Watch out - Erika's behind the wheel!

For those who may - please do not get your hopes up. This post is gonna be tiny.

Today was an interesting day. It also goes to show that I'm the kinda gal that just needs to jump in feet first.

I got a call this morning saying that the guy that usually oversees the farm and drives the students around could not be reached. I was asked if I had ever driven the truck. I have actually. A couple of times at the feast. Both with a knowledgeable driver beside me and at 2am. That really wasn't too hard. Ahhh, yes, and for those who might not realize why driving the truck is a big deal, well, for starters it's a manual, and everything is opposite over here. At any rate, I gamely hopped in for a test drive to the farm. I backed out with little difficulty, but upon putting the car into first it kept stalling. I was blocking the whole road outside the school (not hard to do) when a truck came up. Still I could not get our truck to move. One of my students had walked out to make sure I didn't hit anyone while backing up. He piped up and said he had driven a truck 3 years ago. I thought "sure, hop on in and give it a whirl." Well, he did, and while he was trying to go forward he realized the parking brake was on. He pulled it out and we lurched towards the brick fence across the road. "Brake, brake, BRAKE!" I believe he froze and we plowed right into the fence. I was sure the truck would crumple, but instead the fence did. Indeed, the parking brake was the problem and I easily went on my way to the farm to 'fess up. Fortunately, Aj. Leon was completely relaxed about the whole thing. Whew! He just said "we all make mistakes - so do you feel up for bringing the girls to swimming?" "Uhhhh, sure, I can do that..." I replied. And that was that. I did. And after a lurching ride back to the school -where they all said it was so much fun - and another lurching ride to the pool - where I was congratulated upon arrival - I finally drove back to the school with hardly a problem. And now I can drive the truck!
By the way, the students all gamely offered to repair the fence. And the truck didn't have too much damage (just a little bent), so all in all, we got through things okay. I just felt bad for my student. He'd had a rough week as it was - and then this! I think he's good now since I said the whole thing was on me - and no one was mad at me or him.


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In other news, I am headed to Cambodia next week. There was a time (just a few months ago!) where I would have thought that was crazy - but now it's a neighbor. So it will be a nice week long visit and then back to school.

Chicken soup for this gal's soul

Apparently ten hours of sleep is not enough for one night. Here I sit at 4:30 in the afternoon yawning. In my defense I have been battling quite the bug this week. I'm still not sure what it was. Was it the fish caught in the river that I ate Monday night? The bad cheese I ate Tuesday? Or the fact that I hardly slept or slowed down for two weeks before that? I'm willing to bet it was a combination. At any rate, I was walking around rather hunched over for a few days (that's when I wasn't on the couch doing nothing, or the day I spent in bed sleeping). Today I ventured out to the farm to see the students and read a book. I went hoping to alleviate worries that I am alive and well, but instead I probably only created concern. They are very sensitive to us teachers getting sick. I imagine part of the reason is the fact that if I go down there go almost half of their classes. At any rate, they took note of the sunken eyes, and the thinner frame, and promptly invited me to stay at the farm for lunch. Fortunately I was able to eat the heaping plateful put in front of me and hopefully put some minds at ease.

For me being here makes me look at things a little differently. It used to be that if I were sick I would want to be well primarily because I didn't like how it felt and also because I had responsibilities to a job. I suppose on the surface this is still true. But since I now live at my job it's kind of an added incentive to make sure that I am always strong. I suppose I know that I am a healthy person, and don't really worry about my health to much because I pay attention to how I feel and generally respond accordingly. But now I feel this even greater responsibility just so as not to worry others. Next semester is going to be extremely busy so I will have to be sure not to let my guard down on sleeping and eating.

Anyway, I hadn't really started this blog with the intent of it being a synopsis of my health. Mostly, I really liked my day today because the farm was so beautiful and the students all felt like a family. We actually do have a Burmese couple living at the farm until Sunday who act kind of like parents for the Burmese students. (They all knew eachother in Burma.) It was fun, though, today seeing them all around the table talking and laughing together. They even lingered which is something they never do - usually it's eat and run. I think, too, that when we are sick we miss our family more (because really, my mom's chicken soup and my dad's urging me to eat an apple would have been much appreciated!) and feeling concern from a big "family" here was so nice.

Next week it will be back to teacher mode and hopefully building relationships with the students over the break will help and not hinder our progress.

I also will have to write an update about the Feast (The Feast of Tabernacles - part of the religious Holy Days I keep) because it was insanely busy but insanely fun after all was said and done!