My Trip To Cambodia

[Sportsdude]

Congrats!  

[TehBorken]

P.C. wrote:  TB....this is just so incredibly wonderful.  What a ride !!!!!!!!!  I have enjoyed every word, of every story, of this amazing journey. A million thank-yous for sharing it with us.

It was my pleasure, and that's the truth. (//http:///forums/richedit/smileys/Happy/14.gif)



*one teeny detail.  I can't stand the suspense......what did Sakha think of your world ?

Well, so far she seems to like it a lot. (//http:///forums/richedit/smileys/Happy/12.gif)  She says it's "too quiet", lol, but I imagine she'll get used to that. Cambodia is a bit noisy, day in and day out. Lots of traffic, street noise, voices, etc etc.

[TehBorken]

 purelife wrote:
awwwwwwwwwwww.... I feel all mushy inside... I'm soooooooo happy for you both.  You two came a long way. 

Thanks. It was a long way, lol, and we'll have the whole experience to look back on. No more Skype, no tearful goodbyes at the airport, no counting days until the next trip...can't say as we'll miss any of that!




I hope that you will share with us pics of your wedding.

I'll post something here when it happens. It'll likely be a pretty small affair (but there'll be a big party afterwards!)

[TehBorken]

 syrdahlia wrote:  I hope you will still update us periodically. I'd love to hear Sakha's reaction to U.S. culture.

Well, we'll see how it goes. Maybe there will be a continuing saga, lol.


And please send / post lots of pics!  BTW you did say you'd post some pics of Jack's engagement - can you post them for us?

Done. I posted a couple of pictures- one of just her and one of the two of them.


(And send me the orange pants one via email - I won't tell anyone!) 

Lol, yes you will.

[Lise]

Wow!!! Congrats TB and Sakha. Now you guys can get busy making little ones in the near future.    

[YourMixedUpFriend]

Awesome, simply AWESOME!!!!

  Looking forward to wedding pictures!  

[van_guy]

TB, congratulations - gad zooks - I'm a little curious about you lovely wife to be's reaction to traffic (without EVERYONE HONKING!!!!!) or to a quiet suburban street - or having a guy in uniform that doesn't accept bribes, and lack of litter all over the streets etc... US must be as shocking to her as Asia is to us.  Best wishes to you both.
VG



       
 

[van_guy]

TB,
I forgot to mention - i was crossing the bridge into Hanoi from the airport (the one that US bombed EVERY day and the Vietnamese rebuilt every night) anyway I saw the CRAZIEST thing.  It was a moped with about a 5 ton truck load of syrofoam netted to the back - my Vietnamese driver was shocked!!!  It looked like an ant carrying a huge leaf.  Unfortunately he was going the opposite way and i didn't have time to go for my camera.
VG



       
 

[49er]

Congratulations TB!

  saw this film on Cambodia/American family on PBS television last evenning, thought I share......

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newyearbaby/index.html (http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newyearbaby/index.html)

[TehBorken]

 van_guy wrote:
TB, congratulations - gad zooks -

Thanks VG!


I'm a little curious about you lovely wife to be's reaction to traffic (without EVERYONE HONKING!!!!!) or to a quiet suburban street -

She's mentioned that it's "too quiet" here, lol, but I think she'll get used to it.  She hasn't really commented on traffic much. I have been taking her out to a nearby parking lot in the mornings and letting her drive the Jeep around a little bit to get a feel for it. We'll get her a Learner's Permit soon and start teaching her to drive.


or having a guy in uniform that doesn't accept bribes, and lack of litter all over the streets etc... US must be as shocking to her as Asia is to us.

Fortunately we haven't had to deal with any police yet so I don't know how that will go. She's impressed with the greenery here (all the trees and bushes and stuff) and she's asked me why we grow so many pine trees in Washington, lol.

Some of the malls have been eye-openers, mainly because they're so damn big. And we went downtown yesterday to meet up with our attorney and get some paperwork started. We also went to the King County Courthouse and got our marriage license, so we're cleared for takeoff so to speak.

She's been a little surprised at how rude some American women are- an awful lot of them really are quite snobby and, well, RUDE. The clerks in the stores, for example, are often quite short with her and sometimes downright jerky. Sakha says they would never be like that in Cambodia or they'd be let go. The worst part is that it's true- I've noticed how many of the store employees here will barely give us the time of day, let alone actually help us with anything.

So yeah, there's been some adjusting to stuff. We did find a couple of Asian food stores (Ranch 99 and Pacific Fresh Seafood) that carry a lot of the stuff she's used to, various kinds of veggies and condiments and other foods, so she's all set for being able to cook the kind of things she likes.


Best wishes to you both.

Thank You!

       
 
 

[Lise]

I hope she won't feel too homesick. It was really tough being away from family for the first two years for me.

  Do come to Vancouver some time because we do have a strong Vietnamese community here and the Vietnamese food here is soooo good.

  Anyways, looking forward to hearing wee little feet in the future.

[Sportsdude]

 Trees. lol Reminds me of the first time I came to WA and then BC.    

[van_guy]

She's mentioned that it's "too quiet" here, lol, but I think she'll get used to it.

Probably much like you would say "it's too noisy" in Cambodia ??

Fortunately we haven't had to deal with any police yet so I don't know how that will go. She's impressed with the greenery here (all the trees and bushes and stuff) and she's asked me why we grow so many pine trees in Washington, lol.

Why do you grow so many pine trees? - we will sell you all hte softwood you need at reasonable prices lo

Some of the malls have been eye-openers, mainly because they're so damn big. And we went downtown yesterday to meet up with our attorney and get some paperwork started. We also went to the King County Courthouse and got our marriage license, so we're cleared for takeoff so to speak[/span].

So when is the big day?
LM and I went to Vegas - it was fast efficient and romantic  ... we got out of the car and everything ..

She's been a little surprised at how rude some American women are- an awful lot of them really are quite snobby and, well, RUDE. The clerks in the stores, for example, are often quite short with her and sometimes downright jerky. Sakha says they would never be like that in Cambodia or they'd be let go. The worst part is that it's true- I've noticed how many of the store employees here will barely give us the time of day, let alone actually help us with anything.

Well that's unfortunate. I don't mean to be a master of the obvious - but some women are just down right catty to any woman they percieve as being prettier - slimmer - sexier ....  I'm hoping (in a weird way) that what this is.  Do you think it's a race thing?  I can honestly say that LM and I have never had anything untoward happen when we are together.

So yeah, there's been some adjusting to stuff. We did find a couple of Asian food stores (Ranch 99 and Pacific Fresh Seafood) that carry a lot of the stuff she's used to, various kinds of veggies and condiments and other foods, so she's all set for being able to cook the kind of things she likes.

Not sure about your neck of the woods - but we can find almost anything in Vancouver that you can get in SE asia. Roghly 1/3 of the population of Vancouver is Asian - so there are stores that cater to most  any asian ethnicity.  Haven't specifically looked for Cambodian foods - but there are neighborhhods where you can't throw a rock without hitting at least one pho restraunt.

[Sportsdude]

Americans generally don't like foreigners because they don't know how to react. Then you've got to understand some people, they've got a small world view, and when somebody serving them food can't speak very good English they'll get mad and don't understand why you don't speak English. No patience.

Then when you've become accustomed here as an immigrant, 20 years from now you'll complain about the foreigners / immigrants etc. Its a cycle. Oma talks about the Puerto Ricans in how they are everywhere and then uses media examples of Puerto Ricans in the Sarasota area killing elderly ladies. Now you've got a stereotype, Puerto Ricans are bad, they kill people and anti-immigrant sentiment rising. Then 60 years ago people complained about her because she didn't know any English and people were Suspecious Cat on her because she just sounded different, cooked funny food, spoke a language of the enemy.


You guys went to Vegas? lol Elvis wasn't the pastor was he?


 
 
 
 

[van_guy]

 Sportsdude wrote:
Americans generally don't like foreigners because they don't know how to react.
.
well there are parts of canada that are very much like the america you speak of - fortunately vancouver is better than most places i've been

Now you've got a stereotype, Puerto Ricans are bad, they kill people and anti-immigrant sentiment rising.

part of that is the media's fear mongering.  they have to sell news papers somehow.

You guys went to Vegas? lol Elvis wasn't the pastor was he?

yeah we eloped  (I highly recomend it btw) - everybody knows elvis has left the building ...