick heart too? Could get confusing.) I guess this is what you get when your language is derived from ancient Sanskrit... not many options for adding or expounding on words.

My team I'm leading was supposed to be implemented by now, but we're having technical difficulties. My 3rd staffer we picked out doesn't know he's been reassigned and is out in the field for another 10 days, the van outfitted with our media outlets is designated for the school team for the next month, our database still isn't implemented so that I can pick out which villages to go to first based on 4 criteria, and our budget is so tight that I can't get handouts or charts made to have with me in the field. Its been... quite a week! There are divine appointments and timing with every step, though, right? (please repeat this back to me if you ever hear me complain!)

On a positive note, though, I had a great time at my first Cambodia wedding on Sunday, and today I drove around with my newly acquired drivers license!! A little rusty since I haven't driven a standard since the summer of 2000 when I drove Melissa's Grand Am, but the organized chaos that is Cambodian driving isn't too bad (if you're creeping along in 3rd gear)!