Christmas in Cambodia

My first Christmas in Cambodia was awesome!



It started with getting a Christmas package from my Nonna and Poppop. They sent me candy canes, Christmas chocolates, a stocking, and best of all… Christmas cookies! Not just any Christmas cookie, they were Cherry Winks. I opened up the package with my friend Liz, who was visiting from the town over. I gave her, my host brother, Niza, and myself a cookie. Liz and I took a bite, looked at each other and then started crying. My host brother, Vann, not knowing the awesomeness of the cherry wink looked at me to ask what you call the cookie, then noticed that the Americans were having a moment and quickly looked away (Cambodians are not one’s with the public show of emotions).




On Christmas Eve I went to Koh Kong, with a bunch of other PCV’s. Koh Kong is a very tropical province that borders Thailand. It is really different than the other provinces that I have visited, and it was really beautiful. When I got there all the volunteers went out for a fancy dinner. I got pasta, and it was magical!





On Christmas day, the volunteers who live in Koh Kong organized it so that we got a two-story ferry out to a deserted island in the Gulf of Thailand. The ferry out there took us about two hours. Once we got there we all stripped down to our bathing suits (for the girls this was the most naked we had been in public for 6 months!) and jumped off the top of the ferry. Once everyone was in the water, some people swam to the island, and those of us who would have drowned took the little boat to the island. Then people swam, snorkeled, chatted, and sang Christmas carols. The water was crystal clear and the sand was white… it really was a unique Christmas.

Once we were done swimming we got back up on the ferry and had Philly Cheese steak sandwiches. They were delicious! Then we ferried back as we watched the sun set.

Even though I miss my family and friends so, so much, I was really lucky to get to spend Christmas with some really great people.