When they are trying to get you to spend money on what is essentially string they have braided together, they like to use their best English and marketing skills to make the sale. They tell you this bracelet cost $2, and then you say, but I only paid $1 for this one, its the same. And then they inform you "same same but different." Yeah, its the same but it's different, but mostly it's the same. I have been pondering this little phrase and have come to realize that it applies to a lot things here in Cambodia, especially at the school. Allow me to elaborate on some things I have observed:
1) There is still that one little girl in class who immediately decides on the first day of school that she is also the teacher, and will then commence to repeat everything you say and boss all the other students around.
2) The person who works the hardest and often gets recognized the least is the lady who works in the office. I'm just gonna go ahead and give a shout out to Romdoul (here in Cambodia), Ms. Wendy, Ms. Kidd, and Ms. Donna. All the greatest office staff I have ever known!
3) There is a general sense of mayhem and confusion the first two weeks of school.
4) Power outages are just as inconvenient and infuriating, even when you can pretty much expect a couple a day here. One major difference with this is that the power outages I dealt with in the states were a result of either hungry or bored squirrels. Here, they are just something else that happens during the day.
5) The school has one "passionate" (to put it nicely) parent who has many opinions about many things.
6) Meetings can dictate your day, whether you are planning around them or waiting for them to happen.
7) When children don't understand what you are saying or what they are supposed to be doing, they misbehave. Holding their attention, even when they don't understand a word you are saying, is a refined art.
8) Bakeries are wonderful and happy places that just smell like comfort. In Cambodia, and actually Asia in general, you may find some unexpected ingredients in what you may perceive to be a delicious pastry. Savory is often opted for over sweet.
9) The support and friendship of the people you teach with is crucial. It is more interesting and fun when you all come from all over the world.
10) People are nice. Especially when you take the time to get to know them. Once you do so, it doesn't matter if you are the same, or different, or the real truth: "Same Same but Different."
And bonus, they sell t-shirts here that say "Same Same." I'm hoping that I will maybe find one that says "Same Same but Different."
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