Learning Khmer

A neighbor wrote me a note in Khmer about how happy she was that I visited

One of the tasks I have set about for myself is learning at least survival Khmer. Khmer is the language of Cambodia and is filled with unfamiliar sounds such as improbable combinations of N and G, B and P, rolling Rs and words that to my ears clearly denote Khmer as a tonal language, regardless of what Wikipedia says.

After avoiding the issue for my first few weeks and experiencing countless frustrations because of it, I finally decided to start taking lessons. As someone who has never successfully learned a second language, I find the process incredibly frustrating. My Spanish lessons earlier this year brought me to tears more than once, and I have the tendency to shut down after a few hours. My face goes blank, my hearing disappears and I go to my safe space to try and hide from the relentless barrage of unintelligible words.

The process here is similar, although I am having more opportunity to practice. I work entirely with Khmer speakers except for one volunteer that is here part time. My colleagues are incredibly patient with me and sit with me laughing hysterical while I try and say chhanh (delicious) over and over.

So far I have managed to learn about 50 unrelated words, I can count to 59 and have mastered a few key phrases such as "I don't like your face" and "I cry like a baby pig when I study Khmer." Obviously these are a big hit with my colleagues.

Perhaps most importantly, I have learned how to say "turn left," "turn right," "go straight" and "stop." I have started to question the future of small business in Cambodia after realizing that 95% of the moto drivers in Phnom Penh have no geographic knowledge of the city they drive in every day. They are usually map illiterate as well so it is up to me, a topographical cretin, to try and analyze a map, figure out what street we are on (most are unlabeled) and shriek directions in Khmer at the same time, often in the dark.

I'm in the process of deciding how long I will stay in Cambodia. I have a lease until February but my Kiva fellowship is over in early November. I can extend it by an extra month but not an extra three months, something I had originally hoped to do. There are a number of other charities here that I can volunteer for or I can potentially stay on at Maxima as a volunteer, I just need to do a little research and make a plan.

*Addendum: This morning I realized I had lost my Khmer study notebook and couldn't figure out where I might have left it. I walked everywhere I had been last Friday asking for it, trying to mime out the word "notebook." I eventually got to the small noodle shop near my house. I peeked in and a woman shouted "your book!" and went and retrieved it from the refrigerator she had been storing it in. She told me that if I wanted to practice my Khmer with her I could come in anytime, even if I wasn't buying anything to eat. True evidence of the kindness of the Cambodian people, because listening to me speak Khmer must be beyond excruciating.